#001- Griffin

Tue, 15 May 2012 21:09:44 -0400

Though I’m starting out with something fairly obvious, most of the myths and folklore I use will be fairly obscure, but the reason I’m starting with this is because I’ve had an interesting idea stewing in my for it for days.

I’m sure you’ve all seen a griffin before, but in case you haven’t, here’s a hypercondensed summary: Half-lion, half eagle fantastic beast, popular as a heraldic symbol, and fond of hoarding gold and murdering horses.

But though this seems to escape a lot of people, this is somewhat more like a monster archetype; it’s one of those creatures that every culture has to have one, just as it is with dragons. BEHOLD:

Image credits to TastesLikeAnya on DeviantArt, used with permission.

This is merely a small sampling of griffin-type monsters, and aas you may notice, all of them have a bird’s head and a feline body. This is more significant than you’d think, as there are plenty of other combinations throughout folklore that use different parts in different places, like the hippogriffs you see on Harry Potter, which are, by the way, wholly invented. Unlike the hippogriff, people once thought griffins were real; and the phrase “breed griffins with horses” was once an idiom for attempting the impossible.

Now the classic griffin is likely the most familiar to you, and while they’re mostly portrayed as heroic and loyal today, this was never the case when these creatures were believed. However, it’s not an entirely invented concept either; you see, while a griffin with bird’s head and lion’s body was a vicious predator, a sort of reverse griffin with lion’s head and bird’s body, or occasionally only its tail, was the majestic guardian beast we see portrayed today, serving a very similar purpose as Gargoyles once did.

Unlike the powerful griffin, the Opinicus with only the head of a bird but also its wings, was a lowly scavenging relative of the griffin. It was, in effect, an eagle crossed with a cowardly alley cat, eating out of dumpsters or whatever people used to put their trash in, and simply flying away if startled, like an oversized seagull. (That just gave me this brilliant mental image of giant lionbirds circling the skies over McDonalds waiting for french fries.)

I couldn’t find much information about the Minoan griffin, but I do know that their griffin was considered holy as a cross between a heavenly (bird), an earthly (lion), and an underwordly (snake, which isn’t shown in Aya’s drawing; it would be the tail. A snake’s tail, not a whole snake) animal.

The Hieracosphinx gave me just as much trouble as the Minoan griffin, but what I’ve learned is that it’s basically a lion with a falcon’s head, and that it’s pretty savage. While little to no information about it exists, another variant has been found painted and carved into old artifacts, that appears to sport combs on its back that have been interpreted as wings. Author Rick Riordan, for his Legacy of Kane series playfully suggested that they could fly like massive humming birds, with the the noise and turbulence of a helicopter.

The Keythong is, in some english folklore, simply a male griffin. You see, the english griffins were sexually dimorphic, males had spijes on their backs, females wings.

The Axex has even less available information than any of the others, and as it appears to be Egyptian in origin, it may be the same Egyptian griffin I mentioned in the Hieracosphinx’ description.

And now, what you’ve all been waiting for:

To help you make sense of this, I’ll give one more griffin variant: The Marigryph, essentially a griffin with some fish tacked on. With this in mind I decided to go the unusual route and have my griffin Water/Flying, evolved from a platypus-like prevolution. So mine’s half-swan, half-sea lion.

Phosidrizl
(Phocidae- suborder of seals + drizzle- a light rain)
The River Pokemon
Water Type
Ability: Water Veil/Adaptability
DW Ability: Storm Drain
Evolves to Phosiden at level 32

A hearty Pokemon native to even white-water rapids, Phosidrizl are known for resilience and resolve. With perfect timing, it snaps its beak at any interesting object rushing by, to be combed through later.

Once a graceful hunter, these Pokemon have become complacent through human exposure, and are more likely to be found looting garbage cans where town is near enough.

Phosiden
(Phocidae + Poseidon- Greek god of the sea)
The Delta Pokemon
Water/Flying Type
Ability: Water Veil/Adaptability
DW Ability: Storm Drain

Before evolving, wild Phosidrizl relax their bodies and allow themselves to be carried to the river’s delta. This helps to conserve energy for the imminent migration to warmer climates.

Along with flight, it gained a heightened sense of vision allowing it to spot food from far above. Fascinated with shiny objects, they have been known to purloin coins from fountains and wishing wells.

100 or more myths, as fakemon

Tue, 15 May 2012 19:54:44 -0400

Inspired by Scythemantis’ (Bogleech) own “100 organisms begging to be Pokemon” I’m starrting one of my own comprising more mythological things. It won’t be a ten day thing, though, if I ever get to one hundred, it’ll probably have been at least ayear. That’s because, stubborn as I am, I plan to write an miniature article for each myth along with my own actual design for a fakemon based on it.

If this sounds cool, please also visit my main blog, Light Bulb Stew, in which I’ll be doing something similar, but on average smaller and more frequently.

One-Hundred or more Mythical things, as pokemon

#001- Griffin

100 or more myths, as fakemon