The Griffin (or Gryphon) is a legendary creature with the body of a lion and the head and wings of an eagle. Combining the attributes of the "King of the Beasts" and the "King of the Air", it was thought to be especially powerful and majestic. Griffins appear widely as school sports team mascots, in heraldry and in corporate logos.
National symbols
The coat of arms of Latvia has a griffin on the shield and a griffin as a supporter. The griffin on the shield is holding a sword and is the symbol of Vidzeme and Latgale (Eastern Latvia), one of the historical territories making up modern day Latvia. The coat of arms of Lithuania also features a white griffin as a supporter. Historically, the coat of arms of Austria-Hungary featured a black-gold griffin as a supporter.
Subdivisional and municipal coats of arms
Some municipalities have griffins derived from state or county arms, e.g. many towns in the ancient province of Pomerania in Germany (Mecklenburg-Vorpommern) and Poland (Pomeranian Voivodeship and West Pomeranian Voivodeship) have the Pomeranian griffin in their arms. Subdivisions Image Subdivision Type Country Notes Antwerp province Belgium (Flemish Region) Adaincourt commune France (Grand Est) Ahlbeck town Germany (Mecklenburg–Western Pomerania) Ainaži town Latvia (Limbaži Municipality) Including coat of arms of Vidzeme at sinister side Anklam town Germany (Mecklenburg–Western Pomerania) Altentreptow town Germany (Mecklenburg–Western Pomerania) Baden-Württemberg state Germany Coat of arms of Baden-Württemberg Balzers municipality Liechtenstein Gmina Banie gmina Poland (West Pomeranian Voivodeship) Bentwisch municipality Germany (Mecklenburg–Western Pomerania) Białogard town Poland (West Pomeranian Voivodeship) Coat of arms of Białogard Białogard County county Poland (West Pomeranian Voivodeship) Bodilis commune France (Brittany) Broderstorf municipality Germany (Mecklenburg–Western Pomerania) Brzesko town Poland (Lesser Poland Voivodeship) Brusy town Poland (Pomeranian Voivodeship) Budapest municipality Hungary Coat of arms of Budapest Camden borough United Kingdom (Greater London, England) Coat of arms of the London Borough of Camden Civrieux-d'Azergues commune France (Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes) Autonomous Republic of Crimea autonomous republic Ukraine Coat of arms of Crimea Republic of Crimea republic Russia Dębica town Poland (Subcarpathian Voivodeship) Dębica County county Poland (Subcarpathian Voivodeship) Demmin town Germany (Mecklenburg–Western Pomerania) Dobra town Poland (West Pomeranian Voivodeship) Furdenheim commune France (Grand Est) Genoa city Italy (Liguria) Golczewo town Poland (West Pomeranian Voivodeship) Grabowo municipal neighbourhood Poland (West Pomeranian Voivodeship) Gréasque commune France (Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur) Greifensee municipality Switzerland (Canton of Zürich) Greifswald city Germany (Mecklenburg–Western Pomerania) Hammersmith and Fulham borough United Kingdom (Greater London, England) Coat of arms of the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham Hounslow borough United Kingdom (Greater London, England) Izmaylovo District district Russia (Moscow) Jarmen town Germany (Mecklenburg–Western Pomerania) Jaunjelgava town Latvia (Aizkraukle Municipality) Gmina Kołbaskowo gmina Poland (West Pomeranian Voivodeship) Malmö city Sweden (Scania) Mecklenburg–Western Pomerania state Germany Coat of arms of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern Monoblet commune France (Occitania) Moussy commune France (Île-de-France) Niévroz commune France (Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes) Östergötland province Sweden Pomeranian Voivodeship voivodeship Poland Coat of arms of the Pomeranian Voivodeship Richmond upon Thames borough United Kingdom (Greater London, England) Rēzekne city Latvia Scania province Sweden Södermanland province Sweden Subcarpathian Voivodeship voivodeship Poland Coat of arms of the Subcarpathian Voivodeship Świdnica town Poland (Lower Silesian Voivodeship) Gmina Świdnica gmina Poland (Lower Silesian Voivodeship) Gmina Świerzno gmina Poland (West Pomeranian Voivodeship) Szczecin city Poland (West Pomeranian Voivodeship) Coat of arms of Szczecin Troms og Finnmark county Norway West Pomeranian Voivodeship voivodeship Poland Coat of arms of the West Pomeranian Voivodeship
Historical Image Subdivision Type Years Country Notes Bad Doberan district 1995–2011 Germany (Mecklenburg–Western Pomerania) Banie village until 2003 Poland (West Pomeranian Voivodeship) Belz Voivodeship voivodeship 1462–1772 Kingdom of Poland Bjarkøy municipality 1986–2013 Norway Gdańsk Voivodeship voivodeship 1975–1998 Polish People's RepublicPolish Third Republic Coat of arms of the Pomeranian Voivodeship Jaunjelgava Municipality municipality 2009–2021 Latvia Pomeranian Voivodeship voivodeship 1466–1772 Kingdom of Poland Coat of arms of the Pomeranian Voivodeship Troms county 1960–2020 Norway
