Dreaming of a lion
A lion in a dream is about strength, courage and authority: your own or someone else's. A lion attacking you feels like a power bigger than you; a lion walking beside you, like strength you may use.
Interpret your own dreamWhy you dream about this
The lion is not called the king of animals for nothing. In almost every culture it stands for strength, courage, pride and authority. Kings and countries put it on their coat of arms, the Netherlands too. In dreams it carries that charge along.
A lion attacking or chasing you is often about a power that feels bigger than you: a boss, a parent, an institution or a situation that overwhelms you. A roaring lion can stand for anger, your own or someone else's, that wants to be heard.
A lion walking calmly beside you or letting itself be stroked is usually read favourably: strength and courage you discover in yourself, or a powerful person on your side. A lioness is often about protective strength, like a mother's. A lion in a cage can point to strength you hold back or may not show.
Traditions give the lion a large role. In the Bible Daniel survives the lions' den, and Christ is called the Lion of Judah. In classical Islamic interpretation the lion stands for a powerful ruler. And in Hinduism the goddess Durga rides a lion.
What it means in each tradition
The same dream. 3 traditions. 3 different ways of seeing it.
Christian
The lion has two faces in the Bible. Daniel is thrown into the lions' den and remains unharmed, and Christ is called the Lion of the tribe of Judah. But Peter also warns that the devil prowls around like a roaring lion. A lion dream is therefore read with discernment.
Read the full Christian interpretation →Islamic
In classical Islamic dream interpretation the lion often stands for a powerful and sometimes unjust ruler, or for a strong enemy. At the same time the lion is a title of honour: Hamza, the Prophet's uncle, was called the lion of God. How the lion behaves determines the reading.
Read the full Islamic interpretation →Hindu
In Hinduism the goddess Durga rides a lion or tiger when she defeats the demon Mahishasura, and Vishnu appears as Narasimha, half man, half lion, to protect his devotee. A lion in a dream is therefore often read as divine strength that protects and overcomes evil.
Read the full Hindu interpretation →These differences are not opinions about one another. Each tradition reads a dream from within its own worldview, and that worldview decides what an image carries.
Common dreams about a lion
A lion attacking you
A power that feels bigger than you: a boss, parent or situation.
A roaring lion
Anger, your own or another's, that wants to be heard.
A tame lion
Strength and courage in yourself, or a powerful person on your side.
A lioness with cubs
Protective strength, like a mother's.
A lion in a cage
Strength you hold back or may not show.
What does your dream mean?
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Write your dream in the appFrequently asked questions
What does a lion in a dream mean?
Usually strength, courage and authority. Whether the lion was threatening or friendly determines the reading.
What does dreaming that a lion attacks you mean?
Often a power that feels bigger than you, such as a boss or an overwhelming situation.
What does a lion mean in the Bible?
Both strength and kingship, like the Lion of Judah, and threat, like the roaring lion of Peter's first letter.