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Animals and the cultures that worshipped them
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The lion, the tiger, and the grizzly are all three very impressive and worthy of admiration; else this debate would not be happening.
 
Another perfect example @Polar
European empires always speak of the grizzly and not the polar bear but it obviously has nothing to do with its formidability but due to the lack of knowledge about the species. I'm sure any culture that lives in polar bear habitat once worshipped the great beast as well.
The polar bear is the monarch of his icy domain without a doubt. Once in the ocean, he must keep a watch out for yet another king; the orca.
(01-04-2016, 05:22 AM)brotherbear Wrote: The polar bear is the monarch of his icy domain without a doubt. Once in the ocean, he must keep a watch out for yet another king; the orca. In my opinion: Polar Bear - King of the Frost Brown Bear - King of the Carnivores (strongest pound-for-pound and lived with almost every single carnivore during its history in small and big sizes.) Tiger - King of the Jungle Lion - King of the Grassland Orca pod/Large shark - Kings of the Water ...but that's only my opinion, of course. By the way, how did this thread go from how "lions are social" to how "lions resemble humans?" I feel as if this thread should be reverted back to its original position.  (01-04-2016, 02:55 AM)GrizzlyClaws Wrote: Well, instead of arguing which civilization/culture is more superior, I think it is far more critical to save the original lion population that was once venerated by the ancient civilizations. I agree, as a matter of fact the whole arguing started in the other thread which is about "Why are lions social animals" where we supposed to talk about Lion not other animals. The point was not to give info about other animals but about the Lions. It is like going to a live concert of Metallica and asking to them to play Jazz, because Jazz is also cool or you like it better as Metal. If you like Jazz go to a Jazz concert. it is simple. how can we save the West African Lion? I see there are only very few left.
it is easy to see why the Roman Emperor Constantine hand-picked the lion as the new "King of Beasts." The mane which he wears like a crown. The thunderous roar. The fact that he surrounds himself with a harem of females which do nearly all of the hunting for him. And perhaps for the battles he must fight to hold his place "upon the throne."
(01-04-2016, 06:05 PM)LionKiss Wrote:(01-04-2016, 02:55 AM)GrizzlyClaws Wrote: Well, instead of arguing which civilization/culture is more superior, I think it is far more critical to save the original lion population that was once venerated by the ancient civilizations. I mean, besides making Lions seem that they have human characteristics, time is the deciding factor to determine WHEN an animal displays "human characteristics," not who favors that animal. (01-04-2016, 07:50 PM)brotherbear Wrote: it is easy to see why the Roman Emperor Constantine hand-picked the lion as the new "King of Beasts." The mane which he wears like a crown. The thunderous roar. The fact that he surrounds himself with a harem of females which do nearly all of the hunting for him. And perhaps for the battles he must fight to hold his place "upon the throne." I mean the tiger could've been chosen instead of the lion due to its more deeper roar (not louder), its territorial instinct and killer aggression to get things done, and the fact that the resident tiger can prowl its territory in peace and not be disturbed by the various females around itself. Also, it can hunt large prey for its females to eat from it whenever they feel like it, and the tiger also has an awesome coat.
A king takes care of his subjects, the opposite doesn't occur often. In tigers, the resident male must hunt and provide for the female and its cubs; pretty much a trend present in all populations of tigers. Now lions, on the other hand, do have diferent trends according to population: some depend on the females to hunt, and others depend on themselves to hunt (those populations in where the males hunt normally have more nomadic males than resident males). But the females of both species can hunt for themselves if they decide to.
Tigers will also steal kills away from females and Male lion will let females and cubs feed on a carcass too. Every theory we think we know about a wild cat can be proven wrong.
