Las representaciones culturales de leones son conocidas en países europeos , africanos y asiáticos . El león ha sido un símbolo importante para los humanos durante decenas de miles de años. Las primeras representaciones gráficas presentan a los leones como cazadores organizados con gran fuerza, estrategias y habilidades. En representaciones posteriores de ceremonias culturales humanas, los leones a menudo se usaban simbólicamente y pueden haber desempeñado papeles importantes en la magia, como deidades o asociación cercana con deidades, y sirvieron como intermediarios e identidades de clan.
Los registros históricos más tempranos en Egipto presentan un panteón religioso establecido que incluía a una leona como una de las figuras culturales más poderosas, protegiendo a la gente y especialmente a sus gobernantes, además de que se le asignaban roles poderosos en la naturaleza. A medida que los grupos humanos pasaron de ser clanes y tribus aislados a ciudades, reinos y países, los símbolos antiguos conservaron su importancia a medida que asumieron nuevos roles y los leones se han mantenido como símbolos populares hasta los tiempos modernos.
Las representaciones de leones en otras culturas se parecían a esto y todas cambiaron a roles de mayor apoyo a medida que las figuras humanas comenzaron a ser representadas como deidades. Las imágenes similares persistieron y se conservaron a través de cambios culturales, a veces sin cambios. La adopción de imágenes de leones como símbolos en otras culturas sin contacto directo con los leones podría ser muy imaginativa, a menudo sin detalles anatómicos precisos o creando características poco realistas. La asociación de leones con virtudes y rasgos de carácter se adoptó en culturas donde y cuando el simbolismo religioso había cesado.
En religión y mitología
Primeras representaciones
Las primeras pinturas rupestres conocidas de leones se encontraron en la cueva Chauvet y en Lascaux en la región francesa de Ardèche y representan algunas de las primeras pinturas rupestres paleolíticas , que datan de hace entre 32.000 y 15.000 años. [1] [2] La figurilla zoomorfa de Löwenmensch de Hohlenstein-Stadel y la talla de marfil de una cabeza de león de la cueva Vogelherd en el Jura de Suabia en el suroeste de Alemania tenían 39.000 años de antigüedad y datan de la cultura auriñaciense . [3]
Europa de la Edad del Bronce
Una estatua de la Edad de Bronce de un león del sur de Italia o del sur de España de c. 1000-1200 años antes de Cristo , el "León de Mari-Cha" se exhibió en el Louvre Abu Dhabi . [4]
Antiguo Egipto
Las primeras pinturas de tumbas en el Antiguo Egipto , en Nekhen , c. 3500 aC , clasificada como Naqada , posiblemente Gerzeh , la cultura incluye imágenes de leones, incluida una imagen de un humano (o deidad) flanqueado por dos leones en una postura erguida. Entre los antiguos egipcios, desde tiempos prehistóricos hasta registros bien documentados, la diosa de la guerra Sekhmet , una leona, [5] posteriormente representada como una mujer con cabeza de leona, era una de sus principales deidades. Ella era una deidad del sol, así como una feroz guerrera y protectora. Por lo general, se le asignaron roles importantes en el entorno natural. Los egipcios sostenían que esta leona sagrada era responsable de la inundación anual del Nilo , [5] el factor que más contribuyó al éxito de la cultura. A veces, con diferencias regionales en los nombres, una deidad leona era la patrona y protectora del pueblo, el rey y la tierra. A medida que el país se unía, se asignó a Sekhmet una combinación de esas deidades. [ cita requerida ]
Deidades leonas regionales similares asumieron papeles menores en el panteón o, cuando eran tan importantes en una región, continuaron la observancia religiosa local por derecho propio, como Bast . Los descendientes de estas deidades también encontraron nichos en el panteón en expansión. [ cita requerida ]
