<Tr> <Th> Mythology </Th> <Td> Ancient Egyptian, Persian, Renaissance </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> Other name (s) </Th> <Td> griffon, gryphon </Td> </Tr> <P> The griffin, griffon, or gryphon (Greek: γρύφων, grýphōn, or γρύπων, grýpōn, early form γρύψ, grýps; Latin: gryphus) is a legendary creature with the body, tail, and back legs of a lion; the head and wings of an eagle; and an eagle's talons as its front feet . Because the lion was traditionally considered the king of the beasts and the eagle the king of birds, the griffin was thought to be an especially powerful and majestic creature . The griffin was also thought of as king of all creatures . Griffins are known for guarding treasure and priceless possessions . </P> <P> In Greek and Roman texts, griffins and Arimaspians were associated with gold . Indeed, in later accounts, "griffins were said to lay eggs in burrows on the grounds and these nests contained gold nuggets". Adrienne Mayor, a classical folklorist, proposes that the griffin was an ancient misconception derived from the fossilized remains of the Protoceratops found in gold mines in the Altai mountains of Scythia, in present - day southeastern Kazakhstan, or in Mongolia, though this hypothesis has been strongly contested as it ignores pre-Mycenaean accounts . In antiquity it was a symbol of divine power and a guardian of the divine . </P>

What can you find in a griffin's body