The Griffon is a mythical creature associated with the goddess of fire in both Davidovian and elven mythology, (where she is known as Pyria/Youri and Ahira respectively). It’s both her totemic animal and also her battle mount.
Description
The griffon is a giant beast, described in the mythological tales as taller as two elephants one on top of the other. The frontal part of the animal is bird like with eagle like wings, front feet, face and beak and then a lion like body, tail and back legs. The frontal part of the animal is covered in feathers. Some myths describe them as being either golden or red. Some myths suggest that the griffon could exhale fire but the most common thought is that he can't. However, it is a very powerful creature, able to destroy whole army regiments like in the semi- mythical
Siege of Dorstulon, the city of the Ten Walls or kill or frighten other mythical creatures like the famous
The Aranlek.
Griffon by Herokon Online
It is unclear whatever one or more griffons exist. The most famous one is the Griffon or the goddess of fire that appears in the most famous elven and Davidovian human myths. However, later elven sources claim that it is a certain possibility that more than one griffon exists, as this elven source tells the story of a lost island called Lavender Island, in an unknown place South of the Storm Sea (where no ship is able to travel due to the giant storms) where dozens if not hundreds of griffons live.
Diet
What is deduced from the myth is that the griffon is a carnivorous animal. Most of their prey were cows, bison or zebras, depending on the region where he flied. For example, in one episode of the War of Durstolon, the goddess Pyria asked the high priest of a neighbouring city to give her a cow as a sacrifice to be eaten by her griffon.
Origin
According to mythology, one day, when the goddess Ahira (Pyria or Youri to Ikarians and Seris respectively) was a kid, she decided to descend to the mortal realm and take a walk across the peninsula of Moria ( In today’s
Blatian Empire . She reached a forest and got lost, she walked many days without knowing with direction she was taking until she reached a little spring with very fresh and crystal clear. Amon the vegetation around the spring she spotted a giant egg, that she previously had mistaken for a stone. She waited there to see if the mother of this egg arrived but yet, nothing happened and she decided to take care of the egg. She made a camp fire around it and took care of the egg until it hatched. From it, a giant baby griffon emerged.
In the meantime, Abbon Shabai and Tyr, the parents of Pyria noticed she went missing and asked every of her siblings where she was. Only Zerah knew where she was and she told her parents that Pyria had decided to take a walk on the mortal realm. Worried about their daughter, the King and Queen of the Gods travelled through Yeia calling her daughter. They only found out where she was when they heard the powerful screams of the griffon on the other side of the continent, guided by the noise the gods found their daughter, happily playing with her new pet. They took pity on the poor creature and seeing how happy her daughter was playing with him, they decided to take the griffon back to heaven where for thousands of years he grew up to become a mighty beast and mount of the now adult goddess of fire.
Symbolism
As with the
Cloud Lion the Griffon became a symbol of power, protection against evil, guardian of the divine (because according to mythology, he protected the entrance to Pyria's palace in heaven), and loyalty (because of his strong bond with the goddess). And as such powerful symbol the griffon has been represented a lot in art. A pair of griffons decorated the roof of the temple of Ahira in
Unhelion as well as the temple of Abbon Shabai in Phagias, the Oronai capital.
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