NR - Principality name

[Marc Carlson]

At 10:40 PM 9/12/00 -0500, Emma wrote:
>>> It's an ancient Greek term - the Griffin was thought to
>>> inhabit Sythia.

>Scythia.  Where's a reference for that, Diarmaid?  I couldn't find any in my 
>one decent Greek mythology/history book, and I'm curious now. :)

OED.

" 1. A fabulous animal usually represented as having the head and wings of
an eagle and the body and hind quarters of a lion.
  By the Greeks they were believed to inhabit Scythia, and to keep jealous watch over the
gold of that country.
 
  13.. K. Alis. 496 The griffon of him was agast. c1386 CHAUCER Knt.'s T. 1275 Lik a
grifphon looked he aboute [Lansd., Corpus & Hengw. MSS. griffon, Cambr. MS.
grefoun]. c1400 MANDEVILLE (Roxb.) xxix. 132 In at land er many griffouns..ai hafe e
schappe of ane egle before, and behind e schappe of a lyoun..."

I'll see if I can dig anything else up this morning.

Marc/Diarmaid

============================================================================
Go to http://lists.ansteorra.org/lists.html to perform mailing list tasks.