Griffins

 Griffins 

August 1137, 2014

Another random entry from “a work in progress,” Gaspar Stephens’ Neo Encyclopedia of Greek and Roman Mythology (long in progress but still listed as forthcoming from Balthazar & Melchior Stephens Press).  For previous entries from the Neo Encyclopedia featured in The Ambiguities, see 08.33.14, 08.59.14, 08.1023.14, and 08.1031.14.

Griffin (or gryphon)  [Gk. gru&fwn,  L. gryphus). Creature with the body, tail, and back legs of a lion, and the head, wings, and foretalons of an eagle. According to Spiff & Randall (Dictionary of Greek and Babylonian Amorous Biography, 1957), the griffin came about not as one might expect from the union of the king of the birds of the air and a lioness or the king of the beasts with an eagless, but was hatched from a golden egg of a brew of lion and eagle res perturbationis collected by the Pan, Mende&lov (L. Mendelus). How the creatures continued - and continue, if they do - is unknown. What is known is that, like many of the gods, griffins mated with human beings, producing a number of notable children, including the only two-time Heisman Trophy winner, Archie Griffin. Also the Irish race walker, Colin Griffin; the American conspiracy theorist, Des Griffin, and the American conspiracy, Kathy Griffin; French poet Francis Vielé-Griffin; Richard Griffin of the 19th-century Scots publishing house; and Victor William Griffin, the Quapaw chief and peyote Roadman.* Griffins themselves are, however, aside from their appearance, not at all notable. According to Yvon Cormier’s exhausting Bestiary (2001), the first griffins were charged with protecting a trove of gold hidden under the snow in Hyperborea from the one-eyed Arimapsi (See Figure 8.) and failed. Later, a flock was sent to India to mine gold but found none. After these failures, griffins became seldom seen. The last sighting in the United States was February 26, 1960, near Chicago.

09.10.17

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   * Merv Griffin’s father was a stockbroker. [Ed. note]