Reference: Hippogriff
Reference information:
Creatures of All Shapes and Sizes
A Hippogriff has the body, hind legs, and tail of a horse, but it has the head, wings, and front legs of a giant eagle, thus enabling it to flט. In the wizarding world, Hippogriffs are difficult to tame and ride, but if you approach them with respect, bowing and maintaining eye contact, the animal will bow back and allow you to come close, pet it, and even fasten a rope over its eagle neck to use as reins. They eat dead rats by the packful.
Hippogriffs originated in Greek mythology, but were first named by Ludovico Ariosto in Orlando furioso. Ariosto had long heard legends of a griffin—a mythological creature with the body, legs, and tail of a lion, and the head, wings, and claws of an eagle—being crossed with a horse. The word is Greek in origin (hippos means horse; griff is from the Greek grypos, or "hooked one'1). A I lippogriff, therefore, takes the eagle portion of a griffon and crosses it with a horse.
The Complete Idiot's Guide to the World of Harry Potter
By Tere Stouffer
http://tinyurl.com/ya55vmx
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Note added at 2 hrs (2009-12-27 20:34:28 GMT)
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typo: A hippogriff, therefore... etc.
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Israel
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