Lions in Scotland??

[Ozman1944]

Don't forget there is a lot of Lion imagery in the Bible. Sampson & the lion, "Lion of Judah" etc.
North Africa was once a big Christian center, Crusaders, knights & pilgrims to the Holy land could've seen lions on their travels.

[gilmore]

I doubt that anyone in Britain ever saw a dragon or a gryphon, but there they are as heraldric beasts.

[macwilkin]

I doubt that anyone in Britain ever saw a dragon or a gryphon, but there they are as heraldric beasts.

Exactly. The reason why beasts and other symbols are chosen in heraldry is for their symbolic attributes.

Our chief's crest is a Rampant Lion holding a dagger. I doubt anyone's seen a real lion doing that, but that doesn't take away the significance of the crest.

Look at it this way: many folks have used the double-headed eagle (the Byzantines, the Hapsburgs, etc.) to symbolize an Empire in the East and West. It's not about actually seeing a double-headed eagle.

Regards,

Todd

[David Thornton]

Ah, Ron. I'll loan you anything out of my library you wish to read (I have over 200 books on African adventure, hunting and history) and I think you will be amazed at how many Scots contribute the the mapping, exploration and hunting in Africa. I am sure you don't know, but I hunt every three years or so with (distant) cousin Sandy McDonald in S Africa. His father Alex McDonald was a pioneer in game farming S Africa. Game farming gave the native game animals value and thus saved them from extinction at the hands of natives and pioneers who wanted to turn the entire country into farmland, which it is not suited for.

Now I'll not pretend for a moment that that explains your question, but I assure you Scots explorers did indeed pursue adventure in Africa.

Hmm, I'm going back next year to see my sister, I could arrange a really cool personal kilted tour of S Africa, any takers?

David

[Cage]

slightly off time frame, but an interesting read...
Tower Lions

[ccga3359]

Let's not forget that the Romans occupied much of Britain two millennia ago. True they may not have been able to scale a 3' high wall to get into Scotland but they where pretty much everywhere else in Europe and Africa. could they have introduced the lion as a symbol? We also had King Richard the Lion-Hearted. As for dragons not existing, of interesting note they do show up in different cultures that had no connection with each other. And lastly might I remind you that there was a Stewart that saw a 6' rabbit that no one else saw!

[James MacMillan]

Let's not forget that the Romans occupied much of Britain two millennia ago. True they may not have been able to scale a 3' high wall to get into Scotland but they where pretty much everywhere else in Europe and Africa. could they have introduced the lion as a symbol? We also had King Richard the Lion-Hearted. As for dragons not existing, of interesting note they do show up in different cultures that had no connection with each other. And lastly might I remind you that there was a Stewart that saw a 6' rabbit that no one else saw!

Harvey! Good old Harvey! I love that flic, especially the end!

[macwilkin]

Let's not forget that the Romans occupied much of Britain two millennia ago. True they may not have been able to scale a 3' high wall to get into Scotland but they where pretty much everywhere else in Europe and Africa. could they have introduced the lion as a symbol? We also had King Richard the Lion-Hearted. As for dragons not existing, of interesting note they do show up in different cultures that had no connection with each other. And lastly might I remind you that there was a Stewart that saw a 6' rabbit that no one else saw!

Heraldry came to the British Isles long after the Romans did. Scottish monarch William I (The Lion) is credited with the adopting the Lion Rampant, as per my previous post, although other sources credit King Alexander II, whose seal displayed it in 1222. I think we are safe to say, though, that the Lion Rampant did not originate with the Romans or a six-foot pooka, but the House of Canmore.

Regards,

Todd

[gilmore]

...Look at it this way: many folks have used the double-headed eagle (the Byzantines, the Hapsburgs, etc.) to symbolize an Empire in the East and West. It's not about actually seeing a double-headed eagle.

Regards,

Todd

I recently read an anecdote about a prince from one of the eastern European royal or imperial families who was brought an eagle that had been killed on his estate. He refused to believe it was indeed an eagle, since it had only one head.

[McGurk]

Don't forget there is a lot of Lion imagery in the Bible. Sampson & the lion, "Lion of Judah" etc.
North Africa was once a big Christian center, Crusaders, knights & pilgrims to the Holy land could've seen lions on their travels.

I think that is probably the biggest factor in them knowing of lions. The bible these days carries less weight then it did back then. Back in those days, Kings where kings because it was gods will. The bible was also probably the most common book around and imagery from it would have been hugely polular.