Winged Lions in mythology can commonly be found in stories of brave knights, valiant warriors, and powerful sorcerers. These creatures are often depicted as being incredibly swift and agile in order to chase down their prey. However, unlike most other animals that rely on muscle power to run fast, a Winged Lion’s wings help it to fly with incredible speed and reach high altitudes. Because of this unique ability, they often serve as symbols of flight, majesty, and victory. Let’s head on to six of the most famous winged lions from mythical world.
1 Griffin
A mythical chimeric creature with the head and wings of an eagle, body and claws of a lion, and fierce protective instincts with incredible strength. The symbol of a goodly creature, the Griffin is a superhero of mythological creatures that allows no villain to get away with their evil. No one can dispute this winged lion.
Griffins evolved from the king of the birds, the eagle, and the king of the beasts, the lion. They have an eagle-like head, brown or golden feathers and a beak that is curved in order to swallow prey whole. Lions boast two tufts of feathers on the sides of their head, which represent a lion’s ears. A pair of well-formed wings grow from the shoulder. These beasts are typically drawn with the front legs of an eagle and the back legs of a lion, but sometimes these monstrosities have four prosthetic-like lion legs.
The Griffin is a ferocious foe in a fight. Like the lion, it has strength, speed, and can launch airy attacks! Historical accounts suggest this creature was also known to prey on giraffes and elephants, meaning that humans could not compete with it either. The Griffin’s body is magical, with claws and feathers that could restore someone’s vision. Griffin eggs were also worth a lot, because they could be turned into bowls and drinking from these bowls was said to make people live longer.
Griffins were first mentioned in Ancient texts in Egypt and Iran around 3000 BC and became “king of all creatures” later on. There are frescos from the 1400 BC, which show these creatures protecting the Greek palaces and thereafter Pliny the Elder tried to depict their form, habits and habitats.
People also claimed the Griffin as their own individual epitome: it was extremely popular in heraldry, representing power and valor and those who faced hardship. The griffin was used to denote a great source of power and authority in Europe during the Middle Ages.
2 Manticore (Persian Mythology)
A mythical creature that is often described as being unmanageable by other beasts, is the Manticore in Persian mythology. Manticore, said to be invincible, is best known for its bizarre but illustrious features. Some legends say the beast had the head of a man, the tail of a scorpion, body of a lion, gray or blue eyes, a pair of mighty or sharp wings that allow Manticore to fly and three rows of razor-like sharp teeth.
The body of the Manticore is always described in terms of how it looks and the Manticore is said to resemble a lion. However, many also suggest that Manticores often have a shocking red coat which resembles scarlet with splashes of orange. It’s also noted there is often an increased size when it comes to the body of a Manticore compared to a normal lion.
One of the most fearsome animals in tales, Manticore is thought to be able to consume every animal living in the jungle with but one exception: Elephants. There is no conclusive answer as to why these Manticores couldn’t defeat elephants, only sources that testify that elephants were able to escape the attack by these beasts on more than one occasion.
The word “Manticore” is thought to have originated from the Persian term ‘marticiaras,’ loosely meaning ‘man eaters.’ As claimed by Persians, this fearsome creature was able to consume any creature (one exception: Elephants) without leaving behind any remnants. Despite being the most dominant creature, Manticores also had a special desire for human flesh. When it was present and all other food sources were not, the animal would eat one man if available, but rather prefer to wait for two to three men before consuming them all. The notoriously dangerous manticore had the potential to kill three men at once and was likely to be able to kill even more.
One another tail said that the Manticore was reported to be able to disguise itself as a vulnerable animal and that it would attack and kill humans. The tricks meant to lure the prey include looking harmless and hiding its tail while remaining hidden in grass without its head which allowed the Manticore to swipe and swallow them.
3 Sphinx (Egyptian, Greek And Asian Mythologies)
Throughout history, Sphinx is an imposing winged creature in search of insight. There are many different variations of sphinxes, which vary according to region. Such as in Greece there’s only one Sphinx, a lady with the haunches of a lion and wings of an eagle who has a serpent’s tail and the head of a ram or hawk.
The Sphinx, with her mythological nature, has the most famous personality of any mythological creature. However another creature, the Sphinx does not merely have to be overcome. She is a complicated and feeling creature with a penetrating gaze that can see into a human’s soul. On the other hand, she had her own line covered in mystery.
The word Sphinx literally means “guardian”, which is often who they are. They protect sacred sites, like near the pyramids of Giza, by killing anything unworthy of its guarding duty. The wearer of the mummy’s mask can fend off any invading foreign body in order to maintain their authority. Unlike the others, they can also be kind and generous. For example, The lion-people are known for protecting the temples in India and blessing those that respect them.
The Sphinx is well known for her talent with riddles, as she uses all of her cunningness to cook up these riddles. She then serves them up to show the worthiness of men. Anyone who doesn’t answer the riddle “will be neutralized.” In some occult legend, the Sphinx is described as having four “powers”: willing, knowing, daring, and keeping silent. This list of powers is typically used for men to help them reach the ultimate goal of achieving “wisdom” and mastering the four elements: fire, water, earth and air.
