[HPforGrownups] Re: The Gryffindor Coat-of-Arms

[Amanda Geist]

No: HPFGUIDX 42497

Haggridd said, about the attitude (position) of the Gryffindor lion on its
coat of arms:

> Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't the usual way for these heraldic
> charges to face "dexter", to the right?  Having the Gryffindor lion
> face left is another signal that something unusual is happening here.

You are not wrong; charges generally do face dexter unless there's some
reason for them not to. There is no particularly charged symbolic meaning to
them facing sinister. And in this case, there's a reason for it to face
sinister.

The only illustration of any armory at all is found in the front of
Philosopher's Stone; it did not appear in the US version. It is a line
drawing of the Hogwarts coat, which combines all four Houses with the H in
the inescutcheon overall. I believe JKR drew it, although I could be
mistaken.

Gryffindor is in the most "honorable" place on the shield, dexter chief. If
the lion were facing to dexter as well, it would be staring off the side of
the shield, its back to the Slytherin snake. So it is drawn facing sinister,
so it and the snake face each other, respectant, over the top of the
inescutcheon. It was an aesthetic consideration, borne out by the fact that
Ravenclaw's eagle and Hufflepuff's badger also manage to face each
other--the eagle's head is turned to dexter, and the badger, while its body
is aligned to sinister, is regardant--looking back over its shoulder at the
eagle.

It could be argued, I suppose, that the House arms are depicted in this way
on the combined Hogwarts coat, and their actual attitudes when depicted
singly are different. But we have no canon to base this on. So I personally
think that the lion faces to sinister to allow it to be a part of an
aesthetically pleasing combination in the Hogwarts arms, and there was no
other deep meaning.

--Amanda