Heraldry

[kgauck]

So called leopards are just lions in a particular posture.

[AndrewTall]

It makes sense for Haelyn, the god of noble warfare to have a lion as his totem animal, simply because the lion is the noble warrior of the beasts.

I must dissent. Male lions (the ones typically pictured) are more akin to scavengers and their combination of laziness and brutishness suit Belinik far more than Haelyn.

Give Haelyn a bear or a mastiff, far more noble warrior animals...

[cccpxepoj]

I must dissent. Male lions (the ones typically pictured) are more akin to scavengers and their combination of laziness and brutishness suit Belinik far more than Haelyn.

Give Haelyn a bear or a mastiff, far more noble warrior animals...

the beasts in heraldry have more mythological meaning, so lion is a animal that represents bravery and nobility.

[Jaleela]

In early armory, any lion that wasn't rampant was lion leopardé. Later it was applied to the lion passant guardant which gives us the "leopard of England".

[kgauck]

Lions are not scavengers, lions are hunters, but its not cost effective in terms of calories expended for males to hunt for themselves. The purpose of the male lion is to protect the pride (any species with significant sexual dimorphism has this going on). He's too big and heavy to hunt directly, since hunting is a huge energy expenduture, so the females hunt. But there are dangers on the veldt that the lionesses can't handle, and that's what the lion is for. That's why the pride only needs one of him.

[Beruin]

There might have been some Daniels and Herakles?s in the older history
of the Andu, perhaps even before the empire was born. Aduria with it?s
beastmen could be the place where lions dwell just as well as in the
khir-aften-el-Arrasi.

I like this rationalization. We know next to nothing of the ancient history of the five human tribes in Aduria, perhaps it's time to make up a few ancient Adurian myths...

[Gman]

I think Sir Thomas Malory had a book with a Hero who's Heraldry was a Lion conchant (I think thats the spelliing) and the Motto I sleep - wake me not.

Lion at rest or Lying down. I always liked that.

Lion is King of the Beasts and a symbol of pure physical power.
Its symbolism has been power and always associated with royalty and nobility.

[AndrewTall]

Lions are not scavengers, lions are hunters, but its not cost effective in terms of calories expended for males to hunt for themselves. The purpose of the male lion is to protect the pride

Hmm, I think it's laziness Males can hunt and do if unable to form a pride (i.e. driven off by an alpha male). I see them as definite Belinik types - gathering food is beneath them, fighting on the other hand...

Sexual diamorphism btw can also be a means of occupying two ecological niches, so avoiding having male and female compete against each other. Similar in a way to the way many species split into a gracile and heavyset form.