On Gryphon Society and Culture

by Wild_Heart

Rating: teen
Tags: Gilda, Princess Celestia, Slice of Life, Original Character, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic
Length: 3417

A historian sums up Gryphons.

The historian Daydream Glare has written an essay on Gryphon kind and culture. Obviously, none of this is canon, and it borrows slight amounts from a few other fics. In general, most of this just head-canon that I wanted to write down. It ended up being almost 3000 words, so now it's posted here. If it's popular enough, I'll make an MST'd version where Princess Celestia, one or more of the Mane cast, and Daydream edit and leave foot-notes.

Published 2011-11-23 04:57:31 UTC
Last updated 2011-11-23 00:20:49 UTC

The First Draft

From the desk of the unicorn Daydream Glare, traveling Historian and sometimes resident of Ponyville, written for the benefit of Their Royal Highnesses (May Their reign last forever), the Elements of Harmony (May Their judgement never falter), and the Equestrian nation as a whole (May its Ponies prosper): An essay on the subject of the culture and mind-view of Gryphon-kind.

Now that the formalities are out of the way, I shall begin by saying that there are very few, if any, similarities to Pony culture. This should not be taken as an inferiority in any degree on either side of the border. The conditions of Equestria and the Lands Beyond are so different as to be almost entirely different worlds altogether! It should come as no surprise to any that this greatly effects one's upbringing, life, and indeed very way of thought. I find myself deeply intrigued by gryphon culture and it's proceedings, though whether this is colored by my relationship with the gryphon Mikael or that relationship formed as a result of said fascination, I cannot and will not hazard a guess at. Without further blather (forgive me my indiscretion), I shall continue to the heart of this essay.

Hierarchy

The basis of gryphon culture is survival. Life in the Lands Beyond is troublesome: there is not a way to control the weather, the flora, or the fauna. Zebra and gryphon-kind have different ways of living in such a harsh and frightening environment. Gryphons respond by being very militaristic and strict. There is a set hierarchy, which is the most important thing to gryphon society. This hierarchy proceeds in this order: Tribe>Family>Clan>Species. I shall extrapolate on this aspect of their life first, given it's importance.

Tribe
A Tribe is not as strong a grouping as it implies. While zebras tend to have very close-knit and familiar tribes, gryphon tribes are for all intents and purposes simply a group of gryphons living in a given area that is advantageous to the gryphon life-style and culture. A tribe is formed on the idea that the Species cannot survive without some tolerance of each other, and so gryphons put aside their territorial nature. Gryphons in a given tribe help each other survive, for if they do not, it will be remembered when they need help themselves. This is not to say gryphons cannot befriend each other or that all gryphon relationships are so shallow and coldly logical, but at it's most basic trait, this is why it is done.

There is some organization to the Tribe, however. This is mostly provided by the Chieftain, though a more accurate translation of the word into Equestrian would be "mediator". This is also a more accurate description of their place in society. The oldest gryphon (and therefore, hopefully, the wisest) is the Chieftain of the tribe. It is the duty of this individual to settle disputes amongst members of the tribe, and his or her word is final (unless one of those involved chooses to challenge the chieftain to a duel, more on this later). The chieftain is also responsible for banishing troublemakers or lazy gryphons from a given tribe, on his or her judgement, or via the complaints of the other members of the tribe. Banishment shall also be explained later. Once a chieftain makes a decision, all involved gryphons are expected to fully abide by it. This submission is considered understood: If one was not willing to respect the chieftain's judgement, they would have not brought their grievances to him or her in the first place.

Particularly successful tribes may become Clans, if they grow large enough, or find themselves with enough political pull in other Clans that are willing to support their efforts.

Family
The family unit in gryphon-kind is, surprisingly, not made up of all one's family. Instead, they count only immediate family as a part of this rung on the social ladder. Fathers, Mothers, Siblings, and Uncles are counted as family, though nephews and nieces are not. They are considered Clan. The family is often whom a gryphon will live with until they attempt to make their own way in the world, as it is in Pony culture. However, there is no negative social stigma to a gryphon never leaving the home of their parents; quite the opposite, in fact. For a gryphon to remain with their parents, they put their tribe ahead of any tribe they may have joined after leaving, and thus continue to propagate the survival of that particular area, and thus increase the chances the tribe may become a Clan.

