Asiatic Lion - Asiatic Lion in Mythology and Art

Asiatic Lion in Mythology and Art

For more details on this topic, see Cultural depictions of lions.

• Found famously on numerous flags and coats of arms all across Asia and Europe, the Asiatic lion also appears on the Emblem of India and the flag of Sri Lanka.
• Narasimha (Narasingh or Narasinga - man-lion) is described as an incarnation (avatar) of Vishnu within the Puranic texts of Hinduism and is worshiped as "Lion God". Thus, Indian or Asiatic lions which were commonly found throughout most of India in ancient times are considered sacred by all Hindus in India.
• The Sinhalese are the majority ethnic group of Sri Lanka. The name Sinhala translates to "lion's blood" or "lion people" and refers to the myths regarding the descent of the legendary founder of the Sinhalese people 2500 years ago, Prince Vijaya, who is said to have migrated from Singhapur (Simhapura or Singur). The name Sinhala comes from the belief that Vijaya's paternal grandfather was a lion. An alternative theory places Singhapur in modern Sihor, which happens to be close to the Gir Sanctuary.
• Singh is a common Sikh and Hindu surname meaning "lion" (Asiatic lion), dating back over 2000 years to ancient India. It derives from the Sanskrit word sinha, which means lion. It was originally only used by Rajputs, a Hindu kshatriya or military caste in India since the seventh century. After the birth of the Khalsa brotherhood in 1699, the Sikhs adopted the name "Singh" at the direction of Guru Gobind Singh. As this name was associated with higher classes and royalty, this action was to combat the prevalent caste system and discrimination by last name. Along with millions of Hindu Rajputs today, it is also used by up to 10 million Sikhs worldwide. In Sri Lanka, the names "singha" or "singham" are used as an ending of many surnames (i.e. "Weerasingha" meaning "courageous lion" used by the Sinhalese people and "Veerasingham", meaning the same, used by the Tamil people).
• Singhāsana (seat of a lion) is the traditional Sanskrit name for the throne of a Hindu kingdom in India and Sinhalese kingdom in Sri Lanka since antiquity.
• The island nation of Singapore (Singapura) derives its name from the Malay words singa (lion) and pura (city), which in turn is from the Sanskrit सिंह siṃha and पुर pura. According to the Malay Annals, this name was given by a 14th-century Sumatran Malay prince named Sang Nila Utama, who, on alighting the island after a thunderstorm, spotted an auspicious beast on shore that his chief minister identified as an Asiatic lion. Recent studies of Singapore indicate lions have never lived there, and the animal seen by Sang Nila Utama was likely a tiger.
• The Asiatic lion makes repeated appearances in the Bible, most notably as having fought Samson in the Book of Judges.
• The Asiatic lion is the basis of the lion dances that form part of the traditional Chinese New Year celebrations, and of similar customs in other Asian countries.

• Chinese guardian lions: The lion is not indigenous to China, but Asiatic lions were found in neighboring India, as well as western Tibet. These Asiatic lions found in Indian temples are the models for those depicted in Chinese art. Buddhist priests, or possibly traders, possibly brought descriptions to China of sculpted lions guarding the entry to temples. Chinese sculptors then used the description to model "Fo-Lions" (Fo 佛 being Chinese for Buddha) temple statues after native dogs (possibly the Tibetan Mastiff) by adding a shaggy mane. Depictions of these "Fo-lions" have been found in Chinese religious art as early as 208 BC.

• The Tibetan Snow Lion (Tibetan: གངས་སེང་གེ་; Wylie: gangs seng ge) is a mythical animal of Tibet. It symbolizes fearlessness, unconditional cheerfulness, the eastern quadrant and the element of Earth. It is said to range over mountains, and is commonly pictured as being white with a turquoise mane. Two snow lions appear on the flag of Tibet.
• A lion-faced dakini also appears in Hinduism and Tibetan Buddhism. The Hindu deity is known as Narasimha and the Tibetan Buddhist form is known as Siṃhamukhā in Sanskrit and Senge Dongma (Wyl. seng ge gdong ma) in Tibetan.
• The symbol of the lion is closely tied to the Persian people. Achaemenid kings were known to carry the symbol of the lion on their thrones and garments. The Shir-va-Khorshid, or Lion and Sun, is one of the most prominent symbols of Iran. It dates back to the Safavid dynasty, and was used on the flag of Iran until 1979.