Griffins. Griffin in mythology Griffin ancient drawing on the body

  “Snakes, dragons, vultures, guarding treasures, always protect the path to immortality, for gold, diamonds and pearls are symbols that embody the sacred principle and give strength, life and omniscience”
   Mircea Eliade
  Griffin is a mythical creature with the head, claws and wings of an eagle and the body of a lion. It symbolizes domination over two spheres of being: earth (lion) and air (eagle). The combination of the two most important solar animals indicates the general favorable character of the creature - the griffin represents the Sun, strength, vigilance, retribution.
  In myths and legends of different traditions, the griffin acts as a guard. He, like a dragon, protects the paths to salvation, being located next to the Tree of Life or any other similar symbol. He guards treasures or secret, secret knowledge.

  The image of the griffin is of ancient Eastern origin, where, together with other fantastic animals, it was supposed to protect the gold of India. According to Flavius \u200b\u200bPhilostratus (ІІІ century), "griffins really live in India and are revered dedicated to the Sun - therefore, Indian sculptors depict the chariot of the Sun drawn by a four of griffins."

In the ancient Egyptian tradition, the griffin combined in his image a lion, personifying the king and the falcon, who was a symbol of the sky god Horus. In the era of the Old Kingdom, the griffin was a symbol of the victorious ruler, who walks on the trembling bodies of his enemies. The griffin appears in the Middle Kingdom: its image, suspended in front of the wagon, leads the soldier to victory. In the late period, the griffin is considered a “powerful animal” and a symbol of justice being rendered; in the era of the Ptolemies and Rome, the gods of Horus and Ra were depicted in the form of a griffin.

In Greece, the griffin symbolized power, confident in its strength, but at the same time insightful and vigilant. The griffin figures as an animal, whose rider is Apollo. These monstrous swift birds were also harnessed to the chariot of the retribution goddess Nemesis, which symbolizes the speed of retribution for sins. Being the embodiment of Nemesis, they rotated the wheel of fate.

In ancient Greek culture, images of griffins are found on the monuments of art of prehistoric Crete (XVII-XVI century. BC), and then in Sparta (VIII-VII century. BC.). The first mention of griffins that has come down to us belongs to Herodotus (V c. BC). He writes that these are monsters with lion bodies and eagle wings and claws that live in the far north of Asia and protect gold deposits from the one-eyed arimasp (the fabulous inhabitants of the north). Aeschylus calls the griffins “the bird-billed dogs of Zeus who do not bark.” The Greeks believed that the griffins were the guardians of the gold copies of the Scythians. Later authors add a lot of details to the description of griffins: these are the strongest of animals (with the exception of lions and elephants), they build their nests from gold, and do not enter into conflicts with heroes and gods.

A fantastic scene of the battle of the tigress and the griffin is depicted on the objects of Scythian art of the 7th century. BC e. One of the horse hats from the first Pazyryk barrow depicts a lion griffin fighting a tiger. On the gold jewelry of the “Sarmatian animal style” there is a scene of torment: an eagle griffin and another fantastic creature attack a cat predator - “panther”.

The image of the griffin is also found in the Christian tradition.

In medieval church art, the griffin becomes a very common character and, being an image of an ambivalent character, on the one hand, symbolizes the Savior, and on the other hand, those who suppressed and persecuted Christians, since it is a combination of a predatory eagle and a ferocious lion. Presented initially as the devil-stealer of souls, already in Dante the griffin becomes a symbol of the dual nature of Christ - divine (bird) and human (animal) due to his dominion on earth and in heaven. The solar symbolism of both animals that make up the griffin strengthens this positive interpretation. Therefore, the griffin is considered the winner of the snake and the basilisk, embodying demons of the devilish sense. The very ascension to heaven of Jesus Christ is symbolically associated with griffins.




  In the Middle Ages, the griffin became a favorite heraldic beast, where it symbolizes the combined qualities of an eagle and a lion - vigilance and courage. Böckler (1688) deciphers the griffin as follows: “Griffins are depicted with the body of a lion, the head of an eagle, long ears and clawed eagle legs, which should mean a combination of mind and strength.”

  Press griffin presented by A.S. Pushkin to A.A. Delvig. 1st quarter of the 19th century Ormolu.

The press was presented in 1829 along with a quatrain: “Who grew the Feocritian tender roses in the snow? ..”. After the death of A.A. Delvig, the press was kept by his wife, later - by her relative A.A. Baranova, from whom he transferred to the State Literary Museum. It is exhibited in the Museum-cottage of A.S. Pushkin.

A fantastic creature that can be found in the mythology of various peoples, including the Slavs - griffin. This mammal with wings and 4 legs was the guardian of the chamber with gold or treasures. His image symbolized dominance over the elements of earth and air.

Appearance

The mythical griffin bird has an unusual appearance - it is half-eagle, half-eagle. From the eagle he has - head, wings and claws. And the body is a lion with 4 legs. According to some authors, he possessed a long tail that looked like a snake.

Griffin is a creature with a specific color: the front of his body was red, the back was black, and his wings were white. He had a piercing gaze and a sharp curved beak. And the wings had an additional joint, which contributed to their convenient folding.

For its nest, the bird chose the highest mountains and equiped it at the very top. The nest was of pure gold and carefully guarded.

Abilities and meaning

Due to its mystical origin, half-eagle-half-eagle possessed extraordinary abilities.

1. Colossal power. He could lift into the air and carry a horse with a rider or a pair of oxen in one harness.
2. The all-seeing eye. Only once looking into human eyes, he could punish or reward, depending on his deeds.
3. Ominous scream. The warlike call of the magical creature exterminated all life in the area for several miles.

Regardless of culture, this mythical creature means duality. The reason for this is his appearance. On the one hand, the lion, as the king of the earth, is responsible for the physical world. On the other hand, the eagle, the lord of heaven, carries spirituality in itself. Such duality affected the character of a powerful creature - its image combines both a fierce monster and a fair judge.

Mentions in ancient cultures

For the first time, these powerful creatures are mentioned by the Greek historian Herodotus. He believed that they live in the north, in the country of Hyperborea, and guard the gold they found there.

Ancient Egypt

In the myths of the ancient Egyptians, the griffin is a mythical creature that looked like a lion with falcon wings. On his head was a golden crown. This extraordinary creation served the god of heaven, Horus, and showed his will to human beings. It was the personification of the sun, sand and justice.

Later, at the heyday of Ancient Egypt, half-eagle-half-furrows gained a new meaning. They were accompanying soldiers and ensured their victory. They were often portrayed at the head of a large army.

In ancient Egypt, there was another famous creature - the sphinx. It looks like a griffin (has a lion's body) and guards treasures. The sphinx lives in deserts and guards the relics of the pharaohs. If he meets people, then he puzzles them. If a person answers correctly, he receives a generous reward. In case of an erroneous answer, the sphinx can tear to pieces a person.

