Hippogriff

In ancient stories there have been a series of important mythological beings which are legendary creatures that have also been part of the folklore of a certain place and that have been known as fabulous creatures in historical literature . One of these important creatures is known by the name of Hippogriff , a kind of mythological being that had a mixture between a griffin and a horse . The griffins meanwhile in some kind of mythological animal very similar to a sphinx .

Hippogriff characteristics

The hippogriff had a number of characteristics and qualities that made it unique. The most representative will be the following:

• Its main form was that of an eagle with the body of a horse.
• His father was the griffin , from whom he inherited the chest , wings , head and claws
• His mother was a mare and he inherited his body from her .
• The hippogriff is said to have such a harmonious body that it was very similar to that of Pegasus .
• He could reach great heights and fly swiftly with great agility .
• It was considered like a hybrid in the second degree due to the part of those who characterized it, to the strength and its speed.
• It was an elegant , strange creature , extremely strong and fearless .
• It could weigh up to 500 kilograms .
• It was said to be the fastest mount animal in the history of mythology and also the most agile of all.

Source

As for the origin of the hippogriff, it has not yet been possible to establish exactly where or when this mysterious and mystical animal arose. In reality, there are no documents in which it has been mentioned previously in some myth or legend and it was until the word arose in the ” Orlando furioso “. It is for this reason, it is considered that Virgilio was the one who named him and that Ariosto was his creator .

Hippogriff myth

The myth of the hippogriff is based primarily on a mythological creature or animal that had emerged from the cross between a mare and a griffin . It had a very harmonious body , eagle wings as well as its head and front legs. According to the myth, he had the ability to fly very high in the sky and also had incredible speed. One of the most recognized myths speaks of Apollo , who had gone to look for griffins and then returned to Greece on the back of one of them.

Another of the most common myths tells that they were responsible for ensuring all the gold that was found in the deserts that were located in the northern part of India . It is said that they did this in order to protect their offspring , which were found in the mountains from where this metal was extracted. It was also said that when approaching them, it was necessary to bow as a symbol of respect .

Symbology

This mythological creature has meant and symbolized impossibility for many centuries . This because griffins, was a type of creature that was characterized by hating horses, by killing and hunting them. According to the story, Virgilio tries to give a meaning of incongruities because the hippogriff was an animal that resulted from a cross where both species hated each other. Experts consider that it also represented loyalty and honor .

How it is represented

The hippogriff was an animal that was represented with its head , chest , wings and front legs equal to those of an eagle , characteristics that had also been inherited from its father. His body was the same as that of a horse or mare and he had inherited it from his mother. In general , his physical build was very harmonious and was represented with the great speed and agility that he could achieve while soaring through the sky. His eyes were orange and their colors similar to those of worldly horses so they could be gray, black, brown, bronze or roan.

Behavior

According to mythology, the Hippogriff were very proud creatures and for this reason they demanded that humans show them respect . With them, it was always necessary to maintain eye contact and he was also very courteous. But when offended , he had the ability to attack quickly and deadly. They were special animals with their caretakers and they also provided protection .

They were intensely loyal , careful protectors of all those who had managed to gain their trust. According to mythology, hippogriffs were carnivores and very dangerous until they could be tamed , an act that could only be performed by a trained magician.

Where do you live

This incredible mystical and mythological creature inhabited the area of Europe although according to historians, its presence spread throughout the world. It is said that they used to live in herds , mainly in those places where there was a large amount of grass. They also live among centaurs , achromántulas , unicorns and trolls that inhabit forests .

What eats the hippogriff

Their diet was based mainly on insects , some types of small birds as well as medium and small mammals . It was also an omnivorous animal so it sometimes ate grass .

Curiosities

Some curious and relevant facts about this imposing mystical creature were the following:

• Hippogriffs mated only once and did so for life . They used to live very close to their nest in order to defend their young and their mate . It is said that they did not lay eggs but gave birth to their young live.
• Hippogriffs could weigh around 200-300 pounds when they were in their adult stage and could grow to be up to 18 feet tall when standing on their hind legs.
• They are considered as one of the most important parts within the world of the Magi as it is also believed that their origins date back to the beginning of the records of this type of ministry.
• They were said to be highly intelligent animals , even more so than wizards themselves, and they also had the ability to talk to animals.

Presence in popular culture

In popular culture it is possible to find the history and myth of the hippogriff. It has been part of important films such as Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban , where a flying creature that had the same characteristics of the hippogriff was shown . It has been used in the bestiary of different role-playing games and video games . For example, the Super Nintendo released the game Demon’s Crest , where the hippogriff is featured as a winged miniboss.

In the game known as Dungeons & Dragos, he is depicted as a beast with a legendary figure. In the Warhammer universe , it is shown as natural evolution or genetic experiments that had been performed by witches and wizards . In Warcraft, it is shown in the game known as Warcraft III where part of the unit fighting the elves of the night.