Durante el Imperio Nuevo, los dioses nubios Maahes (dios de la guerra y protección e hijo de Bast) y Dedun (dios del incienso , de ahí el lujo y la riqueza) fueron representados como leones. Maahes fue absorbida por el panteón egipcio y tenía un templo en la ciudad que los invasores griegos llamaban Leontopolis , "Ciudad de los Leones", en el delta del Bajo Egipto. Su templo estaba unido al templo principal de su madre, Bast. Dedun no fue absorbido por la religión del Antiguo Egipto y siguió siendo una deidad nubia. [ cita requerida ]
Bast , originalmente representada como una leona y el " ojo de Ra " en la región del delta, [5] era la deidad paralela a Sekhmet en la región sur. Su naturaleza cambió gradualmente después de la unificación del país y Sekhmet prevaleció en todo momento. En ese momento, Bast se convirtió en la diosa de la protección personal con diferentes responsabilidades, y a menudo se la representaba como una leona o un gato muy dócil. Ella se muestra a la izquierda encima de un ala de la estopa frasco que contenía er preciados aceites y lociones. El nombre de la piedra probablemente lleva su nombre porque los materiales sagrados para ella generalmente se almacenaban en ella. [ Cita requerida ]
La esfinge del Antiguo Egipto muestra la cabeza y los hombros de un humano y el cuerpo de una leona. Las estatuas representan a Sekhmet, quien fue el protector de los faraones . Los faraones posteriores fueron representados como esfinges, y se pensó que eran descendientes de la deidad. [ cita requerida ]
Mesopotamia antigua
En la antigua Mesopotamia , el león era considerado un símbolo de la realeza. [6] Las representaciones del león mesopotámico muestran que era un símbolo importante del antiguo Irak . Está representado en relieves de Ninevan. [7] El león de Babilonia es una estatua en la puerta de Ishtar en Babilonia [8] El león tiene una asociación importante con la figura de Gilgamesh , como se demuestra en su epopeya . [9] El equipo nacional de fútbol iraquí recibe el sobrenombre de "Leones de Mesopotamia". [10] Esculturas y relieves del Imperio neoasirio que datan de los siglos VI y VII aC fueron redescubiertos y excavados a mediados del siglo XIX. Varios relieves presentan leones, incluida la caza de leones de Ashurbanipal . [11] Un detalle bien conocido de este relieve es La leona moribunda, que representa a una leona medio paralizada atravesada por flechas. Otros relieves de palacios asirios de esta época muestran a decenas de leones cazados, originalmente en un palacio real asirio en Nínive , ubicado en la actual Irak. La diosa babilónica Ishtar estaba representada conduciendo un carro tirado por siete leones. [5] El análogo sumerio de Ishtar, Inanna, se representaba con frecuencia de pie sobre las espaldas de dos leonas.
Las representaciones antiguas a menudo descritas como "panteras" porque no tienen melena, de hecho, son leonas y pueden identificarse fácilmente por la punta distintiva de sus colas que los artistas familiarizados con su tema, retrataron correctamente. [ cita requerida ]
Esculturas antiguas
Los leones se han utilizado ampliamente en la escultura para proporcionar una sensación de majestad y asombro, especialmente en los edificios públicos. Los leones eran criaturas audaces y muchas ciudades antiguas tenían una gran cantidad de esculturas de leones para mostrar su fuerza en números también. [12] [13] Este uso se remonta al origen de la civilización. [14] Hay leones en las entradas de ciudades y lugares sagrados de las culturas mesopotámicas; ejemplos notables incluyen la Puerta de los Leones de la antigua Micenas en Grecia, que tiene dos leonas flanqueando una columna que representa una deidad, [15] y las puertas en las murallas de la ciudad hitita de Bogazköy , Turquía . [13] El "León de Menecrates" es una estatua funeraria de una leona agachada, que se encuentra cerca del cenotafio de Menecrates. [ cita requerida ] El león es de un famoso escultor corintio de la Grecia arcaica , a finales del siglo VII a. C., y ahora se encuentra en el Museo Arqueológico de Corfú . [ cita requerida ]
Iran