The organization in family should be obvious to any Pony, as it is much the same: The parents are in charge of their children, though as long as the children remain in the house of their parent, they are expected to obey, regardless of age. This differentiates from Pony culture in that, instead of on a case to case basis, the society as a whole expects this obedience, as dissent in a family unit lessens the chances of survival of that family, and, should it spread to other rebellious youth, the Species as a whole. If such a youth is clearly only leeching from their parents, or refuse to abide by their rules and demands, the gryphon will be asked to leave. If they do not improve their behavior, or leave, they can face banishment as a result.

Clan
As I have learned from my lover Mikael (Who, as most already know, is my main source of information about Gryphons. His sister has been ... Less forthcoming with information, given her negative experiences with her own kind), there are 20 clans and countless sub-clans. I shall not go into detail on the nature of each Clan, as entire books could be filled on that subject alone. However, it bears mention that Mikael and his sister Gilda hail from the Black-claw Clan, which dwells to the west of Equestria.

Clans are considered to be extended family, including gryphons "adopted" into the clan. They are the most important rung on the hierarchy of gryphon society, and it truly shows. A Clan is less a family and more an army, one led by common interests. Often these interests are not entirely selfish: many a clan has different ideals as to how the Species as a whole should continue into it's place in the world. Clans are very powerful (though a single Clan could not match the wealth and power of Equestria!), and could be considered City-States in their own right. The clans are behind many aspects of gryphon society, and are the closest thing to a government that could be found in their way of life. I would hesitate to call it such, as no one Clan has neither any true authority (aside from Right by Might) to command Tribes not fully under their purview, nor authority to command another Clan. However, the agents and members of Clans are everywhere, and every gryphon in existence (that are known, hermits and banished are not considered a member of Species by other gryphons) is a member of one of these 20 major Clans.

The leader of a clan, referred to as either a Patriarch or a Matriarch, is not necessarily the oldest member of it, as the dementia of old age is taken into account. The leader of a clan is instead the one who has proven themselves, by testing and rites of passage, to be the most capable of carrying on the clan's ideals, as chosen by a council of elders. This council of elders, instead of acting as a parliament, immediately loses all effective power in the clan as soon as a Patriarch or Matriarch is chosen. This is meant to prevent them from manipulating the clan or leader after one's appointment. The Patriarch or Matriarch of a given Clan has total power inside that Clan, though as the chieftain of a Tribe may be challenged, so may the Patriarch or Matriarch (As I grow tired of penning both words, I shall use the word Matriarch to refer to both, as most ponies would be more comfortable with the grammatical implications of the female gender). Challenging a Matriarch is a very momentous event indeed, as this would be quite similar to challenging the decisions of one of the minor princes or princesses of Equestria (Though a certain prince of our dear nation finds himself challenged quite often. Perhaps one day he will actually rise to said challenges with honor. This historian shall not hold his breath), but with the exception that the challenger forces a change in clan ideals with his victory, rather than forcing the Matriarch to simply consider their grievance. Very seldom are Matriarchs ever challenged, as they are normally very charismatic and strong.

Species
There is much to say about this rung, but so very little. To wit: Species is not a part of the normal hierarchy. Instead, it is all encompassing. Everything that is done in gryphon culture is done to cause prosperity to the Species as a whole, or risk banishment. It is that simple.

The Duel
The duel is, of course, a match of wits and brawn in the form of a contest between two gryphons. This is most often not to the death, though that can be an outcome of such a contest. To begin a duel, one gryphon must challenge another. None are immune to a challenge save for children, who can neither participate or be challenged to a duel. When the challenge is issued, the conditions are then set. A duel need not be a battle, but can be any contest, from hunting to a race. A battle is, however, the usual choice. Once the nature of the challenge has been agreed upon, and the conditions for victory and defeat set, the duel begins at the appointed time. Not being present for a duel constitutes failure immediately.

