Gryphon

The Gryphon is a lion with an eagle or raptor's wings, beak, and sometimes talons, although some breeds have lions' paws. The front of a Gryphon's body may be spotted like a leopard.

Adaptation throughout History
Gryphons are one of the oldest magical creatures, featured in Mesopotamian art from 3000 BC, spreading into Syria, Anatolia, and Cyprus. In Sumerian myth, the Gryphon is the mount of the weather god, Iskur. In Assyrian art, the Gryphon is frequently shown venerating the Tree of Life.

By 1700 BC, the Gryphon was depicted in King Minos' palace in Crete, where it is shown fighting with bulls and lions, as well as lining the walls of his throne room.

The Greeks adopted the Gryphon to adorn vases, but primarily used them to guard the dead and to act as bearers of the soul.

Reproduction and Mating Habits
The 12th century mystic St. Hildegard of Bongen wrote of the Gryphon's egg-laying. He described how the Gryphon must first find a narrow cavern into which it can barely fit. There, its eggs will be safe from lions, as well as sunlight and gusts of wind.

A Gryphon will remain celibate once its mate has died.