THE CHINESE LION 



European unicorn is a blend of the horse and the bull. The 

 head, body and legs of the animal are those of a horse ; the 

 feet, tail and horn of the nature of those of a bull. 



It is a point in favour of the common origin of symbols 

 that the Chinese have also their lion and unicorn. The 

 popular idea is that the unicorn is of the size of a goat with 

 a horn projecting from the centre of its forehead. It has the 

 power of distinguishing right from wrong, and for this 

 reason legend has employed it, like the lodan Moran of the 

 Hebrews, in a court of justice, to indicate guilt by pointing 

 with its horn Many Chinese writers assert that this animal 

 exists to the present day in Tibet. Chinese bronzes repre- 

 sent the unicorn with a parrot on its back. In these, the 

 unicorn symbolizes dumb justice, while the parrot stands for 

 the talkative advocate capable of expounding the truth. 

 There may be a possible comparison of the lion and the 

 unicorn in China with the lion and the unicorn of the royal 

 arms of England. Each nation appears to hold the lion for 

 strength and the unicorn for justice. No other existing 

 nation possesses these emblems, and the only others to have 

 held them are the houses of Judah and Israel. In many 

 passages in the Old Testament Judah is referred to as a lion. 

 Israel, on the other hand, is referred to variously as both 

 animals. " He (Israel) hath as it were the strength of an 

 unicorn : he shall eat up the nations his enemies, and shall 

 break their bones, and pierce them through with his arrows. 

 He couched, he lay down as a lion, and as a great lion : who 

 shall stir him up ? " * 



* Numbers xxiv. 



Ill 



