The Griffin

I wanted to share this beautiful art work by Adriana Ruiz that will be a part of my cover art for “Power of the Vampire.” You will also see it in the graphic art leading into chapter three of the book.

When I started researching the griffin I had no idea how much information there was and how far back in history the griffin began. The griffin, griffon, or gryphon is a legendary creature with the body of a lion and the head and wings of an eagle. Since the lion is considered the king of the beasts and the eagle the king of the birds, the griffin was thought to be a powerful and majestic creature. It was also thought to be the king of the creatures.

Griffins are known for guarding treasure and priceless possessions. A classical folklorist, Adrienne Mayor believed it was possible that the griffin was an ancient misconception derived from the fossilized remains of the Protoceratops found in gold mines in the Altai Mountains of Scythia; known in present day as southeastern Kazakhstan, or in Mongolia. In antiquity the griffin was a symbol of divine power and a guardian of the divine.

While Ancient Greece is the most common art and lore, representations of griffins in Ancient Egyptian art go as far back as 3,300 BC. The form of the griffin is most commonly depicted with forelimbs of the eagle but in some art forms they have the forearms of the lion and generally have the hind quarters of the lion.

In Medieval lore Griffins not only mated for life, but also, if either partner died, the other would continue throughout the rest of its life alone, never to search for a new mate. This is why the griffin was made an emblem of the Church’s views on remarriage. The legendary creature of the Hippogriff, supposedly the offspring of a griffin and mare; being a union of a terrestrial beast and an aerial bird, is seen in Christendom to be a symbol of Jesus, who was both human and divine. In my story griffins are a creature of Htrae, shown with the rear body of a lion, an eagle’s head, with erect ears, and feathered breast, with forelegs of an eagle, including claws. The combination indicates a combination of intelligence and strength. Learden and Laurel are confronted by a female griffin that is guarding her pup in the cave they need to use as shelter. This spells bad news for the mother but the juvenile pup aids Laurel in saving Learden’s life, while risking it’s own in the process. This is also when Laurel learns she has the ability to communicate in a new way and what “The Power of the Vampire” really means for her and those she loves.