Lion of Gripsholm Castle
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The Lion of Gripsholm Castle (Swedish: Lejonet på Gripsholms slott) is a taxidermied lion that is presented on a mount in Gripsholm Castle, Sweden. It has been retroactively regarded as poorly executed and comically deformed, drawing amusement and speculation since it was created in the 18th century.[1][2][3][4][5]
In 1731, the dey of Algiers, Baba Abdi, presented King Frederick I of Sweden with a lion, one of the first lions in Scandinavia.[6] When alive, the lion was kept in a cage near Junibacken. When the lion died, it was stuffed and mounted. There are two main theories that give insight into an explanation of the exaggerated features of the restoration. A popular theory is that the taxidermist and the museum-keepers may have never actually seen a lion before, and did not know how they were supposed to look.[7] The lion has a ferocious appearance only from the side, which also explains the inaccuracies in the rest of the body, as the taxidermist may have simply focused on the intended viewing perspective.[8]
References
[edit]- ↑ "Bad taxidermy: The lion at the castle of Gripsholm". Doobybrain. August 17, 2011. Archived from the original on 9 March 2014. Retrieved 9 March 2014.
- ↑ "The lion of Gripsholm's castle". As Good as it gets. 11 April 2011. Archived from the original on 8 July 2014. Retrieved 9 March 2014.
- ↑ "The stuffed lion of Gripsholm's Castle". The Proceedings of the Ever so Strange. Archived from the original on 9 March 2014. Retrieved 9 March 2014.
- ↑ Eddy, Max (11 April 2011). "18th Century Taxidermy Unkind to Noble Lion". Archived from the original on 8 March 2014. Retrieved 9 March 2014.
- ↑ Miss Cellania (12 April 2011). "The Lion of Gripsholm Castle". Mentalfloss. Archived from the original on 5 March 2014. Retrieved 9 March 2014.
- ↑ "Le lion empaillé de Gripsholm". La Boite Verte. 28 March 2011. Archived from the original on 9 March 2014. Retrieved 9 March 2014.
- ↑ "The Greatest Castles in Sweden: Uncovering Magical Swedish Castles". Exploring Castles. Archived from the original on 9 March 2014. Retrieved 9 March 2014.
- ↑ Mikkelson, David (2021-06-05). "The Lion of Gripsholm". Snopes. Retrieved 2025-08-20.