Winged lion
{{Short description|Mythological creature}}
{{use mdy dates|date=June 2017}}
File:Michael Maier Atalanta Fugiens Emblem 16.jpeg, Atalanta Fugiens, by Michael Maier, first published in 1617]]
The winged lion is a mythological creature that resembles a lion with bird-like wings.
Mythical adaptations
The winged lion is found in various forms especially in ancient and medieval civilizations.
There were different mythological adaptions for the winged lion:
- On the beautiful ridges of that mountain flying-lion are inhibiting and they will be winching sharks, fish and elephant seals to their lairs. - from The Ramayana IIT translation.
- Lamassu or shedu in Mesopotamian mythology was depicted as a winged lion. It was often also depicted with a bull's body instead of a lion's body.
- The griffin in classical mythology was depicted as a lion-eagle creature. Griffin-like creatures were depicted in Egyptian and Persian mythology.
- The first beast in the first vision of the biblical prophet Daniel resembled a winged lion.
- The winged lion was the heraldic symbol of Mark the Evangelist.
- The goetic demon Vapula was depicted as a winged lion.
Emblems
The emblems of the winged lions were featured in different countries:
- The emblem of the Republic of Venice as the heraldic symbol of St. Mark the Evangelist, the patron saint of the Republic.
- The Lion of Venice is an ancient bronze sculpture of a winged lion that is located in the Piazzetta di San Marco, Venice.
- The flag of the short-lived Septinsular Republic, derived from the above (Ionian Islands under Venetian rule), has a winged lion on it.
- The logo of the Italian company Assicurazioni Generali which has a winged lion on it was derived from the above.
- The emblem of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Allied Joint Force Command Naples headquarters, in Italy, is a winged lion holding a sword and scroll on which is written {{lang|la|PAX}} - Latin for 'peace'.{{cite web |via=Facebook |title=70 years ago, when our command was established the Lion of St Mark was decided on as our symbol. |url=https://www.facebook.com/NATOJFCNAPLES/posts/70-years-ago-when-our-command-was-established-the-lion-of-st-mark-was-decided-on/220858100082134 |website=Allied Joint Force Command Naples - JFCNP |location=Italy |access-date=2021-09-24}}
- The emblem of the Chinese city of Nanjing is Bixie, a winged lion that wards off evils.
Gallery
File:Flag of the Septinsular Republic.svg|Flag of the Septinsular Republic
File:Palacio de Velázquez, Parque del Retiro, Madrid, España, 2017-05-18, DD 26.jpg|Palacio de Velázquez, Madrid
File:Pomník čs. letců v Anglii Praha Klárov - lev 3-4 profil zprava.JPG|Winged Lion Memorial, Prague, 2014
File:DEU Gießen COA.svg|Coat of arms of Giessen
File:Town Hall Square Leicester fountain detail.jpg|Leicester Town Square Fountain
File:Djerba Oil lamp.JPG|12th-century oil lamp from Khorasan
File:The Avenue Gardens P6110007.JPG|Regent's Park, London
File:Никољско јеванђеље.jpg|a page from the Nikolje gospels depicting a winged dragon
File:Nanjing_-_Chaotian_Palace_-_Bixie.jpg | Bixie, Emblem of Nanjing, China
See also
{{div col|colwidth=25em}}
- Aq Bars
- Chimera
- Griffin
- Lamassu
- Manticore
- Merlion
- Nemean lion
- Sea-lion
- Sphinx
- Winged cat
- Lion depictions in art
{{div col end}}
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
{{Commons category-inline|Winged lions}}