onsdag 30 mars 2011

The stuffed lion of Gripsholm’s Castle

A lot of people have seen this picture on the Internet:



Another picture:



The story behind it is pretty interesting. In 1731 King Frederick the I of Sweden received a living lion as a gift from the Bey of Algiers. The poor lion lived out its days in a cage at Djurgården in Stockholm and when it finally died the hide together with some of its bones were put in storage.

Some years later a taxidermist was ordered to stuff the animal and put it on display at Gripsholm castle.

The taxidermist however had never seen a living lion and with some of the parts missing he had to wing it.

And that's why the lion looks like it was fetched straight out of some comic book.

4 kommentarer:

  1. I am from Chicago, USA and I have entertained many friends by showing them this page!

    SvaraRadera
  2. From the side, it's a pretty good job.

    From the front, it's just a wonderful thing. If you saw a lion coming at you in the jungle, you'd run. See this one, you'd want to give it a cuddle. Or maybe take it down the pub.

    The poor chap may not be very dignified, but he's definitely a star. Gripsholm Lion, I salute you!

    SvaraRadera
    Svar
    1. 8 years later: Thanks for that wonderful comment!

      Radera
  3. Den här kommentaren har tagits bort av skribenten.

    SvaraRadera