One of the most widely recognised animal symbols in human culture, the lion has been extensively depicted in sculptures and paintings, on national flags, and in contemporary films and literature. Lions have been kept in menageries since the time of the Roman Empire and have been a key species sought for exhibition in zoological gardens across the world since the late 18th century. Cultural depictions of lions were prominent in Ancient Egypt, and depictions have occurred in virtually all ancient and medieval cultures in the lion's historic and current range. Lions have an array of facial expressions and body postures that serve as visual gestures. [181] A common facial expression is the "grimace face" or flehmen response, which a lion makes when sniffing chemical signals and involves an open mouth with bared teeth, raised muzzle, wrinkled nose, closed eyes and relaxed ears. [182] Lions also use chemical and visual marking; [181] males spray urine [183] and scrape plots of ground and objects within the territory. [181] Lewis's publisher, Geoffrey Bles, allowed him to choose the illustrator for the novel and the Narnia series. Lewis chose Pauline Baynes, possibly based on J.R.R. Tolkien's recommendation. In December 1949, Bles showed Lewis the first drawings for the novel, and Lewis sent Baynes a note congratulating her, particularly on the level of detail. Lewis's appreciation of the illustrations is evident in a letter he wrote to Baynes after The Last Battle won the Carnegie Medal for best children's book of 1956: "is it not rather 'our' medal? I'm sure the illustrations were taken into account, as well as the text". [21] Captive lions have been infected with canine distemper virus (CDV) since at least the mid-1970s. [172] CDV is spread by domestic dogs and other carnivores; a 1994 outbreak in Serengeti National Park resulted in many lions developing neurological symptoms such as seizures. During the outbreak, several lions died from pneumonia and encephalitis. [173] Feline immunodeficiency virus and lentivirus also affect captive lions. [174] [175] Communication Head rubbing among pride members is a common social behaviour. In chapter one of the American edition, the animals in which Edmund and Susan express interest are snakes and foxes rather than the foxes and rabbits of the British edition. [53] [54]

a b Mazák, J. H.; Christiansen, P.; Kitchener, A. C. & Goswami, A. (2011). "Oldest known pantherine skull and evolution of the tiger". PLOS ONE. 6 (10): e25483. Bibcode: 2011PLoSO...625483M. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0025483. PMC 3189913. PMID 22016768. Lewis wrote, "The Narnian books are not as much allegory as supposal. Suppose there were a Narnian world and it, like ours, needed redemption. What kind of incarnation and Passion might Christ be supposed to undergo there?" [40] Lindsley, Art. "C. S. Lewis: His Life and Works". C. S. Lewis Institute . Retrieved 10 November 2016. Oken, L. (1816). "1. Art, Panthera". Lehrbuch der Zoologie. 2. Abtheilung. Jena: August Schmid & Comp. p.1052. Young, Lauren J. (23 September 2016). "The rare case of a lioness with a mane". Popular Science . Retrieved 19 November 2023.On 10 March 1949, Roger Lancelyn Green dined with Lewis at Magdalen College. After the meal, Lewis read two chapters from his new children's story to Green. Lewis asked Green's opinion of the tale, and Green said that he thought it was good. The manuscript of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe was complete by the end of March 1949. Lucy Barfield received it by the end of May. [20] When on 16 October 1950 Geoffrey Bles in London published the first edition, three new "chronicles", Prince Caspian, The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, and The Horse and His Boy, had also been completed. Hanby, J. P. & Bygott, J. D. (1979). "Population changes in lions and other predators". In Sinclair, A. R. E. & Norton-Griffiths, M. (eds.). Serengeti: dynamics of an ecosystem. Chicago: The University of Chicago Press. pp.249–262. A 2004 U.S. study found that The Lion was a common read-aloud book for seventh graders in schools in San Diego County, California. [26] In 2005, it was included on TIME 's unranked list of the 100 best English-language novels published since 1923. [27] Based on a 2007 online poll, the U.S. National Education Association listed it as one of its "Teachers' Top 100 Books for Children". [28] In 2012, it was ranked number five among all-time children's novels in a survey published by School Library Journal, a monthly with a primarily U.S. audience. [29]

Billington, Michael (31 May 2012). "The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe – review". The Guardian . Retrieved 9 December 2018. Turner, J. A.; Vasicek, C. A.; Somers, M. J. (2015). "Effects of a colour variant on hunting ability: the white lion in South Africa". Open Science Repository Biology: e45011830. Christiansen, P. (2008). "Phylogeny of the great cats (Felidae: Pantherinae), and the influence of fossil taxa and missing characters". Cladistics. 24 (6): 977–992. doi: 10.1111/j.1096-0031.2008.00226.x. PMID 34892880. S2CID 84497516.In the wild, lions live for an average of 12 years and up to 16 years. They live up to 25 years in captivity. Several parallels are seen between the White Witch and the immortal white queen, Ayesha, of H. Rider Haggard's She, a novel greatly admired by Lewis. [46] a b c Hemmer, H. (1974). "Untersuchungen zur Stammesgeschichte der Pantherkatzen ( Pantherinae) Teil 3. Zur Artgeschichte des Löwen Panthera (Panthera) leo (Linnaeus, 1758)". Veröffentlichungen der Zoologischen Staatssammlung. 17: 167–280.

