A heraldic device

Coat of arms of Norway.Related articles: Lion (heraldry) and Armorial lion.
The fascination of men for that animal is visible in the multiplicity of crests on which it is shown to the extent that proverb said, "who has no arms, wearing a lion, Thus, we find, among others, on the crests of Écosse, the Norvège the Belgique or cities like Lyon. The lion is represented most often rampant, that is to say, standing on its hind legs, but many other forms exist: passant langued, picked, morné, etc.. The lion in heraldry is called a lion with the head in profile and leopard with the head in front, and the lions of the English coat of arms are leopards. Based on a symbolic figure of the lion has been created, for example, a silver lion on a field vert symbolize tempérance and according to Marcel Brion, various heraldic lions are from distant préhistoriques beliefs. Although it is considered the "king of beasts", the lion is no authority on birds. It is this antagonism between the eagle, lord of heaven and symbol of imperial power, and the lion will motivate the choice to include the animal on the coat of arms. He became known to Europeans, from the times when it spread around the Mediterranean.
The lion is the national symbol of India, and appear on such arms as lions of the Indian emperor Ashoka.


Commercial use

The figure of the lion is used by many brands, not only for the symbol considered positive, but also recovery. For example, the car maker Peugeot uses the arms as a symbol of Sochaux since 1847. The heraldic lion is filed as a logo since 1858. Several banks also use the positive symbolic linked to the lion. The banking group ING also uses a logo that contains a lion, this time, orange.