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{{Short description|Legendary creature}}
{{Expand French|Hippogriffe|date=December 2010}}
] depicts the scene of '']'' where Ruggiero ({{langx|fr|Roger}}) rescues Angelica ({{langx|fr|Angélique}}) while riding on a hippogriff.]]
{{original research|date=September 2013}}
The '''hippogriff''' is a ] which resembles a ] with the head and upper body of an ]. The '''hippogriff''' or '''hippogryph''' (from {{langx|el|ἵππος}} + {{langx|el|γρύψ}}) is a ] with the front half of an ] and the hind half of a ].


The first recorded mention of the hippogriff was made by the Latin poet ] in his ]. Though sometimes depicted during the Classical Era and during the rule of the ], it was first named and defined by ] in his ], at the beginning of the 16th century. Within the poem, the hippogriff is a steed born of a ] and a ] - it is extremely fast and is presented as being able to fly around the world and to the moon. It is ridden by ] and the wandering knight ], who, from the creature’s back, frees the beautiful ]. It was invented at the beginning of the 16th century by ] in his '']''. Within the poem, the hippogriff is a steed born of a ] and a ]—something considered impossible.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Hippogriff {{!}} legendary animal|url=https://www.britannica.com/topic/hippogriff|access-date=2020-10-14|website=Encyclopedia Britannica|language=en}}</ref> It is extremely fast and is presented as being able to fly around the world and to the ]. It is ridden by ] and the wandering knight ], who, from the creature's back, frees the beautiful
]. ] also borrows the hippogriff from ] to go search for ]'s wits.


Sometimes depicted on ] coats of arms, the Hippogriff became a subject of visual art in the 19th Century, when it was often drawn by ]. Sometimes depicted on coats of arms{{Example needed|date=January 2022}}, the hippogriff became a subject of visual art in the 19th century, when it was often drawn by ].


==Etymology== ==Etymology==
The word ''Hippogriff'', also spelled ''Hippogryph'' and ''Hippogryphe''<ref name="Complément du Dictionnaire de l'Académie française">{{fr icon}} {{cite book |url=http://books.google.com/books?id=nks_AAAAcAAJ&dq=hippogriffe%20ailes%20au%20dessus%20des%20plaines&hl=fr&pg=PA478 |title=Complément du Dictionnaire de l'Académie française}}</ref> is an Anglicisation of the Italian ippogrifo, which was used by ] in 1516. This name is derived from the ] ἵππος /híppo, meaning “horse,” and the Italian ''grifo'' meaning “]” (from Latin gryp or gryphus), which denotes another mythical creature, with the head of an ] and body of a lion, that is purported to be the father of the hippogriff.<ref name=Larousse>{{harvsp|Sevestre|Rosier|1983|pp=16–17}}</ref><ref name="Wagner124">{{harvsp|Wagner|2006|p=124}}</ref> The word hippogriff was adopted into English shortly before 1615.<ref name="Websteren">{{cite web |url=http://www.websters-online-dictionary.org/definitions/hippogriff?cx=partner-pub-0939450753529744%3Av0qd01-tdlq&cof=FORID%3A9&ie=UTF-8&q=hippogriff&sa=Search#906|title=Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary}}</ref> The word ''hippogriff'', also spelled ''hippogryph'',<ref name="Complement du Dictionnaire de l'Académie française">{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=nks_AAAAcAAJ&pg=PA478 |title=Complément du Diction sire de l'Académie française|language=fr|last1=Française|first1=Académie|year=1843}}</ref><!-- ''Needs source - obviously the Greek is closer to our spelling, and has the all-important "h" in it; also, we used Latin and Greek in the 16th century, not Italian'': is an Anglicisation of the Italian ''ippogrifo'', which was used by ] in 1516. This name --> is derived from the {{langx|grc|ἵππος}} {{grc-transl|ἵππος}}, meaning "horse", and the Italian ''grifo'' meaning "]" (from Latin ''gryp'' or ''gryphus''), which denotes another mythical creature, with the head of an eagle and body of a lion, that is purported to be the father of the hippogriff.<ref name="Larousse">{{harvsp|Sevestre|Rosier|1983|pp=16–17}}</ref><ref name="Wagner124">{{harvsp|Wagner|2006|p=124}}</ref> The word ''hippogriff'' was adopted into English shortly before 1615.<ref name="Websteren">{{cite web|url=http://www.websters-online-dictionary.org/definitions/hippogriff?cx=partner-pub-0939450753529744%3Av0qd01-tdlq&cof=FORID%3A9&ie=UTF-8&q=hippogriff&sa=Search#906|title=Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110228193149/http://www.websters-online-dictionary.org/definitions/Hippogriff?cx=partner-pub-0939450753529744%3Av0qd01-tdlq&cof=FORID%3A9&ie=UTF-8&q=Hippogriff&sa=Search#906|archive-date=2011-02-28}}</ref> The Hippogypians mentioned in ''Vera Historia'', a fantastic travelogue written by the Roman author ] in the Second Century A.D. suggest another likely source for the word. However, in that text, the term is used to refer to a race of moon-dwelling riders that employ gigantic three-headed vultures as steeds.