Often known as the ‘king of the jungle’, most lions actually live in the savannah or grasslands. Just one population of wild forest-dwelling lions remains, in Gir Forest National Park, India. Murphy, Jim (2 January 2003). "Mythical, magical puppetry". The Age (theage.com.au) . Retrieved 11 December 2012. Benirschke, K. (1967). "Sterility and Fertility of Interspecific Mammalian Hybrids". Comparative Aspects of Reproductive Failure. Berlin, Heidelberg: Springer. pp.218––234. doi: 10.1007/978-3-642-48949-5_12. ISBN 978-3-642-48949-5. Its skull is very similar to that of the tiger, although the frontal region is usually more depressed and flattened, and has a slightly shorter postorbital region and broader nasal openings than those of the tiger. Due to the amount of skull variation in the two species, usually only the structure of the lower jaw can be used as a reliable indicator of species. [48] [49] Hayward, M. W. (2006). "Prey preferences of the spotted hyaena ( Crocuta crocuta) and degree of dietary overlap with the lion ( Panthera leo)" (PDF). Journal of Zoology. 270 (4): 606–614. doi: 10.1111/j.1469-7998.2006.00183.x. Archived (PDF) from the original on 30 April 2011.How much more of the story Lewis then wrote is uncertain. Roger Lancelyn Green thinks that he might even have completed it. In September 1947, Lewis wrote in a letter about stories for children: "I have tried one myself, but it was, by the unanimous verdict of my friends, so bad that I destroyed it." [14] Lewis (2004 [1947]). Collected Letters: Volume 2 (1931–1949). p. 802. ISBN 0-06-072764-0. Letter to E. L. Baxter dated 10 September 1947.

Mitchell, Adrian (4 December 1998). The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe: The Royal Shakespeare Company's Stage Adaptation. An Acting Edition. Oberon Books Ltd. ISBN 978-1-84002-049-6. Lions tend to dominate cheetahs and leopards, steal their kills and kill their cubs and even adults when given the chance. [139] Cheetahs often lose their kills to lions or other predators. [140] A study in the Serengeti ecosystem revealed that lions killed at least 17 of 125 cheetah cubs born between 1987 and 1990. [141] Cheetahs avoid their competitors by hunting at different times and habitats. [142] Leopards take refuge in trees, but lionesses occasionally attempt to climb up and retrieve their kills. [143] King, L. M. & Wallace, S. C. (2014). "Phylogenetics of Panthera, including Panthera atrox, based on craniodental characters". Historical Biology. 26 (6): 827–833. doi: 10.1080/08912963.2013.861462. S2CID 84229141. The lion, the witch and the wardrobe; a story for children" (first U.S. edition). LCC record. Retrieved 2012-12-09. Stephen Gresham, stepson of C.S. Lewis" saw the second staging by invitation and returned with his wife to see it again. "[T]his approval from the family and estate of the well-loved author is enough evidence that the Trumpets adaptations is at par with other versions."Parking: If you're driving into the West End to see the show, take advantage of the Q-Park Theatreland Parking Scheme saving you 50% off car parking for up to 4 hours. For full terms and conditions and to book at participating car parks and locations in advance, visit Q-Park. a b Burger, J.; Rosendahl, W.; Loreille, O.; Hemmer, H.; Eriksson, T.; Götherström, A.; Hiller, J.; Collins, M. J.; Wess, T. & Alt, K. W. (2004). "Molecular phylogeny of the extinct cave lion Panthera leo spelaea" (PDF). Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution. 30 (3): 841–849. doi: 10.1016/j.ympev.2003.07.020. PMID 15012963. Archived from the original (PDF) on 25 September 2007. The freeing of Aslan's body from the Stone Table is reminiscent of a scene from Edgar Allan Poe's story " The Pit and the Pendulum", in which a prisoner is freed when rats gnaw through his bonds. [48] In a later book, Prince Caspian, as reward for their actions, mice gained the same intelligence and speech as other Narnian animals. [49] Religious themes [ edit ] Lewis's publisher, Geoffrey Bles, feared that the Narnia tales would not sell, and might damage Lewis's reputation and affect sales of his other books. Nevertheless, the novel and its successors were highly popular with young readers, and Lewis's publisher was soon eager to release further Narnia stories. [25] a b c d e f Haas, S. K.; Hayssen, V.; Krausman, P. R. (2005). " Panthera leo" (PDF). Mammalian Species. 762: 1–11. doi: 10.1644/1545-1410(2005)762[0001:PL]2.0.CO;2. S2CID 198968757. Archived from the original (PDF) on 28 July 2017.