Ancient Greece

The ancient Greeks believed that the body of the half-eagle-half-eagle was larger in size than 8 combined lions, and that he had the strength more than a hundred eagles. Like a bird, it easily rose into the air.

The griffin in mythology of Ancient Greece is a powerful, fair and very insightful creature. He personified the confrontation of flesh and spirit. In the traditions of the ancient Greeks, these creatures had an unusual mind for animals.

Legends narrate that they were the winged dogs of Zeus. The Supreme God sent them to fight against Greek enemies, and they were also his messengers.

There are myths that state that Apollo drove a half-half-bird. There are images of the goddess of justice Nemesis, on which in her chariot, floating in the sky, are pulled half-eagle-half-furrows.

In the myths of the ancient Greeks, powerful animals were first portrayed as guards of gold. Among the Greeks, love of gold was associated with a confrontation between the material and the spiritual. Half-half-birds used gold and jewelry to build their nests.

Ancient Rome

In ancient Rome, half-half-bird was endowed with nobility and pride. The best warriors used his images to decorate their helmets.

The rulers of Rome were the first to use the image of a powerful creature on their coat of arms. They emphasized their connection with the gods. Over time, this tradition appeared in other European cultures.

Scythia

The ancient Scythians perceived a half-bird-half bird as a fierce monster, which is characterized by incredulity and vindictiveness. They believed that a powerful creature persecutes a person until the end of his days in the event of theft of jewelry from his nest.

The image of half-eagle-half-grass decorated the arrows and swords of Scythian warriors. They hoped to gain the ferocity of fearsome creatures during the battle. Another half-half-bird was depicted on the walls of houses in order to protect them from strangers.

Slavic culture

In Slavic culture, the griffin is a bird symbolizing:

• fight;
• courage;
• indispensable victory.

Due to the fact that he simultaneously possessed the qualities of a lion and an eagle, he was highly respected and respected. The lion personified the Sun and was a ritual image, and the eagle symbolized the sky, its infinity and all the breadth of its power.

The main task of the half-half-half-eagle was to protect the Riphean mountains, where the entrance to Iria was, and the jewelry that lurked in them. More mythical creatures guard the passage from the world of Yav to Nav. From their cry, the grass dried and the flowers faded. If a living being heard them, then it fell dead.

The ancient Slavs believed that the powerful bird was beautiful to the gods and the human race, but for unknown reasons could not stand horses and mercilessly destroyed them. People who went on horseback to the habitats of half-seafloor half-eagles needed to mask animals. Otherwise, an unpleasant fate awaited them.

The Slavs often went to the possessions of powerful creatures, because there were apple trees with golden apples. People firmly believed that if you pluck and eat at least one golden apple, they will become wise and gain eternal youth.

Heraldry

Half-eagle-half-eagle was often used as a heraldic symbol. His image was resorted to for various purposes.

1. Kings decorated the coats of arms with a powerful creature to emphasize their divine origin.
2. The military depicted half-eagle-semilva on the shields and hilt of swords with the aim of obtaining sharp vision during the battle. It was believed that his image would not allow to unjustly take the life of a person.
3. Merchants used gold coins, which depicted a half-half-bird in order to emphasize their honesty. Even on coins, the image of a mystical creature was minted in order to increase its wealth.

In the legends of ancient peoples, you can often find a combination of a bird and a beast in one image. There are various types of creatures that are very close to the griffin in appearance and are engaged in protecting treasures.

1. Hypogryph - the closest relative of the half-half-bird. According to the Celtic myths, the gods rode these animals. They looked like half-eagle-half-crowns and guarded royal relics.
2. Gryphobaran is found in Scythians and looks like a ram with an eagle's head, which is crowned with horns. He guarded the mines with gold.
3. Hanshou is a Chinese animal combining a tiger and an eagle. According to legend, it is the spirit of the wind and hunts for livestock.
4. Tanma is another Chinese animal with a dog's body and eagle wings. He acted as a heavenly judge and watched the actions of people. It was white, due to which it practically merged with the clouds. This allowed him to discreetly observe the life of people.

Griffins today

Some scientists believe that griffins still exist and live in the Himalayas. This version has neither confirmation nor denial. This powerful creature can be found on the pages of fantasy books. The animal is popular among painters. It can be seen in computer games as a vehicle.

Any association of people, whether it is an organization or a state, creates its own symbolism, which is a kind of visiting card and allows you to clearly identify such an association. Original symbols are used in various fields of activity - trade, production, the provision of various services, in sports, among religious and public organizations. State symbols, in addition to protocol and other issues, solve the problem of rallying the people of the country, realizing their unity.
In this work, we will consider the imperial flag of Tatarstan or the Tatar Caesar’s flag, as it is called in the “Expression of the Sea Flags of All Universe States,” published in Kiev in 1709 with the personal participation of Peter I. We also ponder whether this flag could unite different peoples Great Tartary and touch upon some more moments of our past.

To begin with, we recall the description of this flag given in the Book of Flags by the Dutch cartographer Karl Allard (published in Amsterdam in 1705 and reprinted in Moscow in 1709): “Caesar’s flag from Tartaria, yellow, with a black looking and outward looking dragon (the great serpent) with a basilisk tail. ” Now let's look at the images of this flag from various sources of the XVIII-XIX centuries (the table includes images of flags from sources published: Kiev 1709, Amsterdam 1710, Nuremberg 1750 (three flags), Paris 1750, Augsburg 1760, England 1783, Paris 1787, England 1794, unknown 18th century publishing house, USA 1865).

Unfortunately, the drawings leave much to be desired, because made for reference, not heraldic purposes. Yes, and the quality of most of the images found is very weak, but still, it is better than nothing.

In some figures, the creature depicted on the flag really looks like a dragon. But other figures show that the creature has a beak, and dragons with a beak do not seem to exist. The beak is especially noticeable in the figure from the collection of flags published in the USA in 1865 (the last figure in the bottom row). Moreover, this figure shows that the creature’s head is bird's, apparently, eagle-headed. And we only know two fabulous creatures with bird heads, but not a bird body, this is the griffin and the basilisk (below).

However, the basilisk is usually depicted with two paws and the head of a rooster, and in all the figures, except for one, there are four paws and the head is not cocky. In addition, various information resources claim that the basilisk, a fiction exclusively European. For these two reasons, we will not consider the basilisk as a “candidate” for the Tartar flag. Four paws and an eagle's head indicate that we still have a griffin.

Let's look again at the drawing of the imperial flag of Tartaria, published in the USA in the 19th century.

But maybe the American publisher got it wrong, because Allard in the Book of Flags clearly says that the dragon should be depicted on the flag.

