Winged lion

Winged lions from the emblem book, 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:

• Shedu or lamassu in Sumerian, Akkadian, and Sherdal in Persian mythology was depicted as a winged lion. He has often been depicted with a bull body instead of a lion body.
• 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.

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 PAX - Latin for 'peace'.

Gallery

• 
  Leopold II, Holy Roman Emperor in the regalia of the Order of the Golden Fleece, Schonbrunn Palace, 1806
• 
  Amos Kenan, Winged lion
• 
  Winged Lion Memorial, Prague, 2014
• 
  Leicester Town Square Fountain

See also

• Aq Bars
• Chimera
• Griffin
• Lamassu
• Manticore
• Merlion
• Nemean Lion
• Sea-lion
• Sphinx
• Winged cat

External links

Media related to Winged lions at Wikimedia Commons