You Learn Something New...

As many of you know, on my right shoulder, I have a tattoo of the Gryphon that David Boreanaz had fake-inked on his back during his time on Buffy The Vampire Slayer- I always like the look of the tattoo and thought it was a unique looking visual. I figured it had something to do with redemption or penance, as the character of "Angel" epitomized the struggle for redemption, so it seemed like something apt to have permanently etched in my body. It wasn't until recently that I learned that this particular tattoo has a deeper meaning and this web page has all the information. I don't want to steal what they've written, but there are a few excerpts that I found interesting:

"Gryphons are fierce but solitary, at least with other species. They prefer isolated areas, and live alone, but for other Gryphons. Their trust is hard to earn, but once one has it, they are extremely loyal. Gryphons are not fearless, but they are very courageous. Perhaps most important of all, they are not foolish. They are very wise beings. Gryphons mate for life. Once they have chosen a mate, they are forever faithful, and if the first mate dies, they will not take another."

I'm not sure that anyone in their right mind would call me wise and I'm loathe to call myself courageous, but otherwise it seems like an apt description of myself.

"The symbolism of the winged lion of St Mark is more complex. It represents one fourth of the nature of Christ. The man being the human nature of Christ, the lion, the royal dignity; the ox, the sacrifice, atonement and priesthood; and the eagle, the ascension and divine nature. The lion is traditionally supposed to be roaring in the desert and preparing the way."

Now as many of you know, my first name means "sun" and my last name means "lion." So not only is this Gryphon as winged lion, it is tied closely to the sun. And in terms of this extract from the article, I'm a loudmouth, so "roaring" isn't too far off, right?