Could Allard have been mistaken or deliberately distort information by someone’s order. After all, the demonization of the enemy in public opinion, which in modern times we have all seen on the examples of Libya, Iraq, Yugoslavia, and what sin, the USSR, has been practiced since time immemorial.

An illustration, most likely, from the same World Geography published in Paris in 1676, in which we found the coat of arms with an image of an owl for the previous article, will help us answer this question.

The emblem of Little Tartaria (according to the canonical history of the Crimean Khanate) depicts three black griffins in a yellow (gold) field. This illustration gives us the opportunity to say with a high degree of probability that the imperial flag of Tartaria does not depict a dragon, but namely a griffin or vulture (mane), as it was called in Russian books of the XVIII-XIX centuries. Thus, it was the American publisher of the 19th century who was right, who placed on the flag of the Tatar Caesar a vulture, and not a dragon. And Carl Allard, calling the neck a dragon, was mistaken, or by someone’s order the information about the flag was distorted, at least in the Russian-language edition of The Book of Flags.

Now let's see if the mane could be a symbol, which could be followed by the peoples who inhabited the multinational Empire, stretching from Europe to the Pacific Ocean.

Archaeological finds and old books will help us answer this question.

When excavating Scythian burial mounds on the vast expanses of Eurasia, I am not afraid of this word, various objects with the image of the neck are found in droves. Moreover, such findings are dated by archaeologists dating back to the 4th, and even the 6th century BC.
This is Taman, and Crimea, and Kuban.

And Altai.

And the Amu-Darya region, and the Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug.

A true masterpiece is the pectoral of the 4th century BC from the "Thick Grave" near Dnepropetrovsk.

The image of the griffin was also used in tattoos, which is confirmed by archaeological excavations of burial grounds of the 5th-3rd centuries BC. in Altai.

In the Great Ustyug in the XVII century, on the covers of chests painted this fabulous creature.

In Novgorod in the XI century, the neck was cut out on wooden columns, at about the same time depicted on the medallions in the region of Surgut. In Vologda, he was carved on birch bark.

In the Tobolsk region and in Ryazan, the neck was depicted on bowls and bracelets.

On the page of the 1076 collection you can find a painted griffin.

Griffins even today can be seen on the walls and gates of ancient Russian churches. The most striking example is the 12th-century Dmitrievsky Cathedral in Vladimir.

The walls of St. George's Cathedral in Yuryev-Polsky also contain images of griffins.

There are griffins at the Church of the Intercession on the Nerl, as well as at the gates of the temple in Suzdal.

And in Georgia in Mtskheta, the church has a bas-relief with a vulture.

But the vulture was depicted not only on religious buildings. This symbol in Russia was widely used by the great princes and kings in the XIII-XVII centuries (illustrations from the multivolume “Antiquities of the Russian State”, printed by definition of the highest established Committee in the middle of the XIX century). We can find vultures on the helmet of Grand Duke Yaroslav Vsevolodovich (XIII century).

We find Gifon both on the imperial Zion (ark) of 1486, and on the entrance doors to the upper chamber of the Terem Palace of the Moscow Kremlin (1636).

Even on the banner (great banner) of Ivan IV the Terrible of 1560 there are two griffins. It should be noted that Lukian Yakovlev is the author of the supplement to the III division of “The Antiquities of the Russian State” (1865), where the banner with the bar is given, in the preface (p. 18-19) it says that “... images of sacred content were always made on the banners, other images, which we will call everyday, were not allowed on the banners. ”

After Ivan IV, it is not possible to find the neck on the tsar’s banners, but on other tsar’s attributes it continues to be used until the end of the 17th century. For example, in the presence of the king’s saadak. By the way, on the radiance, you can see that the "jailer" on the horse is not opposed to the griffin, he stabs himself a serpent at one end of the radiation, and the griffin stands on the other end and holds the Kingdom of the Russian Empire.

The last made image of a griffin on royal things before a long break until the middle of the XIX century was found on a double throne, which was made for Tsars Ivan and Peter Alekseevich.

The griffin is also present on one of the main symbols of the tsarist power of the “Royal Russian Empire” or otherwise, “the Monomakh Stainless”.

Now think that in most of the territory of Tartaria (the Russian Empire, the USSR - as you like best), images of the griffin were used at least from the 4th century BC. at the end of the 17th century (in Muscovy), and in the Perekop kingdom (as Sigismund Herberstein in the 16th century calls the Crimean Khanate known to us) - apparently before the capture of Crimea, i.e. until the second half of the 18th century. Thus, the continuous period of the life of this symbol in the vast territory of Eurasia, if you are guided by the canonical chronology, is more than TWO THOUSAND TWO FIFTY-FIVE years!

According to legend, the griffins guarded gold in the Riphean mountains of Hyperborea, in particular from the mythical giants of the Arimaspi. The appearance of the image of the griffin is being sought in the Assyrian, Egyptian and Scythian cultures. Maybe the origin of this fantastic animal and foreign. But taking into account the “habitat” of the griffin and the fact that, with rare exceptions, the image of the Scythian neck does not change much from the 4th century BC, it seems that the griffin is not alien in Scythia.

At the same time, one should not be afraid that griffins are still used in the heraldry of cities in other European countries. If we talk about the north of Germany, the Baltic states, and indeed about the southern coast of the Baltic, then this is the land of the ancient settlement of the Slavs. Therefore, griffins on the arms of Mecklenburg, Latvia, Pomeranian Voivodeship of Poland, etc. questions should not cause.

It is interesting that according to a legend recorded in the 15th century by Nikolai Marshalk Turi in the work “Annals of the Herul and Vandals”: \u200b\u200b“Anturius placed Bucephalus’s head on the bow of the ship on which he sailed, and put up the bar on the mast”. (A.Frencelii. Op. Cit. P. 126-127,131). The aforementioned Anturius is the legendary ancestor of the Obodor princes, who was a companion of Alexander the Great (this is an important fact for our further research). Arriving in the Baltic, he settled on its southern shore. His companions, in accordance with the same legend, became the founders of many prominent noble families. By the way, on the coat of arms of Mecklenburg, along with the griffin, a bull’s head, and Bucephalus means “bull-headed”

If we recall the image of griffins in the Cathedral of St. Mark in Venice, then a Slavic trace is seen there, too. there is a possibility that Venice could be Venedia, and only then ooze.

As we have seen, the image of the griffin, both among the Slavs and among other peoples of our country, was popular, therefore the presence of the griffin in the symbolism of those settlements where these peoples could live in antiquity should not cause surprise or bewilderment.

