Saturday, 10 June 2017

Lion

I am experimenting with "Lion" as the theme of a post. Lions have been mentioned on the blog. See here. How does "Lion" shape up as a Poul Anderson-related theme?

(i) A young time traveller confronts a lion in "The Little Monster."

(ii) Other time travellers have an annual rendezvous point at the Inn of the Golden Lion. See here.

(iii) Poul and Karen Anderson's Gratillonius must track down a dangerous animal that turns out to be an escaped lion.

(iv) Gratillonius, a Mithraist, attends temples where Time is represented by a figure with a lion's head.

(v) Ivanhoans have leonine manes and fur.

(vi) Anderson describes a vivid mural of the Last Judgment in which the Father's face is half leonine. See here.

Anything else? We know of lions in works by related authors but here I am focusing specifically on Anderson.

4 comments:

David Birr said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
David Birr said...

Paul:
*Three Hearts and Three Lions*, of course.

Although I don't recall it being mentioned in *A Midsummer Tempest*, so maybe it shouldn't count, Prince Rupert's coat of arms includes a crowned lion.

I deleted the earlier version of this after I realized I'd phrased it confusingly.

paulshackley2017@gmail.com said...

David,
Of course it all counts!
(This is why I have David commenting on the blog.)
Paul.

Sean M. Brooks said...

Kaor, DAVID and Paul!

Ha! You beat me to mentioning PA's novel THREE HEARTS AND THREE LIONS.

Paul: Hmm, you mentioned PA's "The Little Monster" and David the same author's THREE HEARTS AND THREE LIONS. Trying to recall where lions played a role in any others of Anderson's works. I THINK lions are mentioned as still being found in the Persia of Cyrus the Great in "Brave To Be A King."

Sean