Hippogriff
From Hpwiki
| Word / Name Origins |
| Hippogriff is derived from the Greek word "hippos" meaning "horse" and the magical creature known as the griffin. |
A Hippogriff is half horse, half eagle. The body, without front legs and head, is that of a horse, the rest is that of a giant eagle, including enormous wings that enable a Hippogriff to fly. Using the talons on their front legs, Hippogriffs can attack and kill a human easily.
The mythological Griffin is almost identical to a Hippogriff, except that the body is that of a lion rather than a horse. It was considered a sacred animal for the Greeks.
There are two mythological creatures coming close to Hippogriffs. One is Pegasus, the winged horse of the Greek gods. The other is the Chimaera, a mixture of lion, dragon, and goat. Further, there is the inverse creature with the front part of a horse and the back part of a cock; it's called Hippalektryon.
As part of the requirements under the International Statute of Secrecy anyone who owns a Hippogriff must regularly enchant it with a Disillusionment Charm to avoid Muggle detection.