Interesting fact. If you look at the old Russian name for the griffin, you can find that it is not only divas, but also legs, legs, legs, legs, legs, legs. Immediately I recall the Nogai Horde. If we assume that its name came not so much from the name of the military leader of the Golden Horde - Nogai, but from the name of the bird nogai, i.e. griffin, under the banners with the image of which they fought, such as, for example, the vanguard of the Tatar Caesar, instead of a gang of incomprehensible savages of the "Mongols" a very presentable military unit of Tartaria is seen. By the way, on the Internet, a new-made Nogai flag is walking, the historical connection of which with the past, judging by some reviews, raises questions. However, on it a winged beast, however, is not a vulture, but a wolf. And the thumbnail from “Vertograd of the stories of the countries of the East” by Hetum Patmich (XV century), depicting the battle of Temnik Nogay on the Terek, will not be superfluous to see, although there is no image of a griffin there.

But back to the flag of the Tatar Caesar. If someone has not yet been convinced that it is a griffin on it, then there is one more fact that, I think, will not only put a bullet in this question, but also open up new paths for our research.

In the book “Coats of arms of cities, provinces, regions and posadas of the Russian Empire” (1899-1900), one can find the coat of arms of the city of Kerch, which until the second half of the 18th century was in the so-called. "Crimean Khanate" or Little Tartaria.

The griffin, of course, has changed a little, but in general it is very similar to the neck from the flag of Tartaria. The colors are the same, and the tail is still the same triangle, only smaller, and the tail is thinner.

Apparently, the authorities of the Russian Empire returned the neck to the Crimea, since already at that time there were too few people who would remember his historical past, so the return of this symbol could not threaten the authorities with anything. It is striking that after the conquest of the Crimean Khanate by the Russian Empire, 30 thousand indigenous Christians were expelled from Crimea (and if you counted only by adult men, as was often done in those days, much more). Note that the new authorities forcibly evicted from the Crimea not Muslims, not Jews and not Gentiles, but Christians. This is a fact from canonical history.

As everyone knows, Islam forbids portraying people and animals. But on the flag of the Tatar Caesar it’s fantastic, but an animal, and on the coat of arms of Little Tartaria there are three of them. After the fall of the "Crimean Khanate" a huge number of Christians were evicted from Crimea. So who were the indigenous “Crimean Tatars”? We will try to answer this question a little lower.

By the way, currently on the coat of arms of the Crimea (and, by the way, on the modern arms of the Altai Republic, the cities of Verkhnyaya Pyshma, Sverdlovsk Region, Manturovo, Kostroma Region, Sayansk, Irkutsk Region, and several others), a griffin is used. Apparently we are not the first to consider the question of its origin.

In the explanation to the coat of arms of Kerch in 1845, we read that “in a golden field there is a black, galloping griffin - the coat of arms of the once prosperous capital of the kings of Pospor Panticapaeum, on the site of which Kerch was founded.”

And here the fun begins. The Bosporus kingdom, according to canonical history, founded by Greek settlers, existed in the Crimea and on the Taman Peninsula from 480 BC. through the 4th century. In the X century, it is not known where the Principality of Tmutarakan appears from where the Russian princes rule, which also mysteriously disappears from the chronicles in the XII century. True, the capital of this principality according to chronicles is not on the Crimean peninsula in Panticapaeum, but on the opposite bank of the Kerch Strait on the Taman Peninsula.

Here is what the famous Russian historian of the 19th century anti-Normanist D. Ilovaiskiy writes about this: “In the 4th century, according to R. Hr. news about the independent Bosporus kingdom that existed on both sides of the Kerch Strait is almost ceasing; and at the end of the X century in the same places, according to our annals, is the Russian Tmutrakan principality. Where did this principality come from, and what were the fate of the Bosporus region during the period embracing five or six centuries? Until now, there has been almost no answer to these questions. ”

Regarding the emergence of the Bosporus kingdom, Ilovaisky notes: “By all indications, the land on which the Greek settlers were based was ceded to them by the indigenous Scythians for a known fee or for an annual tribute.” He believes that the Scythians constituted one of the vast branches of the Indo-European family of peoples, namely the German-Slavic-Lithuanian branch. Ilovaisky calls the cradle of the Scythian peoples proper the rivers irrigated by the rivers known in antiquity under the name Oxus and Yaksart (now Amu-Daria and Syr-Daria). We will not raise discussions on this topic, now it is not so important for us, but the hypothesis about Amu- and Syr-Daria is interesting.

So we gradually moved to ancient times. So let's talk a little about characters more legendary than historical, although sometimes myths and legends can tell no less than historical sources. In some cases, this will lead us away from the main theme of our story, but not much.

First, let's talk about the Amazons. “Well, what have the Amazons to do with it?” - you ask. But with it. The theme of battles of Amazons with griffins was very fashionable in Crimea at that time. This plot is very common on the so-called. late Bosporus pelics found in the northern Black Sea region.

Ilovaysky writes: “At the same time, we will not forget that the Caucasus region was in ancient times considered the homeland of the Amazons ... the people (Savromats) were known for their warlike women, and, according to the ancients, they came from Scythians who combined with the Amazons.” Ilovaisky calls this origin of the Savromats a fable, but we will not deny it, since we are talking about mythological and legendary affairs.

Russian historian of the XVIII century V.N. Tatishchev takes the question of the existence of Amazons and ... Amazons more seriously and, referring to Greek authors, declares: "Amazons were essentially Slavs."

M.V. Lomonosov, with reference to Herodotus and Pliny, also mentions the people of the Amazons: “Amazons or Alazones are Slavic people, in Greek means self-praise; it is clear that this name is a translation of the Slavs, that is, the famous, from Slavic to Greek. "

For now, let us put aside that, according to legend, the Amazons participated in the Trojan War.

The image of such a character of ancient Greek mythology as Apollo is closely connected with the northern Black Sea coast.

According to myths, Apollo lived in Delphi, and once every nineteen years flew north to his homeland Hyperborea. Some sources say that he flew in a chariot drawn by white swans, while others say that he flew in griffins. In the northern Black Sea region, the second version prevailed, which is confirmed by archaeological finds, for example, this red-figured cilicum of the 4th century BC, found in the Panskoe necropolis.

As Ilovaisky points out: “In connection with art, the Scythian influence was reflected, of course, in the religious sphere. So, among the main deities revered by the Bosporan Greeks were Apollo and Artemis, that is, the sun and moon ... ” Now it is appropriate to draw your attention to the fact that Ilovaisky often mentions wars between the Bospors and Taurus Scythians. He also cites the statement of the Byzantine historian of the 10th century, Leo the Deacon, that in their own language the Tauroscyths call themselves Ros. On this basis, a number of historians, including Ilovaisky, attribute the Taurus Scythians to the Rus.

