Vogel Gryff

The Vogel Gryff is a heraldic figure of Kleinbasel (Lesser Basel), which is the part of Basel situated on the right bank of the Rhine. A popular celebration organized by the three Kleinbasel societies (Drei Ehrengesellschaften Kleinbasels) is named after this symbolic figure. Every year, either on the 13th, the 20th, or the 27th of January, a celebration organized by the three Kleinbasel societies (Gesellschaft zum Rebhaus, Gesellschaft zur Hären, and Gesellschaft zum Greifen) takes place in Basel, where the Vogel Gryff (the griffin), the Wild Maa (the savage man), and the Leu (the lion) appear. The celebration starts late in the morning on a raft floating down the Rhine. There are several people on the raft, including two drummers, two men carrying flags, two cannoneers, and the Wild Maa who is dancing and constantly facing Kleinbasel.

Meanwhile, the Vogel Gryff and the Leu appear beneath the Mittlere Brücke with their followers. By noon, the Wild Maa joins the other two figures and they dance on the bridge by the Käppelijoch, carefully avoiding to look towards Grossbasel (Greater Basel). The procession goes on until the evening, accompanied by political speeches and musical entertainment. 

This tradition dates back to the Middle Ages, when the yearly weapon examinations of the city walls' guard took place, organized by the responsible society - either on the 13th (Gesellschaft zum Rebhaus), the 20th (Gesellschaft zur Hären), or the 27th (Gesellschaft zum Greifen). These examinations used to end with a walk through Kleinbasel, as well as a meal. The Vogel Gryff thus has nothing to do with the Basler Fasnacht, as is widely assumed. From 1839 on, the three Kleinbasel societies have been carrying out this occasion together, rotating between the three dates. 

Therefore, the Vogel Gryff, the Wild Maa, and the Leu are symbolic figures of the three Kleinbasel societies, which, in earlier days, served political and military purposes. Today, they are part of Kleinbasel social life and tradition, the part of Basel that often tried to distinguish itself from the larger part on the left bank of the river. 

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source: http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vogel_Gryff

source: http://www.myswitzerland.com/en-ch/vogel-gryff-in-basel-bs.html

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