Did you dress up for Halloween? Did you party like a lion? an eagle? a griffin? Or did you drink too much apple cider and go as a gargoyle?
In 2010, the College of William and Mary chose the griffin as the school's mascot. The college turned to the mythical lion/eagle creature as a symbol of its historic ties with England (the lion image is found on the crest of King William III and Queen Mary II, who chartered the Virginia institution in 1693) combined with the national symbol of the United States. "The lion's strength and the eagle's vision suggest the union of strength with intelligence that characterizes the school's athletes," says the school's website.
But you don't have to go to a college football game to see the mythical beast. Turns out that griffins are everywhere, protecting our buildings and the treasures they contain. Check out The Griffin in Architecture and Design.
Photo by Stephen Salpukas, College of William & Mary
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