Within the poem, the hippogriff is a steed born of a mare and a griffin - it is extremely fast and is presented as being able to fly around the world and to the moon.
Čeprav je bil upodobljen že v klasični dobi in v času vladavine Merovingov, ga je prvi imenoval Ludovico Ariosto v svoji pesnitvi Besneči Rorland na začetku 16. stoletja.