Why was Jim Morrison called "the Lizard King"?

Jim Morrison wrote a poem called "The Celebration of the Lizard" that first apeared on the sleve of The Doors' album "Waiting For The Sun." The poem contained the line: "I am the Lizard King, I can do anything." Fans thought Morrison was refering to himself instead of another persona who Morrison created as the fictional author. The nickname stuck, and, after a while, the band added music and the poem was performed several times live.

The mythical Lizard King, Morrison's alter ego, appeared first in the best-selling record Waiting for the Sun (1968) in a poem that was printed inside the record jacked. It was entitled 'The Celebration of the Lizard King'. Part of the lyrics were used in 'Not to Touch the Earth' and the complete 'Celebration' appeared on record Absolutely Live (1970).

Morrison nicknamed himself "Mr. Mojo Risin'" (an anagram of Jim Morrison) and was also called the Lizard King, a name taken from his poem "The Celebration of the Lizard King," which was included in the 1968 album Waiting For the Sun.

http://www.who2.com/jimmorrison.html

Jim Morrison.

Like in the late 1950s when the beatniks tried to unite jazz and poetry, Morrison found from music a channel to project his poetry, and add to it a theatrical aspect. Thus improvising and unpredictableness was a part of the band's show on stage. The mythical Lizard King, Morrison's alter ego, appeared first in the best-selling record Waiting for the Sun (1968) in a poem that was printed inside the record jacked. I was entitled 'The Celebration of the Lizard King'. Part of the lyrics were used in 'Not to Touch the Earth' and the complete 'Celebration' appeared on record Absolutely Live (1970).

Jim Morrison.

Even though Jim Morrison was the driving force behind the Doors, it was Ray Manzarek who put this fantastic band together and basically kept it together under extaordinary circumstances.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ray_Manzarek

Jim Morrison was known as 'The Lizard King' due to his obsession with lizards. After years of drinking and heavy drug used he had developed the belief that he was able to control lizards with the power of his mind - that he had indeed become their 'King'. He would constantly mention this ability to friends, but was always unable to provide proof. During a party in Los Angeles in 1967 he had a confrontation with singer Janis Joplin in which, according to witnesses, he threatened to "unleash my army of tiny beasts" upon her. She then reportedly threw a bottle at his face,and he is said to have spent an hour in the garden attempting to summon his lizard army with a form of Native American dance called the 'Paqawatusi' - to little success. Frustrated by his inability to command the creatures, he moved to Paris in 1971 after someone told him there were no lizards in France and he dies soon afterwards as a broken man.