"Cloth of St Gereon The Cloth of St Gereon is a mural tapestry of a repeat pattern with a decorative motif of a bull being attacked by a griffin, a fantastic creature with the body of a lion and the head and wings of an eagle. The Cloth of St Gereon is the second oldest known European tapestry still existing, dating to the early 11th century. The oldest being Överhogdal tapestries. A number of European museums hold sections of the original cloth, which was cut into fragments in the 19th century. The seven-color tapestry shows medallions with bulls and griffins"
"Yale (mythical creature) The yale or centicore (Latin: ""eale"") is a mythical beast found in European mythology and heraldry. Most descriptions make it an antelope- or goat-like four-legged creature with the tusks of a boar and large horns that it can swivel in any direction. The name might be derived from Hebrew יָעֵל (""yael""), meaning ""Ibex"". The yale was first written about by Pliny the Elder in Book VIII of his ""Natural History"": he describes the ""eale"" as a creature found in Aethiopia ""the size of a hippopotamus, with an elephant's tail, of a black or tawny colour, with the"
"Sphinx A sphinx ( , Boeotian: , plural sphinxes or sphinges) is a mythical creature with the head of a human and the body of a lion. In Greek tradition, it has the head of a human, the haunches of a lion, and sometimes the wings of a bird. It is mythicised as treacherous and merciless. Those who cannot answer its riddle suffer a fate typical in such mythological stories, as they are killed and eaten by this ravenous monster. This deadly version of a sphinx appears in the myth and drama of Oedipus. Unlike the Greek sphinx, which was"
"name is ugallu."" Ugallu Ugallu, the ""Big Weather-Beast"", inscribed U/UD.GAL-˹""la""˺, Akkadian: ""ūmu rabû"", meaning ""big day"", was a lion-headed storm-demon and has the feet of a bird who is featured on protective amulets and apotropaic yellow clay or tamarisk figurines of the first millennium BC but had its origins in the early second millennium. The iconography changed over time, with the human feet morphing into an eagle's talons and dressing him in a short skirt. He was one of the class of ud-demons (day-demons), personifying moments of divine intervention in human life. Ugallu was one of the eleven mythical monsters"
"nature as both human and divine. Hippogriff The hippogriff, or sometimes spelled hippogryph (), is a legendary creature which has the front half of an eagle and the hind half of a horse. The first recorded mention of the hippogriff was made by the Latin poet Virgil in his ""Eclogues"". Though sometimes depicted during the Classical Era and during the rule of the Merovingians, it was used by Ludovico Ariosto in his ""Orlando Furioso"", at the beginning of the 16th century. Within the poem, the hippogriff is a steed born of a mare and a griffin—it is extremely fast and"
"to Yale's Davenport College and the pediment of Timothy Dwight College. The student-run campus radio station, WYBCX Yale Radio, uses the yale as its logo. Yale (mythical creature) The yale or centicore (Latin: ""eale"") is a mythical beast found in European mythology and heraldry. Most descriptions make it an antelope- or goat-like four-legged creature with the tusks of a boar and large horns that it can swivel in any direction. The name might be derived from Hebrew יָעֵל (""yael""), meaning ""Ibex"". The yale was first written about by Pliny the Elder in Book VIII of his ""Natural History"": he describes"
"Centaur A centaur (; , ""kéntauros"", ), or occasionally hippocentaur, is a mythological creature with the upper body of a human and the lower body and legs of a horse. The centaurs were usually said to have been born of Ixion and Nephele (the cloud made in the image of Hera). Another version, however, makes them children of a certain Centaurus, who mated with the Magnesian mares. This Centaurus was either himself the son of Ixion and Nephele (inserting an additional generation) or of Apollo and Stilbe, daughter of the river god Peneus. In the later version of the story"
"Wyvern A wyvern ( , sometimes spelled wivern) is a legendary creature with a dragon's head and wings, a reptilian body, two legs, and a tail often ending in a diamond- or arrow-shaped tip. A sea-dwelling variant dubbed the sea-wyvern has a fish tail in place of a barbed dragon's tail. The wyvern in its various forms is important to heraldry, frequently appearing as a mascot of schools and athletic teams (chiefly in the United States, United Kingdom, and Canada). It is a popular creature in European and British literature, video games, and modern fantasy. The wyvern in heraldry and"
