A lampago or lympago is a mythical heraldic beast in the form of a "man-tiger or man-lion" with the body of a tiger or lion and the head of a man.
[ It should be distinguished from similar mythical heraldic beasts the ]manticore
The manticore or mantichore (Latin: ''mantichōra''; reconstructed Old Persian: ; Modern fa, مردخوار ) is a Persian legendary creature similar to the Egyptian sphinx that proliferated in western European medieval art as well. It has the ...
and the satyral
The manticore or mantichore (Latin: ''mantichōra''; reconstructed Old Persian: ; Modern fa, مردخوار ) is a Persian legendary creature similar to the Egyptian sphinx that proliferated in western European medieval art as well. It has the ...
.
The best-known usage of the lampago in heraldry is in the arms of the ancient Radford family of the manor of Radford in the parish of Plymstock
Plymstock is a commuter suburb of Plymouth and former civil parish in the English county of Devon.
Geography
Situated on the east bank of the River Plym, Plymstock is geographically and historically part of the South Hams. It comprises the vil ...
in Devon: ''Sable, three lampagoes passant in pale coward argent''.[
]
See also
* Sphinx
A sphinx ( , grc, σφίγξ , Boeotian: , plural sphinxes or sphinges) is a mythical creature with the head of a human, the body of a lion, and the wings of a falcon.
In Greek tradition, the sphinx has the head of a woman, the haunches of ...
References
{{Legendary-creature-stub
European legendary creatures
Heraldic beasts
Mythological lions
Mythological human hybrids
Human-headed mythical creatures