Parish News at Saint David's Episcopal Church in Friday Harbor, WA

Who's This Guy?

Meet Rowan Williams, the current Archbishop of Canterbury. Born in Ystradgynias, Wales, in 1950, Rowan Williams is the first Welshman to attain the prestigous office of Archbishop and the honorary head or primus inter pares (first amongst equals) of the worldwide Anglican Communion.

Rowan's sharp intellect won him a place at Christ's College at Cambridge where he read theology. Later, at age 29, he became the youngest professor at Oxford. In 1991 he returned to Wales and served as the Bishop of Monmouth. In 1999 Rowan Williams became the Archbishop of Wales and in July of 2002 he became Archbishop of Canterbury.

Rowan Williams has written many books on theology and spirituality. He has also supported the ordination of women. Presently he is trying to steer the church through the thorny problem of the ordination of homosexuals, an issue that has dominated much of his early years as Archbishop of Canterbury.

For more information about the Archbishop of Canterbuy, visit: http://www.archbishopofcanterbury.org/71

The old “Vicarage” has been renamed Gryphon Hall. The Gryphon is our new mascot. But do you know what it symbolizes in ancient myth and Christian art? Here is a synopsis:

THE Gryphon is a monster with the body of a lion, the head and wings of an eagle, and back covered with feathers. Some ancient representations and writers indicate that the Griffin had a snake-like tail. Most of the time, only the female had wings and males had spikes on their back instead of wings. Like birds it builds its nest, and instead of an egg lays an agate therein. It has long claws and talons of such a size that people are said to have made them into drinking-cups. The talon of a Gryphon was said to detect poison in a liquid when used as a drinking cup. Very handy for the nobility, as this was a common form of assassination.

INDIA is assigned as the earliest native country of the Gryphons. Gryphons found gold in the mountains and built their nests on the treasure, for which reason their nests were very tempting to the hunters, and they were forced to keep vigilant guard over them. Gryphons became known as guardians of treasure. Their instinct led them to know where buried treasures lay, and they did their best to keep plunderers at a distance. The Arimaspians, among whom the Gryphons flourished, were a mythical one-eyed people of Scythia. The Gryphon is also found depicted in ancient Babylonian, Assyrian, and Persian paintings and sculptures. It is believed the myths found life around 3,000 B.C. and the Gryphon was said to be the Pharoah's companion in Ancient Egypt. Later, Gryphons became sacred guardians in Minoa.

GRYPHONS are usually heroic-like symbols. They are well known for their speed, ability to fly and having eyes like an eagle, as well as the strength and courage of a lion. In Egyptian hieroglyphics, Gryphons represent heat and summer. In Assyria (an ancient empire of western Asia,) both the Gryphon and the dragon were symbols of wisdom. In Roman art, Gryphons are often seen pulling the chariot of Nemesis (goddess of justice and revenge.)

IT was characteristic of early Chrsitians to incorporate and Christianize pagan symbols into their iconography and worship. In the earliest stages of Christian development, the Gryphon had the connotation of evil, mainly due to the snake-like tail which suggested Satan’s temptation of Eve. But later, the Gryphon became the representation of Christ. The Gryphon’s dual nature led it to be associated with Jesus Christ, God and man, king of heaven and earth. The eagle half of the Gryphon signified Christ's divinity and the lion half represented His humanity. Because no one could block the path of a Gryphon, this creature was especially associated with that passage in the Gospel which records Christ's marvelous passage through the crowd at Nazareth who were determined to throw Him off a cliff. [Luke 4:28-30]

GRYPHON-like images are represented in Celtic art, especially in the Book of Kells. During the Middle Ages, Gryphons were symbols of Christ's resurrection. The strength of the lion and the wisdom of the eagle combined in the Gryphon to symbolize the strength and wisdom of God in Christ, who had the power to overcome death. Gryphons also were often displayed as gargoyles on buildings, churches and cathedrals.

SO there you have it. When someone asks, “Why the Gryphon?”, you can smugly display your erudite knowledge of ancient mythology.