"Ugallu Ugallu, the ""Big Weather-Beast"", inscribed U/UD.GAL-˹""la""˺, Akkadian: ""ūmu rabû"", meaning ""big day"", was a lion-headed storm-demon and has the feet of a bird who is featured on protective amulets and apotropaic yellow clay or tamarisk figurines of the first millennium BC but had its origins in the early second millennium. The iconography changed over time, with the human feet morphing into an eagle's talons and dressing him in a short skirt. He was one of the class of ud-demons (day-demons), personifying moments of divine intervention in human life. Ugallu was one of the eleven mythical monsters created by Tiāmat"
"poems. The two creatures go on to explain certain features of their world which are apparently nonsense to Alice, before Alice and the Gryphon are summoned to a criminal trial, leaving the Mock Turtle behind. Gryphon (Alice's Adventures in Wonderland) The Gryphon is a fictional character devised by Lewis Carroll in the popular book ""Alice's Adventures in Wonderland"". True to the conventional view of a griffin, he has the head, talons, and wings of an eagle and the body of a lion. The Gryphon appears to be somewhat overbearing and dismissive of the obsessions and dismays of other characters, such"
"The gajasimha is a mythical animal with the body of a lion and the head of an elephant. At Angkor, it is portrayed as a guardian of temples and as a mount for some warriors. The gajasimha may be found at Banteay Srei and at the temples belonging to the Roluos group. The reachisey is another mythical animal, similar to the gajasimha, with the head of a lion, a short elephantine trunk, and the scaly body of a dragon. It occurs at Angkor Wat in the epic bas reliefs of the outer gallery. Garuda is a divine being that is"
"Enfield (heraldry) The enfield is a fictitious creature sometimes used in heraldry. The Enfield has the head of a fox, forelegs like an eagle's talons, , and the hindquarters and tail of a wolf. The earliest known example of the enfield is the crest of the Ó Cellaigh clan of Ireland. Ó Cellaigh of Uí Maine are the most documented O'Kelly sept in early Irish history and annals. The enfield appears in ""Leabhar Ua Maine"". The ancient tradition among the O'Kellys is that they have borne this fabulous animal since the days of King Tadhg Mór Ua Cellaigh who fell"
"Hippogriff The hippogriff, or sometimes spelled hippogryph (), is a legendary creature which has the front half of an eagle and the hind half of a horse. The first recorded mention of the hippogriff was made by the Latin poet Virgil in his ""Eclogues"". Though sometimes depicted during the Classical Era and during the rule of the Merovingians, it was used by Ludovico Ariosto in his ""Orlando Furioso"", at the beginning of the 16th century. Within the poem, the hippogriff is a steed born of a mare and a griffin—it is extremely fast and is presented as being able to"
"Chimera (mythology) The Chimera ( or , also Chimaera (""Chimæra""); Greek: , ""Chímaira"" ""she-goat"") was, according to Greek mythology, a monstrous fire-breathing hybrid creature of Lycia in Asia Minor, composed of the parts of more than one animal. It is usually depicted as a lion, with the head of a goat arising from its back, and a tail that might end with a snake's head, and was one of the offspring of Typhon and Echidna and a sibling of such monsters as Cerberus and the Lernaean Hydra. The term ""chimera"" has come to describe any mythical or fictional animal with"
"the Nemean lion, killed barehanded by Heracles, who subsequently bore the pelt as an invulnerable magic cloak. This lion is also said to be represented by the constellation of Leo, and also the sign of the Zodiac. Lions are known in many cultures as the king of animals, which can be traced to the Babylonian Talmud, and to the classical book ""Physiologus"". In his fables, the famed Greek story teller Aesop used the lion's symbolism of power and strength in The Lion and the Mouse and Lion's Share. Since classical antiquity, a ""Gaetulian lion"" in literature is a lion of"
"head of some other beast, most often an elephant (gaja-vyala). Other common examples are: the lion-headed (simha-vyala), horse-(ashva-vyala), human-(nir-vyala) and the dog-headed (shvana-vyala) ones. Yali (mythology) Yali, Yāḷi; also known as Vyala or Vidala in Sanskrit) is a mythical creature seen in many Hindu temples, often sculpted onto the pillars. It may be portrayed as part lion, part elephant and part horse, and in similar shapes. Also, it has been sometimes described as a ""leogryph"" (part lion and part griffin), with some bird-like features. Descriptions of and references to yalis are very old, but they became prominent in south Indian"