The gryphons believe that one's strength of body and mind are secondary. Instead, their ideals and convictions are what provides for them victory. A challenge won proves that the victor's ideals and convictions were indeed stronger, and thus must be acknowledged and accepted. This is why a duel with a Matriarch is such a momentous occasion: One is claiming that their ideals are more powerful than that of one of the most influential and powerful gryphons on the face of the world!

Culture

And here we are. Culture is defined as the life of a species, something that makes it more than mere animals. Birds may concoct song, but only a fully sapient creature can create a symphony. Ants may construct cities, but only the greater beings can construct art. Gryphons have a very odd stance on many things cultural, and for a long time this historian had great difficulty comprehending it, as my source did not feel Equestrian adequate to explain much of their views on such things, and thus instead used Gryphonic. However, I believe I have been able to fully understand these matters, and thus I offer it to you, the reader, fully in Equestrian.

Mythology and Religion
This is, perhaps, the most unbelievable aspect of culture. Put simply, gryphons do not HAVE mythology. They scoff at made-up stories, equating them to vile lies that could only destroy the fabric of gryphon culture. That being said, let it be known that there is a very striking difference in Gryphonic between the words "Myth" and "Legend". To them, a Myth is a lie, a fabrication, and therefore cannot benefit the Species in any way. It is rejected totally and utterly. Legend is truth, however. Gryphon heroes and historic figures are considered Legend, because they did exist, and their lessons, whether positive or negative, are thus completely valid and useful to the Species.

An example is the gryphon hero Baldr, who, despite the seeming violent nature of gryphon society, was renowned and loved for his kindness and gentility. It is said by gryphons that he never killed a single living being in his entire life. He led his clan to prosperity simply by his wisdom and sheer force of personality, and is in fact the reason there are 20 clans instead of just 15, as five clans were created from his ideals alone. This may sound absurd and impossible, but it is something I believe whole-heartedly. Gryphons are quite serious about the re-telling of Legends, and to deviate too far on the details is to mar history, and deal a deathly insult onto the Species as a whole. Thus, of course, ending in banishment.

As for Religion: As many may recall in my book On the Deities and Demi-Gods of our World, Vol. 2, the gryphons do have two deities they once worshiped: Father Orion and Mother Aquila. Note that this is indeed past tense: Unfortunately, due to events caused by the creature known only as Discord, a misunderstanding led to Father Orion's death. Mother Aquila has since distanced herself from her children and refused contact with civilization as a whole. Gryphons worship neither for these very reasons. For more details on these two deities, one must reference the above listed book.

Notable, however, is that some gryphons have chosen to worship HRH Princess Celestia after the events of the Pony-Gryphon war some odd 30 years ago. I speak with tongue firmly in cheek that it seems giant death-rays from the sun may inspire faith in just about any creature. Princess Celestia treats this cult as she would any other: With amusement when it is harmless, and with firm but gentle admonishment when it is not.

Speaking of that event, it is quite important in showing just how the difference between Myth and Legend can effect gryphon society, and how dedicated they are to historic purity. When gryphons were first contacted by pony-kind, it was by the explorer Compass Point. He happened to use the word Myth instead of Legend when describing HRH by accident, causing the gryphons to believe, for thousands of years, that Princess Celestia did not actually exist! Imagine their surprise when they found the truth to be quite the opposite! Gryphon-kind seem oddly amused by this, the subject of said war is not a sore spot for gryphons despite the assumption by ponies that it is. They refer to the entire war as "The Cosmic Joke", and as I have observed, bringing it up has, on more than one occasion, sent a gryphon into almost hysterical laughter.

