Griffin
A legendary creature with the body of a lion and the head and wings of an eagle, the griffin combined the king of beasts with the king of birds.
The Myth of Griffin
Griffins were magnificent creatures with the body of a lion and the head and wings of an eagle — combining the king of beasts with the king of birds. They guarded vast gold deposits in the mountains of Scythia and the Hyperborean lands beyond the north wind. The one-eyed Arimaspians waged perpetual war against them, trying to steal the gold. Griffins built nests lined with gold nuggets and fiercely defended their young. Herodotus reported these tales, and Aeschylus placed griffins among the dangers Prometheus warned about. They were sacred to Apollo, pulling his chariot in some traditions, and connected to Zeus and Athena as symbols of divine power. Greek art depicted them from Mycenae to Athens, and they guarded temple treasures at Delphi.
Parents
Unknown — pre-Greek origin
Symbols
Fun Fact
Medieval heraldry adopted the griffin as a symbol of courage and boldness — it appears on countless coats of arms across Europe.
Words We Inherited
English words and phrases that trace back to this myth. See our full guide to English words from Greek mythology.
Explore Further
Gryphon
🐉 creaturebeasts
Eagle-headed lion guardians of Scythian gold who waged eternal war against the one-eyed Arimaspi
Hyperborean Griffin
🐉 creatureguardian,gold
Griffins described by Herodotus and later authors as guardians of gold deposits in the far north, in constant conflict with the one-eyed Arimaspians who tried to steal it.
Ladon
🐉 creatureguardian, treasure
The hundred-headed serpent-dragon that guarded the golden apples in the Garden of the Hesperides, slain or tricked by Heracles during his eleventh labour.
Nemean Lion
🐉 creatureInvulnerable beast of Nemea
The Nemean Lion was a monstrous lion with an impenetrable golden hide that no weapon could pierce — the first of Heracles' twelve labours.
Cyclops
🐉 creatureOne-eyed giant
Race of one-eyed giants. The original three Cyclopes forged Zeus's thunderbolts; later Cyclopes were savage shepherds, the most famous being Polyphemus.
Ladon
🐉 creatureHundred-headed dragon of the Hesperides
Ladon was the serpent-dragon with a hundred heads who guarded the golden apples in the Garden of the Hesperides, never sleeping, each head speaking in a different voice.
Ophiotaurus
🐉 creaturehybrid creatures
A creature half bull and half serpent whose entrails, if burned, could grant power to overthrow the gods
Golden Ram
🐉 creatureFlight, rescue, sacrifice
Divine winged ram with golden fleece that rescued Phrixus and Helle and whose skin became the legendary Golden Fleece
Sphinx
🐉 creatureRiddling monster with a lion body and human head
A creature with the body of a lion, wings of an eagle, and head of a woman. The Sphinx terrorized Thebes with her deadly riddle until Oedipus solved it.
Centaurs
🐉 creatureHalf-human, half-horse beings
A race of beings with the upper body of a human and the lower body of a horse. Most were wild and unruly, but the wise Chiron was the exception — teacher of heroes.
Cyclopes
🐉 creaturesmithing, monstrous
One-eyed giants who existed in two distinct traditions: divine craftsmen who forged Zeus's thunderbolts, and savage pastoral giants encountered by Odysseus.
Sybaris
🐉 creaturemonsters
A monstrous serpent-dragon that terrorised the region around Delphi until slain by a young hero