Leopard (heraldry)

Leopard (heraldry)

The leopard or lion passant guardant is a frequently used charge in heraldry. It mostly appears in groups of three, which are positioned over each another.

Heraldic and Zoological leopards

The heraldic leopard differs from the real-life leopard ("Panthera pardus"). It does not have any spots and often has a mane. In heraldry, the leopard is also generally similar to a lion. The reason for this lies in the fact that in the Middle Ages leopards were thought to be a crossbreed between a lion and a panther. This was retained in heraldry.

The difference between leopards and lions passant guardant is scant, if any, and the two terms are generally interchangeable. The beasts on the Coat of arms of England are generally referred to as lions.

Some countries use the leopard in heraldry, which dates back to the colonial rule of the British.

There are occasional and more modern depictions in heraldry of the naturalistic leopard, but what is intended can be easily distinguished by the stated attitude (position) not being passant guardant. For example, when leopards are used as supporters and the position is not specified (thus it would be rampant) they should be depicted naturalistically.

Countries with leopards in their coats of arms

Three leopards

*Coat of arms of Baden-Württemberg (German federal state)
*Coat of arms of Canada
*Coat of arms of Denmark (12th century - 1819. After that changed to lions.)
*Coat of arms of Estonia

One leopard

*Coat of arms of Fiji
*Coat of arms of Ghana

Leopard's head(s)

* The Kingdom of Dalmatia, a province of the Habsburg Monarchy, had three crowned leopard heads; this coat now appears as a component of the coat of arms of Croatia.

Natural leopards

*Coat of arms of Benin
*Coat of arms of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (formerly Zaire)
*Coat of arms of Gabon (black panther)
*Coat of arms of Malawi
*Coat of arms of Somalia

ee also

*Lion (heraldry)
*Eagle (heraldry)
*Wolves in heraldry
*Bears in heraldry
*Boars in heraldry


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