GRIFFIN represents an imaginary "beast" known for millennia before its adoption into the Christian "bestiary". This hybrid bird-lion with a hook for a beak, suggests ideas linked to grip, grasp, grab ... vine, wine, grappa ... scratch, scribe, scribble ... Perhaps a bit of history may help.

The griffin had a presence in Chaldea, Assyria, Babylon, Crete, Persia, India ... perhaps it is an ancestor of the dragon so popular in China. The griffin is mostly linked with the Amazon and later with the Scythians and Sarmatians, all of whom inhabited Crimea and other regions of modern Ukraine. Currently, the state seal of Crimea is the griffin.

The griffin has profound poetic and religious significance. In classic mythology griffins were guardians of Scythian gold treasures and in Greece were the guardians of godly treasures. Griffins sat at the feet of Apollo, held a paw on the zodiac and emitted light. The hounds of Zeus were akin to griffins and guarded tombs. The duality bird-lion may denote divinity and mortality, a theme that reverberates in Christianity.

GRIFFIN ....... links with
GRYPOS ....... in Greek or in Spanish
GRIFO ........... for curved spout or
FAUCET ....... and in Spanish also
FAUCE .......... for throat.
GRIFFON ...... is a breed of dogs unlike those of
ZEUS ............. which like Griffins had a head of an
eagle (like birds, these dogs did not bark)

Consider
SCYTHIANS ........... and
SCYTHE .................. or in Ukrainian
KOSA ...................... and
KOSOVO ................. and a related tool
SICKLE .................... or in Ukrainian
SERP ........................ note
SERBIA ................... and that the above tools
.................................. have beak like peaks that could
GRIP ........................ or
GRAB ...................... or
GRASP .................... which is one property of the
GRAPE .................... plant which is also a
VINE ........................ from which
WINE ....................... is made and from which Italians make
GRAPA .................... which having much alcohol can
GRAPPLE ................ the mind and obstruct the ability to
GRAPH .................... or the ability to draw
GRAFFITI ................ or to
GRAFT ..................... ideas or to
SCRIBE .................... or
SCRATCH ................ Note that the Scythians practically
................................... invented skin "tatooing" and with
INSCRIBTIONS ....... often showing griffins or other
SCRIBBLES ............. which brings us to
WRITING ................. and the lack of which is called
AGRAPHIA .............. which is not exactly the same as
ILLITERACY