China is not the origin of lions, and natural lions have never migrated to The land of China, but the figure of lions is all over the streets of China. From the stone statue in front of the emperor's tomb to the stone lion statue behind the Yaqian Temple; from the small lion carving in the rural kangtou of northern Shaanxi to the lion dance that is indispensable for the New Year's Festival; from the lion statue on the embroidered ceramic dyeing and weaving, to the lion-shaped architectural sketches on the roof of the bridge ancestral temple, the lion can be said to be everywhere in China.
Lions are currently the largest cat carnivores on our planet, and from the perspective of ecological and environmental adaptation, they mainly live in savannas, grasslands or shrublands and low dry forests; geographically they are mainly distributed in the hot African continent, and there are also a small number of lion populations in the South Asian subcontinent.
In February 2014, the British journal BMC Evolutionary Biology pointed out that lions originated in Tanzania and other places in eastern Africa, about 120,000 years ago. About 20,000 years ago, some lion families gradually left Africa and began their own migration and travel, as far as India and other places.
Different from the limited areas of lion ecological travel, the cultural journey of lions can be described as chiseling through the east and west, spanning the north and south, leaving its own shape and figure in many parts of the world.
The monster Griffin on ancient Greek clay vases (a combination of lion and eagle), the sphinx in front of the Egyptian pyramids, the emperor lion hunting figure on the assyrian dynasty stone carvings, the winged lion of the Temple of Ninurta in Iraq, the gatekeeper stone lion at the gate of Samar City in Turkey, the three-headed lion on the national emblem of India, the stone lions of different forms and large numbers in Angkor Wat deep in the cambodian rainforest and the ancient Buddhist temples in Bali, Indonesia, the stone lion statues of various sizes in the streets and alleys of China, and the "lion dance" customs of Chinese communities around the world, etc.
With the changes in the global ecological environment, the range of lions in the natural field has shrunk, but in the cultural field, lions have increasingly appeared in many parts of the world, and have changed from African beasts of prey to people's favorites.
Lion Eastward:
The Love affair of the Lions of the Western Regions
Chronologically, since the Eastern Han Dynasty, lions have established a close relationship with the lives of Chinese and have come all over the world with the migration of Chinese. Because of their love of lions, people in many overseas regions even equate lions with China. Emperor Napoleon, who shook the world, once said: "China is a sleeping lion, and once it awakens, it will shake the world!"
In the Chinese texts, the earliest record of lions comes from the Biography of Mu Tianzi written in the Warring States period and the Erya in the early Han Dynasty. At that time, the lion was not called a lion, but also a fox. The Biography of Mu Tianzi says that "the fox walks five hundred miles on a day", the Erya Shi Beast also says that "the fox is like a cat, eating tigers and leopards", and the Western Jin Dynasty Guo Pu notes that "that is, the master and son are also out of the western region." During the reign of Emperor Shun of Han, King Shule came to offer calves and his sons." Among them, "fox" is fox. Mr. Li Zero quipped: There are tigers in China, there are no lions, and if you want to explain lions, you have to use tigers (in ancient times, cats also referred to tigers with light coats). Of course, when lions came to China from west to east, the first thing they took was a "tribute road."
After the "rule of Wenjing" in the Western Han Dynasty, the national strength of the empire gradually strengthened, and Zhang Qian, when Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty, sent an envoy to the western region to spread the majesty of the Han Empire to the west, and also brought back to Chang'an the treasures of distant places west of the empire's border, including the figure of a lion. The Book of Han and the Transmission of the Western Regions records that: "After being valued by Wen, Jing Xuanmo, the fifth generation of the people, the world is rich, the wealth is more than enough, the horses are strong, so they can see the rhinoceros cloth and the tortoiseshell, then build the Seven Counties of Zhuya, the sense of wolf sauce, the bamboo stick, then open MuKe, Yue Wei, smell the Tianma, Pu Tao, then pass the Great Wan, rest in peace." Since then, the treasures of the pearls, wenjia, tongxi, and cui yu have been in the harem, the horses of puzi, longwen, fish, and sweat and blood have filled the yellow gate, and the herds of ju elephants, masters, fierce dogs, and big finches have eaten outside. Strange objects, coming from all sides. ”
In the Eastern Han Dynasty, there were more records in the history books about the tribute of lions from countries in the Western Regions. At least five times in the Book of the Later Han Dynasty mentions that yueshi (present-day Central Asia), Anshi (present-day Iran), shule (present-day Kashgar, Xinjiang) and other countries sent lions to the Han Dynasty, outlining a route for us to pay tribute to lions from Central Asia to Chang'an.
