From: le01167@portal.lasc.lockheed.com (Ron Nadel)
Subject: Re: literary lions
Summary: and a bit of a response to "Re: careful handling required?"
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Organization: Lockheed Aeronautical Systems Co. - Rye Canyon
Date: Thu, 12 Nov 92 00:24:41 GMT

In article <1992Nov11.181345.21178@grebyn.com>, fi@grebyn.com (Fiona Webster) writes...

>Hmmm...lions and fire.  Sex and rage.  Biting teeth and mellifluous
>speech.  Where I'm going with all of this, I don't yet know.  But I'd
>love to hear what you have to say about lions.
> 
>                                                  --Fiona Webster

This is quite an interesting topic and one that should give rise to a 
thread on the literary treatment of a variety of animals through the
ages.

One thing about symbols, they reveal much about the people who create or 
use them.  People seem to have a special relationship with cats of all
kinds.  Generally, the association with cat is one of femininity - in
particular when we think of house cats.  But things change with the big
cats.  The lion is the "King of the jungle" and are indeed creatures
that would evoke a sense of a need for control, as the dominant male of a 
pride has sex an average of once every 30 minutes.  We often think of
rabbits as the symbol par excellence of frequent sex, but they got nothin'
on lions.  And who better to control this most prodigious of symbols than
the local symbol for the female itself, the lioness.  If she is not in the
mood, than there just is no cajoling her (which explains why lions need to
have lots of ladies around - surely ONE of them should be willing at any
given time).  

With this powerful sexual symbol ready-made (in other words, even if the 
lion were not a virile looking creature already - his sexual performance
completes the picture for us) all kinds of associations can be made.  How
subtle, then, is the picture of the woman "riding" the lion. And what of 
the woman who "tames" him?  There are two ways for a woman to tame "the 
beast", one by somehow gaining the upper hand (by force or assertion), and 
the other by thoroughly sating his needs, leaving the exhausted and satisfied 
"lord" to sleep it off in what ever shade can be found on the veldt.  Your
average lion can get quite used to that sort of treatment, becoming a "pussy-
whipped" little "pussy cat" in the process. 

.but, I digress...

So in considering the lion and the literati, I think that bridge may be the
lion's roar.  It would not take a large leap to associate that roar with loud 
convincing oration, angry or otherwise.  And then perhaps from oration to the 
written word, the pen being mightier than the Spoken WORD.  Meanwhile, the
lion being such a strong male symbol, I would not expect any women to be 
considered as lionized - not that there are no women worthy of the title
(in fact when I think of those teeth and the ferocious bearing, the gaping
maw, the strong needs making their demands known every 1/2 hour, and that tail,
I am reminded of a young lady I once knew in a Shakespeare class...you know the
trick about putting your head in the lion's mouth?).

But I find that literature has no primacy in its use of the lion.  He comes
in for broad usage as leader, virility, strength, courage, and beer.  I think
it's time literature found another totem.

Ron