Amphiptere

Amphiptere by Edward Topsell (1608)

Amphiptere (also called Amphithere, Amphitere, or Phipthere; meaning bi-winged, two-winged) is a type of winged serpent found in European heraldry.

Appearance

A heraldic amphiptere

Amphipteres generally were said to have light-colored feathers like a sunrise, a serpentine body similar to a lindworm, bat-like wings with feathers covering most of the forearm and often greenish in coloration, and a long tail much like a wyvern's tail. Others are described as entirely covered in feathers with a spiked tail, bird-like wings, and a beak-like snout.

Usage

Amphipteres saw infrequent use as heraldic devices. Amphipteres are present on the arms of the House of Potier, which depict a bendlet purpure between two amphipteres. The Potier heraldry also uses amphipteres as supporters, as do those of the Duke of Tresmes and Duke of Gesvres.

Modern fiction

Amphipteres appear in other modern fictional works.

  • Amphitheres feature in the Dragonology series of books, which employ a conceit that dragons are real. It also appears in Dracopedia: A Guide to Drawing the Dragons of the World.[citation needed]
  • In the Digimon franchise, Airdramon is modeled after an amphiptere.

See also


This page was last updated at 2023-12-23 16:33 UTC. Update now. View original page.

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