Information about the worship of Apollo by the Bosports as the main deity is doubly interesting in the light of the references of ancient authors to the worship of Apollo by the Hyperboreans. “They (Hyperboreans) themselves are, as it were, some priests of Apollo” (Diodorus); “It was their custom to send the firstfruits of the fruit to Delos to Apollo, whom they especially revere” (Pliny). “The genus of the Hyperboreans and the veneration of Apollo among them are sung not only by poets, but also by writers” (Elian).

So, among the Bospors and Hyperboreans, Apollo was revered as the main deity. If we identify the Taurus Scythians-Ros with the Rus, then it is worth remembering which god in the Rus corresponded to Apollo. That's right - Dazhbog. The divine “functions” of Apollo and Dazhbog are very similar. B.A. Rybakov in his work “Paganism of the Ancient Slavs” writes that the Slavic pagan solar deity corresponding to Apollo was Dazhbog. You can find information that Dazhbog also flew on griffins. For example, on this medallion positioned found during excavations in Old Ryazan, the character is not made in the Greek manner at all.

If we recall that, according to Diodorus, the Hyperboreans “are as if some priests of Apollo”, the worship of Apollo by the Bospors as one of the supreme gods and the legend about the origin of the Rus from Dazhbog, then despite all the skepticism of the canonical history in relation to Hyperborea and the opinion of Herodotus that Hyperboreans live north of the Scythians, with a fair amount of certainty we can cite here the related ethnonyms: Hyperboreans, Rus, Tauroscifs, Bospors.

“But the Bosports are attributed to the Greeks and they had wars with the Taurus Scythians,” you say. Yes they were. And in Russia, Moscow, for example, did not fight at the time with Tver or Ryazan? Muscovites did not become from such feuds without exception the Mongols. “But what about the language, all sorts of inscriptions in Greek,” you object. And when the Russian nobility almost completely communicated and wrote in French, were we French? And now, when the average Russian writes an official document, for example, to the Lithuanians (who are also Slavs, by the way), which language does it use: Russian, Lithuanian or English? Greek, I believe, was then one of the languages \u200b\u200bof international communication. And to deny that in the Crimea of \u200b\u200bthat time there was a Greek diaspora would be unreasonable (the only question is who to mean by the Greeks, and this is a separate conversation). But the fact that Dazhbog could be borrowed by the Greeks under the name Apollo can be assumed. Apollo among the Greeks is a newcomer.

Soviet historical science emphasized the pre-Greek (in other words, non-Greek) origin of Apollo, but called it the homeland of Asia Minor, appealing to the fact that in the Trojan War he was on the side of the Trojans (Myths of the World, Vol. 1, edited by S. Tokarev , -M .: Soviet Encyclopedia, 1982, p. 94.).

Here it is time to talk about another character of Illiad and, accordingly, the participant in the Trojan War, Achilles. Although he did not fly on vultures, he was directly related to the northern Black Sea coast.

So the Kinburn Spit, fencing the Dnieper estuary from the south, was called by the Greeks “Achilles Run”, and the legend told that on this peninsula Achilles performed his first gymnastic feats.

Leo Deacon gives information, which in turn is reported by Arrian in his “Description of the Sea Shore”. According to this information, Achilles was a tavroskif and came from a town called Mirmikon, located near the Meotian lake (Sea of \u200b\u200bAzov). As signs of his Tavroskifsky origin, he points to the following features that are common with Russia: coat with a buckle, the habit of fighting on foot, blond hair, bright eyes, crazy courage and cruel disposition.

Ancient sources have something in common with archaeological finds of our time. In Nikopol (this is not so far from the place of the described events) in February 2007, a Scythian warrior was buried with an unparalleled cause of death. Miroslav Zhukovsky (deputy director of the Nikopol State Museum of Local Lore) described this burial as follows: “This is a small burial of the Scythian era, it is more than two thousand years old. In the talus of the calcaneus of one of the skeletons, we found a stuck tip of a bronze arrow. Such a wound is fatal, since the external and internal plantar veins, as well as the small hidden vein, pass in this place. That is, the warrior most likely bleed. ”

Ilovaysky writes that in Olbia (a Greek colony on the banks of the present Dnieper Gulf) there were several temples dedicated to Achilles, for example, on the Snake islands (among the Greeks - Levka) and Berezan (among the Greeks - Boristenis).

Here we see how, over time, entering the legends, prominent people or heroes could begin to be revered as gods (a textbook example is Hercules). Unlike Hercules, Achilles is not in the Olympic pantheon. This, by the way, may also be caused by its non-local origin. But in Olbia there was apparently no neglect of the Taurus Scythians. It is interesting that the Snake Island, located near the mouth of the Danube, departed from the Ottoman (Ottoman) Empire to the Russian only in 1829. But already in 1841, the large blocks that formed the foundation of the Temple of Achilles were dug from the ground, and the cornices were broken into pieces. The materials left from the destroyed temple were used to build a lighthouse on Snakeskin. “This vandalism,” writes the historian of the 19th century N. Murzakevich, “was committed with the zeal that there was no stone unturned from the Achilles temple.”

Temples were dedicated to Dazhbog-Apollo and Achilles, both of them, one way or another, participated in the Trojan War, but on different sides. And one and the other hails from Hyperborea-Scythia. The time has come to recall the legend that the Amazons living in the same places (or the Alazones-Amazons?) Also participated in the Trojan War. Apollodorus (2nd century BC) calls the Trojans barbarians worshiping Apollo. Those. Apollo among the Trojans is one of the main gods, like the Bospors and Hyperboreans, or like Dazhbog among the Russians. In the 19th century, Yegor Klassen, after conducting a serious study, wrote: “Troy and Russia were occupied not only by the same people, but also by their one tribe; ... therefore, Rus is the tribal name of the people who inhabited Troy. " And in Asia Minor should Troy Schliemann be sought?

If we take into account all of the above, the “Word about Igor’s Regiment” will sound completely different:
"An insult arose in the strength of Dazhbog's grandson, a virgin entered the land of the Troyan, splashed swan wings on the blue sea near the Don ...".

