Golden Ali The Great painting by Ramomar

 

Dedicated to Muhammad Ali May his soul live forever.

In the tradition given to the most prominent hero's of their day, Ali is draped in the golden mane. The Lion/Raw is the most powerful animal on the planet. Since time memorial starting on the African continent chiefs would participate in the royal lion hunts.

 This activity was reserved for the greatest warriors.

This was done to reinforce their right for rulership over their people, and to show their bravery to confront the most powerful creature on the planet. There was once a time when the lion's domain was spread world wide, and over thousands of years they went through many mutations to adapt to different climates.

As the shift of the ages occurred, the DNA of some species of lions changed and other species died off after their purpose in life was complete, leaving behind the type of lion that we are familiar with today.

  Today lions are more prevalent within the African continent, but their territory once extended from North to South Africa. As the climate changed thousands of years ago, the lions' prey would migrate towards the grasslands that further south in the heartland. Hence, the lion population in North Africa shrank and they became more prevalent in the south central part of the continent.

The rainy season would cause the grasslands to flourish causing many different her species to migrate in order to graze and give birth.

The lions instinctively picked and divided territories. They would form clans or prides to defend their chosen territory and to control their food supply.

But after the height of summer when the sun is at its highest peak, the grassland and water supply would begin to dry up.

  During the dry period of the summer months, the ancients would notice that lions were at their deadliest as they fought for the survival of their cubs and their pride.

The male would be in constant conflict with migrating herds and other prides competing for whatever was left of the resources. Their last stronghold during this time of the month were riverbanks where the lions could easily prey on animals who stopped to get a drink of water.

The time when the lions' power would be put to the test as they guarded the last water supply would be known as The Month of the Lion - starting in July. The ancients would later dedicate the stars that were visible during that time of the month as RwPt/ Heaven Lion, known today as the constellation of Leo.

This would be the particular time when chiefs would go through their rights of passage to go on the Lion hunt.

 Assyrian king Ashurnasirpal hunting a Lion, relief dated to 860 BC from Nimrud.  

Lion hunt from the outer wall of the Mortuary Temple of Ramses III (1198-1066 BCE) in Medinet Habu 20th dynasty. Later in KMT(Egypt) it would become the Heb Sed ritual for the Nsut Bity to rejuvenate themselves on their jubilee after  30  years on the throne. It would help to reinforce his rule over his peoples and show he still could come to the nations defense even with age, just like the Lion.  

 

During the dynastic period in the Hapi/Nile valley they would sculpt a lion out of the natural rock of the king during his reign known as the HruEmAkhet /Sphinx as it stands guard at the Nile river like the Lions do in nature.

Many rulers after then would depict them selves as half man half lion all the way up to the Meroitic period in Kush. Detail from the south exterior wall of the "Lion Temple" of the God Apedemak at Aborepi now called "musawwarat", 20 km north of Tolkte/Naqa, to the east of the 6th cataract of the Nile), Meroë (Sudan):  

The Sphinx of Taharqa is a granite gneiss statue of a sphinx with the face of Taharqa. He was a Nubian Pharaoh, who was one of the 25th Egyptian Dynasty rulers of the Kingdom of Kush. It is now in the British Museum in London.

Nubian man seated at the "Lion Temple" of the God Apedemak at Aborepi with guardian Lion.

The Mighty God Apedemak, lion-headed, wearing the Hemhemet-Crown (the "Roaring One") and holding the Uas-Scepter of Power and Dominion; detail from the "Lion Temple" of the God Apedemak at Aborepi (to the east of the 6th cataract of the Nile), Meroë  

Later in other northern cultures they would  come up with their own myths and heroes confronting the lion.

Greek myths such as Heracles slaying the Nemean Lion. The descendents of Alexander would depict their hero draped in the lion skin as  Hercules.

King Alexander of Macedonia draped in lion skin.

  Unfortunately lions are no longer in the the northern territories so the man and lion myths were taken from the African continent.

  Muhammad Ali the last of the great warrior fighters of this age is now draped in the golden mane as he hands the gloves to the new age of enlightenment.

Marble statue of the bearded Hercules sculpted in Rome A.D. 68_98 originated in images of the Greek hero Herakles dating to the fourth century B.C. now on display at the Metropolitan  museum of Art NYC.