World Heritage Sites and Iconic Heritage Species™

Lions have contributed to our culture for millennia - can we contemplate a world without them?

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) has a programme to conserve sites of exceptional cultural or natural importance to the common heritage of humanity. There are about 890 listed sites in the world in 148 states. A World Heritage Site can be anything from a forest, mountain, monument, building, or even a city.

LION AID™ would like to introduce the concept of an Iconic Heritage Species™. Such wild species would come under the UNESCO umbrella of protection as considered important in terms of special international attention to conservation.

A World Heritage Site can be anything from a forest, mountain, monument, building, or even a city. Examples? The Taj Mahal in India, the Alhambra in Spain, the historic centers of Florence in Italy and St Petersburg in Russia, Robben Island in South Africa, the Serengeti National Park in Tanzania, Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe/Zambia….. the list is long and diversified.

Each World Heritage Site remains the property of the state in which it is located, but UNESCO, with 186 member states, considers each site worthy of preservation by the international community. Listed sites can obtain funds from the World Heritage Fund and/or member states for their conservation – Germany recently provided $32 million for programmes to maintain Tai National Park in Cote D’Ivoire.

How does a World Heritage Site get on the list? Well, countries must make a Tentative List of their significant cultural and natural possessions that is then evaluated by a series of steps before arriving at the World Heritage Committee to make their final decisions. A nominated site must meet at least one of ten selection criteria, ranging from representations of a masterpiece of human creative genius to “containing threatened species of outstanding universal value from the point of view of science or conservation” – hence the obvious inclusion of the Virunga National Park and mountain gorillas.

LION AID™ would like to introduce the concept of an Iconic Heritage Species™. Such wild species would come under the UNESCO umbrella of protection as considered important in terms of special international attention to conservation. These species would have to be readily identified with and interlinked with world culture through symbolism, iconography, imagery, allegory, literature, totems, fables, art, and so forth. In fact, criterion six of the World Heritage Site qualification list already expresses this well – “to be directly or tangibly associated with …ideas, or with beliefs, with artistic and literary works of outstanding universal significance”. 

These would not necessarily be endangered, threatened, or vulnerable species – there are mechanisms already in place to protect those (well, sort of….) through the IUCN, CITES, and a host of other NGOs. Some species in the United States, for example, are already protected through the Endangered Species Act, and while it would be difficult to justify the Pearl Spotted Owl or the Snail Darter as an Iconic Heritage Species™ by the above criteria, the United States could well propose the Bald Eagle on their Tentative List. The other 185 members of UNESCO could propose theirs.

LION AID™ would propose the lion. A species richly endowed with representation in world culture as a symbol of nobility, bravery, courage, steadfastness, loyalty – the list goes on. A species that should be considered endangered if it were not for vested interests, so how about if we propose an added layer of protection of lions through UNESCO? What a breakthrough that would be. Could considered programmes for the conservation of lions then not apply for funding from the World Heritage Fund or perhaps a separate Iconic Heritage Species™ Fund?

Of course, lions still occur (in greatly reduced numbers) in several African countries and are thus not as easily identifiable as a “site”. This is where the member states of UNESCO would need to draw together. Also, people might object to designation of an Iconic Heritage Species™ as being an anthropogenic concept rather than one reflective of actual conservation needs. But then think about this – can we as a world society afford to lose our icons because we are not inventive enough to propose novel ways to ensure their survival?

Why would LION AID™ propose the lion as an Iconic Heritage Species™ – read on!

History

Lions very likely have had an important impact on human evolution. Lion fossils dating back to about 3.5 million years ago have been found in deposits at Laetoli in Tanzania concurrent with some of the earliest hominids of that time. Even back then lions already were fearsome predators and top carnivores on the African plains where our distant ancestors struggled to survive. Early hominid populations of Homo erectus migrating outward from Africa into Europe and Asia found lions already established, calling for sharpened skills and spears to remain safe. A skull of Panthera leo fossilis dating back to 550,000 years ago was found in the same deposit as remains of Homo erectus heidelbergensis, and the oldest records of that lion subspecies come from Italy, dated at 700,000 bp. 
 
