Hippogriffs From Harry Potter: 12 Strangest Facts (From Fiction To Culture)

Hippogriff was a powerful mythical creature that had the wings, front legs, and head of a spacious eagle as represented in the famous series of Harry Potter. The body, back legs and tail of the Hippogriff are belong to a horse. This beast was very similar to the Griffin; it just has only one different feature than what the Griffin possesses where Griffin had lion rear and while Hippogriff had horse rear.

The breeding of fancy Hippogriffs was a known wizarding career as evidenced by known breeders including Newton Scamander’s mother. Sometimes images of Hippogriffs were seen on calendars. A Hippogriff could be someone’s Patronus Charm in the form of a corporeal creature.

1 Hippogriff Is A Half Bird-Half Horse Like Creature

Hippogriff Harry Potter

The Hippogriffs had the body of a horse, the back legs of a horse, and the tail of a horse with the front legs, wings, and heads of a giant eagle, moreover a Brutal, steel colored beak. The giant creature also had big orange colored eyes. Their lethal claws were half a foot long and exists on their front legs.

2 Mythical Hippogriff Comes In 5 Colors

The concept of this beast that is half bird and half horse might be weird at first, It was said that once you get over the preparative shock of seeing this creature (Hippogriff) and accept it for what it is, you start to see its beauty. Their coats look smooth just like hair and feathers instead of being rough and covering their skin like fur. There are five colors of this creature: bronze, stormy gray, gleaming chestnut, inky black and pinkish roan.

3 They Are Lethal & Difficult To Tame Until You Are A Proven Wizard Or Witch

Hippogriff Harry Potter

Hippogriffs, who were dangerous, carnivorous and an incredibly savage species of animal, are difficult to tame. You may need a trained witch or wizard to do this, who understands how dangerous they can be.

4They Are Independent Creatures But They Admire Human Loyalty Too

The hippogriffs in the Wizarding world are proud by nature. They will react quickly and certainly to anyone who insults them, as Draco Malfoy did against Buckbeak, but they will respond favorably when people show them good behaviors. They were loyal to those who earned their trust, but they can take care of themselves and are definitely not dependent on humans.

Newt Scamander’s ‘Fantastic Beasts and Where to find them’ textbook indicates that, although subduing a Hippogriff is possible for those who are experts in the matter, it should only be attempted by those who have had experience with them.

5Hippogriffs Eat Ferret, Birds & Insects

Hippogriff Harry Potter

Newt Scamander’s mother was a breeder of Hippogriffs, explains that – The Hippogriffs diet was mainly insects, birds, and small mammals like ferrets. Hippogriffs would often hunt for worms on the ground if they had nothing to eat or In the absence of other food. You can clearly see that Buckbeak appears to enjoy food that is very rare or has the blood still flowing through them.

6Hippogriffs Live In The Forbidden Forest of Europe

Hippogriffs were usually found in Europe and the Hogwarts herd generally found in the Forbidden Forest. When Hippogriffs breed, Hippogriffs lay only a single, fragile egg on the ground and build nests. The egg is generally ready to hatch after twenty four hours. However, Newly born Hippogriffs were able to fly within a week of birth, but it took many months for them to be up to long journeys or to touch long distances with their parents.

7 There Is A Set Of Etiquettes You Need To Follow While Interacting With Them

Hippogriff Harry Potter

If humans are going to interact with a Hippogriff, they should start by letting it come to you and at that time etiquette must be required to escape danger. That way, the Hippogriff will have an advantage and not be startled. Every hippogriff was prideful and an individual must greet them by bowing in order to gain and show proper respect. To do so, individuals should wait for them to bow in return before coming back and also maintain eye contact continuously without blinking at all times.

The Hippogriff should be permitted to make the first movement, because it’s more polite to be more polite. If it is offended, then it might attack and that would be bad. Hippogriffs could be tamed, but they are hard to handle and can only be handled by experts in their supervision (like Gamekeeper at Hogwarts, Care of Magical Creatures Professor and Rubeus Hagrid).

Even though Hippogriffs could be fierce and protective of those who had gained their trust. Buckbeak demonstrated this personality trait on at least two occasions for example: First, when he defended Harry Potter during the Battle of the Astronomy Tower, and another, when he conducted the Thestrals in striking Voldemort’s giants throughout the time of the warfare of Hogwarts.