Justice
Justice in gryphon society is only meted out in one fashion: Banishment. This can occur from practically any crime, but the banishment's severity varies based on which rung one was banished from. From Family is the least incriminating, as it could come from virtually anything, and said banishments are generally very light. This limits the gryphon's contact from their own family. From Tribe is slightly more severe, denying a gryphon contact or aid entirely from a tribe, though this mayn't apply to other tribes. From Clan, however, is utterly devastating. As clans are expected to be much more lenient on their members, to be banished from clan is a sure sign that a gryphon has been useless to the Species as a whole. This generally leads to the gryphon being utterly ignored and hated by every gryphon in existence. The knowledge of this seems psionic in nature, as every gryphon, no matter how far or removed from their kind or culture, will recognize one banished from Clan and revile them! Such an uncanny occurrence is impossible to explain even by other gryphons.

On the other side of Banishment is a "quest". A quest is a condition or set of conditions that will cause a gryphon to be considered redeemed. These range from a mere slap on the wrist (I.E., "bring back a rabbit or a particularly shiny rock") to the utterly impossible (I.E., "Slay a fully grown dragon by yourself"). Once this quest has been completed, even if the gryphon was banished from Clan, all is forgiven, and they are accepted back into whichever rung they were banished from. Again, the nature of this seems to be psionic, as it is also immediately known to each and every gryphon when one banished From Clan completes their quest. Unlike criminals in pony society, all is not only immediately forgiven, but forgotten. The banished is considered to have learned their lesson, and none hold any degree of grudge or disrespect! Just like that, not a single gryphon would say a word about the experience. I believe even pony-kind could learn from such unconditional forgiveness!

There is a negative social stigma against placing an impossible quest upon a gryphon. In such a case in both Family and Tribe, it is more easily believed that a parent or chieftain is simply being unreasonable than to believe the banished deserves such a fate. Please do note, dear reader, that this does not apply on the From Clan level. A final statement: When banished from Tribe, another tribe may decide to take in such a gryphon on the condition that they fulfill a quest from the new chieftain instead, usually one that is lighter than the original quest from the first tribe. In this, the gryphon proves that he not simply a layabout or trouble-maker.

Romance
Much of this may seem shocking to many ponies, but please do keep in mind, dear reader, that gryphons are mainly focused on survival, and tend to cast aside the unnecessary.

Firstly, gryphons have romance just as any other creature. They fall in love, they choose a wife or husband, and they stay together and raise their children. However, Gryphonic does not have a word for love. They show their attraction and affection through their actions, rather than declaring them. The courting rituals for gryphon-kind is for one to approach the other and to ask them to hunt alongside one another. This shows to those present that the approaching trusts the prospective mate enough to be able to work well with him or her, and thus provide for one another. In the case of one or the other failing at the hunt, or not catching enough, it is customary for the successful gryphon to offer catches to their partner, so that the latter will not be embarrassed on their return to the tribe. It is very seldom that they reject a potential mate over this failure, as love is of course not so easily broken.

When a couple are together, they are considered mated for life, for better or for worse. They become a Family unit, which I have discussed before. However, due to the nature of survival in Gryphon culture, this is not considered a monogamous relationship. Propagating the species is, of course, important, and unfortunately the mortality rate of gryphon-kind in the Lands Beyond are quite high. Polygamous action is all but necessary for the survival of the Specie.

There is no social stigma against homosexuality in gryphon society, but it is expected of every gryphon to have at least one child to show they are doing their part for the Specie. Not abiding by this is grounds for banishment.

Art
This section of the essay shall conclude this treatise entirely, and it is one of the most intriguing aspects of gryphon culture.

For gryphons, all nature is art. Gryphons have a hard time comprehending the idea of art as a manufactured thing. Though a gryphon may enjoy a musical piece created by a pony, they will appreciate far more a chorus of birds. This most likely stems from their cultural understanding of truth and lie. A painting is merely colors on canvas, but the same scene in nature is real, and can be seen, smelt, touched, heard. A quote from my lover may indeed speak far more than I can on the subject:

"Art is life, art is death. Art is the cry of a newborn cub, art is the thrill of the hunt. Art is the wind moving through the grass, and the sunbeams coming through gaps in a cloud. Art is an attractive body inviting you. Art is the night sky in all it's glory and wonder. Art is nature, and all who know this may be content."

This historian truly believes this quote alone says all that truly ever needs to be said on the life-style of gryphons.

From the desk of Daydream Glare to your eyes.