How did lions, a big cat from Africa, gain such prominence in Heraldry and European nobility?

by Orthas

I was watching Robbin Hood: Men in Tights, and Richard the Lionheart comes on screen and I got curious how an animal from another continent came to symbolize things like royalty, courage, and other virtues in Heraldry?

gynnis-scholasticus

This is a topic that has come up often before, and a basic answer is the lion's presence in Greco-Roman literature and its prominence in the Bible. There are some good previous answers by users on this subreddit:

  • Here is a part of the FAQ, which links to two answers to the question
  • Here is a comment by u/jschooltiger which links to several answers by various users
  • There is also a more recent answer by u/Wertherongdn to an adjacent question

I hope this was helpful!