Why is that throughout history, Lions, Tigers, Wolves, Bulls, etc., are used as emblems, insignia, symbols, and for characterization or anthropomorphization. Even though Bears are the true kings and btfo all of the above? How come Bears are rarely used?
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This is really more of a Wauf question than an Wauf question, but: cultural anthropomorphization of animals has only partly to do with their physicality, and partly to do with myths, legends and folklore. So to take something random, like a fox for example, its essence as a cultural symbol in medieval Western Europe was a sneaky, clever little bastard, informed by earlier fables and informing later depictions in turn. Lions became associated with nobility in Europe and got used on heraldry all the damn time for that exact reason. Tigers held a similar role in East Asia. Wolves are a bit more mixed: they were seen as ravenous and cruel in Europe, but as emblems of untamed, wild nature in the Americas (the latter depiction seems to be the one that's "won out" in contemporary western culture, interestingly).
Bears didn't really take off - at least not among big western cultures like that of the English or French. They show up in fables and folklore as big, mean dumbasses, so there was no perceived nobility to capitalize on and associate yourself with. The biggest instance of bears showing up in western thought that I can think of is the Norse berserkers (literally bear-shirts), which kind of sums up the dumb-angry-violent connotation.
Tigers literally eat bears in the wild
Even brown bears?
Tigers can frick up bears
Even Grizzlys?
And a bear can frick up a tiger. This is about symbols and emblems
Brown bears are more commonly eaten than black bears in Russia
Because they are just fat dogs
Bears are used as a symbol in the gay community for bigger stocky men
That is only recently. Why weren't they used throughout history even though they are really strong, even contemporary fantasy literature/games don't use them that much as symbols.
>tfw da burrs win da superb owl
Forget about bears; monkeys are able to burn down entire cities
Because the puns would be unbearable.
the bears at my zoo are big babies
Can we domesticate the bears?
At least for (proto-)Germanic cultures, bears had a taboo avoidance associated with them--saying the name would cause a chance for it to appear. That's why they dropped the PIE root "*rktos". It's pretty likely that this idea extended to visual representations as well.
Idk for other cultures. I'm sure there's a reason.
Um the stormcloaks used bears as their logo??? Learn your history
Bears were respected and feared in pre Christian cultures. They were removed from their range near more developed areas. Hunted for sport by the rich/royalty. Atlas bears, lions, and elephants were driven extinct by Mediterranean cultures.
Bears aren't sexy.
take that back
They did get used, though. Finland and Russia come to mind.
That is just 2 countries eben though bears are found in almost all continents.
pandas are a well known symbol
not really. bears do not exist in desert/ tropical areas.
the sun and sloth bears are right there
>sun and sloth bears
thats a very small area tho. and i guess in the tropics there is more intimidating beasts than sloth/sun bear?
Why no bears in Africa (continent with the most large mammals)?
The Atlas bear was in Africa.
>not really. bears do not exist in desert/ tropical areas.
Several bears exist in both those areas
https://wikipedia.org/wiki/Subspecies_of_brown_bear
Bears do exist there, brown bears even.
Because bears are nice and people who come up with emblems want mean animals like lions and eagles