The continued development and proficiency in crafting stone tools in those days was probably as much attributable to increasing hunting ability as defensive ability. Lions must have had a tremendous impact on the shaping of intelligence of our ancestors – survival with such formidable predators was a strong natural selective force.

When early Homo sapiens arrived in Europe after migrating in the second wave of hominids originating from Africa, they again encountered established lions. These were now a bit smaller than Panthera leo fossilis, and have been called Panthera leo spelea, or cave lions. Not that they particularly lived in caves, but that was where their early fossil remains were found. Cave lions have a fossil record dating back to 370,000 years ago, and became extinct perhaps as recently as 10,000 years ago. Cave lions ranged widely, and their fossils have been found in England, Germany, Spain, Siberia, and Turkistan.

Lions and early human culture

Not surprisingly, Homo sapiens populations in Europe engaged in an early imagery of lions, representing them in cave paintings, ivory carvings (32,000 years old), and clay figurines – some have suggested that such artefacts implied early religious rituals. Our earliest representations of lions come from cave paintings in the Chauvet Cave in France, possibly dating to over 30,000 years ago. This is a truly remarkable depiction of female lions hunting as a pride, and we stand in awe of the amazing talents of the artists, the equivalent quality of rendition not seen until perhaps 1500 CE . The Lascaux Cave in France also has depictions of lions, dating from perhaps 16,000 years ago, seemingly more primitive than those at Chauvet.

Homo sapiens populations remaining behind in Africa, the original birthplace of lions, took a bit longer to make enduring representations of the species. This surely does not represent a lack of importance in lions in the African cultures, but rather a reflection of a more highly nomadic population than those in Europe where nutrition was probably more predictably available in any area on a yearly basis. Art took time and required dedicated talent from those temporarily relieved from the daily chores of gathering sustenance for their clans.

Dating of such African lion representations is also more difficult – the African representations usually occur on open rock faces either as petroglyphs or paintings and not necessarily in caves where occupation dates can be estimated by C14 dates. Nevertheless, lion representations abound.

Egypt

Among other African societies, Egyptian culture had a close association with lions, dating well back to the days of the Pharaohs. Egypt has probably one of the best known representations of a lion – the Sphinx, a statue of monumental proportions built about 2550 BCE by the Pharaoh Khafre, who also might have built the second pyramid at Giza. The Sphinx, with the head of perhaps Khafre on the body of a lion, represented a deity protecting the Pharaohs. Later Pharaohs were also depicted as sphinxes, and Bast, the cat goddess of protection, was originally portrayed as a lion. The Egyptian war goddess Sekhmet was typically illustrated as a woman with the head of a lioness, and during the time of the New Kingdom (about 1400 BCE) the Nubian gods Maahes and Dedun were illustrated as lions – thus associated with war, protection and wealth. It is also proposed that a sacred lioness was responsible for the seasonal floods of the Nile valley, bringing renewed crops and food for the inhabitants.

Ancient Greece and Babylonia

Lions guarded the gate of ancient city of Mycenae in Greece, and were greatly represented in Babylon (present Iraq) – a cradle of civilization. The Myceanean gate lions survive to this day, and in ancient Greece the most celebrated lion in mythology was the Nemean lion, killed by Heracles (Hercules) with his bare hands as one of his 12 tasks assigned by his king. Samson also killed a lion, more about that later. The Nemean lion is thought to be represented as the constellation of Leo and as one of the later 12 signs of the Zodiac. Lions are also richly represented on early Grecian coins.

The Babylonian goddess Ishtar drove a chariot pulled by seven lions, and the lion was regarded as a symbol of kingship in Mesopotamia. The statue of the Lion of Babylon clearly bears an incision in the shape of a saddle perhaps meant for Ishtar, and stands over a human figure, perhaps denoting the demise of an enemy. King Nebuchadnezzar (605-563 BCE) incorporated a lion on the wall of his throne room.