Los leones están representados en jarrones que datan de aproximadamente 2600 antes del presente que fueron excavados cerca del lago Urmia . [16] En la mitología iraní, el león es un símbolo de coraje y monarquía. Se representa de pie junto a los reyes en artefactos y sentado sobre las tumbas de los caballeros. Los sellos imperiales también estaban decorados con leones tallados. El motivo del león y el sol se basa principalmente en configuraciones astronómicas y el antiguo signo zodiacal del sol en la casa de Leo. El león y el sol es un símbolo de la realeza en la bandera y las monedas iraníes. A veces se mostraba a la diosa Anahita de pie sobre un león. León también es título del cuarto grado de mitraísmo . [17]
Los leones se han utilizado ampliamente en la antigua Persia como esculturas y en las paredes de palacios, en templos de fuego, tumbas, en platos y joyas; especialmente durante el Imperio aqueménida . Las puertas estaban adornadas con leones. [18]
Período clásico
Varios descubrimientos de huesos de león en Grecia, Ucrania y los Balcanes han confirmado que los leones vivieron allí ciertamente desde el quinto milenio a.C. hasta el siglo VI a.C., mientras que, según las fuentes escritas, sobrevivieron quizás hasta el siglo I o incluso el siglo IV d.C. que anteriormente era solo una sospecha de algunos arqueólogos. [19] [20] [21] [22] [23] [24] [25] Así, el fuerte énfasis en los leones en el arte figurativo griego más antiguo, especialmente el de la Grecia micénica de alrededor de 1600-1400 a. C., reflejó el mundo en que vivieron los griegos, en lugar de basarse en historias de más al este, como alguna vez se pensó. [26]
Las leonas a menudo flanqueaban a la Gorgona, un vestigio de la deidad protectora griega más antigua que a menudo aparecía en la cima de los templos de épocas posteriores. El frontón occidental del templo de Artemisa de Corfú es un ejemplo bien conservado. El león más notable de la mitología griega antigua fue el león de Nemea , asesinado con las manos desnudas por Heracles , quien posteriormente llevó la piel como un manto mágico invulnerable. [27]
También se dice que este león está representado por la constelación de Leo , y también por el signo del Zodíaco . Los leones son conocidos en muchas culturas como el rey de los animales, lo que se remonta al Talmud de Babilonia , [28] y al libro clásico Physiologus . En sus fábulas , el afamado narrador griego Esopo utilizó el simbolismo de poder y fuerza del león en El león y el ratón y La parte del león . [ cita requerida ]
Desde la antigüedad clásica , un león de Gaetulian en la literatura es un león de feroz reputación. Gaetulia, en la geografía antigua, era la tierra de los Gaetuli , una tribu guerrera de la antigua Libia que aparece en la Eneida de Virgilio (19 a. C.). [29] aparece león El Gaetulia en las odas de Horacio (23 BC), [30] Plinio el Viejo 's historia natural (77 AD), [31] Philostratus ' s vida de Apollonius de Tyana ( c. 215), [32 ] Los viajes de Robert Louis Stevenson con un burro en las Cévennes (1879). [33]
En el modelo de la psique de Sócrates (como lo describe Platón ), la naturaleza bestial y egoísta de la humanidad se describe metafóricamente como un león, el "principio leontomórfico". [34]
Referencias bíblicas y tradición judeo-cristiana
Varios relatos bíblicos documentan la presencia de leones y la percepción cultural de ellos en el antiguo Israel. El relato bíblico más conocido que presenta leones proviene del Libro de Daniel (capítulo 6), donde Daniel es arrojado a un foso de leones y sobrevive milagrosamente. [ cita requerida ]
Un relato bíblico menos conocido muestra a Sansón que mata a un león con sus propias manos, luego ve abejas anidando en su cadáver y plantea un acertijo basado en este incidente inusual para probar la fidelidad de su prometida ( Jueces 14). El profeta Amós dijo (Amós, 3, 8): "Rugió el león, ¿quién no temerá? Ha hablado el Señor DIOS, ¿quién no profetizará?", Es decir, cuando el don de profecía cae sobre una persona, ha no hay más remedio que hablar. [ cita requerida ]
El león es una de las criaturas vivientes del Libro de Ezequiel . Estaban representados en el tetramorfo .
