Winged lion

The winged lion is a mythological creature that resembles a lion with bird-like wings.

Winged lions from the emblem book, Atalanta Fugiens, by Michael Maier, first published in 1617

Mythical adaptations

The winged lion is found in various forms especially in Ancient and Medieval civilizations.

There were different mythological adaptions for the winged lion:

Shedu or lamassu in Sumerian, Akkadian, and Sherdal in Persian mythology was depicted as a winged lion. He has often been depicted with a bull body instead of a lion body.
The first beast in the first vision of the biblical prophet Daniel resembled a winged lion.
The winged lion was the heraldic symbol of Mark the Evangelist.

The emblems of the winged lions were featured in different countries:

The emblem of the Republic of Venice as the heraldic symbol of St. Mark the Evangelist, the patron saint of the Republic.
- The Lion of Venice is an ancient bronze sculpture of a winged lion that is located in the Piazzetta di San Marco, Venice
- The flag of the short-lived Septinsular Republic, derived from the above (Ionian Islands under Venetian rule), has a winged lion on it
- The logo of the Italian company Assicurazioni Generali which has a winged lion on it was derived from the above
The emblem of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Allied Joint Force Command Naples headquarters, in Italy, is a winged lion holding a sword and scroll on which is written PAX - Latin for 'peace'.

Leopold II, Holy Roman Emperor in the regalia of the Order of the Golden Fleece, Schonbrunn Palace, 1806
Amos Kenan, Winged lion
Winged Lion Memorial, Prague, 2014
Leicester Town Square Fountain

Media related to Winged lions at Wikimedia Commons

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