Swedish blogger Ulrika Goodposted a storyabout a king and his lion that seize the internet , and turned a Swedish meme into an international virtuoso . She later put upan English versionto replace therough Google translationmany were using . King Frederik I of Sweden was feed gifts from the Bey of Algiers in 1731 . These included a lion , another brute , three hyaena , anda freed slavewho became the creature ' keeper . The creature live out their lives atDjurgården , the Royal Game Park .
Quite a few years after the Panthera leo died , some of its clay were beam to a taxidermist to be mounted . All that was pass on was the hide and some clappers . The taxidermist was not at all familiar with this animal yell a social lion . So he did the best he could with what he had . There ’s always the possibility that alcohol was involve .
The Warner Brothers School of Taxidermy did not exist in the 1700s , but many have point out how the lion ’s face resembles a cartoon . safe compared it with the dogDugfrom the Pixar movieUp!Others thought it resembledSnagglepuss .
King Frederik ’s lion is on display to this day atGripsholm Castle , a former royal residence and now a museum in Mariefred , Södermanland , Sweden . Some have speculate that the taxidermist may have used heraldic Leo the Lion effigy as a guide , like the carved Leo at Gripsholm Castle shown here . That would at least explain the tongue .
Good also pointed us tothe lion ’s Facebook sports fan page , where you ’ll find a wonderful collection oftribute ikon . The lion of Gripsholm Castle has found a home anywhere lions survive in pop culture .
If you ever find yourself in Sweden with time on your hands , you could still see the lion atGripsholm Castlewhich is open most afternoons . However , photography is not allowed .
