h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Hey fellow researchers. I'm in need of a little help here and you are the brainest bunch of people i know.
Does anyone know what the name is for a half dragon half lion mythical beast? i'm looking for the English name, well the name from English/European culture. i believe that one faith (i forget which one) has such a beast that guards their temples called a "chinthe" but thats not what i'm looking for.
The beast i'm looking for is often depicted in wood carved furniture and is very ornate. one end being the head of a lion the other end being the head of a dragon, often the are entwined together, their joint body twisting round itself. If anyone knows the name i would be most greatful. I have the name "weaven" or something like that in my head but all my searches of that name come up empty so i think i must of got it wrong.

Lord P.

"wyvern", but I don't know if it's what you're looking for.

Noggin

I don't think so.

http://www.eaudrey.com/myth/wyvern.htm

Doesn't seem right to me.

Cannot picture your creature, and I'm normally pretty good at mythological animals... Sorry.

You could invent one: "Hadrahali" (which is, of course, just a shortened version of the original Greek "Hadrahalion"). Kids lovingly refer to the Hadrahali as either "Hadry" or "Haly."

No?

Y.

My initial thought is to say Griffin (also sometimes spelled Gryphon), which had the body of a lion, the wings and head of an eagle, and the ears of a horse. The reason I thought that is it's a common mythical beast to appear on heraldic pieces and in some of them can appear very dragon-like.

I agree - in heraldry the Griffin is sometimes defined as half lion half dragon, but in mythology the Griffin is half lion half eagle.

Are you sure its one creature? it may be two creatures so intertwined they look like one.

Where did you see this carving, what style is it in?

Your help has been most useful. After looking at some more infomation, using your help to find my sources i have discovered almost what i'm looking for.
Sometimes named wyvens, mistankinly i think, its a mergeing of both lion and dragon in a hereldic symbol. From what i can gather this beast (which i dont really think has a name) came about due to two families merging, possibly through marriage, and them taking the two herelds and merging them. It is a two headed animal, one lion head one dragon, with very long necks, twisted round each other, 4 legs, all facing outwards, (not in the same direction which would be considered more common.) but with only one body. (so basically no ass)the necks emerging from each end. I supose the easiest way to describe it, if a little unintellectual, would be to compare it to the modern childrens cartoon cat-dog.
Thank you for all your help
Lord P

According to Cirque du Soleil a half-dragon half-lion is known as a Dralion...but I think they made that up!

I thought that was a brand of acrylic fibre.

Oh wait that's Dralon

it's certainly not a wyvern as wyverns are more wormlike, and have very few lion characteristics, they are like an ancestor to the dragons

Dragon/Lion - not a chimera then? A Chimera is often thus depicted, although maybe not the entwinned bodies thingy.
Do a google image search on chimera and see if that looks like it.

I'm pretty sure the Chimera has the body of a goat.

B

Chimera - head of a lion, body of a goat, snake for a tail
Wyvern - two-legged, winged dragon

This is an excellent site for all things mythological:

http://www.pantheon.org/mythica.html

You might try their bestiary:

http://www.pantheon.org/areas/bestiary/

Good luck.

Perhaps something to do with a manticore?