It was sacred to the Greco-Roman deity Apollus and it represented fierceness and regality and it also appears as an apotropaic symbol at city gates. Legends say that he was fed to the lions and the animals refused to attack or eat him. The association of lions with virtues and character traits was adopted in cultures where and when the religious symbolism had ceased. The animal bearing that name bore it simply as an heraldic title, which distinguished a Lion in a particular attitude. 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, 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. Medieval Rome was so strongly associated with the lion that people believed the city was laid out in the shape of this beast. Uhm, D.P. Lion and sun will become a symbol of royalty in Iranian flag and coins. The recognition of a stream bed below the Palatine Hill as the supposed find spot has contributed to the assumption that the sculpture was on view in the Circus Maximus where theatrical hunts to wild animals besides chariot races were performed. EyesOfRome.com is currently only available in English, but we tour in and speak your language. Usually she was assigned significant roles in the natural environment. If the conjoined bodies are three, the lion is instead termed tricorporated. In Middle Eastern culture, both Arab and Persian, the lion is regarded as the symbol of courage, bravery, royalty, and chivalry. Romulus and Remus with the Roman SPRQ  or Senātus Populusque Rōmānus ("The Senate and People of Rome"). A History of the Sikh People (1469–1988), Learn how and when to remove this template message, Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi, "Iraq secure much-needed win over rivals Iran in friendly", "Iraqi Multi-National Force & Corps Logos, Ancient Assyro-Babylonian Images", "The Archytype of Lion, in Ancient Iran, Mesopotamia & Egypt", http://www.visual-arts-cork.com/ancient-art/persian.htm, mountains which are to be seen rising inland, Wikisource:Bible (American Standard)/1 Peter#Chapter 5, "Bronze Lions Flank Connecticut Avenue Entrance", Main Entrance of Mount Ecclesia (Lions Arch), Lions Arch at Mt. Depictions of lions in other cultures resembled this and all changed into more supportive roles as human figures began to be portrayed as deities. At first it seemed strange to see such pre-christian symbols from the zodiac on the floor of a Catholic Basilica, but then again, churches were not only great places of worship but also of art, culture, and in this case science. https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Cultural_depictions_of_lions&oldid=981208766, Articles with unsourced statements from November 2018, Articles with unsourced statements from October 2018, Articles with unsourced statements from June 2019, Articles with unsourced statements from September 2010, Articles needing additional references from October 2018, All articles needing additional references, Articles containing Malay (macrolanguage)-language text, Articles containing Sanskrit-language text, Articles containing Bulgarian-language text, Articles with unsourced statements from April 2016, Articles containing Ancient Greek (to 1453)-language text, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, Despite common misconception, the name of the French city of. 73586. Khmer lion guardian statues are commonly found in Angkor Wat, Bayon, Pre Rup and Srah Srang. | Signs and Symbols: Introduction ».