Lions and tigers (Was: hamsa)

[Allen W Thrasher]

Georg v. Simson wrote:
<<In Hindi, zer may denote both tiger and lion -
people either do not know the distinction or they do not care because
they regard it irrelevant.>>

On the same line, in miniatures a lion is frequently represented as a
tiger with a mane, or even with what looks less like a mane than a
beard.  This pops up particular in representations of Vishnu Narasimha.
Has anyone worked on when this change starts?  And can it be correlated
with a decline in the population and spread of the Indian lion, so that
it was harder and harder to see one even in royal menageries?

Allen Thrasher



Allen W. Thrasher, Ph.D.

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