The Lion and the Unicorn

The lion and the unicorn that fight in this rhyme are the two beasts on the British royal coat of arms: the English lion and the Scottish unicorn. Their tussle "for the crown" stands in for the long rivalry between England and Scotland, settled (on the shield, at least) when the crowns united in 1603.

Origins

The rhyme is directly linked to the Union of the Crowns in 1603, when King James VI of Scotland ascended to the English throne as King James I. To represent the new union of England and Scotland, the royal coats of arms were combined. England's heraldic symbol was the golden lion, while Scotland's symbol was the silver unicorn. The compromise resulted in the modern British Royal Coat of Arms, which features both creatures holding the shield. A verse similar to the first stanza of the rhyme was first recorded in print in 1708 by William King in his compilation Useful Transactions in Philosophy.

Meaning & Interpretation

The phrase "fighting for the crown" symbolizes the historical rivalry and conflicts between England and Scotland before their union. The lion beating the unicorn "all around the town" represents the political dominance of England over Scotland during the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. The second stanza, describing how people fed the beasts white bread, brown bread, and plum cake before drumming them out of town, is interpreted as a description of how public support for the union fluctuated. Some historians suggest the bread and cakes represent taxes and food supplies provided to the royal armies. In 1871, the author Lewis Carroll famously included the Lion and the Unicorn as characters in his novel Through the Looking-Glass, where they perform the battle described in the nursery rhyme.

What is the meaning of The Lion and the Unicorn?

The rhyme is a symbolic representation of the historical rivalry and union between England and Scotland. The lion represents England and the unicorn represents Scotland, both featured on the Royal Coat of Arms of the United Kingdom.

Why do the lion and the unicorn fight for the crown?

The battle represents the struggle for political power between England and Scotland. Following the Union of the Crowns in 1603 under King James I, the two heraldic beasts were placed together on the Royal Coat of Arms to show their unified status.