Ancient imagery beasts used in Christian symbolisms?
We have all heard of unicorns!
The unicorn is a legendary creature that has been described since antiquity as a beast with a single large, pointed, spiraling horn projecting from its forehead. The unicorn was depicted in ancient seals of the Indus Valley Civilization and was mentioned by the ancient Greeks in accounts of natural history by various writers, including Ctesias, Strabo, Pliny the Younger, Aelian and Cosmas Indicopleustes. The Bible also describes an animal, the re'em, which some versions translate as unicorn.
Interpretations of the unicorn myth focus on the medieval lore of beguiled lovers, whereas some religious writers interpret the unicorn and its death as the Passion of Christ. The myths refer to a beast with one horn that can only be tamed by a virgin; subsequently, some writers translated this into an allegory for Christ's relationship with the Virgin Mary. Unicorn (Wikipedia)
A little while ago, I was watching the Harry Potter’s movies and made note that within the series, there are some strange and mythological beasts portrayed in the books/movies.
In particular there is the hippogryph and the phenix.
Now the phenix is used in medieval imagery to symbolize the the resurrection.
The phoenix symbolized renewal in general, as well as entities and concepts such as the Sun, time, the Roman Empire, Christ, Mary, and virginity.
The phoenix myth is also part of early Christian traditions. Some scholars have speculated that these early phoenix legends may have their origins in the bennu of Egyptian mythology. In the 19th century, scholastic suspicions appeared to be confirmed by the discovery that Egyptians in Heliopolis had venerated the bennu. However, the Egyptian sources regarding the bennu are often problematic and open to a variety of interpretations. Some of these sources may have actually been influenced by Greek notions of the phoenix, rather than the other way around.
The Old English Exeter Book contains an anonymous 677-line 9th-century alliterative poem consisting of a paraphrase and abbreviation of Lactantius, followed by an explication of the Phoenix as an allegory for the resurrection of Christ. - Phoenix (mythology)
Detail from the 12th-century Aberdeen Bestiary, featuring a phoenix.
As for the hippogryph, it used as a symbol of Christ’s two nature.
In Ancient Greek folklore, the hippogriff, or sometimes spelled hippogryph, is a legendary creature which has the front half of an eagle and the hind half of a horse.
In some traditions, the hippogriff is said to be the symbol of love, as its parents, the mare and griffin, are natural enemies. In other traditions, the hippogriff represents Christ's dual nature as both human and divine. - Hippogriff
Thus my question is as follows: What other ancient mythological beasts (if any) have been used in Christian imagery to express Christian beliefs through symbolism?
The more obscure and ancient the better!