For example, in the "Later Han Book of Ban Chao Biography", it is said: "At the beginning of the fourth year (79) of the first year of Emperor Zhang's construction, the Yue clan tried to help the Han car strikers with meritorious service, and they were the ones who paid tribute to the treasures, Fu Ba, and shizi, because they asked for the Princess of Han. Another example is the Book of the Later Han Dynasty and the Imperial Chronicle: "In the winter of the thirteenth year (101) of Emperor Yongyuan," the State of Rest sent envoys to dedicate his master and the Great Lord of Tiaozhi. "The Lord of the Branches, the Ostrich of the Kingdom of the Branches." The Book of the Later Han Dynasty and the Tale of the Western Regions also records that "for thirteen years, the King of Rest, Man Qufu, offered his master and a large bird, which was then called the Resting Bird".
According to the transportation conditions and logistical supply capabilities of the Han Dynasty, even if a lion was transported from Kashgar in Xinjiang, China, along the Silk Road to Chang'an, it had to pass through the desert and quicksand and cross tens of thousands of miles, which was undoubtedly a rather laborious thing, so there are still scholars who doubt whether the Central Plains people in the two Han Dynasties really had the eyes to see live lions.
In the early years of the Tang Dynasty, people still felt a lot of emotions for the lion transport. In the ninth year of Zhenguan (635), Kang Juguo paid tribute to the Tang Dynasty, and Emperor Taizong Li Shimin was overjoyed and ordered Yu Shinan to write "Lion Endowment" to express the difficulty of the lion's eastward march. Fu Yue: "There is a divine beast (lion) of the Absolute Realm, which is disturbed by the retranslation." Its residence is also deeply obstructed by rocks and plates. Cuiling ten thousand weights, Qiongya qianling. The Horseton was overwhelmed, and the car destroyed the wheels and did not enter. Gather the king of the square and serve the chief, summon the wind and serve it. Ernaifa bird bow, past the white wolf. Over the top, across the flying beam, over the quicksand and remote collection, over the accumulation of stones and high. ”
In the six or seven hundred years from the Eastern Han Dynasty to the Tang Dynasty, the lions of the Western Regions came to the Central Plains through hardships, although we cannot imagine whether this beast can maintain its style on the grassland after a long journey, but just by virtue of its shape, the lion has already suppressed the tiger and become the number one beast in the hearts of Chinese. In the old China, every dynasty and every generation had a hero who fought tigers, but there was never a "hero who fought lions", not that lions would not hurt people, but that lions were more ferocious and precious, and they could not fight and could not be beaten.
From the Eastern Han Dynasty onwards, carved statues in the shape of lions began to become popular in China. Early Chinese lions stood on four hooves, emaciated, tense muscles, heads up and chests, and their faces were terrible, as if they were hunting on the grassland. For example, the Stone Lion of Gaoyique in Sichuan, the Stone Lion of the Eastern Han Dynasty unearthed in Xianyang, Shaanxi Province, and the Stone Lion of Wu's Ancestral Hall in Jiaxiang County, Shandong Province, all belong to this category.
After the Ming and Qing dynasties, the "dog" tendency of lion shape is obvious, often male and female pairs, male lions step on hydrangea balls to unify the world, female lions caress cubs and heirs flourish, lion statues are all hind legs lying on the ground, front legs stand, plump and fat, head slightly crooked, mouth with a stone ball, tail bent, appearance is cute, like a "watchdog". In addition, lion dances or lion dances created by people imitating lion movements are even more popular in northern and southern China, and have become important festivals and folk customs in Han areas.
The lion came from the west and influenced China so profoundly for a complex reason. According to one analysis, it was the popularity of Buddhism that accelerated the spread of lion shapes and lion motifs in china.
Buddhism has a very high evaluation of lions, such as the early Buddhist scriptures "Prajnaparamita Sutra" and "Great Wisdom", both compare the Buddha to a lion, because the lion is mighty and fearless. And the Vimala Sutra even perfects the lion: "Si Wu Ye, moving shakes the mountains, and quiet is good incense." Joy also, angry eyes with electricity, unveiling a roar and thunder. The roar is terrifying, and the wind is swept by the clouds; the fenwei is the rate of a hundred beasts, and the feet are desperate. The elephant (pí) is huge and majestic, and when it sees the shadow of the lion, it runs away; the tiger and the wolf are fierce and violent, smelling the lion and looking at the wind. Good quiet also, close your eyes to pretend to sleep, lying on the teeth and hairy. Zazen is the unity of heaven and earth, the light of the sun and the moon and the universe; entering into the concentration is the immovable, and the stars shine in the wilderness of Taiji. The green cow licks the calf for the boss, and sees warmth and humility; the white crane has a high and clean fashion, and praises the innocence. ”
Lions heading south: The shadows of lions in the rainforest are numerous
From an ecological point of view, lions can only run like electricity in the vast grasslands and dominate one side. In the primeval rainforest, in the face of high trees, the lion will certainly not be able to show its fists and feet. However, outside of China in the east, the lion's southward movement is also windy, and there are lion shadows in the hot and rainy Indochina Peninsula.
