The King of Beasts

Francis Barlow, Aesop's Fables 1687

Animals and beasts of various form dance within the pages of folklore and mythology, they step in when heroes are in need, providing aid and companionship. In tales of adventure and discovery it is not uncommon for animal creatures to have a certain role among men. As men have their leaders and Kings, animals have the Lion and he is called the King of Beasts.

Una and the Lion, Briton Riviére 1880

The symbol of the lion appears in nearly every culture, spanning almost every continent. He stands guard protecting temples in Ancient China. He establishes the body structure for the sphinx in Ancient Egypt. The Babylonian goddess Ishtar drove a chariot pulled by seven lions.

Hercules Fight with the Nemean Lion, Pieter Paul Rubens

One of the greatest Greek myths involves a creature called the Nemean Lion. It was a dark creature who boasted powerful golden fur which was impenetrable to human weapons. Nemean comes from Nemea an ancient site in Greece that the beast was said to have terrorized. He was defeated by Hercules son of Zeus with his bare hands. It was there after than Hercules was recruited to destroy the Lernaean Hydra (,an ancient water serpent who had many heads. Each time one was taken it would be replaced by two). The Nemean Lion is represented by our very own constellation Leo, and one of the key points of the Zodiac.

Leo with leo Minor, Urania's Mirror Cards 1825

Aesop, perhaps one of the the most famous Greek storytellers born in 620 BCE, wrote many morality tales that elevated the lion's position as the King of Beasts. Among the most famous were The Lion's Share and The Lion and the Mouse.  The Lion's Share is a cautionary tale that expresses that mighty relationships are seldom trustworthy. In this short tale a goat, a cow and a sheep go hunting together with a lion who deceives them upon catching prey and dividing the prize. "I take the first portion because of my title, since I am addressed as king; the second portion you will assign to me, since I’m your partner; then because I am the stronger, the third will follow me; and an accident will happen to anyone who touches the fourth". ---Aesop's Fables

Aunt Louisa's Oft Told Tales, New York 1870's

In the Lion and the Mouse, perhaps the most beloved of Aesop's tales, a lion discovers a tiny mouse in his den, seizes and threatens him. The mouse asks for forgiveness and expresses that such a creature as he would be considered unworthy prey for a lion. The lion then sets the mouse free. Later the lion is caught up within a hunters net. Hearing the great beast roar the mouse returns and remembering the lion's compassion he gnaws through the ropes to help set him free. The moral of the story is that mercy, compassion and assistance can come from the most unexpected, and no one is so small that they cannot help remedy another. 

Queen of the Field Mice, W. W. Denslow 1900

This tale surely inspired L. Frank Baum in The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. When Dorothy and her companions are traveling to the Emerald City to seek the famous Wizard they decide to take a shortcut through a beautiful scarlet meadow of poppies. Unaware of the deadly poison within the flowers Dorothy, the Cowardly Lion and Toto fall into a deep slumber. The Tin Man and the Scarecrow, because they are not flesh and blood, remain unharmed. Dorothy and Toto were small enough to be carried to safety but the Lion, described as being large as a horse, was much to big. The companions are eventually aided by a small mouse who reveals that she is Queen of the field mice. The mice who live in a nearby underground kingdom decide to help. The queen summons her mice to bring ropes while the Tin Man agrees to build a cart that the Lion could be hoisted upon. The Lion is then saved when the mice pull him to safety.

The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, W.W. Denslow 1900

Early Slavic chroniclers told tales of animals in a time before man and like the Greek gave origin to the design of beasts. One of the most famous tales sees a great lion who was called the Lion Tsar in a world where animals spoke like men. He is known for bestowing tails to all creatures in likeness of his own. 'According to the ancient tales, this was the way of life not only in human society but also in the realm of the animals. The beasts and birds had their hierarchies and social classes, their laws and customs, their manners and mores, all of which disappeared from the face of the earth when the new two-legged species established its hegemony. But before that conquest was complete, the lion presided as the king of the beasts. Slavic chroniclers said that a great lion ruled as Tsar of Russia in the days before humans. His vassals and courtiers were lesser creatures that bowed low before his wise brow, his awe-inspiring voice and his bone-cracking jaws. From the lattice-roofed throne room of his elegantly furnished summer residence to the tapestry-clad chambers of his Winter Palace, the lion lived in splendor worthy of his magnificence.' ---The Book of Beginnings, Time-Life Books 1986 

Dictionary Art Print, Pinterest

Aesop's Greek fables of the lion were inspired by a book titled: Physiologus, a book dating back to the 2nd Century AD. This book is notably one of the first to give moral character to animals, fantastic beasts and even plant-life. It is the predecessor of all bestiaries (a book detailing various creatures). In it animals are described anecdotally, symbolically and morally. An allegorical story in the Physiologus tells of cubs who were born dead and brought back to life by the lion's breath. This is among the first books to detail the mighty Phoenix rising from it's own ashes, and the Unicorn who can only lay upon the lap of a true Virgin. Some of the most well regarded bestiaries come from Medieval Europe, and there the lion journeys into further allegory but most significantly to the sun and seasons. 