"Yali (mythology) Yali, Yāḷi; also known as Vyala or Vidala in Sanskrit) is a mythical creature seen in many Hindu temples, often sculpted onto the pillars. It may be portrayed as part lion, part elephant and part horse, and in similar shapes. Also, it has been sometimes described as a ""leogryph"" (part lion and part griffin), with some bird-like features. Descriptions of and references to yalis are very old, but they became prominent in south Indian sculpture in the 16th century. Yalis were believed to be more powerful than the lion, the Tiger or the elephant. In its iconography and"
"Gajasimha The gajasimha or gajasiha (from / ) is a mythical hybrid animal in Hindu mythology, appearing as a ""sinha"" or ""rajasiha"" (mythical lion) with the head or trunk of an elephant. It is found as a motif in Indian and Sinhalese art, and is used as a heraldic symbol in some Southeast Asian countries, especially Cambodia and Thailand. In Siam (pre-modern Thailand), the ""gajasimha"" served as the symbol of the ""kalahom"", one of the king's two chief chancellors. It appears as a supporter in the coat of arms of Siam, in use from 1873 to 1910, and the royal"
"the lion represents Mark, the calf Luke, the man Matthew, and the eagle John. Irenaeus was the first to make the association with the evangelists, but the interpretation laid out by Victorinus and adopted by Jerome, Gregory the Great, and the Book of Kells became dominant. Its influence has been on art and sculpture and is still prevalent in Catholicism and Anglicanism. Living creatures (Bible) The living creatures, living beings, or hayyoth (Hebrew חַיּוֹת ""chayot"", from חַיּ ""chai"", ""live"") are a class of heavenly beings described in the prophet Ezekiel's vision of the heavenly chariot in the first and tenth"
"to believe that the eagle is a reference to the ascending and descending eagle talons, which is a visual metaphor for capturing the heart or life force of a person. In some codices, a skull is placed on the end of his garments or on his leg, as a symbol of protection and to emphasize that Tonatiuh was a warrior. This could be a reference to the god, Xolotl. Xolotl was the god of lightning and death but was also responsible for protecting Tonatiuh during his journey into the underworld. He was depicted as a canine or the skeleton of"
"Sharabha Sharabha (, , , Telugu: శరభ) or Sarabha is a part-lion and part-bird beast in Hindu mythology, who, according to Sanskrit literature, is eight-legged and more powerful than a lion or an elephant, possessing the ability to clear a valley in one jump. In later literature, Sharabha is described as an eight-legged deer. Shaiva scriptures narrate that god Shiva assumed the Avatar (incarnation) of Sharabha to pacify Narasimha - the fierce man-lion avatar of Vishnu worshipped by Vaishnava sect. This form is popularly known as Sharabeshwara (""Lord Sharabha"") or Sharabeshwaramurti. The Vaishnavas refute the portrayal of Narasimha as being"
"Gryphon (Alice's Adventures in Wonderland) The Gryphon is a fictional character devised by Lewis Carroll in the popular book ""Alice's Adventures in Wonderland"". True to the conventional view of a griffin, he has the head, talons, and wings of an eagle and the body of a lion. The Gryphon appears to be somewhat overbearing and dismissive of the obsessions and dismays of other characters, such as the Mock Turtle's sorrow and the Queen of Hearts' executions, neither of which (according to the Gryphon) have any basis in fact. He speaks with a slightly ungrammatical Cockney-like accent and makes demands of"
"the ceremonial royal barges. Nawarupa Nawarupa (, also spelt nawa rupa; , lit. ""nine forms""), also known as byala (Arakanese: ဗျာလ or ဗျာလ္လ), is a chimeric creature found in Burmese and Rakhine (Arakanese) mythology. The nawarupa is made of 9 animals, possessing the trunk of a naga or elephant, the eyes of a deer, the horns of a rhinoceros, the tongue or wings of a parrot, the body of a lion or naya, the tail of a peacock or yak, the ears of an elephant or horse, and the feet of a chinthe or karaweik. In the Konbaung dynasty, the"
"legend of Navagunjara; no other version has the story. Once, when Arjuna was doing penance on a hill, Krishna-Vishnu appears to him as Navagunjara. Navagunjara has the head of a rooster, and stands on three feet, those of an elephant, tiger and deer or horse; the fourth limb is a raised human arm carrying a lotus or a wheel. The beast has the neck of a peacock, the back or hump of a bull and the waist of a lion; the tail is a serpent. Initially, Arjuna was terrified as well as mesmerized by the strange creature and raises his"
"Calygreyhound The calygreyhound is a mythical creature, that appears on Medieval heraldry. The de Vere family, who were the Earls of Oxford, used the calygreyhound in their coat of arms in the 15th and 16th centuries. The calygreyhound may be unique to the de Veres, and unlike most heraldic monsters, it made no attempt to seem realistic. A similar monster is the caretyne. The calygreyhound is described consistently as having the head of a wildcat, the torso of a deer or antelope, the claws of an eagle on its forefeet, ox hooves, antlers or horns, the hind legs of a"
