Griffin killing lizard

Griffin. 6th century mosaic, Great Palace Museum, Istanbul.

Leopard, tiger, eagle, goat. All symbols of winter, killing a lizard, symbol of summer...

In short all these animals were used as animal calendar markers, marking the time of the year when these animals either mate or give birth...

Articles which talk about Leopard and Tiger as symbols of winter in Europe: "Leopard and tiger", "Thyrsus", "Furious maenad", "Maenads and hare"...

Both tiger and leopard mate during winter...

Articles which talk about goat being symbol of winter in Europe: "Tanngnjostr and Tanngrisnir", "Krampus", "Pan - goat of rain", "Pan, Apollo and Midas", "Goats and partridges", "Goat riding thunder god"...

Wild goats mate during winter...

The symbolic linking between ibex and leopard and winter originated in Central Asia and Mesopotamia, where winter is the rain season and the season of the resurrection, rebirth of nature after long dry summer and autumn... 

I talked about it in my articles "A vessel from Tepe Hissar" and "Ibex and leopard"

The symbolic link between eagle and goat as symbols of winter is well known from Iran to Anatolia. For instance:

Iran (Article "Strider")

Central Asia (Article "Giant eagle dude with mouflons") 

I talked about the link between vultures and winter in several of my posts. Like these ones: "Eagle dude from Alepo", "Double headed eagle" "Giant eagle dude with mouflons" "Fluffy" and "Eagle calendar marker" 

Vultures mate during winter...

And lizards...Well they are cold blooded animals which are around during the summer...

Put all together, winter killing summer...

Now in all these lands from Anatolia to Iran, winter (Oct/Nov to Apr/May) is the wet, cool season, the season of resurrection of nature, after it died during the dry, hot summer (Apr/May - Oct/Nov)...So this is a positive symbol...

To read more about ancient animal and plant calendar markers, start here…then check the rest of the blog posts related to animal calendar markers I still didn't add to this page, and finally check my twitter threads I still didn't convert to blog post...I am 9 months behind now...