==Description==
== Early references ==
{{primary sources|section|date=May 2015}}
] for ''Orlando furioso''.]]
Of the heraldic representations of the hippogriff, ] states that hybrid fantastical creatures' depictions are "ugly, inartistic, and unnecessary. Their representation leaves one with a disappointed feeling of crudity of draughtsmanship."<ref name="Fox-Davies2007">{{cite book|last=Fox-Davies|first=Arthur Charles|title=A Complete Guide to Heraldry|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=xSeEWjQCTIAC&pg=PA232|access-date=31 May 2015|year=2007|publisher=Skyhorse Publishing Inc.|isbn=9781602390010|pages=232–}}</ref> ] states that the hippogriff is not used in the British heraldic tradition.<ref name="Vinycomb1969">{{cite book|last=Vinycomb|first=John|title=Fictitious and Symbolic Creatures in Art With Special Reference to Their Use in British Heraldry|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=T8jTz8spvjoC&pg=PT123|access-date=31 May 2015|year=1969|publisher=Library of Alexandria|isbn=9781465552556|pages=123–}}</ref>] for ''Orlando furioso''.]]
]'s poem, '']'' (1516) contains an early description (canto IV): ]'s poem, '']'' (1516) contains the following description (canto IV):


{{poemquote|
::::XVIII '''XVIII'''
:no fiction wrought magic lore, No fiction wrought magic lore,
:But natural was the steed the wizard pressed; But natural was the steed the wizard pressed;
:For him a filly to griffin bore; For him a filly to griffin bore;
:Hight hippogryph. In wings and beak and crest, Hight hippogryph. In wings and beak and crest,
:Formed like his sire, as in the feet before;
:But like the mare, his dam, in all the rest. Formed like his sire, as in the feet before;
But like the mare, his dam, in all the rest.
:Such on Riphaean hills, though rarely found, Such on Riphaean hills, though rarely found,
:Are bred, beyond the frozen ocean's bound. Are bred, beyond the frozen ocean's bound.


::::XIX '''XIX'''
:Drawn by enchantment from his distant lair, Drawn by enchantment from his distant lair,
:The wizard thought but how to tame the foal; The wizard thought but how to tame the foal;
:And, in a month, instructed him to bear And, in a month, instructed him to bear
:Saddle and bit, and gallop to the goal; Saddle and bit, and gallop to the goal;
:And execute on earth or in mid air, And execute on earth or in mid air,
:All shifts of manege, course and caracole; All shifts of manege, course and caracole;
:He with such labour wrought. This only real, He with such labour wrought. This only real,
:Where all the rest was hollow and ideal. Where all the rest was hollow and ideal.
}}


