he Lion-and-bull is one of the oldest mythological symbols in the world, possibly as old as the great goddess motif of the Stone Age. It can be found in numerous cultures in a clear line of historical transmission. It passed from culture to culture during periods of contact, with each new group expressing the symbol with its own emphasis. It is a symbol of great complexity and range.

The basic sense of the bull brought down by beasts of prey is an image of the fundamental forces of life and death in a terrible, intense struggle. As an image of the conflict that provides the sustenance of life, the lion and the bull are bound together as a single symbol.

If the bull is taken as the life-giving principle, the lion must be interpreted as the dynamic force that activates its release.