The lion head symbol was introduced in 1986 as an alternative
national symbol
A national symbol is a symbol of any entity considering and manifesting itself to the world as a national community: the sovereign states but also nations and countries in a state of colonial or other dependence, federal integration, or even an e ...
of
Singapore
Singapore (), officially the Republic of Singapore, is a sovereign island country and city-state in maritime Southeast Asia. It lies about one degree of latitude () north of the equator, off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, bor ...
. The lion head was chosen as a nice logo, as it best captures the characteristics of Singapore's reputation as a Lion City. It is used in less formal occasions mainly to promote Singapore's national
identity
Identity may refer to:
* Identity document
* Identity (philosophy)
* Identity (social science)
* Identity (mathematics)
Arts and entertainment Film and television
* ''Identity'' (1987 film), an Iranian film
* ''Identity'' (2003 film), ...
.
When it was first unveiled, some sections of the public felt that it should have been facing rightwards to represent a more forward looking nature. However, the original left-facing lion was maintained.
Origin
In the 13th-century ''
Malay Annals'',
Sang Nila Utama
Sang Nila Utama was a Srivijayan prince from Palembang and is the founder of the Kingdom of Singapura in 1299. His official title adopted upon his coronation was Sri Tri Buana (), which can be translated as "Lord of Three Worlds"; the "Three Worl ...
, a prince from
Palembang was shipwrecked and washed ashore to an island. There he saw a creature which he believed was a lion. So he named the island "Singa Pura" which means "Lion City" in
Malay, from which the name Singapore was derived.
Meaning
According to the
Singapore government
The Government of Singapore is defined by the Constitution of Singapore to mean the executive branch of the state, which is made up of the president and the Cabinet. Although the president acts in their personal discretion in the exercise ...
:
Guidelines for use
Extracted from ''Guidelines on the use of National Symbols: The Singapore Lion Symbol'' (July 1999) published by the
:
# Subject to approval, organisations can use the Singapore Lion Symbol for the purpose of identifying with the nation and with the endeavour to achieve excellence for Singapore.
# In application, the symbol should not be modified in any way. However, the symbol in outline, embossed or portrayed as a watermark, are acceptable forms of depiction. It should preferably face left and be used together with the word "Singapore".
# The symbol should preferably be in red on a white background or white on a red background. However, it may also appear in gold, silver or in the corporate colours of the user organisation. Users must ensure that the symbol is depicted only in one colour.
See also
*
Republic of Singapore Air Force
The Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) is the aerial service branch of the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) responsible for controlling and defending the airspace of the country, and providing air support to the Army and Navy. It was establi ...
: Uses the lion head symbol in enclosed by a circle as a
roundel
A roundel is a circular disc used as a symbol. The term is used in heraldry, but also commonly used to refer to a type of national insignia used on military aircraft, generally circular in shape and usually comprising concentric rings of diff ...
References
External links
The Singapore Infomap
{{Singapore topics
National symbols of Singapore
Symbols introduced in 1986