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The '''Rafangas''' is a mythical beast that plays a large part in the mythology of the Tranon. A majestic animal it serves as the steed of many gods and goddesses, though it is most often linked with [[Nikela]], the herald and sounder of victory for the gods. Historically it is important as being the heraldic and symbolic animal of the [[Lein Dynasty]].

==Features and Mythology==

The Rafangas has a mixture of features of animals from all over the Trandimir Empire; its head was that of a lion, and its body and hooves those of horses, both of which were relatively common in the northern plains; it had the long bushy tail of the squirrel, ubiquitous in the southern woods; and it had four wings of the great eagles that made their nests in the eastern Benakaru Mountains. Said to be a fierce guardian against evil, and swift both on foot and on the wing, it is used as a steed for many of the gods; the steed of the God of Clouds Hursha, for example, is a white Rafangas named Sarsakan. 

Because of its powers the Rafangas is often used as a guardian animal, placed at the gates of temples or the residences of the powerful. The gates of [[Anyesir Palace]], the main palace of the Naza, Nar, and Lein, had [[The Gate Guards of Anyesir|four such statues]]: a pair flanked the bridge across the moat leading to the Central Gate, and a much larger second pair at the gate itself, standing nearly 16 metres tall, 19 m wide, and 21 m long. 

In mythology Rafangasnon are [[Nikela and the Rafangas|linked]] to two deities mostly: [[Basora]], the stable-guard of the gods, and Nikela the goddess of victory. For this the Rafangas, especially that beast named Shura (Itrani "Shadow") which was Nikela's steed, is considered a symbol of cunning and victory through strategy. 

==Political and Historical Significance==

The Lein was not the first dynasty to use the Rafangas as its symbol; the Naza, Nar, and even several kingdoms of the Chaos made use of this animal as a sign of royal or imperial power. Certainly, though, it was the dynasty which carried the symbol the farthest and used it most extensively. The [[Imperial Seal (Lein)|Imperial Seal]] of Lein Loran, made from a single piece of snow-white jade, had a finely sculpted figure of a rearing Rafangas in gold on top; while the throne that Lein Durun first commissioned was flanked with eagle wings and had the lion's head over the head-rest. 

The symbol of this imperial beast was often simplified to just its wings, creating a symbol of four arches known as the Wings of Glory.  Unlike representations of the whole animal, this symbol was not reserved for the Emperor but could also be used as a general symbol of the Lein itself, and thus appears in many banners and flags of imperial offices and agencies. 

[[Category:Religion and Mythology of the Tranon]]
[[Category:Lein Dynasty]]