The transformation of heroes into gods is confirmed by another example. Let us cite with some abbreviations an excerpt from the book of the Czech historian P. Schafarik “Slavic antiquities” (translation by O. Bodiansky):
“The 13th century writer, Snoro Sturleson (d. 1241), compiled his own, known as Heіmskringla, the annals of the ancient Scandinavian kings, almost the only and best native source of ancient Scandinavian history. “From the mountains,” he begins, “surrounding the corner of the land inhabited in the North, it flows, not far from the country of Swithiot mikla, that is, the great Scythia, the Tanais River, known in ancient times, under the name Tanagisl and Wanaguisl, and flows far south into the Black Sea. The country dotted and irrigated by the arms of this river was called Wanaland or Wanaheim. On the east side of the Tanais River is the land of Asaland, in the main city of which, called Asgard, was the most famous temple. Odin reigned in this city. Constant happiness accompanied Odin in all his military enterprises, in which he spent whole years, while his brothers ruled the kingdom. His soldiers considered him invincible, and many lands submitted to his power. One, seeing that his descendants were destined to live in the Nordic countries, placed his two brothers Be and Vile, the lords of Asgard, and he, with his Diyars and a great many people, set off further to the west, to the land of Gardarik, then down, to the south, to the Sasov country, and from there, finally, to Scandinavia. ”

This legend has no direct relation to our research, but it seemed interesting to me. After all, Tanais (Don) is a direct route to Lake Meoti (the Sea of \u200b\u200bAzov), and to the east of the Don, according to legend, was the city of Odin - Asgard. It turns out that the Swedes are also from ours, from tartars.

We will talk about the Swedes separately separately, this is also a very interesting topic, but now we will return to the Greeks again and move from the mythological to the more or less historical.

Let us recall the bas-relief with griffins at St. Demetrius Cathedral in Vladimir, which is called "Ascension of Alexander the Great."

Now let's look at a couple of photographs of a silver bowl with the same plot and title. By the way, how do you like the bearded Macedonian?

And now for the medallion of the same content found in the Crimea, and the 12th century diadem from Sakhnovka (Ukraine). And where does such veneration of Macedon come from?

Basically, the images of “Ascension” refer to the X-XIII century according to canonical chronology.

Arguing the widespread use of such images of Alexander, in particular, on religious buildings, his great popularity at that time was probably naive (although such a justification is found).

Please note that most of the scenes of the “Ascension of Alexander” are made as if certain canons were set for the image - the arrangement of hands, scepters, etc. This suggests that the requirements for the image of the "Macedonian" were presented the same as are usually presented for images of a religious nature (as for icons, for example).

Foreign ascension scenes look similar.

Given that flying on griffins is an attribute of Dazhbog-Apollo, it can be assumed that his cult was still strong at that time and to eliminate the conflict with Christianity, the images of this deity were renamed to the more harmless Macedonian. And the plot of Alexander’s ascension with a liver tied to sticks, with which he lured griffins (according to another version of large white birds - could there be swans?), Could be a later insert written for averting eyes. Another thing is that Alexander could be a heroic prototype of this god. If we recall the legend about the comrade-in-arms of Macedonian Anturia the “forefather” of the Baltic Slavs, then this assumption does not seem so fantastic. However, it seems that the version of the disguise of Dazhbog under Macedon also deserves great attention.

For example, the batons of “Alexander” in a number of images repeat the baton of a Slavic deity on a belt plaque from Mikulchyts dated from the 9th century: a man in long clothes lifts a turium horn with his left hand and holds the same short hammer-shaped rod in his right.

That's what B.A. says Rybakov (who, by the way, closely connected the image of Dazhbog and Alexander) in the work “Pagan Symbols of Russian Jewelry of the XII Century”: “In this chronological interval between the X and XIII centuries we will meet many griffins and simargles on colts, on silver bracelets, on a princely helmet , on a bone casket, in white-stone carvings of Vladimir-Suzdal architecture and on the tiles of Galich. For our theme, it is very important to establish the semantic meaning of these numerous images - are they just a tribute to the European-Asian fashion (there are magnificent griffins on imported fabrics) or was there some kind of pagan sacred meaning in these ancient “dogs of Zeus”? After studying the entire evolution of Russian applied art of the XI-XIII centuries. the answer to this question becomes clear by itself: by the end of the pre-Mongol period, all pagan objects in their essence, the dressing of princesses and noble women, were gradually giving way to things with purely Christian subjects. Instead of mermaids-syrins and turkish horns, instead of the tree of life and birds, instead of griffins appear at the end of the XII - the beginning of the XIII century. images of saints Boris and Gleb or Jesus Christ. "

From the works of B.A. Rybakova can be seen that at the beginning of the XIII century. the image of Jesus Christ was replaced not by Alexander of Macedon, but by Dazhbog.

Why worship of Dazhbog flying on griffins lasted so long is hard to say. Maybe Dazhbog, as the god of the Sun, fertility, life-giving power, was a very important deity for the people and Christianity could not find a worthy replacement in the form of some saint (such as Perun and Ilya the Prophet, Lada and St. Praskovya, etc. .). Maybe because Dazhbog is considered the legendary ancestor of the Rus, or maybe for some other reason. At the same time, the scene of the “ascension” is even found on Tver coins of the 15th century.

The offensive on domestic antiquities can be traced in other directions. So there is evidence of altering the appearance of the churches. Official sources say that this was due to the need to strengthen the buildings, but the concealment of the facades by later masonry could also be cosmetic. For example, in the very center of Moscow in the Kremlin, on the wall of the Annunciation Cathedral there is a site where a cavity was apparently opened during the late restoration. There you can see the column capitals very similar to the capitals from the famous 12th-century church of the Intercession on the Nerl (the griffins with which were cited in our study), this may indicate that the former Annunciation Cathedral was its contemporary. The canonical history of the construction of the Annunciation Cathedral dates from the 15th century, and in the 16th century, according to the official version, the very reconstruction took place that hid its facade. But the XV century is far from XI-XIII, when the simargles, griffins and Dazhbog were portrayed quite widely. However, it is mentioned that in the 15th century the Annunciation Cathedral was built on the site of an earlier church. Maybe in the 15th century it was also reconstructed, and how many more churches hide the past of our homeland from us?

But I think that in most cases it will not be possible to remove the late masonry and peel the plaster. For example, on the territory of the Pskov Kremlin, the fate of the Achilles Church in the XVIII century befell the so-called. Dovmontov is a city that included a whole complex of unique temples of the XII-XIV centuries. During the Northern War, Peter I built an artillery battery in the Dovmont city, as a result of which part of the churches were demolished, and the few that remained were closed and used as weapons depots, ship's gear, etc., which ultimately led to their destruction. I can’t help myself, so as not to quote from the article on the Dovmont city a sentence following the text on the cold-blooded destruction of ancient temples (http://www.pskovcity.ru/arh_moroz19.htm): “However, he (Peter I - my comment) Loved and built. At the beginning of our century, in the northwestern corner of the Dovmontov city near the Smerdy tower of Krom (renamed Dovmontov) there was a garden planted on the orders of Peter the Great. ”

So, he demolished the temples and planted a kindergarten. As they say, comments are superfluous.