According to ]'s ''Legends of Charlemagne'': According to ]'s ''Legends of Charlemagne'':
{{cquote|Like a griffin, it has the head of an eagle, claws armed with talons, and wings covered with feathers, the rest of its body being that of a horse. This strange animal is called a Hippogriff. the hippogriff is said to be an evil spirit resting and possessing its soul in that of a horse and griffon.<ref>], , 1863.</ref>}} {{quote|text=Like a griffin, it has the head of an eagle, claws armed with talons, and wings covered with feathers, the rest of its body being that of a horse. This strange animal is called a Hippogriff. The hippogriff is said to be an evil spirit resting and possessing its soul in that of a horse and griffon.<ref>], , 1863.</ref>}}

The reason for its great rarity is that griffins regard horses as prey<ref>http://www.princeton.edu/~achaney/tmve/wiki100k/docs/Hippogriff.html</ref>. It has been suggested{{who|date=September 2013}} this idea was strong enough in ] to produce an expression, "to mate griffins with horses". The hippogriff was therefore a symbol of impossibility and love. The hippogriff, in legends is said to be far faster, stronger and more intelligent than their fathers, the griffin, apparently traveling at the "speed of lightning". This was supposedly inspired by ]'s '']: ...'' mate Gryphons with mares, and ''in the coming age shy deer and hounds together come to drink..''.

The hippogriff seemed easier to tame than a griffin. In the few medieval legends when this fantastic creature makes an appearance, it is usually the pet of either a knight or a sorcerer. It makes an excellent steed, being able to fly as fast as lightning. The hippogriff is said to be an ], eating either plants or meat.


==Beliefs and symbolism== ==Beliefs and symbolism==
According to Vidal, a Catalan historian, this creature was supposed to live near Céret, in the ] of modern-day France, during the Middle Ages. Claw marks were found on a rock near Mas Carol.<ref>{{fr icon}} {{harvsp|Bo i Montégut|1978|p=219}}</ref> The belief in the existence of the hippogriff, such as ] describes, is fiercely attacked in a scientific essay on religion in 1862, which argues that such an animal can neither be a divine creation, nor truly exist. The hippogriff is supposed to be a mixture of several animals and the author notes that in order to support its weight, the wings would be so heavy that flight would be impossible, which proves—without question—that it does not exist. According to Vidal, a Spanish historian, this creature was supposed to live near Céret, in the ] of modern-day France, during the Middle Ages. Claw marks were found on a rock near Mas Carol.<ref>{{in lang|fr}} {{harvsp|Bo i Montégut|1978|p=219}}</ref> The belief in the existence of the hippogriff, such as ] describes, is fiercely attacked in a scientific essay on religion in 1862, which argues that such an animal can neither be a divine creation, nor truly exist. The Book of Enoch quite clearly details how Satan and his fallen angels created various hybrids by admixture. The Sphinx is the best known such hybrid. The hippogriff is supposed to be a mixture of several animals and the author notes that in order to support its weight, the wings would be so heavy that flight would be impossible, which proves—without question—that it does not exist.<ref name =Poulin/>
⚫ According to the traditions, the hippogriff is said to be the symbol of love, as its parents, the mare and griffin, are natural enemies. <ref>{{fr icon}} {{cite book|first1=Paulin|last1=Poulin|authorlink=|title=Qu'est-ce que l'homme ? Qu'est-ce que Dieu ? Solution scientifique du problème religieux|editor=A. Lacroix, Verboeckhoven et al.|editor1-link=|location=|year=1862|volume=|series=|page=223|url=http://books.google.fr/books?id=WRvMTx9wTukC&pg=PA223&dq=Hippogriffe&lr=&as_brr=0#PPA223,M1}}</ref>


