Lions have been, since Roman times and through the middle ages, an important symbol in most of Europe, appearing in crests, flags, etc. But... Where did the Europeans even learn about the existence of lions in the first place, since they are a sub-Saharan species? | AskHistorians Archive Observer

Lions have been, since Roman times and through the middle ages, an important symbol in most of Europe, appearing in crests, flags, etc. But... Where did the Europeans even learn about the existence of lions in the first place, since they are a sub-Saharan species?

by Velteau

Searocksandtrees

Hi, lions are a popular topic here, so you may be interested in a few earlier responses to related questions

Why are lions so prominent in the history of Europe? - /u/JoshoBrouwers discusses the symbolism of lions, and their former range
How common were wild lions in ancient Greece? - /u/plinythehipster talks more about their range and mentions in Greek lit
Did Europeans in the early and the high middle ages tame and import lions to Europe and Britain? - lions as prestige items (gifts, possessions)
How come the lion is part of the coat of arms for so many northern European countries (Sweden, Norway, Finland, Scotland, UK, Denmark) despite lions living exclusively in Africa? - more on prestige, and heraldry
Maned lions are ubiquitous in English iconography, heraldry and lore. Given that the last of the European lions died out in Greece around 100 BCE, this seems strange. Did lions take on a more mythical character than biological reality in medieval British minds? - more prestige

Off-topic, but you may be interested to know that there had been cave lions in Europe long ago: When did lions (cave or otherwise) die out in Italy?