Requested - Griffins

Someone called Zenith commented requesting for a post on Griffins - well here it is (and I'm very sorry if I'm late!)

Griffins are found in Greek and Ancient Egyptian folklore. They are depicted as creatures with a lion's body and with the head and wings of an eagle (though some early versions show it to have the front limbs of a lion.) As the lion is traditionally considered king of the beasts and the eagle considered king of the birds, the Griffin is thought to be incredibly powerful and majestic.

Griffin sighting are rare, but here's one at the Taj Mahal (though it's likely to be faked.)

If any of you have requests, please let me know!

Chinese Dragons

Hi to all of you and a happy New Year!
There's a lot to look forward to - the London Olympics (I couldn't get tickets...), the Diamond Jubilee and finally, the end of the world (maybe. I'm sceptical.)

Anyway, as it is the New Year, I thought that it would be sensible to write an article about the Chinese Dragon, although this year's Chinese New Year is on the 23rd. Also, this year happens to be the Year of the Dragon. What a happy coincidence.

The Chinese Dragon is a serpentine-like creature found in Chinese legends and folklore. It has many counterparts found in other folklore such as Japanese and Korean.
In traditional Chinese art, they are depicted as long, colourful serpentine-like creatures with four legs. Each foot has five toes (Japanese ones have four,) and the ankles are decorated with a beautiful feathery plumage. The dragon also has similar plumage around its face (sometimes resembling facial hair) and also has deer-like antlers on its head.

A Chinese dragon depicted in traditional Chinese  art.

Sometimes the Chinese dragon is thought to be a supernatural being due to its ability to fly despite its physique, much like a sky serpent.

There have recently been sightings of Chinese dragons (take a look at my post HERE).
I found this one while browsing on the Internet, but couldn't find any information on this picture. If you know anything like a time and a place, please say so in the comments!

It appears to be some kind of long, fiery creature, but it may just be some fire.
What do you think it is? Please comment below!