⚫ In some traditions, the hippogriff is said to be the symbol of love, as its parents, the mare and griffin, are natural enemies.<ref name =Poulin>{{cite book|first1=Paulin|last1=Poulin|title=Qu'est-ce que l'homme ? Qu'est-ce que Dieu ? Solution scientifique du problème religieux|editor=A. Lacroix, Verboeckhoven|year=1862|page=223|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=WRvMTx9wTukC&q=Hippogriffe&pg=PA223|language=fr|display-editors=etal}}</ref> In other traditions, the hippogriff represents Christ's dual nature as both human and divine.<ref name="Sax2013">{{cite book|last=Sax|first=Boria|title=Imaginary Animals: The Monstrous, the Wondrous and the Human|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=JdWRAQAAQBAJ&pg=PA195|access-date=31 May 2015|date=2013-10-15|publisher=Reaktion Books|isbn=9781780232133|pages=195–}}</ref>
⚫ ==Modern impact==
⚫ In a ] perpetrated in 1904, tricksters used a fake “monster” with the head of a bird of prey, teeth, and two large horse ears, which could be controlled from below, in ], ], which became known as “The Hippogriff”. The pranks and sightings faded until 1999 when several people staying at the Island Harbour House Hotel stated they had seen a sea monster at night. The old hoax was uncovered by the ''Daily News'' and the Lake George Historical Association Museum, which created a copy of the original wooden monster to display to the public in August 2002.<ref>{{en icon}} {{cite book |last1=Radford|first1=Benjamin| last2=Nickell| first2=Joe|authorlink= |title=Lake monster mysteries: investigating the world's most elusive creatures |url=http://books.google.com/books?id=w8psW1D7DV0C&pg=PA104&dq=hippogriff&lr=&hl=fr&cd=67#v=onepage&q=hippogriff&f=false |year=2006 |publisher=University Press of Kentucky |location= |pages=101–109 |isbn=9780813123943}}</ref>


⚫ ==Modern representations==
The fantasy role-playing game '']'' includes a version of the creature, which is described as having a horse's "ears, neck, mane, torso, and hind legs" and an eagle's "wings, forelegs, and face". According to the game's rules, the creatures are closely related to ]s and ]. <ref>–''Monstrous Manual'', p. 190, TSR, 1993</ref>{{primary source-inline|date=September 2013}}
] Hippogriff in the nest on the left side of the lift hill of the roller coaster ''Flight of the Hippogriff'' in Orlando, Florida]]


