The
House of Griffins or
House of Pomerania (; ), also known as
House of Greifen, was a
dynasty of dukes ruling the
Duchy of Pomerania from the 12th century until 1637. The name "Griffins" was used by the dynasty after the 15th century and had been taken from the ducal
coat of arms.
Wartislaw I (around 1091 – died August 9, 1135) was the first historical ruler of the Duchy of Pomerania and the founder of the Griffin dynasty. The most prominent Griffin was
Eric of Pomerania, who became king of the
Kalmar Union in 1397, thus ruling Denmark, Sweden and Norway. The last Griffin duke of Pomerania was
Bogislaw XIV, who died during the Thirty Years' War, which led to the division of Pomerania between Brandenburg-Prussia and Sweden. Duchess
Anna von Croy, daughter of Duke
Bogislaw XIII and the last Griffin, died in 1660.