
Through the mist, an Alphyn sentry stared them down and gave them hail.
From: The Staff in the Tree by Robert Lambert Jones III
The Alphyn combines various characteristics of a lion, a dragon, an eagle and a wolf, so it is a type of chimera. It has a long, knotted tail. For my poem, The Staff in the Tree, I chose to interpret it as a lion with eagle’s feet, but historically only the forelimbs are those of an eagle. In heraldry, it was sometimes used as a symbol for judgment, and it appeared on various coats of arms.

Below is a more modern rendition by William O’ Connor, a well known fantasy artist who specializes in mythological creatures.

My first drawing is a bit cartoonish (actually, I have a hard time escaping this), so let’s try again…

Said the leader in defiance, “I see only one of you.”
From: The Staff in the Tree by Robert Lambert Jones III
Next post: another week, another creature.
I hadn’t heard of William O’Connor before. Thanks for the share! I will check out more of his work.
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His drawings certainly stimulated my imagination.
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I can see why. The picture you shared is exquisite in detail.
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Very neat. Fist image actually reminds me of Aslan from Narnia. I believe that was his name.
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You got the name right. I love those books even to this day.
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