* Artist ] used the hippogriff amongst other objects in his drawing ''Fantasy and the Artist'' to note his disparagement for artistic work that relies on out-worn and clichéd symbolism.<ref name="Morton2014">{{cite book|last=Morton|first=Dr Marsha|title=Max Klinger and Wilhelmine Culture: On the Threshold of German Modernism|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=uX_fBAAAQBAJ&pg=PA34|access-date=31 May 2015|date=2014-07-28|publisher=Ashgate Publishing, Ltd.|isbn=9781409467588|pages=34–}}</ref>
A hippogriff named ] features prominently in the ] series of novels. First introduced in '']'',<ref>
⚫ * In a ] initially perpetrated in 1904 in ], ], tricksters used a fake "monster" which became known as "The Hippogriff". The creation had a head of a bird of prey, teeth, and two large horse ears, which could be controlled from below. The pranks and sightings faded until 1999 when several people staying at the Island Harbour House Hotel stated they had seen a sea monster at night. The old hoax was uncovered by the ''Daily News'' and the Lake George Historical Association Museum, which created a copy of the original wooden monster to display to the public in August 2002.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Radford|first1=Benjamin| last2=Nickell| first2=Joe|title=Lake monster mysteries: investigating the world's most elusive creatures |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=w8psW1D7DV0C&q=hippogriff&pg=PA104 |year=2006 |publisher=University Press of Kentucky |pages=101–109 |isbn=9780813123943}}</ref>
{{cite book
* The hippogriff appears in various works of fantasy, such as works of ]<ref name="Briggs2000">{{cite book|last=Briggs|first=Julia|title=A Woman of Passion: The Life of E. Nesbit|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=zRS_AAAAQBAJ&pg=PA220|access-date=31 May 2015|date=2000-11-07|publisher=New Amsterdam Books|isbn=9781461636229|pages=220–}}</ref> and ]'s '']'' (1922).<ref name="Weinstock2014">{{cite book|last=Weinstock|first=Professor Jeffrey|title=The Ashgate Encyclopedia of Literary and Cinematic Monsters|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=NI1zBAAAQBAJ&pg=PA329|access-date=31 May 2015|date=2014-01-08|publisher=Ashgate Publishing, Ltd.|isbn=9781409425625|pages=329–}}</ref> It's also regularly alluded to as a fearsome monster by ] in ]'s ] stories.
|title=Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
* The fantasy role-playing game '']'' includes a version of the creature, which is described as having a horse's "ears, neck, mane, torso, and hind legs" and an eagle's "wings, forelegs, and face". According to the game's rules, the creatures are closely related to ]s and ]. Hippogriffs, pegasi, and horses are all hunted by griffins as the latter have a strong attraction to the flesh of horses.<ref>{{cite book | title=] | editor=Doug Stewart | editor-link=Doug Stewart (game designer) | page=190 | publisher=] | year=1993}}</ref> An artistic representation of the hippogriff drawing inspiration from real eagles and horses was used for the cover of the third booklet of the original ] edition.<ref>{{cite book |title=Dungeons & Dragons Art & Arcana: a visual history |last1=Witwer |first1=Michael |last2=Newman |first2=Kyle |last3=Peterson |first3=Jonathan |last4=Witwer |first4=Sam |last5=Manganiello |first5=Joe |date=October 2018 |isbn=9780399580949 |publisher=] |oclc=1033548473 |pages=20–21, 27}}</ref>
|first=J.K.|last=Rowling
* As with many ancient mythical beasts, a hippogriff named ] (subsequently "Witherwings") features prominently in '']''.<ref name =NBC>{{cite news|url=https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna5182794|title=Behind the Magic of 'Harry Potter'|last=Roker|first=Al|work=]|date=2004-06-11|access-date=2013-10-24}}</ref> Peter Dendle says that the portrayal of the treatment of Buckbeak in the novels is one example that demonstrates "he emotional need to express domination symbolically"<ref name="Heilman2008">{{cite book|last=Heilman|first=Elizabeth E.|title=Critical Perspectives on Harry Potter|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ltSc0DZNlBwC&pg=PA201|access-date=1 November 2013|date=2008-08-05|publisher=Taylor & Francis|isbn=9780203892817|pages=201–}}</ref> as well as being one of the episodes that allows Harry to be shown as the "perennial liberator of all manner of creatures."<ref name="Heilman2008"/> ] calls the creation of Buckbeak in the film '']'' "one of the most magnificent and realistic creatures in film history."<ref name =NBC/> The character was used to create the theme for a roller coaster called ] at the Florida amusement park ] in which the cars are wicker covered and pass by a statue of a hippogriff in a nest.<ref name="Miller2011">{{cite book|last=Miller|first=Laura Lea|title=Frommer's Walt Disney World and Orlando 2012|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=j98A46F-yzcC&pg=PA273|access-date=1 November 2013|date=2011-10-20|publisher=John Wiley & Sons|isbn=9781118168042|pages=273–}}</ref> Stefano Jossa has reconstructed the web of relations of Rowling's hippogriff.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.thebritishacademy.ac.uk/blog/ariosto-harry-potter-and-hippogriffs-weaving-textual-webs/ | title=Ariosto, Harry Potter and Hippogriffs: Weaving textual webs }}</ref>
|publisher=Bloomsbury
* In the '']'' franchise, there is a Digimon called Hippogriffomon.
|year=1999
* Hippogriffs appeared in the 2017 film '']'', where they were transformed into ]. They were also featured in the season 8 premiere of the show, with the reoccurring character being Silverstream.
|isbn=9780747542155
* In the anime '']'', the Servant Astolfo, also known as Rider of Black, is able to summon a hippogriff that they use a mount with their Noble Phantasm Hippogriff. The hippogriff is considered to be a Phantasmal Species.
}}</ref> Buckbeak (sometimes under the alias "Witherwings") reappears in '']''<ref>
* Hippogriffs are ridden by the Knights of Bretonnia from the tabletop game '']'', and also appear in the video game adaptation '']''.
{{cite book
|title=Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
|first=J.K.|last=Rowling
|publisher=Bloomsbury
|year=2005
|isbn=9780747581086
}}</ref> and in the final battle scene of '']''.<ref>
{{cite book
|title=Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
|first=J.K.|last=Rowling
|publisher=Bloomsbury
|year=2007
|isbn=9780545010221
}}</ref>

