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 nearbyundergroundkingdom 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
There are many parallels within the world of folklore such as the existence of magic and the inevitability of good conquering evil. Many peculiar characters rise in similar fashion out many worlds, such as talking beasts in Narnia and Oz, as well as good faeries and bad witches, talking goblins and secret heroes destined to be Kings. Cinderella's lesson of patience is shared by many other hero and heroines alike, but what of the terrain of these magical lands? Many trends appear through out faerie realms, one of the most fascinating being the exploration of subterranean territories.
Alice in Wonderland, Arthur Rackham (1907)
The most well known tale of a hero/ heroine slipping into subterranean territory is perhaps Alice in Wonderland. Alice's extravagant and unusual experiences begin after chasing the White Rabbit into a hole within the ground. Upon slipping into the rabbit hole she falls for a long period of time before landing into a hall with many doors, one of which leads directly to Wonderland. It is interesting to note that Lewis Carroll's original 1864 manuscript for this tale was originally titled: Alice's Adventures Underground.
The Princess and the Goblin, Jessie Willcox Smith (1920)
The famous fantasy writer George MacDonald, who is known to have inspired Lewis Carroll with his fiction, published a tale in 1872 titled The Princess and the Goblin. In this tale a young Princess named Irene, who lives in a mountainous kingdom, is drawn into a deep realm below the kingdoms mines where goblins have been dwelling. The goblins are malevolent creatures with an unusual flaw in their anatomy, they have very weak feet. The princess befriends a boy named Curdie who works with his father in the mines. Curdie and Irene begin several adventures when they learn about the goblins future attempt to flood the mines. For a good portion of the tale the two are focused on escaping the goblin dominion.
The Goblin King, Alan Lee, Warner Bros. Pictures (2012)
The Goblin dominion within mines appear also in J.R.R. Tolkien's 1937 tale: The Hobbit. Early in the novel, Bilbo Baggins, a Hobbit, along with Thorin and Company (a group of Dwarves,) find themselves below the Misty Mountains where they are accosted by goblins who live in deep strongholds. In a battle, the company is driven deep underground where they are eventually saved by Gandalf the Grey (,wizard). Thereafter Bilbo is separated from the group and manages to get further lost in the deep caverns. It is there that Bilbo discovers the peculiar creature named Gollum, and there where he discovers the ring that is the driving force for the whole saga that is The Lord of the Rings. Tolkien later describes that the Orcs, the citizens of the dark army in The Lord of the Rings are one in the same with goblins.
The Hobbit, Arthur Rankin & Jules Bass, Warner Bros Pictures (1977)
The irony of Bilbo's adventures into deep dark caverns is that he himself is described as living under the earth: "In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit. Not a nasty, dirty, wet hole, filled with the ends of worms and an oozy smell, nor yet a dry, bare, sandy hole with nothing in it to sit down on or to eat: it was a hobbit-hole, and that means comfort" – J.R.R. Tolkien, The Hobbit (1937).
The Silver Chair, Pauline Baynes (1953)
C. S. Lewis, Tolkein's longtime academic companion, also incorporated a deep subterranean plot within The Silver Chair, the fourth book in The Chronicles of Narnia. In this tale two English children are selected by the great and powerful lion Aslan to save the missing Narnian Prince Rilian. Eustace Scrubb and Jill Pole have many adventures through vast terrain including a trek through marsh-land and a city inhabited by giants. Eustace and Jill take shelter in a cave to escape the cannibalistic giants where they slip on a slope and fall deep into Underland.
Puddlegum the Marsh Wiggle, Pauline Baynes (1953)
Underland is inhabited by an army of small earthmen (gnomes) who are slaves to an enchantress Queen called the Lady of the Green Kirtle and who have spent a lifetime in eternal darkness. This enchantress is considered to be one in the same with the White Witch of Narina, who was defeated in the first book: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. She uses her power primarily for transformation. Once in Underland Eustace and Jill travel by boat across the Sunless Sea to a gigantic city, there they discover the missing Narnian Prince under enchantment. At one point the enchantress uses sorcery to try and convince the heroes that the world above does not exist.The evil Queen is eventually destroyed but not before she transforms into a giant serpent. The heroes thereafter flee from the underground kingdom which was tied to the witches magic and begins to collapse.
Hades, The Divine Comedy
Underland is similar to Hades the underworld in Greek Mythology. The Sunless Sea and the hopeless earthmen are strikingly similar to the ferryman Charon, who carries souls of the recently deceased across the rivers Styx and Acheron that separate the world of the living from the world of the dead. C. S. Lewis' characters are very similar to figures in Greek Myth who were told that once in Hades they could never leave and still managed to escape (Theseus, Odysseus, Orpheus, etc.).
John R. Neill (1908)
Dorothy of Oz fame even has an adventure under the earth. L. Frank Baum's fourth Oz book titled: Dorothy and the Wizard in Oz, written in 1908, features unusual subterranean adventures. At the very beginning of this tale Dorothy and her cousin Zeb are riding together in a buggy when an earthquake occurs and pulls the two deep into the earth along with Dorothy's cat Eureka and a horse named Jim. The group falls into a land called Mangaboo which boasts a race of vegetable people. The Mangaboo's condemn Dorothy and Zeb for bringing with them Rain of Stones. The group is sentenced to death but saved when a mysterious balloon appears carrying The Wizard of Oz.
Dorothy & the Wizard in Oz, John R. Neill (1908)
An underground Nome Kingdom is featured throughout the Oz series predominantly in Ozma of Oz (1907), Dorothy and the Wizard in Oz (1908) and Tik-Tok of Oz (1914). The Nome Kingdom stretches throughout Oz and even under the impassable Deadly Dessert. This is where the Nome King resides and in the literary world he is a greater threat to Oz than any of the witches.
Alice in Wonderland, Walt Disney Pictures (2010)
In Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland, 2010, Alice returns to Wonderland after being away for a great amount of time. Upon returning to the surreal landscape Alice discovers that when she was younger she had the name wrong and it was actually called: Underland. This is perhaps an homage to Lewis Carroll's original text title Alice's Adventures Underground.
Underground is the title track and song for Jim Henson's 1986 film titled Labyrinth. The film boasts the most traditional character found underground, goblins, along with the Goblin King played by David Bowie. There are many significant moments in the film when the main character Sarah (Jennifer Connelly) falls down and finds herself in more mysterious circumstances. One of the most visually stunning moments of the film is when she slips into a dream state and finds herself at a masked ball with the mysterious Goblin King, who sings a song titled: As the World Falls Down. The entire ballroom scene appears to be within a bubble. In the end of the film when Sarah defeats the Goblin King she falls out of the sky back into her bedroom, a sort of backwards exit from the Underground.
Labyrinth, Universal Pictures (1986)
Many myths are adapted from others. The Mayans had many wells and sinkholes which were believed to host magical and spiritual powers. The Hopi tribe of America has a creation myth that begins inside the earth. They believe that their people traveled through four worlds before they climbed out of the earth into this one. New-Age philosophers speak of Agartha a peaceful inner earth realm that can be related to the Tibetan Buddhist's Shambala. It seems as if every culture has at one point pondered or mythicized the subterranean worlds that exist under our feet.
Mayan sinkhole in Tulum Mexico, Picture by Patrik Gustafsson, National Geographic 2014
Source Material:
The Silver Chair, C. S. Lewis, Macmillan Publishing Co. 1953
Dorothy and the Wizard in Oz, L. Frank Baum, Dover Publishing Co. 1984
