Probably the most stupid poll ever but...

Is the lion on a Lyle's golden syrup tin dead or just sleeping?

I've always assumed that the flys and the motto "out of the strong came forth sweetness" meant it was dead but i appear to be in the minority amongst my co-workers.

Any opinions?

That's really cool 'cos you've probably got everyone going to their cupboard now to have a look. That's where I'm off to...

Got to be dead. Aah, reminds me of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe! What was his name, Aslan or something?

I think the story is that the lion fell asleep and some bees came and turned him into golden syrup, or some such rubbish.

Edit : google is super

On the front of the distinctive gold and green tins, Lyle placed a strange logo, depicting a lion beset by a swarm of bees and the words, 'Out of the strong came forth sweetness'. It is taken from the book of Judges, which tells of Samson's journey to the land of the Philistines. On the way, Samson had killed a lion and, as he passed it on his return, he saw that bees had formed a honeycomb in the rotting carcass.

Pondering this strange event, Samson speculated that, "Out of the strong [lion] came forth sweetness [honey]." Whether by putting this legend on his tins Lyle was equating his firm (from which, after all, came forth sweetness) with a dead lion is uncertain.

Oh it's DEFINITELY dead and your cow-orkers are wrong, wrong, wrong.

It comes form the biblical story of Samson & Delila.

See here :
http://www.anenglishmanscastle.com/archives/000260.html

"So who else advertises their product with a rotting carcass that bees have made a home in? - for the modern yoof with out the groundings of a decent education see below.

Long ago the Hebrew tribe of Dan made its home in the land we now call Israel. It was there, near the Mediterranean Sea, that an elder of the tribe became part of a biblical tale that has been retold for generations. His name was Manoah and he and his wife were without child. One night a heavenly spirit appeared before the barren woman and told her that she would soon give birth to a son. The celestial being informed her that her child would be dedicated to the God of heaven from the womb. The divine messenger also told her that in order for the birth to take place, she must promise that the child would never drink wine or spirits and would never shave or cut his hair. (Judges 13:7) With this pact made the divine birth came to pass and the child was given the name Samson.

Young Samson grew up strong and eventually became a military leader of an Israelite tribe. Through divine authority and visions from heaven, he battled against his enemies with his mighty strength. It seemed as though Samson had found his place in the universe until one day God commanded him to fall in love and marry a Philistine woman from the town of Timnah. So Samson and his parents began a trip to Timnah to make his wedding arrangements and along the way a young lion attacked them. Young Samson killed it with his bare hands. Now safe from harm, he and his parents continued their journey and when they arrived in Timnah the lovers looked at each other and were pleased. Arrangements were made and upon returning home to prepare for the big day Samson decided take a side trip to see the condition of his kill. He came upon the carcass and found that bees had taken up residence and had built a beautiful hive full of golden honey. He then gathered some honey as a gift to his loved ones without revealing its source to them.

Soon the great day had arrived and his parents put on a wedding feast for the bride and groom in Timnah. It was at this party that Samson wagered heavily that no one could answer a riddle he then posed to the guests;



Out of the eater came forth food,
And out of the strong came forth sweetness (Judges 14:14).


As no one could possibly guess the answer to the riddle, the Philistines were angered and threatened to hurt the family of Samson's new wife unless she discovered and revealed the solution to that puzzling riddle. His new wife reluctantly did so and when Samson discovered his wife's betrayal and the treachery of the Philistines, it upset him so much that he called upon his super human strength and single-handedly killed a thousand Philistines with the jawbone of an ass. This was Samson's way of settling the debt for the lost wager. The father of Samson's new wife thought that this action was in bad taste and since the wedding night had never taken place, he took his daughter back and ended the marriage.



Twenty years had passed and Samson fell in love again, but this time with Delilah. Almost immediately those cunning Philistines were paying her to discover the secret of his amazing strength. After much nagging and numerous false stories to throw her off track, Samson finally revealed the secret of his seven locks of hair that have never been cut and how they were the source of his amazing strength. With this information the Philistines devised a plan to subdue Samson and the cut off all his beautiful hair.


Then they blinded Samson and he was bound to a millstone as a slave. For a very long time he circled the axis of that millstone like the skies turning around the pole star. Assured of their success at defeating the mighty hero, the Philistines later put Samson on display during seasonal festivities at their wicked temple. The drunken Philistines were taking pleasure in the pain of their captive, but hadn't realized that Samson's hair had grown back. Samson called to the heavens. He asked for his super human strength to return and his prayers were answered. Samson pulled down and destroyed the temple, the wicked Philistines, the false idol and himself with it.
"



Nomme

Cool. You learn something new every day!

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Originally posted by martmatt
Probably the most stupid poll ever but...


Any opinions?

Ture but beats ripping into mike since he's not here

I'd always assumed it was dead, but wondered why. Thanks for enlightening us nomme.

everyone been eating porridge then !