For example, there are lions on the coat of arms of Britain or Norway, but there are no lions there.
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You got some answers, just want to add that in some cases the coat of arms are “singing” (the proper term is “canting”, in English, but it still means “to sing”. Other languages use “talking” instead).
This means that they have no meaning but to represent with images the surname of the bearer or the name of a place: bow and lions for Elizabeth of England (born Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon), a pomegrenate for Granada (in Spain), tower and lion for Castile and Leon, a bull for my city, Turin (toro means “bull”) and so on.
Also, “lion” was used as a synonym for “brave” or “valiant” even in medieval times, just think of Richard I (nicknamed “the lionheart”)
Another point: many noble families are only a few centuries old, and by then Europeans had knowledge of many things that were not found in Europe.
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