One of the strengths of art historian AL McClanan’s latest book is its intention: to provide a historical overview of the multiple modes in which the legendary creatures known as griffons have appeared in art and literature. Gryphonology: The Place of Gryphons in Myth, History and Art Purposefully providing a range of different perspectives from different regions and eras to illustrate the popularity of this mythical creature in the cultural history of ethnoreligious groups around the world.
MacLernan considers more than the narrow, widely accepted definition of “gryphon”: that is, a hybrid of a lion (the ruler of beasts) and an eagle (the ruler of birds). instead, Griffinology A broader definition is provided. Spanning some 5,000 years, this book explores the various forms and possible combinations of this hybrid theme, and how it emerges in the visual language of specific traditions and through their cultural exchanges. From South and West Asia to North Africa and Europe, griffons are everywhere: in wall reliefs, tombs, ivory, tapestries, drinking vessels, manuscripts, alms purses, and even tattoos. In its assessment of these historical manifestations, this book draws our attention to symbolic connections between biological and human displays of power—whether through the built environments of the Byzantine and Sassanid Persian Empires, the patterns found in Islamic and Byzantine silks, Or weapons and armor.
Although Gryphonology delivers on its promise to consider both art and literature—including the little-known gryphon characters in Lewis Carroll’s novels Alice in Wonderland Adventures (1865)—most textual examples are limited to the borders of Western Europe. The examples of medieval and modern heraldry and visual branding cited are also mainly from Europe. Although the creature is considered an important part of fantasy fiction, chivalrous stories and travel writing – including discussions of its place in popular culture and books, e.g. harry potter —These parts of the text could enrich their arguments by incorporating examples from extra-European traditions. In Armenian tradition, a version of the griffin appears in many written and visual examples from the pre-modern world, as well as in coats of arms. the word Basgujmost likely from Middle Persian Pascucci, used to translate greek sharp “Griffin” in the Septuagint. Premodern examples in Arabic and Persian literature also use the creature as a metaphor for power, protection, and cultural integration.
Gryphons have different names and are mixed differently in different traditions, but they also function symbolically and allegorically. Although it is not possible to compile every iteration, Griffinology does provide us with one line of reasoning: “Unfortunately, many interesting renderings had to be omitted, because within this limited space I tried to balance relatively famous works with those that are less famous.” However, the distinction Relatively well-known and less well-known approaches appear to be rooted in European frameworks.
Gryphonology: The Place of Gryphons in Myth, History and Art (2024), by AL McClanan, is published by Reaktion Books and is available online or through independent booksellers.