⚫ ==References==
{{reflist}}


==See also== ==See also==
* ]
* ]
* ] * ]

⚫ ==References==
{{Reflist|30em}}

===Works cited===
* {{cite book |language=fr |first1=Georges Dominique |last1=Bo i Montégut |title=Légendes populaires des villages du Roussillon |publisher=l'Horta del monastir |date=1978 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=bJ-BAAAAMAAJ |access-date=12 June 2009}}
* {{cite book |first1=Dr Jacques |last1=Sevestre |first2=Nicole Agathe |last2=Rosier |title=Le Cheval |publisher=Larousse |date=1983 |isbn=978-2-03-517118-4}}
* {{cite book |first1=Marc-André |last1=Wagner |title=Dictionnaire mythologique et historique du cheval |publisher=Éditions du Rocher |series=Cheval chevaux |date=2006 |isbn=978-2-268-05996-9}}


==External links== ==External links==
{{Commons category}}
*{{Commonscat-inline}}


{{Matter of France}} {{Matter of France}}


] ]
]
]
] ]
⚫ ]
] ]
⚫ ]
⚫ ]
] ]
]
⚫ ]

{{Link FA|fr}}

Latest revision as of 23:20, 22 October 2024

Legendary creature
Roger délivrant Angélique (1824) by Louis-Édouard Rioult depicts the scene of Orlando Furioso where Ruggiero (French: Roger) rescues Angelica (French: Angélique) while riding on a hippogriff.

The hippogriff or hippogryph (from Greek: ἵππος + Greek: γρύψ) is a legendary creature with the front half of an eagle and the hind half of a horse.

It was invented at the beginning of the 16th century by Ludovico Ariosto in his Orlando Furioso. Within the poem, the hippogriff is a steed born of a mare and a griffin—something considered impossible. It is extremely fast and is presented as being able to fly around the world and to the Moon. It is ridden by magicians and the wandering knight Ruggiero, who, from the creature's back, frees the beautiful Angelica. Astolfo also borrows the hippogriff from Bradamante to go search for Roland's wits.

Sometimes depicted on coats of arms, the hippogriff became a subject of visual art in the 19th century, when it was often drawn by Gustave Doré.

Etymology

The word hippogriff, also spelled hippogryph, is derived from the Ancient Greek: ἵππος híppos, meaning "horse", and the Italian grifo meaning "griffin" (from Latin gryp or gryphus), which denotes another mythical creature, with the head of an eagle and body of a lion, that is purported to be the father of the hippogriff. The word hippogriff was adopted into English shortly before 1615. The Hippogypians mentioned in Vera Historia, a fantastic travelogue written by the Roman author Lucian of Samosata in the Second Century A.D. suggest another likely source for the word. However, in that text, the term is used to refer to a race of moon-dwelling riders that employ gigantic three-headed vultures as steeds.

Description

This section relies excessively on references to primary sources. Please improve this section by adding secondary or tertiary sources.
Find sources: "Hippogriff" – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR (May 2015) (Learn how and when to remove this message)

Of the heraldic representations of the hippogriff, Arthur Charles Fox-Davies states that hybrid fantastical creatures' depictions are "ugly, inartistic, and unnecessary. Their representation leaves one with a disappointed feeling of crudity of draughtsmanship." John Vinycomb states that the hippogriff is not used in the British heraldic tradition.

Hippogriff, illustration by Gustave Doré for Orlando furioso.

Ludovico Ariosto's poem, Orlando furioso (1516) contains the following description (canto IV):

XVIII
No fiction wrought magic lore,
But natural was the steed the wizard pressed;
For him a filly to griffin bore;
Hight hippogryph. In wings and beak and crest,
Formed like his sire, as in the feet before;
But like the mare, his dam, in all the rest.
Such on Riphaean hills, though rarely found,
Are bred, beyond the frozen ocean's bound.

