The Lion In Literature and Art

Literature is rich in lions, from the lions of Daniel and Samson to the cowardly lion in The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. The lion appears in several of Aesop's fables and in fables by LaFontaine and others. The first labor of Hercules was to kill the Nemean lion, a huge beast that was terrifying the people in the valley of Nemea. The ancient tale of Androcles and the lion is about a grateful lion.

The lion appears in the most ancient sculptures of Babylonia and Assyria. There, lions were often set up as the symbolic guardians of the portals. Sculptured lions stand at the entrances of some modern buildings, such as the Art Institute of Chicago. In ancient Egypt the lion's body, symbolizing power, virtue, and wisdom, was often given the head of the ruler. The Sphinx is the most famous of these ruler-lion sculptures.

Among famous lion sculptures are the Lion of St. Mark, in Venice; those in the Court of Lions, in Spain's Alhambra ; and the Lion of Lucerne, in Lucerne, Switzerland.

As a symbol of courage, the lion is widely used in heraldry. It has been the symbol of England since the Middle Ages.

The African lion is Panthera leo; the Asiatic, P. l. persica. Lions belong to the cat family, Felidae.