Evans, Arthur J.: The Palace of Minos: a comparative account of the successive stages of the early Cretan civilization as illustred by the discoveries at Knossos (Band 1): The Neolithic and Early and Middle Minoan Ages (London, 1921)

THE PALACE OF MINOS, ETC.

of the Beni-Hasan Tombs with another monster that presents an obvious
parallel with the mysterious Cherubim of later tradition. This is represented
in the form of a leopard, with spotted body and banded tail, exhibiting
similarly set wings, between which rises a male head (Fig. 533, d).' The head
here is in profile, but the similarity of the conception to the Zakro sealing

GRIFFIN, MYCENAE. [M.M.III] [M.M.III. PERIOD.] MINIATURE FRESCO [LM-iJ

Fig. 533. Egyptian Hawk-headed Griffins and Minoan Derivatives.

showing the Cherubic facing head between bird's wings and with pard's 2 or
lion's legs below, is in any case very remarkable. In this connexion the often
repeated comparison between ypvxjj and ' Kerub ' may well be recalled.
Early The fact that the earliest Griffin forms of Egypt have the head of

GrrffinT" a nawk is of primary importance.'5 The hawk there is the impersonation

1 This monster appears on Tomb III at Beni- the lion entered at times into the composition
Hasan. Fig. 533, d, is taken from Rosellini, of the Minoan Griffin.

Monumenti dellEgitto, i, PI. XXX. 3 Furtwangler, in his article ' Gryps in

2 The spots that appear on the Melian bird- Eoscher'sLexikon, speaks of the Egyptian Griffin
griffin (Fig. 535) show that the pard as well as as 'a lion with an eagle's head'. Elements