In Thailand, for example, people can see lions in temples, municipal buildings or doorways in villages, whether in cities or villages. This bronze-colored lion is called Singh or Sinha, and its face is hideous, its eyes are round, its mouth is wide open, its teeth are neat and sharp, and the mane on the top of its head is like a steel needle, like a bullet, which is arranged below the earlobe, and it is extremely fierce to guard the homeland for people.
In addition to Singh, there is also a combination of lion and elephant in temples or monuments in northern Thailand, Cochas, which adds elements such as elephant trunk, ivory, and elephant ears to the lion, and its body is taller and more majestic.
The lion statue in front of the Thai temple
Thailand continues south, and on the north side of the Strait of Malacca there is a city-state called the Lion City, Singapore. The Malay Chronicle, written in 1535, records that in the 14th century, a prince of the Srivijaya Kingdom (present-day Sumatra, Indonesia) passed through Malacca and saw a beautiful lion somewhere in present-day Singapore, so he named it "Singapore", which means "Lion City" in Sanskrit. Today, the water-spraying merlion statue erected high in the heart of this garden city has become a symbol of Singapore.
Merlion statue in Singapore
The most impressive of the Indochina Peninsula is the large number of stone lion statues at the site of Angkor Wat. Siem Reap in northwestern Cambodia is flat and rainy, nourished by Surrey Cave Lake, the largest lake in the Indochina Peninsula, which makes it lush and deep-rooted. Around 800 AD, the Chenla Dynasty, at its peak, built an imposing stone city in this tropical rainforest, Angkor Wat.
In these large and small temples, Buddhist caves, and palaces, the author found many traces of lions. There are a considerable number of lion statues in The Bayon Temple in Angkor, as well as the Zhou Sa Temple, Dong Mei Ben Temple, Shenniu Temple and other places. The largest number of stone lion statues is in Indravarama I's national temple, Bakong Temple, which is a boxy stone temple that shrinks upwards layer by layer, with two stone lions at each entrance on each floor, plus lions on the red brick tower in the four corners of the east, west, south, and north, and there are 64 lion statues on one site.
These lions are all squatting and sitting statues, with a height of about 1.6 meters, two front legs standing straight, and the bending of the hind legs is in perfect harmony with the curve of the ass sitting on the ground. The lion's ass is plump and round, and the lion's tail naturally clings to the back along the spine and extends all the way to the back of the head. The lion's head is large, with a 45-degree upward tilt. There are no Chinese "knots" on the lion's head, but a wisp of fringed packets. The lion's eyes are round as balls, looking straight ahead, the mouth is slightly open, the teeth are neatly arranged, there are no stone balls in the mouth, but the lips are obviously thicker, and the pattern on the chest is wavy. Its image is quite different from the real lion, and in appearance, it is slightly the same as the stone lion statue after the Ming and Qing dynasties in China.
The stone lion in front of the Prigo Temple in Angkor Wat
More than 1,000 years ago, Zhou Daguan, a Wenzhou native, was ordered to send an envoy to Chenla. Zhou Daguan's account in the "Record of Chenla's Terroir" has left us with precious pictures of the heyday of the Chenla Kingdom. Regarding the lion, he wrote in the book: "The North Pond is five miles north of the city, and there is a golden pagoda and dozens of stone houses. The genus of golden lion, golden Buddha, bronze statue, bronze bull, and bronze horse are all present. The "golden lion" here certainly refers to the statue, because Zhou Daguan knows that Zhenla does not produce lions. The book also goes on to write: "The beasts are rhinoceros, elephants, bison, and mountain horses, which are not available in China, and the rest such as tigers, leopards, bears, wild boars, elk, roe deer, apes, foxes and so on are many." The unseen, lions, orangutans, camel ears. ”
"The invisible, the lion" of course refers to the lion of nature. Continue south along the Indochina Peninsula, and lions can still be seen in Bali, Indonesia. Located on the eastern edge of the Indonesian archipelago, Bali is geographically close to Oceania, but culturally heavily influenced by Indian Brahmanism. Brahmin culture was already popular on the island in the 4th century; in the 8th and 12th centuries, when Islam gradually became the main religion in Malaysia, Indonesia, Brunei and other countries, Bali on the side of Java adhered to its own Brahmanical traditions. To this day, statues of Vishnu, Shiva and Brahma are densely erected in downtown Bali, and if you look closely, you can see that there are obvious lion motifs on these statues of Hindu gods. In addition, a small part of the temple entrance is also erected with stone lion statues. During the Chinese New Year, Bali also has children's favorite lion dance performances, but its lion dance is relatively small.
