Spoiler! One is part lion, and the other is part horse

So, you think hippogriffs and griffins are pretty cool, huh? We couldn’t agree more! These mythological creatures sure are interesting with their legendary status and powerful strides. They come up in the books you read and the movies you watch, but how do you know which is which? We’ve laid out all the key differences between these two magical species. From fun facts to symbolic significances, we have everything you’ve ever wanted to know about hippogriffs and griffins.

Things You Should Know

  • A griffin is a legendary mythical creature with the body of a lion and the head and wings of an eagle.
  • A hippogriff is a mythological creature that has the body of a horse and the head and wings of an eagle.
  • Although hippogriffs are descendants of griffins, griffins are more widely known across ancient lore and myths.
Section 1 of 5:

How are hippogriffs different from griffins?

Section 2 of 5:

Griffins Explained

  1. Griffins have an eagle's head and wings and a lion's body. These mythological creatures are a force to be reckoned with, and their image has dated all the way back to the 2nd millennium BCE.[1] Griffins are symbols of leadership, power, and wealth, making them the perfect motif for kings.
    • Griffin is also known as “griffon” or “gryphon.”[2]
    • The “griffin” derives from the Latin word grīphus, which means “an intricate or puzzling question or riddle.”[3]
    • Over the years, creatives have formed the “reverse griffin,” which has a lion's head and an eagle's body. This twist on the traditional griffin can be seen in video games like Calico.
Section 4 of 5:

Mythological History

  1. Griffins are prevalent in Greek mythology, while hippogriffs are not. Believe it or not, hippogriffs aren’t as widely known as griffins, despite being descended from them. Griffins have guarded Greek treasures, pulled Apollo’s carriage, and appeared in art dated to BCE.[5] Hippogriffs, however, are more of an obscure legend that first appeared in 1516 in Ariosto’s Italian poem Orlando Furioso.
    • You may be familiar with griffins from the Greek tragedy Prometheus Bound or Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland.
    • The most famous hippogriff today is Buckbeak from the Harry Potter franchise.
Section 5 of 5:

Other Mythological Creatures

  1. Hypogriffs and griffins are often confused with other legendary creatures. In mythology, there are many beasts with similar symbolism that also combine more than one animal. They’re all equally as epic but have a few differences.
    • Chimera has a head of a lion, the body and additional head of a goat, and the tail of a snake.[6]
    • Lamassu is a winged bull with the head of a human.[7]
    • Manticore has the head of a human, body of a lion, and scorpion’s tail.
    • Sphinx is a female monster with a human’s head and chest, lion’s body, eagle’s wings, and snake’s tail.
    • Pegasus is a winged horse that’s typically white in color.
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About This Article

Aly Rusciano
Co-authored by:
wikiHow Staff Writer
This article was co-authored by wikiHow staff writer, Aly Rusciano. Aly Rusciano is a Creative Writer based outside of Nashville, Tennessee. She has over ten years of experience in creative, academic, and professional writing. Aly’s writing has been nationally recognized in the Sigma Tau Delta Rectangle and featured in Blue Marble Review, The Sunshine Review, PopMatters, and Cathartic Literary Magazine. She graduated from The University of Tennessee at Martin with a BA in English, focusing in Creative Writing and minoring in Theatre. This article has been viewed 2,833 times.
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Co-authors: 2
Updated: February 19, 2023
Views: 2,833
Categories: Harry Potter Fandom
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