Semiology of the Gryphon Motif in Ancient Elamite Architecture

Abstract

This article discusses the gryphon, shirdal in Persian, a legendary creature featuring in much of Asia's and Europe's mythology. The shirdal, just as the Greek γρύφων, is a hybrid and legendary beast composed of eagle, human, lion and bull. But was there a common mythical function for the gryphon? The article will answer this question by tracing more than five thousand years of history, with a focus on Elamite architecture unearthed in Susa.