Griffins 3D Model 3D model

Griffins are mythical winged creatures with the body of a lion and the head of an eagle; in another source, an animal with a bird's head, the body of a lioness and wings.

Griffins have sharp claws and snow-white or golden wings. Griffins are contradictory creatures, simultaneously uniting Heaven and Earth, Good and Evil. Their role - both in various myths and in literature - is ambiguous: they can act as protectors,patrons; and like evil, unrestrained beasts. Since the lion was traditionally considered the king of beasts, and the eagle the king of birds, in the Middle Ages the griffin was considered a particularly powerful and majestic creature.Since ancient times, griffins have been known to guard treasures or other valuable property. In another source, griffins, monstrous animals guarded silver and gold,hidden in the mountains and rivers with which the Arimaspi constantly fought. In Greek and Roman texts, griffins, together with the legendary Arimaspi people, were associated with the gold deposits of Central Asia.So Pliny the Elder wrote: “they say that griffins lay eggs in holes on the ground, and these nests contain gold nuggets.”

In medieval heraldry, the griffin became a Christian symbol of divine power and, in general, the guardian of everything divine.

Symbolic meaning of the image

Roman bronze figure of a griffin (50–270 AD)These mystical creatures symbolize power over heaven and earth, strength, vigilance and pride. The griffin also became an attribute of the goddess of retribution - Nemesis: she was often depicted in a chariot drawn by griffins

The emergence of an imageHistorian Adrienne Mayor, in her book “The First Fossil Hunters” (1993), suggested that the image of the griffin was inspired by ancient Greek historians from the stories of the Scythian gold miners of Altai,who could observe in the sands of the Gobi Desert the fossilized bones of protoceratops dinosaurs, liberated from the dunes by the winds. The description of the griffin is quite applicable to these fossil skeletons:the size of the animal, the presence of a beak, the proximity to gold placers, the horny occipital collar of Protoceratops is capable of splitting over time, and its skeleton on the shoulders could create the illusion of ears and wings

Griffins and Scythians

Griffin illustrated by Wenceslas Hollar, 17th century.Griffins are also associated with some images of the Scythian “animal style”. The Greeks believed that griffins were guards of the Scythian gold mines.Later authors add a lot of details to the description of griffins: they are the strongest of animals; they build their nests of gold and do not enter into conflicts with heroes and gods.It was also believed that griffins came from India, where they guarded huge treasuries of gold.

In Persian mythologyIn Persian mythology, Shirdal is a griffin bird, a protector from evil, witchcraft and secret slander. Shirdal appeared in the art of Iran from the late 2nd millennium BC, although his images appeared on cylinder sealsfrom Susa back in 3000 BC. Shirdals are also common motifs in the art of Lurestan, Northern and Northwestern Iran during the Iron Age.Shirdal became especially popular during the Achaemenid era.