We are presented with a version that justifies the destruction of the Dovmontov city by defense tasks, which is not excluded. However, in addition to the military, Peter was very active in resolving religious issues. In the I department of the “Antiquities of the Russian State” (1849) it is said that by a decree of April 24, 1722 he “ordered to remove the pendants from the icons and deliver them to the Holy Synod for analysis,“ what is old and curious in them ”And in the decree issued a little earlier on April 12, but also devoted to questions of faith, Peter wrote: "the custom of arranging immoderate carved icons came to Russia from the infidels, and most of all from the Romans and Poles foreign to us." Further in “Antiquities” we read: “On the basis of church rules, by the decree of the same year of October 11 it was forbidden to“ use carved and casting icons in churches, except for Crucifixes, skillfully carved, and in houses, except for small crosses and panagias ”. Note that the Antiquities speaks of three in 9 months, but I think not all decrees concerning the correction of “immoderation” in religious symbolism.

So maybe, having examined the churches of the Dovmont city, Peter saw that they were completely “old and curious”, that it was simply impossible to retouch such antiquity, and that was why he destroyed unique temples?

Thus, we can assume that in the X-XIII centuries (according to canonical chronology) pagan traditions were still very strong in Russia and worship continued, in particular, Dazhbog. Probably it was, so to speak, pagan Christianity or double faith, as it is called in other similar studies. Christianity really really got stronger, apparently, not earlier than the XIV-XV centuries and gradually replaced the worship of Dazhbog, which also caused the disappearance of the griffins, as attributes of this deity. In Lesser Tartaria, which included Crimea, the tradition of symbolic, and possibly sacred, images of griffins, as mentioned above, lasted until the second half of the 18th century.

We will not return to the “Greek” Alexander the Great. The theme of his trip to Scythia-Tartaria-Russia, his imprisonment of the peoples of Gog and Magog, as well as a discussion of the letter of Macedon to the Slavs and his treasure at the mouth of the Amur from the drawing map of Siberia S. Remezov at the beginning of the 18th century, although it illustrates the commander’s close relationship with the history of our country but goes beyond the study of the flag with the griffin. It is rather a topic for a separate work.

Concluding the conversation about our ancestors from the northern Black Sea region and their relations with Greece, we can recall the myth of the Argonauts and their journey behind the Golden Fleece, since the golden pectoral with griffins from the Scythian “Thick Barrow” has a story about sheep's clothing. Probably Jason was sailing to the Scythians. The only question is where.

And to summarize the topic of the "Greeks", you can quote from the book of the German historian Fallmerayer, "The Stories of the Morea Peninsula in the Middle Ages," published in 1830: "Scythian Slavs, Illyrian Arnauts, children of midnight countries, blood relatives of Serbs and Bulgarians, Dalmatians and Muscovites, - now, those nations that we now call the Greeks and whose genealogy, to their own surprise, we are building to Pericles and Filopemen ... "

This phrase may be taken out of context, but the more complete the mosaic of historical inconsistencies is, the more questions the same ancient "Greeks" raise. Actually, was there a boy?

Tartaria already understood that at least Malaya existed. And if we are moving the right path in our research, then judging by everything the Kingdom of Bosporus, the Principality of Tmutarakan, Malaya Tartaria, this is one of our bitten branches in ancient history, only in real, and not fictitious.

So, what did the griffin tell us from the flag of Caesar of Tatar:

1. Vulture (griffin, mane, div, legs, legs) is the oldest non-borrowed symbol in the territory of Scythia (Great Tartary, Russian Empire, USSR). This symbol could certainly be unifying and sacred for Slavic, Turkic, Ugric and other peoples living in a vast territory from Europe to the Pacific Ocean.
2. In Muscovy, official and everyday symbols, the griffin was gradually squeezed out of use, especially with the coming of the Romanov dynasty to power, and in the Russian Empire with the beginning of the reign of Peter I, it was practically oblivious. He appeared again already borrowed in a Western European form on the coat of arms of the Romanovs, which was highly approved only on December 8, 1856. The disappearance of the images of the griffin in the regions where Islam spread and intensified can not be commented on.
3. The image of the griffin, as an attribute of Dazhbog-Apollo, was used for religious purposes, but with the strengthening of Christianity and Islam, it came out of religious rituals.
4. The Kingdom of Bosporus (Tmutarakan principality, Perekop kingdom) - perhaps the door to our antiquity, walled up by canonical history.
5. After the conquest of Crimea by the authorities of the Russian Empire, a kind of cultural genocide was carried out through its eviction in relation to its native Christian (Russian) population in order to destroy the people's memory of the ancient times of our Fatherland.
6. In the XVIII-XIX centuries, the official authorities of the ruling Romanov dynasty, with the personal participation of “the highest persons” (in the case of the Dovmont city this does not need proof), destroyed at least two complexes of monuments of world significance, thereby causing irreparable damage to domestic and world culture and our understanding of our past.
7. In the light of our study, we should study in more detail the relationship between the Crimean Khanate (Perekop Kingdom) and the Ottoman Empire, which was its ally.
8. Perhaps further research will go easier, because I want to believe that at least one reference point of Russian history is apparently found.

Myths and Legends * Gryphon

Griffin (Gryphon)

Griffins   (Gryphon)   · Monstrous birds with an eagle head and a lion's body. From their cry, the flowers wither and the grass dries, and all living things fall dead. The eyes of a griffin with a golden tint. The head in size resembled the head of a wolf with a huge awesome-looking beak a foot long, wings with a strange second joint, to make it more convenient to fold them.
   Griffins - “dogs of Zeus” - guard gold in the country of Hyperboreans, treasures of the Riphean mountains, protecting them from the one-eyed arimasp (Aeschylus “Chained Prometheus”, 803 traces). Also, these monstrous fast birds harnessed to the chariot of Nemesis, which symbolizes the speed of retribution for sins.
   Among the fabulous inhabitants of the north - Issedon, Arimasp, Hyperborean, Herodotus also mentions griffins (Herodot. IV 13).

Griffin    - a creature of Greek mythology, which looked like a half-half-eagle with a snake tail. His image personified dominance over the elements of the earth (lion) and air (eagle).
   The symbolism of this mythical animal is associated with the image of the Sun, since both the lion and the eagle in myths are always inextricably linked with it. In addition, the lion and the eagle are associated with mythological motives of speed (the image of the eagle) and courage (lion).
   The functional purpose of the neck is protection, often we see it as a guard. In this he resembles the image of a dragon. As a rule, guards treasures or some secret knowledge.
   According to one of the researchers, the protection of precious stones and metals, symbolizing the sacred beginning in the ancient world, corresponds to the protection of the paths to immortality.
The griffin most likely has ancient eastern roots. Most likely, along with other fabulous animals, he guarded the gold of India.

