This article addresses the double lion iconography and explains it is related to zodiac figures in classical cultures. It touches on why…
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figures are often placed on or in between lions. This is also one of the reasons why there was a suggestion a second sphinx should exist.
It does, but in astronomical sense its the opposite constellation of Panther near Aquarius. The panther of Nergal. This ultimately became Cerberus guarding the underworld part of the zodiac. This panther can be seen with Nergal on the Adda seal on which the author wrote an article as well. Other instance of the double lions are Potnia Theron, related to Artemis Aphrodite and the eastern fish constellation (Western fish is cupid).
The double lion iconography is a longer story. Its all over classical art, often flanking the tree of life or pillar of heaven. I started my quest with Mycenae and a book from Arthur J Evans, the Myceanaen tree and pillar cult. I understood early that the tree of life was a metaphor for the rotating skies and that the Pigna Fountain at the Vatican was not just a collection of different age artefacts but a carefully crated grouping of objects that together became a “tree of life” I wrote on that seperately on this blog. The trefoil article is also related to this subject as it explains the leopard sky symbolism further.
These lions, took me quite some years to fully understand and doing so also lead me to identifying Medusa in her knielauf position as the kneeler constellation. Understanding that the tree of life was a metaphor for the sky, like the christmas tree with its light and polestar on top, the evergreen tree, the reason why there is a pinecone on el pigna fountain, the evergreen tree of life. Different cultures visualized this concept and even with different trees. The Bodhi tree, sacred fig, Ceiba tree at the mayas, Pine in western Europe, but the concept was the same. The rotating skies is the tree of life. It was even encoded in monument, the cross of the sky, with the 4directions, such as Chitzen Itza El Castilo pyramid with its 4 sides and 365 encoded in its design I understood that a lot in ancient history and religions or gods is related to the rotating skies, constellations and astronomy.
A quick google AI overview of El Castillo at Chichen Itza
El Castillo (the Temple of Kukulcán) at Chichén Itzá famously features exactly 365 steps, which functions as a massive, ancient calendar built out of stone.
The step total is mathematically engineered to mirror the Haabʼ (the Maya solar calendar):
- 91 steps are located on each of the pyramid’s 4 symmetrical staircases.
- 364 steps are created when you multiply those staircases (91 × 4).
- 1 final step is added by counting the top temple platform, bringing the absolute total to 365 steps—one for every day of the solar year. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]
Other Calendrical Features
The mathematical precision of the Maya civilization is also reflected in other structural parts of the pyramid:
- 18 Months: The pyramid consists of 9 distinct terraces. Divided in half by the central staircases, they create 18 distinct sections on each side, which matches the 18 months of the Maya calendar year. [1, 2]
- 52-Year Cycle: The terraces feature a combined total of 52 stone panels on each face, corresponding to the 52-year ceremonial cycle shared by Mesoamerican cultures. [1]
- The Equinox Serpent: Twice a year during the spring and autumn equinoxes, the angle of the late afternoon sun casts a triangular shadow against the northern balustrade. This creates the visual illusion of a massive feathered serpent deity (Kukulcán) slithering down the steps to meet the carved stone snake heads at the base
The iconography of the lions or rather earlier leopards/Jaguars, was the reason for the leopard priest/magi wearing their jaguar clothes. The dots of the leopard were the stary sky. This also relates to the treefoil iconography I wrote about and is the reason why there is a leopard throne in Chitzen Itza el Castillo and its not “because they liked a fierce animal”. Its for astronomical reasons.
Lets take a step back to the double lions iconography. This concept is not yet understood by academia and archeologist who suggested its mastery of nature of certain figures or “fierceness”. The truth is to be found in astronomy and more specifically in the Aker symbolism of the two felines.
There are many examples of double leopards in ancient Turkey as well at Çatalhöyük. (https://anthropology.stanford.edu/publications/leopards-tale-revealing-mysteries-catalhoyuk)
So why the panther or the double lions or flanking the pillar? The leopard or Jaguar is deeply entrenched in astronomy the stars and the Aker symbolism. To be specific its the east and west. And the one of he felines is the constellation of Leo and the other one the babylonian constellation of Panther, which linked to Ishtar and Nergal. They have the west lion. This feline later became Cerberus, the guardian of the underworld part of the zodiac.
Understanding this part will make you understand why there are so many double lions reference in ancient cultural art. All these figures are constellations of relate to the zodiac. This is how I found out that medusa was a constellation. The kneeler constellation to be precise. Every single figure depicted with lions relate in one way or the other to the sun, moon, or ecliptic path as a constellation. In my opinion the Sayburc figure holding is penis is related to Orion and a “proto Shiva” or “proto Min”.
An no its not coincidence that the maya at Uxmal have a double leopard throne and yes these cultures did have cultural exchanges as the iconography shows it. Indirectly it goes all the way back to the iconography of the double aker lions. The etruscan double lions are near identical to the lion throne at Uxmal, including the band in the middle. The sticking out tongue is a classic depiction of the two lions as well. Even the temple lions are related to the Aker symbolism as the temple is a temple to creation and the rotating skies.
Above an Etruscan statue and on the right the jaguar throne at Uxmal. The temple with its gods relates to the zodiac and its figures. Khnum for example being Aquarius and Heqet the sails of Argo like Enki and Ninmah. I posted about this in my creation of God article.
These “Aker lions” , or temple lions, of the east and west also manifested in temple lions and sphinx corridors. This is because the Egyptian temple Facade, IS the Aker symbol of the two hills. And this is the reason for the lions and jaguars in art, more explicitly expanded on in my trefoil article.
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