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The head, claws and wings of an eagle! The body of a lion! Its nest
is made of gold and eggs made of agate!
The griffin (or 'gryphon') is a truly fabulous animal.
[click image for larger view] |
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What did the griffin mean to medieval people? Well, two of the meanings
were completely opposite to one another. One saw the Griffin as symbolising
Jesus because it was both eagle and lion, like Jesus was both God and human.
The other thought that griffins represented arrogance and pride - Alexander
the Great tried to ride on the back of one! They associated griffins with
the devil.
What sort of griffin is this one? He's chewing on a human leg, so maybe
he's rather devillsh - who knows? For us, though, it could be an image of
the war between the human and animal worlds. Generally humans 'win' but
sometimes, as here, the animal world strikes back.
The prophet Isaiah had a vision of all animals (including humans) living
in harmony:
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A shoot will come from the stump of Jesse;
From his roots a branch will bear fruit…
The wolf will live with the lamb,
The leopard will lie down with the goat…
The infant will play near the hole of the cobra,
And the young child put his hand into the viper's nest…
For the earth will be full of the knowledge of the Lord
As the waters cover the sea.
(Isaiah 11:6-9, NIV)
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Christians believe that Jesus is the 'fruit' which is mentioned here and
that when he came it was the first step towards a perfect world which he
would lead. In the Easter story, Jesus shows his leadership not by showing
his power over everyone, but by showing how real leaders serve others. He
washed his disciples feet, he talked about how poor people would be made
rich and how proud people would be broken down. Maybe Christians should
show their 'lordship' over the earth by showing the same respect for all
the living things in their care. |
