I was thinking more in terms of the lion not being so
much an English or, even a Scottish, symbol (because
it represents both countries) but a matter of
displacement. My feeling about the lion is that he is
not where he should be, that is in the House of Pride
episode in Canto 4, thus making him disloyal to the
very treachery he is supposed to represent.
In traditional beastiaries, the lion represents
excessive pride. In the Morgan Manuscript,for example,
he is the first animal in the procession, but this
changes depending on different interpretations of the
animals. It could also mean the excessive pride of
Catholicism that represented preveiously by the
Angevin/Plantegent dynasty, culminating the Wars of
the Roses.
Thus, the lion, atleast in this case, represents a
realigned "Protestant" loyalty that a "Cathloic"
Sansloy cannot toerlate and kills him for his
betrayal. I know this doesn't quite answer your
question, but I hope it helps you.
--- "Matthew STEGGLE(SCS)" <[log in to unmask]>
wrote:
> There is a thing about the Lion being a symbol of
> England, isn't there?
>
> According to Brewer's Dict. of Phrase and Fable
> http://www.bartleby.com/81/10346.html
> the Lion represents England. See also
>
http://www.bibliomania.com/2/3/174/1122/14804/1/frameset.html
>
http://www.bootlegbooks.com/Reference/PhraseAndFable/data/761.html
>
> - and what about that nursery rhyme about the lion
> and the unicorn, which
> represent the English and the Scottish monarchies.
>
> It's still with us as a national symbol - 3 lions on
> the chest of the English
> football team shirt - and a little lion is printed
> on English hen's eggs -
> hurrah!
> see http://www.britegg.co.uk/homepage/index2.htm for
> details.
>
> That's about as far as I can take the idea off the
> top of my head.
>
> All the best,
>
> Matt.
>
>
>
>
>
> -
>
>
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
> Dr Matthew Steggle
> Lecturer in English, Sheffield Hallam University
> Montgomery House, 32 Collegiate Crescent, Collegiate
> Campus
> Sheffield S10 2BJ - UNITED KINGDOM
> Tel: (+44) 114 225 4350
> Home:
>
http://www.shu.ac.uk/schools/cs/teaching/ms/index.html
> EMLS: http://purl.oclc.org/emls/emlshome.html
=====
Consuelo M. Concepcion
P.O. Box 973
Annandale, Virginia 22003-9973
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(703)965-0119
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