Schools and universities Northeast Magnet High School in Bel Aire, Kansas, a suburb of Wichita, Kansas The Beacon Academy in Biñan, Philippines. The Cambridge School of Weston in Weston, Massachusetts. Canisius University in Buffalo, New York. Chestnut Hill College in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. College of William & Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia. Downing College, Cambridge in Cambridge, England. Fontbonne University in Clayton, Missouri Gale Ranch Middle School in San Ramon, California Glendale Preparatory Academy in Peoria, Arizona Golden Gate University in San Francisco, California. Grossmont Community College in El Cajon, California. Gwynedd Mercy University in Gwynedd Valley, Pennsylvania. Harvard Medical School in Boston, Massachusetts. International School of Indiana in Indianapolis, Indiana. Jamaica College in Kingston, Jamaica. Johnson & Wales University Marymount Manhattan College in New York City. Missouri Western State University in St. Joseph, Missouri. Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana. Redwood Middle School in Saratoga, California. Reed College in Portland, Oregon. Rocky Mount High School in Rocky Mount, North Carolina. Sarah Lawrence College in Yonkers, New York. Seton Hill University in Greensburg, Pennsylvania. Trinity College, Oxford in Oxford, England. Westminster University in Salt Lake City, Utah. Buchtel High School in Akron, Ohio. Dutchtown High School in Geismar, Louisiana. Eric Hamber Secondary School in Vancouver, British Columbia. Lincoln-Way East High School in Frankfort, Illinois. Los Alamitos High School in Los Alamitos, California. Pomfret School in Pomfret, Connecticut. Winnetonka High School in Kansas City, Missouri. St. John Vianney High School in Kirkwood, Missouri. Springville-Griffith Institute in Springville, New York Spartanburg Day School in Spartanburg, SC Abingdon School in Abingdon, Oxfordshire. Raffles Institution in Singapore University of Guelph in Guelph, Ontario MacEwan University in Edmonton Father McGivney Catholic High School in Glen Carbon, Illinois San Juan College High School in Farmington, New Mexico Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam in Amsterdam, Netherlands Diller-Odell Public Schools in Odell, Nebraska The Gryphon School in Sherborne, Dorset
Sports and Athletics
The former home ground of English football team Brentford F.C. was called Griffin Park because of the griffin that features in the logo of Fuller's Brewery, which had previously owned the land. A local pub next to the ground is also named The Griffin. Grand Rapids Griffins, a team in the American Hockey League. Guelph Gryphons; the University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, Canada. London Griffins; a rugby league club. Waterloo Rugby Club 's badge features a griffin in the centre of a red Lancastrian Rose. Genoa CFC; a professional Italian football and cricket club based in the city of Genoa. T.S.V. Gascogne; a fencing club based in the city of Enschede Pogoń Szczecin; a Polish football club that has a griffin as its mascot
Other uses Busch Gardens Williamsburg in Williamsburg, Virginia has announced their new roller coaster for 2007 will be The Griffon, designed by Swiss manufacturer Bolliger & Mabillard. Midland Bank used a griffin as its symbol before it was subsumed into its HSBC parent company. Norwegian Army 2nd Battalion has a griffin insignia
The Philadelphia Museum of Art uses a griffin as its symbol and logo
The United States Army's 470th Military Intelligence Brigade uses a griffin head superimposed on a basic rendering of the Panama Canal in the MI colors as its shoulder sleeve insignia The Lithuanian State Security Department used a griffin on its coat of arms, which holding a banner with the inspection "" (Homeland and Truth). The Saab auto company features a profiled griffin head in its logo. Saab Aerospace built a fighter jet, the JAS 39 Gripen, meaning "griffin" in Swedish. Scania, a Swedish truck and bus manufacturer, uses the griffin as its trademark. Sprecher Brewery features a heraldic black griffin in its logo. A cartoon griffin named Rooty appears on bottles of Sprecher Root Beer. Vauxhall Motors of Luton, England, uses the griffin as its trademark. The 367th Training Support Squadron unit patch is a Griffin holding a Globe and Torch. Merv Griffin Entertainment used a griffin as its mascot & logo in its heyday. The Chartered Institute of Procurement and Supply (HQ Stamford, UK) uses griffins in its coat of arms to signify protection (of money/valuables) Stoewer, a defunct auto manufacturer used griffin as its logo
References