The Sphinx, in the form of an Egyptian sculpture, made its first appearance in Egypt at some time around 2600 BCE while Greeks discovered it in 8 BC. By 2600 BC, Egyptian society began to appreciate her particular animal for the way she appears like other beings of Greek culture. When the Greeks saw Egyptian representations of this powerful woman, they decided to pull her back into their culture, claiming that she was brought by the gods.
4 Lion of Saint Mark
The Venetian Lion is a symbol of Saint Mark the Evangelist and has three apparent elements: wings, books below its paw, and halos around its head. These things demonstrate the fact that it represents Saint Mark in Venetian culture. The winged lion of St. Mark is a heraldic symbol in Venice, and was the symbol of the Republic of Venice before it fell.
It is found nationally in the emblem of the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate in Alexandria, as well as it is found on both a military and merchant’s naval flag. It is also used as the symbol of the award of the Venice Film Festival since 1949, called “The Golden Lion”. The lion has often been seen as an animal symbol and has been used in art, architecture and literature. It’s also found on flags, heraldry and coins.
The iconic symbol of Venice is found in squares and historical buildings throughout all the cities that have been governed by the Serenissima Republic. The Venetian badges of civil, military, and religious use are followed by some of the world’s most recognizable states.
The Lion of Saint Mark was one of the most popular signs of leadership that has been used since centuries. The Winged Lion was considered as a symbol of everything aristocratic because of its noble character, attentiveness, courage, potency and power.
Saint Mark’s lion is a widely used totem to represent power and strength in cultures across the world. It is often carved on buildings, erected as statues and believed to protect castles, bridges, churches, and tombs. It also symbolizes values like greediness and self-control. The lion’s roar is firm, strengthening it as a fierce totem of power.
5 Lammasu (Assyrian Mythology)
In Ancient Assyrian architecture, the Lamassu was a construction that depicted a heavenly creature composed of the body of a bull or lion, and the head of a man. It also included wings reminiscent of eagles in the sculpture. The Lamassu is a bronze statue of two winged bulls facing each other that was incorporated into the Assyrian architecture in 8th and 7th centuries BC and known as the symbolic protector of a king’s palace.
They served both as symbols of the king’s authority and protection for all people. They were believed to be powerful creatures that held the highest power in terms of modern, strong creatures at the time.
They were the soldiers who guided armies to protect the cities. In Mesopotamia, the lamassu are considered the primary guardians of their homes and ward off all forces of chaos. The Mesopotamians believed that the lamassu ward off everything foreign and bring peace to their homes by frightening away anything evil. Lamassu in Akkadian means “protective spirits.”
In Mesopotamian art, the Lamassu are often depicted. The first time a Lamassu was mentioned came from circa 3,000 BC. Other names for these creatures include Lumasi, Alad or Shedu. Sometimes a female Lamassu is called an Apsasu but most of the time it is portrayed with a more masculine head.
Unfortunately, many of the most famous colossal statues of Lamassu were found at the sites of Assyrian capitals installed by King Assurnasirpal II (reigned 883 – 859 BC) and King Sargon II (reigned 721 – 705 BC), including some from Nimrud in Iraq that were injured in 2015.
Currently, Lamassu is still being built. These were originally created out of a single block of stone by artists in the ancient world. The oldest monumental sculptures stand about 10-14 feet (3.05-4.27 meters) high and are made out of alabaster. One of the most distinctive differences between older Lamassu and their newer counterparts is the type of Lamassu’s body. The first Lamassu was carved with the body shape of a lion, but the other one from King Sargon II’s palace has a body that’s shaped like a bull.
Nowadays, they are some of the most important collections in museums like The Oriental Institute in Chicago, The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, and the British Museum in London. During the British army’s operations in Iraq and Iran in 1942-1943, they even adopted Lamassu as their iconic symbol. Currently, the logo of the United States forces in Iraq features a representation of a Lamassu.
6 Vapula
Vapula (Winged Lion) is known for his global impact around Venus. Additionally, he has the depiction of a heart within his sigil, which was previously seen in some spirits and angels of Venus. That said, both wings are present on either side of his sigil. Lion is the eternal symbol of bravery, pride and nobility.
Aleister Crowley, founder of the religion of Thelema and prolific writer, wrote a book commonly referred to as “The Lesser Key of Solomon”. This book was translated by another occultist and contained additions made by Crowley. Ars Goetia’s Vapula passage is as follows:
“Vapula also known as Naphula and Fallen Angel is one of the “great dukes of hell” that mandates thirty-six legions of demons and he is often shown as a winged lion. Vapula is a mighty duke, with the wings of a griffon that can carry him and a strong body, he looks like a lion and is able to provide skills in the handicrafts philosophy and books.”
He is a master of manual labor and has a preference for anyone who likes to work with their hands. He would like them to be the best in the world at their profession.