Rampant Lions in European Heraldry

[OC Richard]

In looking at items with a Lion Rampant motif, I notice that there are various forms of lions.

This image showing a number of European lions has used the same style of lion for most of the Rampant Lions, save for the crowns, weapons, and double tails that some have.



But here each is given a different style of lion.



So does each country have a distinct style of Rampant Lion?

Or in Heraldry if it says "Lion Rampant" are you free to use any style of rampant lion you wish?

[Troglodyte]

Or in Heraldry if it says "Lion Rampant" are you free to use any style of rampant lion you wish?

Pretty much.

The heraldic artist will use his own style, or interpretation, of the device, as the important things are the colours and style which are noted in the heraldry registers.

The recorded descriptions of the arms are specific, but the way the arms are displayed or represented allows for a certain amount of licence. Different countries seem to favour particular styles for the various elements of arms, and different arms artists might give differing versions, but as long as the basic design is kept almost anything goes.

We see variations in complexity or simplicity of the same arms over the centuries (armigers whose arms date back to the Middle Ages show good examples, as new versions get illustrated periodically) and fashion seems to play a part, too.

The Scottish Lion Rampant banner seems to have changed little over time (why would it..?) but changing fashion can be seen in the way clan crests and clan chiefs' arms have changed over the past 100 years or so. But they are basically the same.

As an example, these two are those of my own clan - the one on the left is the older (original) version, whilst the one on the right is the newer version that has now become the standard.



If you have your own arms, you can choose the artist to depict them - some of the Spanish or German styles can be spectacular!

[Pleater]

You have not got a lion rampant guardant or regardant, I notice.
I'm a dreadful noticer.

You do have lions passant guardant - or regardant - they are, I think - different but I am not sure how. It is why I have such a need for sturdy bookshelves. I have a book of heraldry which must weigh 3lb.

The French ones are not called lions but leopards.

Anne the Pleater

[OC Richard]

I used to have that book! It was enormous.

It was an interesting read on a rainy day, but I ended up giving it away.

Wiki says this about the lion on the Scottish flag

a lion rampant Gules armed and langued Azure

(sky blue claws and tongue; it seems standard to have the claws and tongue a different colour from the rest of the lion).

What I find interesting is that the Scottish flag always seems to use the same drawing of a lion, while I see different styles regularly appearing on other flags, suggesting that it's not any rampant lion, but a specific drawing, that's associated with each flag, whatever the rules of Heraldry might be.