HISTORICAL CONSENSES
12th century
ENGLAND
King Henry the 3rd:
The Tower of London contained a zoo which housed a menagerie of wild animals, many of which were gifts presented to Henry lll by foreign monarchs Founded by King John in the early thirteeth century, the royal zoo existed for over 600 years. In 1235 the holy Roman emperor, frederick 2, reutedly presented the King with the castles first lions to honor his mirrage to Henrys sister, Isabella, and quite possibly to symbolically agknowledge the power of the King himself. In 1277 Edward the 1st, built the so-called lion tower, a semi circular structure which housed the great cats. Interestingly, in 2005 archaeologists discovered the skulls of three medieval cats, two lions and a leopard, in the moat; the oldest skull has been dated to between 1280 and 1385. In early 2008, scientist from the natrual history museum in london used DNA analysis to determine that two of the skulls were male barbary lions, which came from North africa. Edward's lion tower probably stood along side the moat at this point.
http://books.google.com/books?id=p_...a=X&ei=o5ZtUqX6D8n9iwK7ooHACA&ved=0CBQQ6AEwAQ
http://books.google.com/books?id=ma...a=X&ei=37chUfmFBsS6iwLelYHQBA&ved=0CCUQ6AEwAA
Now to implement, the tiger on the rock makes alot of sense, for we have records of modern accounts of this portraying the same thing.
Athenian heroes fought with Spartan there,
For ocean's empire, and both reap'd despair
So, while two tigers struggle for a prey,
The mightier lion bears the spoil away.
http://books.google.com/books?id=zP...a=X&ei=H5mBUoisJ4eniAKBjYG4Aw&ved=0CB0Q6AEwBQ
(15th century)
Edmund Spenser:
Are met at spoiling of some hungry prey,
Both challenge it with equal greediness:
But first the Tiger claws there on did lay;
And therefore loth to loose her right away,
Doth in defence there of full stoutly stond:
To which the Lion strongly doth gainsay,
That she to hunt the beast first took in hond;
And therefore ought it have, wherever she it fond.
http://books.google.com/books?id=dj...a=X&ei=w9whUZ3cOomEiwLE2IHwDg&ved=0CCwQ6AEwAQ
(16th century)
Allen ramsey
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Allan_Ramsay_(poet)
The savage tiger feels the potent flame: The grim majestic lion growls his love To the resounding forest.—Wilder thou Than nature's wildest race, spurn'st at that power To which all nature bows.—But why of these, Of the grim lion, or the spotted lynx, Or wily serpent ?—these have sense and feeling. Even trees inanimate confess the god: See how the vine clings with a fond embrace; The mountain fir, the pine, the elm, the beech, Have each their favour'd mate: they burn, they sigh, &c
http://books.google.com/books?id=A1...a=X&ei=jcshUZiDJrDXiAK18YDQAg&ved=0CF4Q6AEwCQ
(17th century)
Gotthold ephraim:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gotthold_Ephraim_Lessing
~The Monthly Christian Spectator. 1851-1859
Lion kills a tiger by bite-ing him in the throat…
http://books.google.com/books?id=Cy...a=X&ei=tqQqUZPZDKediQKKg4DoBg&ved=0CDwQ6AEwBA
17th -18th century
Alexander Wilson:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexander_Wilson
The shaggy lion rushes to the place,
With roar tremendous seizes on his prey.
Exasp'rate see 1 the tiger springs away.
Stops short and maddens at the monarch's growl;
And through his eyes darts all his furious soul.
Half willed, yet half afraid to dare a bound.
He eyes his loss, and roars, and tears the ground.
http://books.google.com/books?id=V5...&sa=X&ei=BMIhUbytNInIiwKkzIAw&ved=0CBcQ6AEwAA
Johann Christoph Friedrich von Schiller:
Occupation: German poet, philosopher, historian, and playwright.
The holy Roman empire and Schiller
http://books.google.com/books?id=qD...a=X&ei=Mhl-UqHMBKLhiALtioCoDQ&ved=0CBUQ6AEwAg
(18th century)
Robert Southey:
http://www.nndb.com/people/949/000095664/
Guardant before his feet a Lion lay,
The Saxon Lion, terrible of yore.
Who in his wither'd limbs and lean decay,
The marks of long and cruel bondage bore j
But broken now beside him lay the chain,
Which gall'd and fretted late his neck and mane.
A T.ion too was couch'd before the Bride;
That noble Beast had never felt the chain; Strong were his sinewy limbs and smooth his hide,
And o'er his shoulders broad the affluent mane Disbevell'd hung; beneath his feet were laid
Torn flags of France whereon his bed he made.
Full different were those Lions twain in plight.
