Griffin-- (Gryph) They were birds with powerful wings, had lion's body, their face features was the head of an eagle. They were sacred to Apollo and guarded his treasures against the assaults of Arimaspians in Scythian Desert in the land of the Hyperboreans. Some authors placed them among the Ethiopians and others in India. Griffins were also associated with Dionysus, they were said to be the guardians of his everflowing bowl of wine. More recent fables say that Griffins resisted any search for gold in the deserts in the north of India because they were charged with guardian-ship of the precious metal or because their nest lay in mountains where gold was mined. They did this because they wished to defend their young against every source of danger.