En 1 Pedro 5: 8, se compara al diablo con un león rugiente que "busca a quien devorar". [35] [36]
En la tradición cristiana, Marcos el evangelista , autor del segundo evangelio, está simbolizado por el león de San Marcos , una figura de valor y monarquía. También representa la resurrección de Jesús (porque se creía que los leones dormían con los ojos abiertos, una comparación con Cristo en la tumba) y Cristo como rey . Algunas leyendas cristianas se refieren a San Marcos como "San Marcos el Corazón de León". Las leyendas dicen que le dieron de comer a los leones y los animales se negaron a atacarlo o comérselo. En cambio, los leones dormían a sus pies, mientras él los acariciaba. Cuando los romanos vieron esto, lo soltaron, asustados por la vista.
El león es el emblema bíblico de la tribu de Judá y más tarde del Reino de Judá . [37] Está contenido en la bendición de Jacob a su cuarto hijo en el penúltimo capítulo del libro del Génesis , "Judá es un cachorro de león; De la presa, hijo mío has crecido. Él se agacha, se acuesta como un león, como el rey de las bestias, ¿quién se atreve a despertarlo? " (Génesis 49: 9 [38] ). En el moderno estado de Israel , el león sigue siendo el símbolo de la ciudad capital de Jerusalén , estampado tanto en la bandera como en el escudo de armas de la ciudad. [ cita requerida ]
Misticismo de la antigüedad tardía
En las tradiciones gnósticas , el Demiurgo se representa como una figura con cara de león ("leontoeides"). El concepto gnóstico del Demiurgo suele ser el de un creador mezquino y malévolo del reino físico, una deidad falsa responsable de la miseria humana y la materia burda que atrapa la esencia espiritual del alma y, por lo tanto, una naturaleza "animal". Como figura con cabeza de león, el Demiurgo está asociado con llamas devoradoras, [39] que destruyen las almas de los humanos después de que mueren, así como con arrogancia e insensibilidad. [40]
Una figura con cara de león suele asociarse con los misterios de Mitra . Sin ningún paralelo conocido en el arte clásico, egipcio o del Medio Oriente, [41] se desconoce lo que esta figura pretende representar actualmente. Algunos lo han interpretado como una representación de Ahriman , [42] del mencionado Demiurgo gnóstico, [43] o de alguna entidad tiránica y malévola similar, pero también se ha interpretado como una especie de deidad del tiempo o de la estación, [44] o incluso un símbolo más positivo de iluminación y trascendencia espiritual. [45]
Winged sphinx with body of lioness from the palace of Darius the Great at Susa
Samson and the lions, Saint Trophime Church Portal (12th century)
A lion at the side of King Alfonso IX of Leon, from the Tumbo A cartulary of the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela
A Hyrcanian Achaemenid golden cup depicting lions without manes and fully exposed ears in the sculpted heads used as handles, but manes suggested in engraving on the body. Dated first half of first millennium. Excavated at Kalardasht in Mazandaran, Iran.
Samson's Fight with the Lion, by Lucas Cranach the Elder, 1525
A peaceful lion in Pietro da Cortona's depiction of the Golden Age
Gold embroidered lion on saddle pad from 1670 that belonged to King Charles XI of Sweden
The "Strength" card of the Rider-Waite tarot deck
Arthurian legend
In a key scene of Yvain, the Knight of the Lion (French: Yvain, le Chevalier au Lion), a romance by Chrétien 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.[citation needed]
Lion door handle at Burg Hohenzollern
One of the four lions in Trafalgar Square, London, by Landseer at the base of Nelson's Column
Lion sculpture at the Monument to the Unknown Soldier in Sofia, Bulgaria.