Thats the best thing about it, nature never plays by our rules. The Tiger in Chinese Culture Throughout Chinese history, the tiger has incited a sense of both awe and admiration: its prowess, its ferocity, its beauty, and the harmony of the opposites. The tiger is full of life and embodies the spirit and drive to achieve and make progress. The tiger has been common in the southern provinces of China, and in Manchuria in northeast China, and revered by the Chinese as a creature with many symbolic attributes. Each direction of the compass is traditionally believed to be ruled by a mythical creature; the White Tiger is the ruler of the West. The tiger is also associated with autumn, when it comes down from the mountains into villages, and is personified by the constellation Orion, which is prominent in autumn. In Chinese astrology, the start Alpha of the Great Bear constellation gave birth to the first tiger. The tiger represents the masculine principle in nature and is king of all the animals, as shown by the four stripes on his forehead, which form the character Wang, or Prince. The tiger is regarded as one of the four super-intelligent creatures, along with the dragon, phoenix and tortoise; for centuries, the four have been a major design motif in Chinese art. In southern China, on the tiger's birthday, on the second moon in the lunar calendar, fixed in the Western calendar as March 6, women worship the White Tiger. They place paper images of the tiger in their homes to keep away rats and snakes and prevent quarrels. On this date, effigies of the tiger are also put in front of temple buildings for people to make offerings. The God of Wealth, the deified Marshal Chao Gongming (Chao Kungming), is depicted riding a black tiger and holding a silver ingot. The Chinese call an able general a "tiger general" and a brave soldier, a "tiger warrior". In Chinese folk tales, tigers kill evil men and protect good men. Tiger charms are used to keep away disease and evil, and babies are given colourfully embroidered tiger shoes for protection. Tiger images frequently decorate children's clothing and tops. The "Tiger Claw" (hu chao) amulet is believed to ward off sudden fright and give the wearer the courage of the tiger. Because the tiger wards off disasters, it is popular as one of the nine gods worshipped at the New Year Festival. Tiger images are painted on the walls of homes and temples to keep away evil spirits. Dragon-Tiger Mountain is the name for the palace of the hereditary head of the Daoist religion, located in the Dragon Tiger Mountains of Jiangxi Province, east of the capital city of Nanchang. Zhang Daoling (Chang Tao-ling), the "First Master of Heaven" in the Daoist religion, is depicted riding a tiger and carrying a demon-dispelling sword as he escorts the dead to their final destination. A Daoist legend tells of two brothers who took on the role of protecting human beings by capturing demons and throwing them to tigers. As the enemies of evil spirits, especially those who torment the dead, tigers are carved on tombs and monuments. The Chinese system of feng shui (geomancy) requires that a burial site be higher on the right side, the stronger side of the body, so that the White Tiger can guard it; the Azure Dragon guards the left side, the body's weaker side. The tiger is the third animal in the 12-year animal Zodiac. People born in the Year of the Tiger are thought to be brave, strong, stubborn and sympathetic. The tiger represents the greatest earthly power, as well as protection over human life. It chases away the so-called "three disasters": fire, thieves and ghosts. The tiger is historically a Chinese cultural symbol. It has inspired imagination, stories, paintings, and poetry with the tiger: the earliest tiger statue was found in the Neolithic period in China 7000 years ago; the Year of the Tiger, tiger shoes or hats; the Tiger seal, Tiger Tally and Tiger General. There are also idioms and poetic renderings such as: Tiger roaring & dragon singing-the world is peaceful; Mountain and Valley replying- the people are wealthy and the country strong. In 2010 the Bradshaw Foundation participated in the Third Annual Rock Art Festival & Seminar, held at the Yinchuan Museum and the Northern Nationalities University in Yinchuan, China. As part of this Field Trip the Bradshaw Foundation viewed the rock art carvings of the remote Helan Mountains of Inner Mongolia. In the Chinese Zodiac, 2010 is the year of the Tiger, an animal that occupies special significance in both Chinese culture and rock art.  *This image is copyright of its original author 'Tiger' ('Hu') represents 'the king of the mountains'. It is seen as powerfull and full of courage and dignity. Since ancient times, Chinese people have worshiped and honoured the tiger. In China today, there are many folk-customs and festival days involved with the tiger: people paste pictures of tigers onto doors or windows of their houses in order to be protected; the new-born infants are often named as "Tiger Boy" (Hu Wa) or "Tiger Girl" (Hu Niu) with the hope of their parents that they will grow up as vigorously as a tiger; soldiers are also called "the Tiger military officer" for their bravery. As early as the Neolithic Age, the ancient people living in China's Helan Mountains have taken advantage of a special technique of art known as 'Rock Art' ('Yan Hua'), creating images of the tiger to show their worship. The ancient people regarded tigers as a kind of totem, and hoped that they could derive strength from them so as to become immune to all kinds of disasters. They also hope that their tribes became prosperous and everlasting with the blessing endowed by the tiger. In 2010 the Bradshaw Foundation participated in the Third Annual Rock Art Festival & Seminar, held at the Yinchuan Museum and the Northern Nationalities University in Yinchuan, China. As part of this Field Trip the Bradshaw Foundation viewed the rock art carvings of the remote Helan Mountains of Inner Mongolia. In the Chinese Zodiac, 2010 is the year of the Tiger, an animal that occupies special significance in both Chinese culture and rock art. *This image is copyright of its original author 'Tiger' ('Hu') represents 'the king of the mountains'. It is seen as powerfull and full of courage and dignity. Since ancient times, Chinese people have worshiped and honoured the tiger. In China today, there are many folk-customs and festival days involved with the tiger: people paste pictures of tigers onto doors or windows of their houses in order to be protected; the new-born infants are often named as "Tiger Boy" (Hu Wa) or "Tiger Girl" (Hu Niu) with the hope of their parents that they will grow up as vigorously as a tiger; soldiers are also called "the Tiger military officer" for their bravery. As early as the Neolithic Age, the ancient people living in China's Helan Mountains have taken advantage of a special technique of art known as 'Rock Art' ('Yan Hua'), creating images of the tiger to show their worship. The ancient people regarded tigers as a kind of totem, and hoped that they could derive strength from them so as to become immune to all kinds of disasters. They also hope that their tribes became prosperous and everlasting with the blessing endowed by the tiger. http://www.bradshawfoundation.com/china_tiger/index.php Tiger in Chinese Culture Tiger is a very special animal in Chinese Culture. The pattern on the forehead of a tiger is very similar to the Chinese character which means "king", so Chinese people believe that tiger must be the natural-born king.  *This image is copyright of its original author Tiger is a fierce and powerful beast that is normally considered extremely dangerous for human. However, in traditional Chinese culture, tiger is also a lucky symbol. Tiger, together with other lucky animals such as Chinese Loong (formerly translated as dragon) and Kylin (formerly translated as unicorn), is the protector of Chinese people. While almost all the lucky animals in Chinese culture are fictional, tiger is the rare one that exists in real world. The Chinese adore tiger for many reasons. For instance, it was written in the Book of Rites as early as over two thousand years ago that "tigers are good for people because they eat boars, which are harmful to crops in the field". That book also says cats are good for people because they eat rats. From this we can see how powerful a tiger is: it can catch boars as easily as a cat can catch rats. Powerful, helpful and beautiful, tigers are almost perfect. In China, tiger is often used to metaphorize great people. Energetic young people are called "litter tigers", which shows people's expectations in them. Traditionally, children would wear hats and shoes made in the shape of a tiger's head in the New Year time for the belief that tigers would protect them from evils. However, because of what people have done to the environment for the last century, the number of tigers has been decreasing at a tremendous speed. There are still quite a number of tigers in the zoo, but the wild tigers are almost extinct. China is the hometown of tigers, but wild tigers have not shown up in China for decades. It is a sorrowful pity for all the people that love tigers. If tiger really went extinct in the future, people might say that it was fictional just like the rest of the Chinese lucky animals! How tragic! Please protect and save tigers! Editor: Feng Hui
