# The lion

The disproportionately large animal occupies two-thirds of the face. It has clawed paws and a tail that folds over its back and ends in a striated lock, echoing the treatment of its back coat and front mane.

The lion's head is round and imposing, topped by two rounded ears. Its muzzle, highlighted by upturned whiskers, stretches from its whisker pads to its superciliary arch. The latter shelters two large, bulging, hemmed eyes.

The treatment of the lion's facies recalls local traditions: its eyes, the roundness of its face and its raised whiskers recall the facies of the holy abbots of Florennes in Maredsous, in the province of Namur, as well as the treatment of the prominent heads on the baptismal fonts of Beauvechain, in the province of Brabant Wallon.

The position of the animal, in profile for its body and frontal for its face, emphasizes its threatening side. His gaze, fixed on the viewer, makes him his next victim.

However, the lion is still submissive to the Saint Walbert facing him. The latter holds a weapon to his temple, defying the wild animal. This act reflects the symbolism of the scene, i.e. the struggle of Christians against paganism.

Relief of a holy abbot from Florennes Abbey
circa 1150-1155.
Source: GHISLAIN Jean-Claude, 2009, p. 18.
Beauvechain baptismal font, Belgium:
one of the vessel's protruding heads
Source: EmDee, 2010 via wikicommons
CC BY-SA 3.0.