Griffons are ancient Persian and Greek (but also seen in Egypt and Mesopotamia) mythological creatures with the body of a lion and the front talons, head, and wings of an eagle. Not to be trifled with!

It’s a good thing they only eat horses, mice, and berries.

You might have seen the name spelled as Gryphon, Griffon, Griphon, or Gryffon. The Greek word “gryphos” means “curved”–one look at the curved beak and it’s easy to see the origin of the name.

The body sometimes is shown with leopard spots, and sometimes the front legs are lion’s legs instead of eagle’s talons. The tail might be a scorpion’s tail or a serpent. I suppose with most of these creatures, the possibilities are endless.

My Little Pony has griffon characters, too. (I tell you, that show is a wealth of mythology and cultural references that my daughter, Armadillo doesn’t get at her age.)

Sources:

• http://www.mythicalcreatureslist.com/mythical-creature/Griffin
• http://mlp.wikia.com/wiki/Creatures

What do you think about griffons now? Would you want one as a pet?