India and the Far East

Lions survive in India to this day, in the small Gir Forest reserve where the lions lead a strange existence with resident villagers and their cattle on the western coast. There are maybe 250 of these Indian lions left, Panthera leo persica, the only currently recognized lion subspecies in addition to Panthera leo leo, the African lion. The Gir lions are but a small remnant of a population once distributed across central Asia.

Not surprisingly, lions are represented widely in Indian culture. For example, one of the Hindu deities is Narasimha, an avatar of Vishnu described in several ancient texts and one of Hinduism’s most popular deities. Narasimha is portrayed as a half man-half lion, and the image worshipped as a deity especially in the south, where he is known as the Great Protector, defending and protecting devotees in times of need. Narasimha is usually portrayed in the act of killing the tyrant demon-king Hiranyakashipu. Lions are considered sacred animals by Hindus.
Singh is an ancient Vedic name meaning lion, and was originally used by the Rajputs, a military caste. However, in 1699 the Sikhs also adopted the name Singh, and thus along with millions of Hindu Rajputs, the name is used by over 20 million Sikhs worldwide.

Lions form the Emblem of India, and the lion is also symbolic for the Sinhalese, Sri Lanka’s ethnic majority. The term is derived from the word Sinhala, meaning either the “lion people” or “people with lion blood”, and a lion holding a sword is central to the national flag of Sri Lanka.
China, Taiwan, Japan, Tibet

Although fossils of Panthera leo spelea have been found in Siberia, there is no evidence that lions ever occurred in China. Nevertheless, lions occur widely in Chinese Japanese, and Taiwanese art and culture – it is thought that the lion was introduced by buddhist missionaries from India in the 1st Century CE. The Chinese people believe that lions protect against evil spirits – the Chinese New Year traditional Lion Dance serves to scare away demons. In China and Taiwan, and to a lesser extent in Japan, paired guardian lion statues are placed on either side of the entrance, the male on the right, and the female on the left. The male guards the building and the female those inside. Guardian lions were also a sign of status and wealth, and almost every entrance in the Imperial Palace in the Forbidden City is guarded by lions. Lions feature prominently in many Japanese Kabuki plays and traditional tales and legends.

In Tibet, a mythical “Snow Lion” features prominently in culture, and was part of the Tibetan Flag until 1959 – now a symbol of the independence movement. Snow Lions are protectors, and symbolize fearlessness, cheerfulness, and the Earth element.

Lions and Christianity

Lions receive considerable mention in the Bible, and perhaps the best known passage comes from the Book of Daniel, where he is thrown into the lion’s den and miraculously survives. Samson killed a lion with his bare hands in Judges 14, and poses a riddle about bees nesting in the carcass to test the faithfulness of Delilah. Mark the Evangelist is symbolized by a lion as a mark of courage and nobility. The lion also symbolizes Christ as king – The Lion of Judah.

Medieval lions and the Bestiaries

In Europe, Bestiaries, or descriptions of the characteristics of animals in illustrated volumes, became popular in the Middle Ages – especially around the 12th century in England and France. The often fanciful metaphors of the natural history of each animal were accompanied by moral lessons, reflecting the belief that every animal was created by God and thus that all animals had their own special meaning in symbolism of early Christian art and literature.

The earliest Bestiaries compiled “knowledge” of the animals from early naturalists like Aristotle, Herodotus, and Pliny the Elder who had this to say about lions in the 1st century:

“ Lions are found in Europe only between the rivers Achelous and Mestus; these lions are stronger than those of Syria and Africa. There are two kinds of lions: a timid kind, with curly manes; and a long-haired kind that is bold. They drink infrequently, and eat only every other day, sometimes fasting for three days after a large meal. If a lion eats too much, it will reach down its throat with its claws and pull out the meat from its stomach. The lion is the only animal that spares people who prostrate themselves before it. When angry it attacks men, not women, and only attacks children when extremely hungry. A lion’s greatest strength is in its chest, and its blood is black. When a mother lion is defending her cub from hunters, she looks at the ground so as not to be intimidated by the sight of the hunter’s spears. Lions are frightened by turning wheels, empty chariots, crowing cocks, and fire.”