Worship of the Cave Lion
 *This image is copyright of its original author We think of lions, today, as African animals. This is mostly true. However, there is still a tiny refugium of non-African lions, isolated in the Kathiawar peninsula of India, and centred on the Gir forest reserve. Here, 400 or so Asian lions eke out an existence, beset on all sides by people and farmland, the last remnants of an empire that once spread from Tunisia via Turkey to the Tigris and beyond. But, even this is only a fraction of the range that lions once held. During the Pleistocene, highly differentiated lion subspecies (or perhaps separate species, opinion is divided) roamed from Spain to Siberia, through the steppes of Beringia, and into the Americas as far south as Mexico. Their fossils are surprisingly common in Britain too. In fact, excavation of the site of Trafalgar square uncovered a number of lion fossils where now their equally impressive bronze cousins lie today. The cave lion (Panthera spelaea) occupied all of Eurasia and Beringia. The closely related American lion (Panthera atrox) was found over the contiguous lower 48 states.  *This image is copyright of its original author The cave lion is, and was, a pretty special felid. Considerably larger than modern lions, it was the apex predator of the Pleistocene food web (with perhaps some competition from Homotherium). As it lived in Europe at the same time as anatomically modern humans, it has been depicted in numerous pieces of parietal and portable art. The cave walls of Chauvet and Lascaux contain brilliantly realistic images of this extinct animal, showing that it lived in prides, and that males were maneless. We know this because in a few images, the adult male scrotum is obvious, and the mane is absent.  *This image is copyright of its original author It also seems that early Europeans had some kind of cultural affinity for the cave lion. One of the most amazing pieces of art to come from this period, exquisitely crafted from mammoth ivory, shows a half-lion, half-human chimera. This löwenmensch, as it is known in german, testifies to some kind of ritual or mythic importance for the cave lion in the culture of the time. Like the venus figurines, löwenmensch, have been found at multiple sites, showing that the idea was not just an isolated one but shared amongst communities  *This image is copyright of its original author Further reading: Nice piece by the Telegraph, featuring our very own Ross Barnett: ‘Super-sized lions’ roamed UK in Ice Age. Barnett, R., et al. (2014), ‘Revealing the maternal deomgraphic history of Panthera leo using ancient DNA and a spatially explicit genealogical analysis’, BMC Evolutionary Biology, 14, 70. [Full Article] Barnett, R., et al. (2009), ‘Phylogeography of lions (Panthera leo ssp.) reveals three distinct taxa and late Pleistocene reduction in genetic diversity’, Molecular Ecology, 18 (8), 1668-77. [Abstract] Conard, N. J. (2003), ‘Palaeolithic ivory sculptures from southwestern Germany and the origins of figurative art’, Nature, 426 (6968), 830-32. [Abstract] Franks, J. W. (1960), ‘Interglacial deposits at Trafalgar Square’, The New Phytologist, 59, 145-150Montellano-Ballesteros, M. and Carbot-Chanona, G. (2009), ‘Panthera leo atrox (Mammalia: Carnivora: Felidae) in Chiapas, Mexico’, The Southwestern Naturalist, 54 (2), 217-22. [Abstract] Montellano-Ballesteros, M., and G. Carbot-Chanona (2009). ‘Panthera Leo Atrox (Mammalia: Carnivora: Felidae) in Chiapas, Mexico.’ The Southwestern Naturalist 54, no. 2 , 217-22. [Abstract] Packer, C. and Clotte, J. (2000), ‘When Lions Ruled France’, Natural History, 109, 52-57. [Full Article] https://twilightbeasts.wordpress.com/201...-the-lion/  (01-04-2016, 06:05 PM)LionKiss Wrote:(01-04-2016, 02:55 AM)GrizzlyClaws Wrote: Well, instead of arguing which civilization/culture is more superior, I think it is far more critical to save the original lion population that was once venerated by the ancient civilizations. I think it is better to start some new breeding program for this subspecies. The Asian lion population has managed to bounce back after decades of conservation effort. Considered that the West African lions were known with several token names such as the Barbary/Persian/Indian/Greek lions, they should encourage to breed with the Indian lions in order to eliminate the genetic bottleneck that created by the inbreeding within a small population. It would be fantastic if the West African lion subspecies could be relocated back to their former natural habitat that ranged from North Africa/Middle East/South Asia, or even Europe. |
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