
Photo credit: City of St. Augustine
Named “Firm” and “Faithful,” our liberal lions, carved of Carrera marble, have been around since 1927, guarding our Bridge of Lions.
From 2005-2011, our liberal lions were out of sight, restored, preserved and protected, then awaiting completion of the new Bridge ($85 million paid to SKANSKA by Florida DOT and the Bridge still frequently fails).
Today, St. Augustine’s two liberal lions get new siblings, carved of granite, thanks to Mr. and Mrs. Wolfgang and Miki Schau, who provided two new lions for the east end of the Bridge of Lions, suggesting they be named "Peace" (Pax) and "Happiness" (Peli).
We love those names.
We love those names.
In heraldry, lions symbolize strength and protection.
The two new siblings are symbolic, as we work to promote healing and to preserve and protect the history of St. Augustine with a St. Augustine National Historical Park, National Seashore and Scenic Coastal Parkway).
The two new siblings are symbolic, as we work to promote healing and to preserve and protect the history of St. Augustine with a St. Augustine National Historical Park, National Seashore and Scenic Coastal Parkway).
Wikipedia reports about lion imagery through the ages:
Long history of lion imagery
Sphinx of Egyptian pharaoh Hatshepsut - with unusual rounded ears and ruff that extend strong leonine features to the head of the statue, 1503-1482 BC
In the near east a long line of cultures used the motif of Lions as both a symbol of primal and royal power. The earliest examples come from Mesopotamia. This usage continued throughout the later cultures of the Hittites, Babylonians, Assyrians, Persians and early Islamic cultures like the Umayyads and Abbassids.
- Sumerian depiction of lions on Stela of dudu
- Depiction of Lions at Persepolis
- Umayyad Andalusian Ivory with Lions
- Ancient Egyptian reclining lion statue created during reign of Amenhotep III

Famous original sandstone sculpted Lion Capital of Ashoka preserved in India, which was originally erected around 250 BCE atop an Ashoka Pillar. In the circular base, a Bull and horse is sculpted on the right and left of a wheel(Ashoka Chakra). On the far side there is an Elephant and a Lion instead.
The characteristic of the lion as the "king of the jungle" goes back to the influence of The Physiologus, an early Christian book about animal symbolism which spread into many cultures and generally had great influence in Western culture. First written in Greek in the second century AD, the book was translated into Latin in about 400 AD, next into Ethiopic and Syriac, then into many European and Middle-Eastern languages. Many illuminated manuscript copies such as the Bern Physiologus survive. It retained its influence over ideas of the "meaning" of animals in Europe for over a thousand years. It was a predecessor of bestiaries (books of beasts). Medieval poetical literature is full of allusions that can be traced to the Physiologus tradition; the text also exerted great influence on the symbolism of medieval ecclesiastical art.

The winged lion of Mark the Evangelist is the national emblem and landmark of Venice (detail from a painting by Vittore Carpaccio, 1516)
Many images from ancient times depict lionesses as the fierce warrior protecting their culture. Since in certain views lionesses seem to have a ruff, often the only clue to this difference between the genders is the lack of a massive mane. When no mane is apparent, the image often is described as a panther or leopard among cultures without familiarity with the nature of lion social organization and hunting strategies for prides. In literary and historical references, note of a figure or an image as depicting a lion may relate to either gender without being specific, and be easily misunderstood, thereby then being drawn with a mane since it is so distinctive.
Images of lions appears on many flags, coats of arms, and emblems. For example, it symbolises the Sinhalese people (Sinhalese Singha = Lion). Local folklore tells of Prince Vijaya, the first of the Sinhalese kings, as being the son of Sinhabahu, who was fathered by a lion. See history of Sri Lanka. Lions are recurring symbols in the coat of arms of royalty and chivalry, particularly in the UK, where the lion is also a national symbol of the British people, and in Ethiopia, where it is a symbol of the Monarchy.
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