Cultural depictions of lions

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The King 1881, Lion by Briton Riviere
Lions have been an important symbol for thousands of years and appear as a theme in cultures
across Europe, Asia, and Africa. Despite the recorded incidents of attacks on humans, lions enjoy
positive depiction in popular culture as creatures that appear strong, but gentle at the same time.
The most consistent depiction is in keeping with their image of "king of the jungle" or "king of
the beasts", hence lions are popular symbols of royalty and stateliness and a symbol of bravery.
Contents
1 In religion and mythology
o 1.1 First depictions
o 1.2 Ancient sculptures
1.2.1 Persia
o 1.3 Classical period
o 1.4 Biblical references and Judaeo-christian tradition
o 1.5 Arthurian legend
o 1.6 Islamic traditions
o 1.7 Asia
o 1.8 India and Sri Lanka
o 1.9 Southeast Asia
2 In Art
3 In Heraldry
4 Currency
5 Ship names
6 Place names
7 Modern culture
o 7.1 Literature
o 7.2 Film
7.2.1 Most Famous Lioness
o 7.3 Modern symbolism
8 See also
9 References
In religion and mythology
First depictions


Cave Lions, Chamber of Felines, Lascaux caves
The earliest recorded depictions of lions can be found in some of the earliest paleolithic human
cave art possibly dating to 32,000 years ago in the Chauvet Cave in the Ardche region of
southern France, where lionesses are depicted hunting for the pride in much the same strategy as
contemporary lions.
[1]
Some have proposed a more conservative estimate in line with the better
known cave paintings of Lascaux, that are 15,000 years old.
[2]
In the Lascaux, two lions were
depicted mating in the Chamber of Felines. The ivory carving from Vogelherd cave in the
Swabian Jura in southwestern Germany has been determined to be about 32,000 years old from
the Aurignacian culture.


The Lion Gate (detail) of Mycenae - two lionesses flank the central column
Found first in Ancient Egypt the sphinx, which had the head and shoulders of a human and the
body of a lioness, represented the goddess who was the protector of the pharaohs. Later pharaohs
were depicted as sphinxes, being thought as the offspring of the deity. Bast (cat goddess of
protection and the "eye of Ra") originally was depicted as a lioness.
[3]

The war goddess Sekhmet typically was depicted as woman with a lioness head or, just as a
lioness.
[3]
During the New Kingdom the Nubian gods Maahes (god of war and protection and the
son of Bast) and Dedun (god of incense, hence luxury and wealth) were depicted as lions.
Maahes was absorbed into the Egyptian pantheon, and had a temple at the city Leontopolis "City
of Lions" in Lower Egypt attached to that of the temple of his mother. Dedun was not absorbed
into the Egyptian religion and remained a Nubian deity. The Egyptians held that a sacred lioness
was responsible for the annual flooding of the Nile.
[3]

Lions were represented in other middle-eastern cultures. In ancient Mesopotamia it was regarded
as a symbol of kingship.
[4]
The Dying Lioness is a relief panel from 650 BCE, Nineveh (modern
day Iraq) depicting a half-paralyzed lioness pierced with arrows, while the Babylonian goddess
Ishtar has been represented driving a chariot drawn by seven lions.
[3]
Ishtar's Sumerian analogue
Inanna was frequently depicted standing on the backs of two lionesses. Such symbolism was
appropriated by Saddam Hussein's regime in Iraq for their Lion of Babylon tank, with the
technology adapted from a Russian model.
[citation needed]

Ancient sculptures


The "Lion of Menecrates". Funerary statue of a crouching lion, found near the cenotaph of Menecrates.
Work of a famous Corinthian sculptor of the Archaic Greece, end of the 7th century BC, Archaeological
Museum of Corfu.
Lions have been widely used in sculpture and statuary to provide a sense of majesty and awe,
especially on public buildings.
[5][6]
This usage dates back to the origin of civilization.
[7]
There are
lions at the entrances of cities and sacred sites from Mesopotamian cultures; notable examples
include the Lion Gate of ancient Mycenae in Greece that has two lionesses flanking a column
that represents a deity,
[8]
and the gates in the walls of the Hittite city of Bogazky, Turkey.
[6]

Persia


Lion on a decorative panel from Darius I the Great's palace at Susa
Lions have been extensively used in ancient Persia as sculptures and on the walls of palaces, in
fire temples, tombs, on dishes and jewellery; especially during the Achaemenid Empire. The
gates were adorned with lions.
[9]
Evidences are found in Persepolis, Susa, Hyrcania, etc..
Classical period
See also: Medici lions and Albani lion
The most notable lion of Ancient Greek mythology was the Nemean lion, killed barehanded by
Heracles, who subsequently bore the pelt as an invulnerable magic cloak.
[10]
This lion is also said
to be represented by the constellation of Leo, and also the sign of the Zodiac.
Lions are known in many cultures as the king of animals, which can be traced to the classical
book Physiologus. In his fables, the famed Greek story teller Aesop utilized the lion's symbolism
of power and strength in The Lion and the Mouse and Lion's Share.
Biblical references and Judaeo-christian tradition


