The griffin, griffon, or gryphon is a legendary creature with the body of a lion and the head and wings of an eagle. As the lion was traditionally considered the king of the beasts and the eagle was the king of the birds, the griffin was thought to be an especially powerful and majestic creature.
It is one of the most symbolic of all mythical creatures, but each artist seems to have portrayed the Gryphon differently, which gives it many attributes. It is sometimes considered evil & malevolent (associated with Satan), and is sometimes considered as good and benevolent (associated with Christ).
On tombs and within the funerary arts, griffins normally represent constant guardians and protectors.