The griffin is the mythical beast with a lion’s body and an eagle’s head, wings, and talons, and it is traditionally associated with guarding treasure. Combining the “king of beasts” with the “king of birds” made the creature a symbol of strength, vigilance, and majesty.
Griffins appear in the art and mythology of several ancient cultures, including Greece, Persia, Armenia, Egypt, and Mesopotamia. Greek writers and artists helped establish the familiar hybrid form, while later medieval traditions used griffins in heraldry, religious art, and stories of distant lands. Their role as guardians was not always tied to one single myth; it became a recurring folkloric motif.
A griffin is easy to confuse with the sphinx, which generally has a human head and a lion’s body, or the chimera, a composite monster with lion, goat, and serpent features. The manticore also has a different form, usually a human-like face, lion’s body, and a venomous tail.