by Lisa Fillers

Created on: September 15, 2008

In many ancient cultures the lion is associated with both day and night, with the lioness awake during the day, and the male lion at night. We have all come to recognize the lion as a symbol of strength, courage, nobility, determination, pride, protection, authority, and conquest.

In ancient Egypt the lion was associated with death and rebirth. Aker, the lion-god, guarded the gateway to the netherworld through which the sun passed every day since the sun was born each morning and died each night. Lions were relatively few in ancient Egypt but held in high esteem by the pharoahs. The lions usually lived on the edges of the desert so they became known as the guardians of the eastern and western horizons, where the sun rose and set. They were seen as a sign of strength, courgage, authority, and protection by the pharoahs.

In ancient Egypt the lioness was associated with the solar deity, Sekhmet, a female deity who was also the fierce war deity and protector of the pharoahs. Sekhmet was depicted as a woman with the head of a lion. The name Sekhmet meant "The Mighty One" and she was one of the most powerful of the gods and goddesses. She was the goddess who dealt out divine punishment to the enemies of the gods and pharoahs. As such, she was known as "The Eye of Ra". She accompanied the pharoah into battle and launched fiery arrows ahead of him. She could send plagues and disease against her enemies. At times she was invoked to avoid plagues and cure disease.

A morphed animal we know as a sphinx, with a recumbent lioness or lion's body and the head of a human or another animal, had its origin in the Old Kingdom and is associated with Sekhmet. Sometimes the sphinx bore the head of a falcon, hawk, or ram. Sekhment remained a very strong figure in Egyptian religion throughout its history. The sphinxes are often described as Sekhmet's children. The use of heads of other animals atop the lioness body followed the deity of the city or region in which it was built at the time or that was prominent in the Egyptian pantheon at the time.

The role of the sphinx played in ancient Egypt was that of temple guardians so they were placed with royal tombs and religious temples. The largest and most worldwide recognized sphinx is The Great Sphinx of Giza. It is situated at the Giza Plateau along with the Great Pyramid of Giza, thought to be the tomb of the pharaoh, Khafu, who lived in the fourth dynasty. The head of the Great Sphinx of Giza is thought to be in the likeness of Khafu. The Giza Plateau is situated on the west bank of the Nile River with the Great Sphinx of Giza facing due east.

Tarot is believed by many to have its earliest roots in ancient Egypt. Among the ancient Egyptian tarot cards we find a tamed lion and the sphinx.

Lions are found in the art of ancient Egyptians in architectural work and particularly in the tombs of the pharaohs. A wall relief in the tomb of Nefer-Maat, brother of Khafu, of the fourth dynasty clearly depicts a lion on the prowl.

King Tutankhamun's tomb held a sphinx statue and many artworks depicting lions. One piece in particular was the headrest with Shu, the god of air, supporting the head of the pharaoh, flanked on each side by a lion.

Symbolism of the lion as strength, courage, and protection spilled over into other cultures and has lasted throughout time. Today we see many gated estates which have recumbent lions on brick and cement bases flanking each side of the estate's drive. Many of our homes hold statues, paintings, and other forms of art work depicting lions.

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