XIX
Drawn by enchantment from his distant lair,
The wizard thought but how to tame the foal;
And, in a month, instructed him to bear
Saddle and bit, and gallop to the goal;
And execute on earth or in mid air,
All shifts of manege, course and caracole;
He with such labour wrought. This only real,
Where all the rest was hollow and ideal.

According to Thomas Bulfinch's Legends of Charlemagne:

Like a griffin, it has the head of an eagle, claws armed with talons, and wings covered with feathers, the rest of its body being that of a horse. This strange animal is called a Hippogriff. The hippogriff is said to be an evil spirit resting and possessing its soul in that of a horse and griffon.

Beliefs and symbolism

According to Vidal, a Spanish historian, this creature was supposed to live near Céret, in the County of Roussillon of modern-day France, during the Middle Ages. Claw marks were found on a rock near Mas Carol. The belief in the existence of the hippogriff, such as Ariosto describes, is fiercely attacked in a scientific essay on religion in 1862, which argues that such an animal can neither be a divine creation, nor truly exist. The Book of Enoch quite clearly details how Satan and his fallen angels created various hybrids by admixture. The Sphinx is the best known such hybrid. The hippogriff is supposed to be a mixture of several animals and the author notes that in order to support its weight, the wings would be so heavy that flight would be impossible, which proves—without question—that it does not exist.

In some traditions, the hippogriff is said to be the symbol of love, as its parents, the mare and griffin, are natural enemies. In other traditions, the hippogriff represents Christ's dual nature as both human and divine.

Modern representations

An animatronic Hippogriff in the nest on the left side of the lift hill of the roller coaster Flight of the Hippogriff in Orlando, Florida
  • Artist Max Klinger used the hippogriff amongst other objects in his drawing Fantasy and the Artist to note his disparagement for artistic work that relies on out-worn and clichéd symbolism.
  • In a hoax initially perpetrated in 1904 in Lake George, New York State, tricksters used a fake "monster" which became known as "The Hippogriff". The creation had a head of a bird of prey, teeth, and two large horse ears, which could be controlled from below. The pranks and sightings faded until 1999 when several people staying at the Island Harbour House Hotel stated they had seen a sea monster at night. The old hoax was uncovered by the Daily News and the Lake George Historical Association Museum, which created a copy of the original wooden monster to display to the public in August 2002.
  • The hippogriff appears in various works of fantasy, such as works of E. Nesbit and E. R. Eddison's The Worm Ouroboros (1922). It's also regularly alluded to as a fearsome monster by Bertie Wooster in P. G. Wodehouse's Jeeves stories.
  • The fantasy role-playing game Dungeons & Dragons includes a version of the creature, which is described as having a horse's "ears, neck, mane, torso, and hind legs" and an eagle's "wings, forelegs, and face". According to the game's rules, the creatures are closely related to griffins and pegasi. Hippogriffs, pegasi, and horses are all hunted by griffins as the latter have a strong attraction to the flesh of horses. An artistic representation of the hippogriff drawing inspiration from real eagles and horses was used for the cover of the third booklet of the original Dungeons & Dragons (1974) edition.
  • As with many ancient mythical beasts, a hippogriff named Buckbeak (subsequently "Witherwings") features prominently in Harry Potter. Peter Dendle says that the portrayal of the treatment of Buckbeak in the novels is one example that demonstrates "he emotional need to express domination symbolically" as well as being one of the episodes that allows Harry to be shown as the "perennial liberator of all manner of creatures." Al Roker calls the creation of Buckbeak in the film Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban "one of the most magnificent and realistic creatures in film history." The character was used to create the theme for a roller coaster called Flight of the Hippogriff at the Florida amusement park The Wizarding World of Harry Potter in which the cars are wicker covered and pass by a statue of a hippogriff in a nest. Stefano Jossa has reconstructed the web of relations of Rowling's hippogriff.
  • In the Digimon franchise, there is a Digimon called Hippogriffomon.
  • Hippogriffs appeared in the 2017 film My Little Pony: The Movie, where they were transformed into seaponies. They were also featured in the season 8 premiere of the show, with the reoccurring character being Silverstream.
  • In the anime Fate/Apocrypha, the Servant Astolfo, also known as Rider of Black, is able to summon a hippogriff that they use a mount with their Noble Phantasm Hippogriff. The hippogriff is considered to be a Phantasmal Species.
  • Hippogriffs are ridden by the Knights of Bretonnia from the tabletop game Warhammer Fantasy, and also appear in the video game adaptation Total War: Warhammer.

