Semargl or Simargl (Old Church Slavonic: Семарьглъ, Симарьглъ) is a deity or mythical creature in East Slavic mythology, depicted as a winged lion or dog. An idol of Semargl was present in the pantheon of Great Prince Vladimir I of Kiev. It may be the equivalent of Simurgh in Persian mythology which is also represented as a griffin with a dog body. But according to Vyacheslav Ivanov and Vladimir Toporov, the name comes from the Slavonic Sedmor(o)-golvъ (with seven heads).