Daniel's Answer to the King by Briton Rivire, R.A. (18401920), 1890 (Manchester City Art Gallery).
Several Biblical accounts document the presence of lions, and cultural perception of them in
ancient Palestine. The best known Biblical account featuring lions comes from the Book of
Daniel (chapter 6), where Daniel is thrown into a den of lions and miraculously survives.
A lesser known Biblical account features Samson who kills a lion with his bare hands, later sees
bees nesting in its carcass, and poses a riddle based on this unusual incident to test the
faithfulness of his fiancee (Judges 14).
The prophet Amos said (Amos, 3, 8): "The lion hath roared, who will not fear? the Lord GOD
hath spoken, who can but prophesy?", i.e., when the gift of prophecy comes upon a person, he
has no choice but to speak out.
In 1 Peter 5:8, the Devil is compared to a roaring lion "seeking someone to devour."
[11][12]

In Christian tradition, Mark the Evangelist, the author of the second gospel is symbolized by a
lion - a figure of courage and monarchy. It also represents Jesus' Resurrection (because lions
were believed to sleep with open eyes, a comparison with Christ in the tomb), and Christ as king.
Some Christian legends refer to Saint Mark as "Saint Mark The Lionhearted". These probably
false legends say that he was fed to the Lions and the animals refused to attack or eat him.
Instead the Lions slept at his feet, while he petted them. When the Romans saw this, they
released him, spooked by the sight.
The lion is the biblical emblem of the tribe of Judah and later the Kingdom of Judah.
[13]
It is
contained within Jacob's blessing to his fourth son in the penultimate chapter of the Book of
Genesis, "Judah is a lion's whelp; On prey, my son have you grown. He crouches, lies down like
a lion, like the king of beastswho dare rouse him?" (Genesis 49:9
[14]
). In the modern state of
Israel, the lion remains the symbol of the capital city of Jerusalem, emblazoned on both the flag
and coat of arms of the city.
[citation needed]
Unlike Christianity, in Judaism, The Lion has positive
connotations. For instance, in every synagogue there is an ark with a depiction in which lions
face each other like bookends with the torah in the middle, as if they were protecting it
Arthurian legend
In a key scene of "Yvain, the Knight of the Lion" (French: Yvain, le Chevalier au Lion), a
romance by Chrtien de Troyes, the hero is depicted as rescuing a lion from a serpent.
Subsequently, the lion proves to be a loyal companion and a symbol of knightly virtue, and helps
Yvain complete his altruistic ventures. In the happy end, the lion comes to dwell with Yvain and
his wife Laudine at their castle.
Islamic traditions


A page from Kelileh va Demneh dated 1429, from Herat, a Persian translation of the Panchatantra
depicts the manipulative jackal-vizier, trying to lead his lion-king into war.
In Middle Eastern culture, both Arabic and Persian, lion regarded as the symbol of courage,
bravery, royalty and chivalry. The Middle Eastern depiction of lion derived from earlier
Mesopotamian Babylonian and Persian arts. Islamic art commonly manifests its aesthetic
elements only in Islamic calligraphy, floral and geometric decorative patterns, since Islamic
tradition forbid the depictions of humans and living creatures (animals) in its arts, both paintings
or sculpture. However through Persian arts miniatures and paintings, the depictions of humans
and animals survives. In Muslim Spain period, the lion court of Alhambra palace displays the
lion statues as supporters and waterspout of fountain.
Asia
The common motif of the "majestic and powerful" lion was introduced to China by Buddhist
missionaries from India, somewhere in the 1st Century AD.
[15]
Lions themselves, however, are
not native to China, yet appear in the art of China and the Chinese people believe that lions
protect humans from evil spirits, hence the Chinese New Year Lion dance to scare away demons
and ghosts. Chinese guardian lions are frequently used in sculpture in traditional Chinese
architecture. For instance, in the Forbidden City in Beijing, two lion statues are seen in almost
every door entrance.
Lions feature prominently in the Tibetan culture with a pair of Snow Lions seen on the Tibetan
flag. The Snow Lions are mythical creatures that are seen as protector entities. The Snow Lion
symbolizes fearlessness, unconditional cheerfulness, east, and the Earth element. It is one of the
Four Dignities. It ranges over the mountains, and is commonly pictured as being white with a
turquoise mane.
Lions (, shishi) feature prominently in many kabuki plays and other forms of Japanese
legend and traditional tales.