Yet were they of one brood; and side by side
Of old, the Gallic Tiger in his might
They many a time had met, and quell'd his pride,
And made the treacherous spoiler from their Ire
Cowering and crippled to his den retire.
http://books.google.com/books?id=cT...a=X&ei=wL0hUeeHJsm2igKCk4CIAQ&ved=0CCUQ6AEwAA
7 year captive Lion fights 2 tigers in the tower of london
http://www.historytoday.com/sites/default/files/rb_fight.jpg
A asiatic (Indian) lion cub and his sister were a present to George IV from General Watson.
http://www.hrp.org.uk/MediaPlayer/ViewPlaylist.aspx?PlaylistId=123
An accidental but tremendous conflict took place in December, 1830, between a tiger and tigress, and a lion, in the menagerie of the Tower of London. While one of the under keepers was in the act of cleaning the dens in the menagerie, he unguardedly raised a door in the upper tier of cages, by which the lion and tigers were separated. No sooner did the animals see each other, than their eyes glared furiously. The lion erected his mane, and, uttering a tremendous roar, bounded on the male tiger, who seemed as eager for the conflict as his adversary; and he was seconded in the attack by the female. The conflict now became tremendous, and the roaring of the combatants resounded through every part of the Tower, and was even heard in Tower Hill, and the adjoining streets. The other animals of the menagerie became variously excited by the horrid sounds. The beasts of prey evinced strong combative feelings, and joined their voices in fearful yellings, making every effort to get out of their confinement; while the more timid creatures shrieked with terror, and vainly endeavoured to conceal themselves in some remote corners of their cells.
of him, and by this conjunction of strength, the poor lion was fairly pinned against the bars, and his action greatly diminished. Still, however, this did not damp his courage, for he redoubled his roar of fury, while, at the same time, he uttered yells of distress. The keepers now appeared with rods of iron heated red at the ends, and applied them to the mouths and nostrils of the furious tigers, which forced them to quit their hold of the prostrate king of the forest. But as soon as they were separated, the lion and tiger again united in conflict, and seizing each other, the one by the upper, and the other by the under jaw, they tore one another with a more deadly and terrible fury than before. The red hot bars were again applied to their nostrils, but so keen were they in the contest, that it was with much difficulty they were again separated. The lion was then forced to his den by following him with the hot iron, when the doors were immediately shut upon him. The lion had the worst of it; but this is not to be wondered at, as he had two animals to contend with, which had been little more than twelve months from their native forests. The tiger, however, lost one of his canine teeth in the last bout. This terrible battle lasted upwards of half an hour.
http://books.google.com/books?id=5A...a=X&ei=zEgTUeXOAaf8iQKSioHoAg&ved=0CCUQ6AEwAA
~1874 WILD BEAST FIGHT SCOURGE VATICAN COUNCIL KAULBACH
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abraham_Cowley
Slaughter shall wear out these, new weapons get, And death in triumph on thy darts shall sit. When Judah's lion starts up to his prey. The beasts shall hang their ears, and <jreep away; When he lies down, the woods shall silence keep, And dreadful tigers tremble at his sleep.
http://books.google.ca/books?id=y...5PaoASux4DYAQ&ved=0CB8Q6AEwBw
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reginald_Heber
Of the feline tribe, the lion claims the first place. He is considered as the lord of the brute creation; and his whole appearance, the flowing and shaggy mane, the ample forehead, the kindling eye, and the muscular strength and compactness of the whole frame, so powerfully armed by nature for the purposes of destruction, concur to give an idea of majesty and power, which is further strengthened by the boldness and courage with which, instead of seeking a dastardly retreat in the forest or the jungle, he rushes forth to confront his enemies in the open plain, where he is generally shot by the hunters. But, in the event of his being only wounded, he is extremely formidable, from his vast strength and fierceness, and the immense weight of his body, especially towards the head, and the power of his tremendous claws.1 The lion is not nearly so common in Asia as in Africa, and is only found in the northern provinces of Hindustan.2 The tiger is the more common animal of India, abounding in all the forests and jungles, from the mouth of the Ganges to the Himalaya Mountains.
He is not quite equal in strength to the lion, though superior in activity; and his undulating movements have more of ease, grace, and bounding elasticity; whilst his bright-yellow, tawny coloured skin,
http://books.google.com/books?id=...8f8oAS4koCoAQ&ved=0CBMQ6AEwAA
The lion, we should submit, when compared with the tiger, i
s a noble animal; he possesses more confidence, and more real courage; he likewise differs in his permanent attachment to his mate, and protection of his young; while the tiger shows no partiality beyond the period of heat in the female, and is himself frequently the first and greatest enemy to his own offspring.
http://books.google.com/books?id=xe...X&ei=cJOgUIiFH-32igKS94HAAw&ved=0CDYQ6AEwAzgo
Through out all the century's of europe lions were present there, either gifts to english by greeks, romans, italians ect, the lion was there since ancient greek way before BC times. Valmik is either ignorant or bias. The lions emblem and heraldry derives from watching his attitude towards other beast of old... like tigers, they always saw the lion dominate the tiger in cages, menageries and or arranged fights, hence they chose the lion as their monarchy animal, why would they choose the tiger who usually runs in a fight from a lion, is killed more often by the lion, is more cowardly and less noble?
They wanted a animal that resembles power, strength and unity, hence tiger have less, little or none of those qualitys compared to the lion. So again, thapar saying lions in euorpes history are more of mythological is wrong, these were real live lions they saw in each century.