The meaning of the Lion and the Unicorn

Posted by Rene on 20th Oct 2020

Could the Sun and the Moon symbolically represent the Lion and the Unicorn in British heraldry and symbolism, particularly during a lunar eclipse?

In the sky the lion and the unicorn are natural enemies. They could be associated to opposite principles like the Sun and the Moon They were destined to fight. They chased each other across the heavens until they eventually came down to earth to fight. When the unicorn was getting ready to kill the lion it charged towards it until suddenly a giant tree stood in the way and the unicorn's horn had got stuck into the tree. And while the unicorn was stuck the lion crept up behind and killed it. This could be the illustration of a total lunar eclipses when the 3 objects The Sun, Earth & Moon are in syzygy. Unicorn represents the Moon, the Lion the Sun. The tree is the earth in between the 2.

Later The Lion and Unicorn represented England and Scotland. The symbol of the Lion stands for England (symbol of power, majesty, and bravery. The Lion is seen as a representation of strength, courage, and the desire to assert dominance.) and the unicorn stands for Scotland , representing purity, grace, and loyalty (a mystical symbol of devotion to their country and the pursuit of harmonious ideals).

The notion of the Lion and the Unicorn being enemies and engaging in a cosmic battle in the heavens is a poetic representation, possibly rooted in folklore. It's important to note that symbols can hold multiple meanings, and interpretations may vary depending on cultural, historical, or personal perspectives. The Lion and the Unicorn's representation of the Sun and the Moon in the context of a lunar eclipse is an interesting interpretation as well.

A schematic diagram of the shadow cast by Earth. Within the umbra, the central region, the planet totally shields direct sunlight. In contrast, within the penumbra, the outer portion, the sunlight is only partially blocked. (Neither the Sun, Moon, and Earth sizes nor the distances between the bodies are to scale.) Source Wikipedia.