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.While
there were no lions in Celtic countries, the
iconography, borrowed from Oriental culture at a
very early period, remained strong. They were
associated with kingship and sun powers (because
of the lion's mane). In the medieval period it
was believed that lionesses gave birth to their
young dead, and after three days the male would
come and breathe on them and bring them to life.
Actually this idea is based on a very old myth
whose purpose was to explain the male's role in
childbirth. In the Christian period it was an
allegory of Christ's resurrection
St.
Mark's lion was one of the four
evangelical symbols most associated with
illuminated gospels, like the Book of Kells. This
is Imago Leonis from the Book if Durrow.
From
the Aberdeen
Bestiary (circa 14th c):
"...those who study nature say that the lion
has three main characteristics. The first is that
it loves to roam amid mountain peaks. If it
happens that the lion is pursued by hunters, it
picks up their scent and obliterates the traces
behind it with its tail. As a result, they cannot
track it. Thus our Saviour, a spiritual lion, of
the tribe of Judah, the root of Jesse, the son of
David, concealed the traces of his love in heaven
until, sent by his father, he descended into the
womb of the Virgin Mary and redeemed mankind,
which was lost... The second characteristic of
the lion is that when it sleeps, it seems to have
its eyes open. Thus our Lord, falling asleep in
death, physically, on the cross, was buried, yet
his divine nature remained awake... The third
characteristic of the lion is that when a lioness
gives birth to her cubs, she produces them dead
and watches over them for three days, until their
father comes on the third day and breathes into
their faces and restores them to life. Thus the
Almighty Father awakened our Lord Jesus Christ
from the dead on the third day ..."
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Colour: Copen back,
amber , seal garnet Size: 1
3/4"
All
brooches can also be ordered as necklaces
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