St Isidore of Seville, writing in the 7th century (Etymologies, Book 12, 2:3-6), among others, creatively expanded on the early texts to include religious messages and moral content in the Bestiaries. Their imaginary stories about these animals, however, were generally accepted as true:

“The lion is the king of all beasts, thus its name in Greek (leo) means “king” in Latin. The kind of lion with a curly mane is weak, but the ones with straight hair are larger and more violent. Their courage is seen in their front and tail; their endurance is in the head; and their strength is in the chest. If they are surrounded by hunters with spears, they look at the ground so as not to become frightened. They are afraid of the sound of wheels but even more so of fire. They sleep with their eyes open. When lions walk, they erase their tracks with their tail so hunters cannot follow them. When they give birth to a cub, it is thought to sleep for three days and nights, until the place where it sleeps is shaken by the roar of the father, which wakes it. Lions can fight with their claws and their teeth even while they are cubs. Lions will only attack a man when they are extremely hungry; otherwise they are so gentle that they cannot be provoked unless they are struck. They spare anyone who prostrates himself and allow captives to return home.”

As the lion was considered the King of Beasts, their description usually comes first in all Bestiaries, and is given the longest treatment of all species by the authors.

Lions were supposed to have three “natures”: they would erase their tracks with their tails when hunted, they always slept with their eyes open, and their cubs were born dead (only to be brought back to life on the third day when the male roared over them). Other authors of Bestiaries said the newborns slept for three days until the male roared or the female breathed on them.

These three “natures” – all untrue of course – assumed considerable meaning in the Christian allegory of Medieval times. Lions erasing their tracks represented the way Jesus obscured and concealed his divinity except to his trusted followers. Lions sleeping with their eyes open had many meanings – either representing God who never sleeps as he watches over his children, representing Jesus as the Lion of Judah as being always alert and watchful, or representing Jesus physically dead after the crucifixion while spiritually alive in his divine nature. And the cubs being born dead and revived after three days by the male roaring over them represented God waking Jesus after three days in his tomb.

Lions were also supposed to exemplify moral living – lions would not attack a man lying down, would allow captive men to leave, would not attack women (children occasionally, but only when very hungry!), and were not easily angered. In short, people should reflect these behaviours by being slow to anger and quick to forgiveness.

The illustrated Bestiaries undoubtedly gave rise to many coats of arms prominently figuring lions – Richard the Lionheart assumed a coat of arms with three lions remarkably similar to the current coat of arms of England, and also highly similar to illustrations in the Bestiaries.

Islam, Turkish, and Mongol associations

All incorporated a symbolic association of lions and royalty in a repeated lion and sun motif. Lions are more highly represented than any other animal.

The Lion and Sun emblem was long associated with Iran, popular in the 12th Century, and became a part of the national flag between 1576 and 1979 when it was replaced by the revolution.

The lion had many historical associations. The symbol became associated with Shia Islam, and the lion and the sun represented the two pillars of society, the state and the Islamic religion. However, during the reign of Fat’h Ali Shah Qajar (1797-1834) the Islamic aspect of the monarchy was de-emphasized. The lion then assumed a symbolic representation of the heroes of Iran ready to protect the country against enemies and as a representation of the monarchy.

Modern day lions

If anything, the representation of lions in universal culture has increased greatly, maintaining all the historical and symbolic attributes of courage, protection, strength, and fortitude. Cities are named after lions, the nation of Singapore is named after lions, lions feature as statues in Trafalgar Square, Disney makes films about lions, nature programs feature lions, picture books are produced about lions, Aesop’s fables about lions are again popular, poetry features lions, their images occur on bank notes, company logos, tourism brochures – in short, lions are interwoven with human culture and society, and will continue to be.

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