The Lion Monument in Lucerne, Switzerland, commemorates the sacrifice of the Swiss Guards at the Tuileries in 1792.
Islamic traditions
In Middle Eastern culture, both Arab and Persian, the lion is regarded as the symbol of courage, bravery, royalty, and chivalry. The Middle Eastern depiction of lions are derived from earlier Mesopotamian Babylonian and Persian arts. Islamic art commonly manifests its aesthetic elements predominantly in Islamic calligraphy, floral, and geometric decorative patterns, since Islamic religious tradition discourages the depictions of humans and living creatures (animals) in its sculpture. Through Persian arts miniatures and paintings, however, 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.[citation needed]
"Aslan" or "Arslan" (Ottoman ارسلان arslān and اصلان aṣlān) 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 name.[citation needed]
Hindu-Buddhist traditions
The lion symbolism and its cultural depictions can be found in Hindu and Buddhist art of India and Southeast Asia. The lion symbolism in India was based upon Asiatic lions that once spread in Indian subcontinent as far as the Middle East.
South Asia
Neolithic cave paintings of lions were found in Bhimbetka rock shelters in central India, which are at least 30,000 years old.[46]
Narasimha ("man-lion"), also spelt Narasingh, Narasinga, is described as an incarnation (Avatara) of Vishnu in the Puranic texts of Hinduism. It is worshiped as "Lion God" and considered sacred by all Hindus in India.
Lions are also found in Buddhist symbolism. Lion pillars erected during the reign of Emperor Ashoka show lions and the chakra emblem. The lions depicted in the Lion Capital of Ashoka inspired artists who designed the Emblem of India.
Singh is an ancient Indian vedic name meaning "lion", dating more than 2,000 years ago 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 more than 20 million Sikhs worldwide.[47][48] The appellation of the name Singh was used by the Rajputs before being adopted by the Sikhs in 1699.[49] Therefore, all "Singh"s in Indian history before 1699 are Hindu and 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.
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 is one of seven World Heritage Sites in Sri Lanka.[citation needed]
Southeast Asia
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 who carved the lion sculpture never saw the lion before, and all were 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.[citation needed]
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 a winged lion also is 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.[citation needed]
In Cambodia statues of lions flanking the temple gate or access roads are commonly found in temples of Angkor. Bakong, a stepped pyramid Hindu temple from earlier period also displays lion statues as guardians of each stage on each of the 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.[citation needed]
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.[citation needed]
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 சிங்க singa सिंह siṃha and पुर புர pura.[50] According to the Malay Annals, this name was given by a fourteenth-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).[51] Recent studies of Singapore indicate that lions have never lived there.
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.[citation needed]
East Asian traditions
The common motif of the "majestic and powerful" lion was introduced to China by Buddhist missionaries from India, somewhere in the first century AD.[52] 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 (獅子, shishi) feature prominently in many kabuki plays and other forms of Japanese legend and traditional tales.[citation needed]
En cuentos populares y de hadas
