[Boris R.]

Does the constant image of a lion under the feet of a praying knight has a special symbolic meaning?



Somehow, i always took for granted it symbolises bravery, but now when i think of it more there seems to be some other animals than lions, dogs or even dragons (besides St. George's depictions).
Can someone spill the beans, please

[Elling Polden]

As far as I have gathered, the beasts symbolize, well, the Beast. It is a sign of triumph against the sinful human nature. You sometimes find them at the base of columns in churches as well.

[Boris R.]

[Chad Arnow]

Check out our Featured article on Monumental Brasses. You see men with dogs, lions, etc. at their feet. At one point, the beast was thought to signify how the person died. A lion might have meant they died in battle, a dog meant at home, something else meant at home (or not on the battlefield) as a result of battle wounds. But that doesn't hold true. Also, you see women and civilians with these animals as well.

[Glen A Cleeton]

Has the use of the lions in effigy been found outside of England?

Cheers

GC

[Glen A Cleeton]

Adding a link here to a Google book regarding foot supports of effigies. There is another volume of Brewer's out there with a lot less to read.

http://books.google.com/books?id=aNUUAAAAIAAJ

Early secular effigies in England: the thirteenth century By H. A. Tummers

The search was lions in effigy, as I wandered through a general internet search.

Cheers

GC

[Douglas S]

[Chad Arnow]

[J.D. Crawford]

I don't know what it was intended to symbolize, but it carries some pretty clear underlying imagery of dominance. Dominance in general and power over nature in particular. In an age where people had much less control over the world than we do today, this might have meant even more than it would to us today, denoting the special power of the nobility.

The medieval nobility were also big into hunting. People today still kill big things and then pose for photos with their foot on top of the beast. I'm not saying this is the same thing, just that the underlying sentiment is similar.

Of course that's a psychological, not historic perspective, but I think that human nature does not change so much.

[John Hickey]

[Eugeny Davidov]

The lion in medieval symbolism means devil. There is well known definition in Bible that the devil walks on earth like snarling lion (don't remember exact place). So trampled lion means that knight spend his life as good christian having trampled the devil and prepared to meet the God in Heaven.