Hippogriff baiting, a part of the wizarding law, is when wizards knowingly bait a hippogriff into behaving in a hostile way. In one instance, a hippogriff was let off. A book on Hippogriff stayed in the legal section of the library at Hogwarts to the right of the desk.

8 Disillusionment Charm Gives Them Protection From Muggles

As Hippogriffs are visible to Muggles, their owners must be cast a Disillusionment Charm every day. This charm will prevent them from being seen by Muggles. If a Hippogriff is needed for personal use, it comes against the International Statute of Wizarding Secrecy.

9 Buckbeak (A Hippogriff) Is An Unforgettable Character In Harry Potter Series

Hippogriff Harry Potter

At Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, a herd of Hippogriffs were kept for the first Care Of Magical Creatures class. Rubeus Hagrid taught about them in 1993.

Buckbeak was a hippogriff that Hogwarts members often encountered. He had many encounters with the trio (Ron Weasley, Hermione Granger, and Harry Potter) throughout the time of their education. He had to live with other Hippogriffs and also Rubeus Hagrid, but ended up being Condemned to death due to an error (provoked and tainted) by Draco Malfoy. The Committee for the Disposal of Dangerous Creatures Condemned Buckbeak for this act, but many members of the committee had been threatened into voting for the verdict. Lucius Malfoy, who was Draco’s father, had threatened most of the committee members.

The 1994 execution didn’t take place due to the interference of Harry Potter and Hermione Granger, with Hermione using her Time-turner to save the day and came within the supervision of Sirius Black.

Sirius used Buckbeak as his companion when he was on the run throughout the time period of 1994-1995 school year. Later, Hiding at 12 Grimmauld Place, Sirius kept Buckbeak in his mother’s bedroom.

Buckbeak went from being owned by Sirius to Harry after Sirius’s death. Buckbeak then continued to live with Hagrid. He took part in two major battles during the Second Wizarding War. He fought to protect Hogwarts and its people from harm, most especially the warfare of Hogwarts. He also defended Harry from impending danger, and demonstrated great affection to him.

10Harry Potter’s Hippogriff Made Appearances In Pop Culture & Many Songs Till Date

Hippogriff Harry Potter

In the 19th century, There was a hippogriff that had an onyx colored appearance. The existence of a Weird Sisters song “Do the Hippogriff” at the Yule Ball in 1994 is an indication that this creature was mentioned at Hogwarts during this time period. This song stimulates listeners to make a four-limbed gesture in the air that is inspired by a creature that jumps off of cliffs and then quickly dives to the ground. Sirius Black, who is sometimes known as a singer, once sang a Christmas carol entitled “God Rest Ye, Merry Hippogriffs” in the winter’s of 1995.

One another appearance, Mathilda Grimblehawk and her fellows found a Hippogriff to have invaded the Quidditch keeper, Gordon Horton. The creature was preserving its nest and its young in the Old Bell Tower. It was successfully relocated afterwards. Even though this creature is one of a kind, it made appearances in various circuses such as Hippogriff as part of the Circus Arcanus.

An adult hippogriff was seen in Japan. The 21st century brought a lot of changes, including Confoundables which are the result of the disasters, volunteer Statute of Secrecy Task Force members to rescue the creatures.

11 According To Greek Myths, Hippogriffs Are Results Of Mating Between Griffin & Horse

Hippogriff Harry Potter

There are many tales of the origins of the hippogriff. It is believed they were emblems of the Greek god Apollo and The word Hippogriff comes from the Ancient Greek word for horse, ‘hippos’, and the Italian ‘grifo’, which means griffin, another mythical creature with the qualities of an eagle. According to folklore, Hippogriffs were half horse and half eagled creatures, which were created with the mating of a griffin and a horse.

12 Hippogriffs Are Even Present In Poems, Cultures & Fantasy Books

Hippogriff Harry Potter

Ludovico Ariosto (The Italian poet) wrote about a Hippogriff in his 1516th epic “Orlando Furioso”. This Hippogriff has wings and flies quickly around the world, aided by one of the poem’s heroes, Ruggiero. He helps rescue a pagan princess and her name is Angelica.

The word “Hippogriff” first appeared in English in the 1600s. The creature is often shown on coats of arms, and Hippogriffs have been used many times in heraldry and later became subject of visual art throughout history, appearing in works by Gustave Doré, who was a French artist from the 1900s.

Hippogriffs have recently appeared in books by E Nesbit and the role-playing game Dungeons & Dragons. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, which is older but still relevant today, had Hippogriffs and also inspired people to include Hippogriff in their fantasy books.