"In heraldry, if an animal is depicted as ""passant"", what is it doing?"
Leopard (heraldry) Leopard (heraldry) The leopard in heraldry is traditionally depicted the same as a lion, but in a walking position with its head turned to full face, thus it is also known as a lion passant guardant in some texts, though leopards more naturally depicted make some appearances in modern heraldry. "The Oxford Guide to Heraldry" makes little mention of leopards but glosses "leopard" as a "term used in medieval heraldry for "lion passant guardant". Now used for the natural beast." Another name for this beast is the ounce. The typical heraldic leopard differs from the natural leopard ("Panthera pardus") in
Lion (heraldry) thus the modern English heraldic terms "lion passant guardant", "lion passant", and "lion rampant guardant" correlate to the Old French terms "léopard", "lion léopardé", and "léopard lionné", respectively. A small group of examples is depicted listed below. Outside of classical heraldry, lions have also found their way onto the coats of arms or emblems used by modern states in Asia, often based on traditional depictions of lions in the respective cultures or regions. Lion (heraldry) The lion is a common charge in heraldry. It traditionally symbolises courage, nobility, royalty, strength, stateliness and valour, because historically it has been regarded as