The Nemean Lion is a legendary creature from Hellenistic greek and Roman mythology who appears in Mystic Manor in Hong Kong Disneyland.
Origins[]
Mythology[]
The Nemean Lion is one of several monstrous children born to the monstrous deity Typhon and his serpentine lover Echidna. The lion was a giant creature which preyed on man and had invincible skin.
As his first of what would become twelve labours, the hero Heracles killed the Nemean Lion by wrestling it and beating it with his club. Following this, Hercules would manage to transform the pelt of the lion into a cloak of invincibility.
In the afterlife, the Nemean Lion would be given a form of immortality in the ether as the constellation of Leo.
Notable Disney Appearances[]
- Hercules (1997): The lion is homaged twice in this film loosely based on Greco-Roman mythology. Firstly, Hercules is seen fighting a giant lion working for Hades during a montage sequence. Later in the film we see Hercules posing while wearing a cloak made from the pelt of Scar from the Lion King, referencing the cloak from the original myth. The Nemean Lion was also the subject of an episode of the 1998 Hercules animated series.
Appearances[]
Mystic Manor[]
In the Mediterranean Antiquities chamber of Mystic Manor we see that the manor's owner, Lord Henry Mystic has an ancient amphora on display which depicts Heracles fighting the Nemean Lion as the first of his twelve labours.
When Lord Henry's pet monkey Albert opens up the enchanted Balinese Music Box, the figures within the amphora come to life with Heracles engaging in combat with the Nemean Lion. As guests in their Magneto-Carriages pass by, the figures on the amphora cause the artifact to rock back and forth.
Trivia[]
- If mythology reigns true in Mystic Manor and the Haunted Mansion, the Nemean lion is technically related to Medusa from the Haunted Mansion as the lion's mother Echidna is Medusa's sister.