ArtofACOdyssey 8: Lion of Keos

And we’re back with another installment of #ArtofACOdyssey! Today we’re exploring the Lion of Keos.
 
Lion of Keos, Assassin’s Creed Odyssey (Ubisoft 2018).  

 

If you’ve seen the actual Lion of Keos you probably think Assassin’s Creed: Odyssey has lost its mind. If you haven’t…here it is.

 

A very long, flat stone lion on the side of a hill. Photo via Wikimedia Commons, Phso2, CC-BY-SA 3.0/GNU.

This is a great example of an archaic-style lion and is in pretty good condition, although it does look more like the Lion of Gripsholm Castle* than an actual lion.

*The Lion of Gripsholm Castle resulted from King Frederick I of Sweden’s need to have a stuffed lion in 1734. He sent the remains back to the royal taxidermist, who had evidently never seen a lion before, but did his best. The lion is now on Facebook and on display in the castle.

Clearly neither of those are the lion we see in the game. What we are actually seeing is much closer to the 10m long Lion of Knidos. It was originally the crowning glory of a monumental tomb and is now on display at the British Museum. 

 

Lion of Knidos, 2nd c. BCE. British Museum. Photo: K. Jones.
 
 

It isn’t an exact match – the position of the tail and articulation of the mane are different, among other things – but the Assassin’s Creed lion isn’t nearly stylized enough to be based on any archaic examples.

So why the change? The Lion of Keos is famous enough that is would be weird NOT to have it on the island, but the original doesn’t exactly fit the aesthetic of the game. If I had to guess, I’d say that’s why Ubisoft subbed it out for the Knidian version.

 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

ArtofACOdyssey: Kronos at Olympia

Image
Someone at Ubisoft Quebec is a Rubens fan! The monumental statue of Kronos above Olympia is clearly inspired by Rubens' 1636-8 "Saturn" (now in the  Museo Nacional del Prado at Madrid). Kronos devouring a child, Assassin's Creed Odyssey screenshot (Ubisoft 2018)   There are changes to the right arm, robe, and hair, not to mention the addition of wings and blood. The composition and anatomy are clearly post-classical, however. The wings might be inspired by Romanelli's 17th c. painting, as ancient works portray him as a normal, mature man.   Saturn Devouring a Son , Peter Paul Rubens, 1636-1638. Oil on canvas, Museo del Prado, P001678. Photo: wiki, public domain.  
Read more

ArtofACOdyssey: Medusa, AKA The Writhing Dread

Image
  AS PROMISED: this latest installment of #ArtofACOdyssey features the beautiful, deadly, and always badass Medusa. This is going to be a very long thread so strap in and bring a shiny shield.   Medusa standing over Kassandra's body. Screenshot from Assassin's Creed Odyssey (Ubisoft 2018)   First, a bit of background. Medusa is one of the most recognizable monsters in the classical pantheon and, I daresay, one of the most popular. She lives with her two immortal sisters, Stheno and Euryale, on an island at the edge of night (translation: very far away). Her story grows as time goes on, although she seems to have been associated with Perseus for most of it. She starts out as a child of Phorkys and Keto (Hesiod, Apollodoros, Aeschylus, Pausanias, Nonnius Dionysiaca - Hyginus says Gorgo and Keto and Homer nixes the sisters). Notably, the whole thing about her being a beautiful woman cursed by Athena for being raped by Poseidon in her temple doesn't come along until Ovid. So...
Read more

Steam Next Fest Fall 2023: Labrys

Image
Labrys , from ETS, is a multiplayer survival horror game set in the labyrinth of Crete. You and your buddies start out in cells deep within the labyrinth, and you have to find a certain number of discs within the maze in order to unlock the door and escape. Unfortunately, there is a large and angry minotaur out for your blood the entire time.  What I really like about this game is the option to play as the minotaur. You get a different set of skills and abilities, and your goal shifts from escaping to killing everything that moves.      The developers have also made good use of online 3D assets, such as the Roman statue seen here. Anachronistic, but nice easter eggs when you're running around. I believe the minotaur can also smash them.   All in all, it's an easy game to jump into. The controls aren't that difficult and in terms of horror, you really only have minotaur jump scares to worry about. I predict this will be the entertainment of choice for Classics So...
Read more