From the map, it is not difficult to see that the route of the lion to the south is highly consistent with the southern transmission of Hinduism and Buddhism. As the highland of ancient civilization, India is also the place where lions live and inhabit, for a long time, Hinduism and Buddhism have highly recognized lions, and the sublimation and mythology of lions have made lions gain a very high status in these two religions. So when religion spreads, lions spread with them, which is why we can see lions in Southeast Asian countries such as Thailand, Myanmar, Laos, Cambodia, Singapore, Indonesia, etc.
A pair of stone lions at the entrance to the Sun Temple of Konak Sun Temple
Lions go north: the lion complex of European peoples
In Europe, the lion is the embodiment of both good and evil: on the one hand, the lion is dignified and majestic, its family concept is strong, never alone, with an aristocratic temperament, the ancient Romans regarded the majestic lion as a symbol of their own nation; on the other hand, the lion is ferocious, bloodthirsty, cruel, has the tendency to bully the weak, is a good beast, but also the hero to sweep and slaughter the object, in Greek mythology, Hercules once hunted a lion to protect the cattle.
In the Renaissance city of Florence, lion sculptures can be seen everywhere, from reliefs of lion heads on high walls, to fountains in the shape of lions, to door nails in the shape of lions. Of course, the most is a single large stone lion. On the steps of the mercenary veranda in Piazza della Signoria, two stone lions stand proudly and are considered the symbol of the city of Florence. These two stone lions are standing, stepping on a stone ball under the legs, the body is emaciated and strong, the muscles of the body are tight, the lion's head is slightly drooping, the mouth is slightly open, the mane is dense and extends to the front chest, the majesty is majestic, and the overall shape is no different from that of the real lion. In addition, the base of many gods also has a lion's head as a decoration, such as the famous poet Dante's statue under the two crouching lion statues to guard the left and right.
Let's keep our sights on the north, where lions are also loved in the vastness of Russia. In St. Petersburg, the largest city in northwest Russia, people walking in the street markets can always pass by the "lions". There is a famous line in the Soviet film The Adventures of the Italians in Russia: "There are more lions in St. Petersburg than there are people living here." "In St. Petersburg, lions may appear at the head of bridges, gazing at the endless streams of the Neva River; they may appear at the gates of palaces as loyal keepers; or they may appear on floor tiles, looking up at the blue sky. Interestingly, the city's lion shapes are extremely diverse, not only egyptian sphinxes, real stone statues that resemble real lions and extremely abstract freehand lions, but even Chinese-style lions, which can be described as a real "lion city".
In addition to the carved lion, Europeans prefer to apply the image of the lion to all aspects of life. For example, there is Leo in the zodiac sign, and the ancient Roman Colosseum has a special human-lion battle project. In addition, they also stamped the lion on their own flag and engraved it on their national emblem, so we can see a purple lion on a white background on the flag of Spain, and three golden lions and a red lion on the British national emblem. The French also used the lion as the head tag of the car, the famous Peugeot car; the British painted the lion's head into the emblem of the popular football club Chelsea. In the United States, which is in line with European culture, the image of the lion can be seen everywhere, Hollywood has produced the cartoon "The Lion King", and the flag sheldon designed for his apartment in the hit American drama "The Big Bang Theory" has a lion that is difficult to distinguish.
Geographically, the African continent faces Europe across the Mediterranean Sea to the north, with the two continents closest to the narrow Strait of Gibraltar between Spain and Morocco. If they so wish, African lions only need to cross this strait of 14 kilometers wide to reach the European continent. Of course, lions are not willing to leave the fat African savannahs of cattle and sheep, and do not want to go to the barren land of Europe to make a living, but the heroic Europeans will always be happy to transport African lions north and introduce this African beast into their lives. This is the route of the African lion to the north!