The Griffin, or Gryphon, was in Greek legend, a fabulous creature with the body and legs of a lion and the head and wings of an eagle. Griffins were supposed to be natives of India, where, it was said, they guarded hidden treasure, and built their nests of gold and watched them vigilantly to keep them from plunderers. They were believed by the Greeks to flourish in the Rhipaean mountains, between the Hyperboreans and the one-eyed Arimaspians of Scythia. Griffins guarded the gold of the north. The figure of the griffin was used frequently as an ornament in works of art. It signifies a union of the lion's strength with the swiftness and agility of the eagle. The griffin is also an emblem of watchfulness and courage.
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