The lion appears in several fairy and folk tale traditions all over the world. Some tale types, according to the Aarne-Thompson-Uther Index, show it as the hero's helper or a protagonist on its own right:
- Aarne-Thompson-Uther type number 156, "Androcles and the Lion": a slave helps a lion by removing a thorn from its paw. Later, when the slave is put in a perilous situation against the very same lion, the lion recognizes him and spares his life in gratitude.[53][54]
- Aarne-Thompson-Uther type number 300, "The Dragon-Slayer": in some variants, a lion appears as part of the hero's animal entourage to defeat a vicious dragon and rescue the princess.[55]
- Aarne-Thompson-Uther type number 303, "The Twins or Blood-Brothers": this tale type sometimes merges with the previous one. Twins (or triplets) or lookalike individuals acquire two sets of fierce animals, like bears, lions and wolves. Each goes their separate ways: one defeats the dragon and the other meets a witch who petrifies his twin. Example: The Three Princes and their Beasts, Lithuanian fairy tale; The Two Brothers, German fairy tale by the Brothers Grimm.[56]
- Aarne-Thompson-Uther type number 425, "The Search for the Lost Husband", and Aarne-Thompson-Uther type number 425A, "Animal as Bridegroom": a maiden is betrothed to an animal bridegroom (a lion, in several variants), who comes at night to the bridal bed in human form. The maiden breaks a taboo and her enchanted husband disappears. She is forced to seek him.[57] Example: The Singing, Springing Lark, a German fairy tale by the Brothers Grimm;[58] La fiancée du lion ("The Lion's Bride"), Breton folktale collected by Paul Sébillot.[59]
- Aarne-Thompson-Uther type number 552, "The Girls who married Animals": a bankrupt nobleman or a poor farmer is forced to wed his daughters to three animal suitors, who are actually enchanted princes under a curse. In some variants, one of the suitors is a lion. Example: The Three Enchanted Princes.[60][61][62][63][64]
- Aarne-Thompson-Uther type number 590, "The Faithless Mother" or "The Prince and the Arm Bands": a boy with his mother finds a magic belt (magic arm bands) that grants strength. Later, his mother conspires with her new paramour (giant or ogre) to kill her son. Two lions end up helping the youth.[65] Example: The Blue Belt, Norwegian fairy tale.
The lion also appears as a king's councillor in the German fairy tale The Twelve Huntsmen.[66]
The lion also appears as an obstacle in the hero's dangerous quest, such as a guardian of the water of life, of a garden or of a princess.[66][67][68]
Título de reyes y líderes políticos
Various kings and political leaders in different cultures and times, famed for courage or fierceness, were entitled "the lion" – such as:
- Llywelyn the Great, along with his family, were known to bear lions on their arms
- Henry the Lion of Saxony
- Richard the Lionheart, first used a single lion, then the three-lion bearing that became the arms of the Plantagenet dynasty.
- Robert III, "The Lion of Flanders"
- Lala Lajpat Rai, "The Lion of Punjab"
- Omar Mukhtar was called Asad aṣ-Ṣaḥrā’ (Arabic: أَسَـد الـصَّـحْـرَاء, "Lion of the Desert").[69]
- The Al-Assad family, ruling in Syria, derives its surname from the title Asad ("lion" in Arabic) of an ancestor[70]
- Thirteen popes took the name Leo
En bellas artes
Paintings of lions
Hieronymus and the Lion, 1507 by Albrecht Altdorfer
Allegory with a Virgin, 1479-80 by Hans Memling
Hercules fight with the Nemeean lion by Pieter Paul Rubens
Löwe by Albrecht Dürer, 1494
Lion of the Atlas (French: Lion de l'Atlas) by Eugène Delacroix, 1829, in the Saint Louis Art Museum
The Christian Martyrs' Last Prayer by Jean-Léon Gérôme, 1863
U.K.
- Nelson's Column (1843) in Trafalgar Square, London, UK, four lions sculpted by William Railton[71]
U.S.