Panther, Bern Physiologus, 9th Century 

'In older times, said scholars, forests rang with battles between the Lion and the Unicorn. They fought for dominion over the wilderness, and the outcome was believed to follow a seasonal pattern. In the spring, the unicorn's power was greater, but as summer approached, the lion won suzerainty. Then the unicorn retreated, biding it's time until the next spring, when warm breezes renewed it's strength and called it forth to reclaim the land.' ---Magical Beasts, Time-Life Books 1986    

Stardust, Charles Vess 1999

The Christian Bible documents the presence of lions most notably in The Book of Daniel (Chapter 6). In this book we learn about Daniel, who is cast into a den of lions and miraculously survives. A lesser known tale accounts of Samson (of Samson and Delilah), who like Hercules of Greek legend, kills a lion with his bare hands.  The Lion remains the symbol of the Kingdom of Judah where the capital Jerusalem is, it is emblazoned upon their flag as well as their coat of arms. "Judah is a lion's whelp; On prey, my son have you grown. He crouches, lies down like a lion, like the king of beasts—who dare rouse him?" (Genesis 49:9) 

Daniel in the Lion's Den, Henry Ossawa Tanner 1915

While medieval bestiaries document a symbiotic relationship between the lion and the unicorn, it can be argued that they allegorically represent higher spiritual ground, i.e God. C. S. Lewis an english scholar in mythology took these many thoughts and developed them into his masterpiece The Chronicles of Narnia. The Chronicles of Narnia is a series of seven books that detail many adventures including the birth and destruction of the mystical land Narnia. Narnia is inhabited by men,  many mystical creatures of old and animals that can talk. Aslan, as he is called is the master spirit of the realm and he is represented as a lion, he is called King of Beasts, son of the Emperor-Over-The-Sea. He is the supreme authority both spiritually and at times physically over the land. Like the Lion described in the Greek Physiologus, he processes the power to breath life into the earth as well as it's inhabitants. He is arguably a representation of Jesus Christ in an alternate reality as he, at one of the most significant moments in the saga is resurrected after death. Aslan is actually the Turkish and Mongolian word for Lion. 

Aslan, Pauline Baynes 1950

“He'll be coming and going" he had said. "One day you'll see him and another you won't. He doesn't like being tied down--and of course he has other countries to attend to. It's quite all right. He'll often drop in. Only you mustn't press him. He's wild, you know. Not like a tame lion.” 
― C. S. Lewis, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe

Arthur A. Levine Books 1997

In Arthurian legend and folklore the lion is seen symbolistically as virtue and is represented in various tales. Three Lions are seen on the English Coat of Arms, originally a symbol for Richard the Lionheart. In an early variant on Beauty & the Beast the beast is represented as a lion, told by the Brothers Grimm in a tale titled: Lily and the Lion. In J. K. Rowling's beloved Harry Potter Series the lion is the symbol for the House of Gryffindor, which is the house of bravery. The House of Lannister in George R.R. Martin's Song of Fire and Ice is represented by a golden lion on crimson and while traditionally this is honorable it can be disputed that this is also representative of pride and lust for power. The Lion as myth and legend is seen in nearly every culture outside of libraries, outside of temples, a symbol of power, a symbol of strength and spirit. As folklore grows and evolves the legend of the lion is sure to travel with as he is anciently and allegorically the King of Beasts.  

Löwe, Albrecht Dürer 1494

Source Material:

• The Book of Beginnings, The Enchanted World Series, 1986
• Magical Beasts, The Enchanted Word Series, 1986 
• The Chronicles of Narnia, C. S. Lewis, Macmillan Publishing Co. 1950's
• The Annotated Wizard of Oz, L. Frank Baum, Michael Patrick Hearn, W. W. Norton & Co Inc, 2000
• Dictionary.com
• Wickipedia.com
• Oz.wikia.com
• Goodreads.com