"Lagahoo In the folklore of Trinidad and Tobago the Lagahoo, Ligahoo or Lugarhou is a mythical shapeshifting monster. It is cousin to the French ""loup-garou"" and the Germanic ""werewolf"", yet not restricted to the form of a wolf. It seems like a normal human by day, but this creature takes on the form of a man with no head, who roams the night with a wooden coffin on its neck. On top of the coffin are three lighted candles and the long loose end of a heavy iron chain, noosed around its waist, trails behind him. Often, it is seen"
"in which the three heads are explained as representing the union of three races which contributed to the genesis of Russia, the ""western"" head representing the Varangians, the ""eastern head"" the Mongols and the central head the Slavs. ""The Three-Headed Eagle"" (1944) by A. Ferris discusses the destiny of the peoples of Europe based on the Latin Ezra. Triple-headed eagle The triple-headed eagle is a mythological or heraldic bird, as it was an augmented version of the double-headed eagle. A three-headed eagle is mentioned in the apocryphal Latin Ezra, featuring in a dream by the high priest Ezra. In a"
"Recently mentioned in ""The Jumbies"" by Tracey Baptiste Lagahoo In the folklore of Trinidad and Tobago the Lagahoo, Ligahoo or Lugarhou is a mythical shapeshifting monster. It is cousin to the French ""loup-garou"" and the Germanic ""werewolf"", yet not restricted to the form of a wolf. It seems like a normal human by day, but this creature takes on the form of a man with no head, who roams the night with a wooden coffin on its neck. On top of the coffin are three lighted candles and the long loose end of a heavy iron chain, noosed around its"
"Unicorn The unicorn is a legendary creature that has been described since antiquity as a beast with a single large, pointed, spiraling horn projecting from its forehead. The unicorn was depicted in ancient seals of the Indus Valley Civilization and was mentioned by the ancient Greeks in accounts of natural history by various writers, including Ctesias, Strabo, Pliny the Younger, and Aelian. The Bible also describes an animal, the re'em, which some versions translate as ""unicorn"". In European folklore, the unicorn is often depicted as a white horse-like or goat-like animal with a long horn and cloven hooves (sometimes a"
"""Mighty Crusaders"". He was also a backup series in ""The Fly"" issues 4–9. In this incarnation it was revealed that the source of The Jaguar's powers was the cherubim-like pre-human god Varigon, Lord of the Animals, a towering golden-winged being with three heads: a bird, a lion, and a bull. Varigon had created the magic belt as a weapon to be worn by his mortal champion in the eternal battle against the scaly green lizard-headed S'ithh, Lord of the Reptiles, who wanted the dinosaurs to rule the Earth once again. The first person to have worn the belt in ancient"
"Zilant Zilant () is a legendary creature, something between a dragon and a wyvern. Since 1730, it has been the official symbol of Kazan. This winged snake is mentioned in legends about the foundation of Kazan. A Zilant is a legendary creature with the head of a dragon, the body of a bird, the legs of a chicken, the neck and tail of a snake, the ears of a canine, red wings, sharp teeth, dark-gray feathers and scaly dark-gray skin. The word ""Zilant"" is the English transcription of Russian ""Зилант"", itself a rendering of Tatar ""yılan/елан"", pronounced (or sometimes )"
"Catoblepas The catoblepas (pl. catoblepones; from the Greek καταβλέπω, (katablépō) ""to look downwards"") is a legendary creature from Ethiopia, first described by Pliny the Elder and later by Claudius Aelianus. It is said to have the body of a cape buffalo. Its head is always pointing downwards due to its head being heavy. Its stare or breath could either turn people into stone, or kill them. The catoblepas is often thought to be based on real-life encounters with wildebeest, such that some dictionaries say that the word is synonymous with ""gnu"". Also known as an African version of a Gorgon."
"Triple-headed eagle The triple-headed eagle is a mythological or heraldic bird, as it was an augmented version of the double-headed eagle. A three-headed eagle is mentioned in the apocryphal Latin Ezra, featuring in a dream by the high priest Ezra. In a Chechen fairy tale, a three-headed eagle figures as a monstrous adversary to be killed by the hero. ""Öksökö"" (Өксөку) is the name of an eagle with either two or three heads in Yakut and Dolgan folklore. Exceptionally, a three-headed eagle (or rather, an eagle with two additional heads mounted on the tips of its wings) is shown as"