See also

References

  1. "Hippogriff | legendary animal". Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved 2020-10-14.
  2. Française, Académie (1843). Complément du Diction sire de l'Académie française (in French).
  3. Sevestre & Rosier 1983, pp. 16–17
  4. Wagner 2006, p. 124
  5. "Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary". Archived from the original on 2011-02-28.
  6. Fox-Davies, Arthur Charles (2007). A Complete Guide to Heraldry. Skyhorse Publishing Inc. pp. 232–. ISBN 9781602390010. Retrieved 31 May 2015.
  7. Vinycomb, John (1969). Fictitious and Symbolic Creatures in Art With Special Reference to Their Use in British Heraldry. Library of Alexandria. pp. 123–. ISBN 9781465552556. Retrieved 31 May 2015.
  8. Thomas Bulfinch, Legends of Charlemagne, 1863.
  9. (in French) Bo i Montégut 1978, p. 219
  10. ^ Poulin, Paulin (1862). A. Lacroix, Verboeckhoven; et al. (eds.). Qu'est-ce que l'homme ? Qu'est-ce que Dieu ? Solution scientifique du problème religieux (in French). p. 223.
  11. Sax, Boria (2013-10-15). Imaginary Animals: The Monstrous, the Wondrous and the Human. Reaktion Books. pp. 195–. ISBN 9781780232133. Retrieved 31 May 2015.
  12. Morton, Dr Marsha (2014-07-28). Max Klinger and Wilhelmine Culture: On the Threshold of German Modernism. Ashgate Publishing, Ltd. pp. 34–. ISBN 9781409467588. Retrieved 31 May 2015.
  13. Radford, Benjamin; Nickell, Joe (2006). Lake monster mysteries: investigating the world's most elusive creatures. University Press of Kentucky. pp. 101–109. ISBN 9780813123943.
  14. Briggs, Julia (2000-11-07). A Woman of Passion: The Life of E. Nesbit. New Amsterdam Books. pp. 220–. ISBN 9781461636229. Retrieved 31 May 2015.
  15. Weinstock, Professor Jeffrey (2014-01-08). The Ashgate Encyclopedia of Literary and Cinematic Monsters. Ashgate Publishing, Ltd. pp. 329–. ISBN 9781409425625. Retrieved 31 May 2015.
  16. Doug Stewart, ed. (1993). Monstrous Manual. TSR, Inc. p. 190.
  17. Witwer, Michael; Newman, Kyle; Peterson, Jonathan; Witwer, Sam; Manganiello, Joe (October 2018). Dungeons & Dragons Art & Arcana: a visual history. Ten Speed Press. pp. 20–21, 27. ISBN 9780399580949. OCLC 1033548473.
  18. ^ Roker, Al (2004-06-11). "Behind the Magic of 'Harry Potter'". NBC News. Retrieved 2013-10-24.
  19. ^ Heilman, Elizabeth E. (2008-08-05). Critical Perspectives on Harry Potter. Taylor & Francis. pp. 201–. ISBN 9780203892817. Retrieved 1 November 2013.
  20. Miller, Laura Lea (2011-10-20). Frommer's Walt Disney World and Orlando 2012. John Wiley & Sons. pp. 273–. ISBN 9781118168042. Retrieved 1 November 2013.
  21. "Ariosto, Harry Potter and Hippogriffs: Weaving textual webs".

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