The Dovekeepers

Lions are an important symbol and motif in the novel. They are linked with Yael and represent survival and resilience. Yael is born in Av, the month corresponding to July-August, the sign of which is the lion. Yael’s red hair is often compared to a lion’s mane, and Yael also often dreams of a lion. In the ancient Jewish religion, lions are a symbol of nobility and strength. However, in the novel, Yael also associates the lion with violence and ferocity. Yael believes lions are linked with her destiny, which is why she takes Ben Simon’s scars from a lion In a gladiatorial arena as a sign that he is her lion. When she falls in love with Ben Simon, she compares it to placing her head in the lion’s mouth; she also names her son Arieh, which is Hebrew for lion.

However, the true meaning of the text’s lion symbolism is foreshadowed when Yael faces a leopard in the desert. She scares away the animal without causing it harm and feels a solidarity with it. This, as well as Yael’s kinship with other creatures, shows that Yael herself is the lion.