- National Zoological Park, two 5,000 pound, reclining brass lions flank the Connecticut Avenue entrance,[72]
- Patience and Fortitude, the two Tennessee marble lions flanking the main entrance to the New York Public Library Main Branch, in Manhattan; sculpted by Edward Clark Potter
- Ulysses S. Grant Memorial, West Front, in the Botanic Garden, Washington D.C., four protective bronze lions crouching on the American flag, sculpted by Henry Merwin Shrady, installed April 28, 1912; shown in the opening credits of the House of Cards[71]
- Mount Ecclesia: the (main) entrance arch, the Lions Arch, is considered to be a contributing structure in the Rosicrucian Fellowship Temple Historic District and is also a local landmark in Oceanside, California. Cast concrete lions stand guard at each end of the arch.[73][74]
En heráldica
The lion is a common charge in heraldry, traditionally symbolizing courage.[75] The following positions of heraldic lions are recognized:[76]
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The lion holds historical significance for English heraldry and symbolism. The Coat of arms of England was a symbol for Richard the Lionheart, and later, for England. For many centuries the lion had been a feature of the Armorial of Plantagenet of the House of Plantagenet, and is still worn by both the England national football team and England and Wales cricket team.[citation needed]
The Royal Banner of Scotland continues to be used widely today and has given rise to its use as the emblem for the Scotland national football team and Rangers F.C. and Dundee United F.C. of the Scottish Premier League, as well as English Premier League club Aston Villa F.C.; and not only sport but businesses such as the French car company Peugeot, the international beer company Lion Nathan, and Caledonian MacBrayne ferries. Arising from heraldic use, the Red Lion is also a popular pub name, with over 600 pubs bearing the name.[77] A rarer inn name is the White Lion, derived from Edward IV of England or the Duke of Norfolk.[77] Though the lion appears on the coats of arms and flags of Lyon and León, the cities' names have an unrelated derivation despite the similarity. Rampant lions are common charges in heraldry. For example, the arms of the Carter of Castle Martin family, Ireland (see Carter-Campbell of Possil) include a pair of rampant combatant lions.[citation needed]
Royal insignia of Cambodia with gajasingha and singha lions
A heraldic lion 'dormant'
Flag of Sri Lanka
Coat of arms of the Kingdom of Iraq (1932–1959), depicting the lion and horse
Divisa
National currencies of three countries in Europe are named after the lion: the Bulgarian lev (Bulgarian: лев, plural: лева, левове / leva, levove), and the Moldovan and Romanian leu (/leŭ/, plural: lei /lej/) all mean "lion".
A lion appears on the South African 50-rand banknotes.
Nombres de barcos
No less than 18 consecutive ships of the British Royal Navy bore the name HMS Lion. Also, various other navies have used the name for their vessels,[citation needed] as did civil shipping companies.[citation needed]
Poner nombres
- Singapore's name is the Anglicised form of the original Sanskrit-derived Malay name Singapura, which means 'Lion City'. Malay mythology describes how the founder-prince of Singapore (then called 'Temasek') sighted a strange red and black beast with a mane when he first set ashore the island. Believing it to be a lion and a good omen (although lions were not known to exist anywhere in Southeast Asia) he renamed the island Singapura. The lion features on the Singapore national coat of arms and is also the nickname of the national football team. 'Lion City' is also a common moniker for the city-state.
- Using Leon (lion) as a placename started in Ancient Greece; several locations in Greece itself had the name (Greek:: Λέων) as well as a Greek colony in Sicily.
- Lviv, the major city of western Ukraine, is named for Prince Lev I of Galicia. Lev is a common Slavic name meaning "lion". The Latin name for Lviv is Leopolis, meaning "Lion City".
- The name of the city of Oran in Algeria is derived from the Berber root 'HR meaning lion, from which are also derived the names of Tahert and Souk Ahras. The name is attested in multiple Berber languages, for instance as uharu and ahra. A popular Oran legend tells that in the period around 900 BC, there were sightings of lions in the area. The two last felines were killed in a mountain near the city of Oran, which is now known as La montagne des Lions ("The Mountain of Lions"). In fact, there are two giant lion statues in front of Oran's city hall, hence the twin lions' mountain is Oran's symbol.
- Despite common misconception, the name of the French city of Lyon is a corruption of Lugdunum, a Latinization of Celtic for "fortress of god Lugus". The same happens with the Spanish city of León, whose name is a corruption of legio, Latin for "legion". However their coats of arms wear lions as armes parlant.
Cultura moderna
Literature
- In Thus Spoke Zarathustra by Friedrich Nietzsche, the lion is used as a metaphor to describe a human who rebels against old knowledge, to make a new morality possible. The morality of the overman.
