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.[citation needed]

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.

  • In the Digimon franchise, Airdramon is modeled after an amphiptere.[citation needed]
  • In the board game Wyrmspan, a dragon themed card/engine building game based on Wingspan, several playable dragon cards are classified as amphiptere.[citation needed]

See also