Griffin.
A Griffin, also known as Griffon, Gryphon, or Leogriff/Leogryph is a legendary creature with the body, tail, and back legs of a lion; the head and wings of an eagle; and an eagle's talons as its front feet. Because the lion was traditionally considered the king of the beasts and the eagle the king of birds, the griffin was thought to be an especially powerful and majestic creature.
Description[]
Most griffins are seen with bird-like forelegs and talons, although some have a lion's forelegs; they generally have a lion's hindquarters. Its eagle's head is conventionally given prominent ears; these are sometimes described as the lion's ears, but are often elongated (more like a horse's), and are sometimes feathered.
Griffins are known for guarding treasure and priceless possessions much like dragons though unlike dragons who store their treasury out of greed, griffins do so to build their nests. Most of the time, only the female has wings and males have spikes on their backs instead of wings. Griffins are usually heroic symbols. They are well known for their speed, ability to fly and having eyes like an eagle, as well as the strength and courage of a lion.
Overview[]
The griffin is said to be native to India, although nobody knows for sure exactly where it came from. They are commonly depicted in the art of ancient Greece, however, there are representations of these creatures in Ancient Persia and Ancient Egypt dating well back before 3000 B.C. The griffin was also thought of as king of all creatures. Due to their dwellings being in mountains they were often thought to be the mounts of dwarves who also use them as a means of locating gold or other valuable mineral within the mountains.
These winged beasts were once only found in high mountains where they would locate gold in said mountains and built nests from it. From there they would also hunt marmots and wild goats. When humans encroached on their lands, however, griffins soon discovered a new source of much more plentiful and easier-caught prey: cows, sheep and shepherds. Their gold were also said attract bandits, so griffins kept a very hostile guard over their nests and should any bandist be foolish enough to step into their nesting areas, they would consume the men and devour their horses.
Despite their ferocity, griffins are incredibly loyal and mate for life. When their partner is attacked they will defend it to the death. For this reason they are often considered the embodiment of courage, loyalty and fighting spirit. This last attribute no one would deny them – when provoked, they will not cease their attack until they have torn their opponent to shreds. This loyalty also seems to extend to those who defeat them in combat, pledging said loyalty to their victor and humbling their proud nature. Such traits also extend to their relatives the Hippogriff who are known for their fiercely proud nature and devotion to those who can tame them through showings of respect but in the case of the griffin it is more of a test of worthiness through combat.
Griffins are also known to be rivals to the dragons since the dragons are known for collecting and harvesting gold for their nests or personal needs. It is actually rare to see a dragon and griffin battle one another for territory or treasures, as the Griffin spend the majority of their time in the sky while the dragons do so as well or below the Earth itself.