- The lion's symbolism continues in fantasy literature. The Wonderful Wizard of Oz features the Cowardly Lion, who is particularly ashamed of his cowardice because of his cultural role as the "king of the beasts".[78] Aslan, the "Greatest Lion" is the central figure in C.S. Lewis' Narnia series.[79] The word aslan is Turkish for lion. The lion is also the symbol for Gryffindor house, the house of bravery, in J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter series.
- Lafcadio: The Lion Who Shot Back is a 1963 children's book written and illustrated by Shel Silverstein. Lions also tend to appear in several children's stories, being depicted as "the king of the jungle".
- In award-winning children's picture book, Charlie and Mama Kyna, Leo, the lion, befriends and journeys home with Charlie in vivid illustrations.
- In the A Song of Ice and Fire series by George R. R. Martin, one of the main noble houses and main antagonists of the series, the Lannisters, have a golden lion on crimson as their family symbol, and in contrast to the lion being presented as a regal, noble creature in traditional folklore, it carries the undertones of pride, corruption, and lust for power of the Lannisters.
- Again adhering to king of the beast role, the book The Forges of Dawn focuses on the lions (called lyons) as opposed to the other creatures of Africa. These lyons rule empires and, in the case of the antagonists, almost entire continents. They are somewhat evolved from the lions we know today. For example, lyons have more mobile dewclaws as opposed to lions who's declaws are more stationary. They also live longer and speak varied languages.
- The Pride of Baghdad is based on a real story of African lions that escaped from Baghdad Zoo in 2003.[80]
Film
The lion's role as "king of the beasts" has been utilized in a number of cartoons, from the Leonardo Lion of King Leonardo and His Short Subjects (1960–1963) series to the Disney animated feature film The Lion King (1994). Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer studios have used a lion as their logo since 1924. At least seven different lions have played Leo the Lion, the lion seen at the start of every MGM film.[81]
- The live action film Born Free (1966), based on the true story from the bestselling book of the same title, covered the story of the Kenyan lioness Elsa, and the efforts of Joy Adamson and her game-warden husband George to train Elsa for release back into the wild.
- Roar (1981) features numerous untrained lions, three of which were credited as actors. The lions did as they pleased on-set, so they also share writing and directing credits.[82]
- The Ghost and the Darkness (1996) is a movie set in 1898. It is based on the true story of two lions in Africa that killed 130 people over a nine-month period, during the construction of a railroad bridge across the Tsavo River, in what is now Kenya. The local natives named the two lions, both males, "The Ghost" and "The Darkness".[83]
- In 2005, the Kenyan lioness Kamuniak captured international attention when she adopted oryx calves, an animal species normally preyed upon by lions. She fought off predators and lion prides who attempted to eat her charges. Kamuniak's story was captured in the Animal Planet special Heart of a Lioness.[84]
Modern symbolism
The lion is a popular mascot or symbol, for businesses, government entities, sports, and other uses; for example:
Automotive brands
- Some Ford Motor Company motor vehicles of the 1960s and 1970s featured a lion as part of the car emblem, e.g., the Ford Torino, Ford LTD, Mercury Marquis, and Ford XL.
- A modified heraldic lion is the emblem of Australian car company Holden, an iconic Australian brand.[85]
- Peugeot has as symbol a lion in heraldic style, a French mark
Government entities
- Patience and Fortitude, the large stone lions outside the main branch of the New York Public Library, are the mascots of the New York Public Library system serving the Bronx, Manhattan, and Staten Island.
- The Flag of Iran bore the Lion and Sun from 1576 to 1979.[86]
- In Brazil, the lion is a popular symbol of the income tax.[citation needed]
Sports
- The 1966 FIFA World Cup and the 2006 FIFA World Cup both used lions as their mascot.
- Turkish major football club Galatasaray SK has been symbolized by a lion since the 1930s.
- The Detroit Lions of the National Football League have featured a lion in their logo since 1934.
Ver también
- Lion-baiting
- Winged lion
- Piraeus Lion
- Medici lions
- Manticore (mythical part-lion beast)
- Khoekhoe Lion Story
- Lion of Amphipolis
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