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A crowned lion holding a cross-topped staff and banner.
Also known as: Conquering Lion of Judah, Moa Anbessa, Ethiopian lion, Crowned lion with a banner
The Lion of Judah was the emblem of the Ethiopian Empire and remains a symbol of Ethiopian identity and of Rastafari. Its use is layered: a biblical title, an imperial claim of descent from Solomon, and a modern religious symbol, and these are not the same claim.
Denotes the Ethiopian imperial line, drawn as a crowned lion bearing a banner staff surmounted by a cross.
Contexts: Public information
Carried an imperial claim of descent from Solomon and Sheba, asserted by the Ethiopian monarchy and set out in the Kebra Nagast — a dynastic claim rather than a documented genealogy.
Contexts: Public information
Is a central symbol of Rastafari, in which Haile Selassie's imperial title is given religious significance; this is a distinct use from the imperial one.
Contexts: Public information
Originates as a biblical title for the tribe of Judah, predating both the Ethiopian and the Rastafari uses.
Contexts: Public information
A lion walking with one forepaw raised, wearing a crown, holding upright a staff topped by a cross from which a banner hangs.
A fuller structured visual breakdown is not yet documented for this symbol.