We see it among the ancient Sumerians in the myth of Lugalband in the form of a huge bird Anzud. This bird had the head of a lion.   They depicted hunting deer or other animals. The bird served as an intermediary between the heavenly and earthly worlds, gods and people. Even then, ambivalence was laid in the image of the griffin.
   Flavius \u200b\u200bPhilostratus said that the griffins are harnessed to the chariot of the Sun and they actually live in India.
   The griffin can also be seen in Egyptian mythology, combining a lion (king) and a falcon (symbol of the god Horus). This creature can be traced throughout the existence of Egyptian civilization: in the Ancient and Middle Kingdom, it is a symbol of the victorious king walking on the corpses of enemies.
The gryphon in Greek mythology personified insightful and vigilant power. Closely connected with the god Apollo, appears as an animal that God harnesses to his chariot.
   Some of the myths suggest that these creatures were harnessed to the wagon of Nemesis, the goddess of retribution. In addition, the griffins rotated the wheel of fate, and were connected genetically with Nemesis.
   These mythological animals are widely represented in various cultures of antiquity: Herodotus speaks of them, their images are found on monuments of the period of prehistoric Crete and in Sparta.
   Herodotus speaks of them as monsters having the body of a lion, wings and claws of an eagle. he calls the place of their residence the extreme north of Asia, where they protect gold deposits from fabulous arimasp. The Greeks believed that the griffins guard the gold of the Scythians.
   One of the Greek authors, Aeschylus, gives them the following definition: “the bird-billed dogs of Zeus who have no voice.”
   In the future, their image is supplemented by various features: they are spoken of as the strongest of the animals, emphasize their close relationship with higher deities; griffins build nests of gold.
   This image penetrated from Greek mythology into the traditions of Christianity. The image of the griffin is closely connected with the image of Christ. Isidore of Seville says that Christ is a lion, because he rules and has power, and an eagle, because after his death Christ ascended to heaven.
   Dante harnesses the griffin to the church's triumphal chariot. One part of the griffin - the eagle - is golden, the other is the lion - red and white. So, perhaps the connection in the image is transferred
   divine and human principles.
Some of the researchers say that the griffin is a symbol of the Pope, translating the divine will of the Lord on earth.

Griffin is often found in the works of medieval authors. However its symbolism
   ambiguous. The inconsistency is manifested in the fact that this character can be associated with both the demonic principle and the divine. Accordingly, the function performed by him is ambiguous: in one case, the griffin is a symbol of militancy and vigilance (the heraldic griffin), and in the other, as an element connecting heaven and earth.

The duality of the image can be clearly seen in the works of the Middle Ages: in some cases, it is a symbol of the Savior (since the griffin combines in its image the earthly (lion) and heavenly (eagle)), while in others it is the same features that are rethought, and the eagle with the lion becomes the personification of bloodthirstiness .
   The ambiguity of the content of this symbol is manifested, for example, in Dante. Initially, the griffin played the role of a demonic soul thief, but then this image acquired the opposite meaning and became the embodiment of the dual - divine-human nature of Jesus.
   The archaic connection of the griffin with the Sun, which is still observed in ancient Egyptian images, is clearly visible in the Middle Ages. This connection is strengthened and strengthened by Christian motives. The griffin takes on the features of a fighter with demonic forces: he was considered the winner of the basilisk and the serpent, the main medieval symbols of Satan.

Heraldic Gryphon (Gryphon)

This animal of Greek mythology has become one of the key elements of heraldic science, as an element connecting the symbolism of a lion and an eagle.
   Böckler says that the griffin is therefore depicted with an eagle's head, a lion's torso with a long torso and eagle's clawed legs, which should indicate the union of mind and power.

Boris Vallejo - Griffin and Egyptian Janice
   (Gryphon and Egyptian Janice)

Dark ages full of creatures generated by myths are long behind. But so far the imagination of artists and poets has been splendidly created by the magnificent creations of the human imagination.

One of such beautiful and mysterious images is griffin   - a creature with an eagle’s head, a lion’s body and a snake’s tail. From the sound of his voice, flowers fade, vegetation dries, and all living things around fall dead. The griffin eyes are piercing, bright yellow, and the skin is golden in color, with a reddish tint.

The origin of this fictional animal is not disclosed in any of the currently known myths.

The griffin was first mentioned by Herodotus in the 5th century BC. According to the version of the Greek historian, griffins live in the north, in the country of Hyperborea. There they guard the gold they found from the Arimasp, the fabulous northern inhabitants. Griffins generally have great weakness for gold and other treasures: even their nests are built of gold, trimmed from the inside with different values.

The Greeks endowed the griffins with stunning imagination. Only lions and elephants are recognized as more powerful animals! A griffin can easily lift a cart drawn by two oxen or a rider with a horse above the ground. By the way, griffins, for some unknown reason, always hated horses: when they saw a horse, the griffin considered it his duty to attack her.

The winged hero of myths and legends

From a symbolic point of view, a griffin is no less interesting than from a physiological one. Griffin is primarily a symbol of victory over the heavenly and earthly elements. Strong and brave, tough, majestic and at the same time fair - the griffin is the embodiment of the blazing Sun. From this follows, basically, a positive interpretation of the image. For example, the griffin is considered the winner of dragons and basilisks, who personify evil. The griffin is the keeper of not only treasures, but also secret sacred knowledge.

There is a myth that a griffin can dream a person in a dream and ask him three questions. In the event that the subject finds it difficult to answer, the next day the griffin will again appear in his dream and take his soul for himself. You could protect yourself from the tricks of the griffins by putting some metal object under the pillow.

In ancient Greek myths, the griffin was often depicted next to the sun god Apollo. Moreover, Apollo rode on a griffin.

In the chariot of the goddess of justice, griffins were also harnessed, symbolizing the speedy reckoning for committed sins. The Rotation of the Wheel of Fate was also the lot of griffins.

Griffins “took root” in Egypt. Here they personified the path of a victorious warrior trampling the stupidities of the vanquished. The appearance of the griffin evoked associations with the gods Horus and Ra.

According to one version of the origin of griffins, their homeland is India. There they are harnessed to the chariot of the Sun and guard the magical Indian treasures.

Griffins in art

Some researchers are still convinced that griffins still live in some unexplored areas of the Earth. However, neither is it possible to confirm or deny this version.

But where exactly the griffins lived and continue to live is in art.

From ancient times griffins were depicted on coins, weapons, sarcophagi. Plots, as a rule, did not differ in variety. Most often, this is a griffin, fighting with any strong enemy. Thanks to heraldry, the image of the griffin became famous: on some coats of arms, an eagle with a lion's body has been adorned for many centuries.

In movies, griffins can be seen extremely rarely. The last time a creature resembling a griffin “starred” in one of the films about the young wizard “Harry Potter”.

The griffin in painting is more popular. Many artists working in this genre make griffins the heroes of their paintings.

The griffins became truly “alive” in computer games. Without any restrictions, players can either become griffins themselves, or use these wonderful creatures as a vehicle.