A Qing-era guardian lion pair within the Forbidden City.
The island nation of Singapore (Singapura) derives its name from the Malay words singa (lion)
and pura (city), which in turn is from the Tamil-Sanskrit singa siha and

pura.
[16]
According to the Malay Annals, this name was given by a 14th-century Sumatran Malay
prince named Sang Nila Utama, who, on alighting the island after a thunderstorm, spotted an
auspicious beast on shore that his chief minister identified as a lion (Asiatic Lion).
[17]
Recent
studies of Singapore indicate that lions have never lived there, and the beast seen by Sang Nila
Utama was likely a tiger.
"Aslan" or "Arslan" (Ottoman arsln and aln) is the Turkish and Mongolian
word for "lion". It was used as a title by a number of Seljuk and Ottoman rulers, including Alp
Arslan and Ali Pasha, and is a Turkic/Iranian name.
[citation needed]

India and Sri Lanka
Main article: Lion Capital of Ashoka


Goddess Durga depicted with an Asiatic lion at her side

Narasimha ("man-lion") (also spelt as Narasingh, Narasinga) is described as an incarnation
(Avatara) of Vishnu within the Puranic texts of Hinduism and is worshiped as "Lion God" thus
Indian or Asiatic Lions which were commonly found throughout most of India in ancient times
are considered sacred by all Hindus in India.
Singh is an ancient Indian vedic name meaning "Lion" (Asiatic Lion), dating back over 2000
years to ancient India. It was originally only used by Rajputs, a Hindu Kshatriya or military caste
in India. After the birth of the Khalsa brotherhood in 1699, the Sikhs also adopted the name
"Singh" due to the wishes of Guru Gobind Singh. Along with millions of Hindu Rajputs and
numerous other Hindu martial groups today, it is also used by over 20 million Sikhs
worldwide.
[18][19]
The appellation of the name Singh was used by the Rajputs before being
adopted by the Sikhs in 1699.
[20]
Therefore, all "Singh"s in Indian history before 1699 are Hindu
and mainly Rajputs; after 1699, Singhs from the Punjab are mostly Sikhs, while the Singhs from
the Shivalik hill ranges of Punjab (also Kangra, Chamba, Simla) are mainly Rajputs. The lion
also features as the carrier or the vehicle of Durga, the Hindu goddess of war, worshipped in and
around the Bengal region.
Found famously on numerous flags and coat of arms all across Asia and Europe, the Asiatic
Lions also stand firm on the Emblem of India.
The lion is symbolic for the Sinhalese, Sri Lanka's ethnic majority; the term derived from the
Indo-Aryan Sinhala, meaning the "lion people" or "people with lion blood", while a sword-
wielding lion is the central figure on the modern national flag of Sri Lanka.
The entrance to Sigiriya, the Lion-Rock of Sri Lanka, was through the Lion Gate, the mouth of a
Stone Lion. The paws of the lion can still be seen today. It is one of 7 World Heritage Sites in Sri
Lanka.
Southeast Asia


Lion guardian of Borobudur.
Lions were never native animals of Southeast Asia in recorded history. As the result the
depiction of lion in ancient Southeast Asian art, especially in ancient Java and Cambodia, is far
from naturalistic style as depicted in Greek or Persian art counterparts, since the artist whom
carved the lion sculpture never saw the actual lion before, and all based on perception and
imagination. The cultural depictions and the reverence of lion as the noble and powerful beast in
Southeast Asia was influenced by Indian culture especially through Buddhist symbolism.
Statue of a pair of lions often founds in temples in Southeast Asia as the gate guardian. In
Borobudur Buddhist monument Central Java, Indonesia andesite stone statues of lions guarding
four main entrances of Borobudur. The thrones of Buddha and Boddhisattva found in Kalasan
and Mendut buddhist temples of ancient Java depicted elephant, lion, and makara. The statue of
winged lion also found in Penataran temple East Java, as well as in Balinese temples. The
Balinese winged lion often served as the guardian statue or as the pedestal of wooden column.
In Cambodia statue of lion flanking the temple gate or access roads are commonly found in
temples of Angkor. Bakong, a stepped pyramid Hindu temple from earlier period also display
lion statue as guardian of each stages on each cardinal points. Khmer lion guardian statues are
commonly found in Angkor Wat, Bayon, Pre Rup and Srah Srang. Just like ancient Java, the
depiction of lion in ancient Khmer art is not in naturalistic style, more like a symbolic mythical
animal derived from Indian Hindu-Buddhist art. The royal emblem of Cambodia depicting a pair
of guardian animals; gajasingha (hybrid of elephant and lion) and singha (lion). In Thailand, a
pair of lion statues are often placed in front of temple gate as guardian. The style of Thai lion is
similar to those of Cambodian, since Thailand derived many of its aesthetics and arts elements
from Cambodian Khmer art.

In Myanmar, the statue of lion called Chinthe guarding the stupas, pagodas, and buddhist
temples in Bagan, while pair of lions are also featured in the country's coat-of-arms. In the
modern era, the lion or Merlion became the icon of Singapore due to the island's name. The
Merlion also figures heavily in the official symbols of the Philippines as it was once an overseas
possession of Spain; it appears on the coat-of-arms of Manila, as well as the emblems of the
President, Vice-President, and its navy.
In Art