WHY LIONS' HEADS ON FOUNTAINS
Most of the things that are customary with us had some good reasons for their origin, though we are apt to accept them and not inquire what that origin was. The water in a great many public fountains, whether for man or beast, comes out of a lion's mouth. Did you ever stop to think why a lion's head should be chosen in preference to any other design This is said to be the reason: Among the ancient Egyptians the rising of the waters of the River Nile was the most important event of the year, as it meant life and prosperity to the whole nation.
s> This rising of the -waters always took place when the sun was in the constellation of Leo, or the lion. So they adopted the shape of a lion as the symbol for the life-giving waters of the Nile, and all their fountains were carved with a lion's head. The Greeks and Romans copied this symbol, and so it has com© down to us. : ~ : ' ;■< . . '
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https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/periodicals/NZT19130529.2.108.3
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New Zealand Tablet, 29 May 1913, Page 61
Word Count
175WHY LIONS' HEADS ON FOUNTAINS New Zealand Tablet, 29 May 1913, Page 61
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