Dragon is a mythical creature living in the sea in ancient myths and legends of China and other East Asian countries. It is the head of scale insects, and it is the master of wind and rain. It is often used to symbolize auspiciousness. The dragon is one of the most representative traditional cultures of the Han and other East Asian nations, and the dragon culture such as the legend of the dragon is very rich. The following China story network editor will bring you a detailed introduction. Let’s have a look!
The most basic feature of the image of the dragon is “nine similarities”, and the specific nine kinds of animals are still controversial. It is said that it can show, hide, thin, huge, short and long. The vernal equinox ascends the sky, the autumnal equinox dives into the abyss, and the wind calls the rain. These are the images of dragons developed in the late stage, which are more complex than the original dragons.
“Zhang Guoxing Jing” said: “if there are wings, it is the real dragon”. It is believed that the real dragon has wings. For example, there were a large number of vessels with wings in the Western Zhou Dynasty, and even the green dragon had wings in the decoration of the pre Qin Dynasty. It was said that the green dragon was the ancestor dragon. In the feudal era, the dragon was the symbol of imperial power, and the artifacts used in the imperial palace were also decorated with dragons. However, unlike the widely spread saying that “the five clawed Golden Dragon is the symbol of the son of heaven”, the winged dragon recorded in ancient books was the statue of the son of heaven.
The Dragon ranks fifth in the traditional Chinese zodiac, and is called the “four spirits” together with the Phoenix, tortoise and Lin in the book of rites. Dragon in Western mythology is also translated into dragon, but the two are not the same.
Like the Western dragon, the sacred Chinese dragon in the eyes of the public occasionally has an evil side.
The creatures that can be seen in Chinese classics in ancient Chinese folk myths and legends cannot find entities in reality, but the components of their images come from reality and play the role of dispelling evil spirits, avoiding disasters and praying for blessings.
The image of dragon
“Xunzi Fu”: “the world is secluded and dangerous, for fear of losing Shiying. The dragon is the dragonfly, and the owl is the Phoenix.”
Wang Chong of the Eastern Han Dynasty said in “Lun Heng”: “the secular painting of the image of a dragon, the head of a horse and the tail of a snake.”
Ban Gu of the Eastern Han Dynasty, “Han Shu”: “I thought that the Dragon had no horns, so I called it a snake with feet, and it had good luck with the wall, and it was a lizard to guard the palace.”
According to Shuowen Jiezi by Xu Shen of the Eastern Han Dynasty, “dragons, the length of scale insects, can be quiet and bright, thin and huge, short and long, rise to the sky at the spring equinox, and dive into the abyss at the autumn equinox.”
Erya, the ancestor of dictionaries, mentioned the image of Phoenix, but did not mention the image of dragon. In the Song Dynasty Luo Yuan’s supplement to Er Ya’s “Er Ya Yi”, there is “Shi Long”: “horns like deer, heads like camels, eyes like rabbits, necks like snakes, bellies like mirages, scales like fish, claws like eagles, palms like tigers, ears like cattle”. Guo Ruoxu, a connoisseur of calligraphy and painting from the Song Dynasty, also expressed a similar view in his “records of pictures”.
In the Ming Dynasty, the image of the dragon became more specific and plump, “Compendium of Materia Medica ยท wings” says: “The dragon is the length of scale insects. According to Wang Fu, its shape has nine similarities: its head is like a camel, its horn is like a deer, its eyes are like a rabbit, its ears are like an ox, its neck is like a snake, its abdomen is like a mirage, its scales are like a carp, its claws are like an eagle, and its palm is like a tiger. Its back has eighty-one scales, with Nine Yang numbers. Its voice is like a copper plate. There are beards near its mouth, pearls under its chin, and inverted scales under its throat. There is Bo mountain on its head, also known as ruler wood. The dragon can’t rise to the sky without ruler wood. Breathing into clouds, it can change water and fire.”
In the romance of the Three Kingdoms, Luo Guanzhong summarized the characteristics of the dragon through the mouth of Cao Cao: “the dragon can be big and small, and can rise and hide; when it is large, it can raise clouds and spit fog, and when it is small, it is hidden; when it rises, it soars between the universe, and when it is hidden, it is hidden in the waves. In the deep spring, the Dragon rides on time and changes”.
In the Qing Dynasty, Yuan Mei wrote in “Zi Bu Yu” that “the thunderstorm is gloomy, the Dragon wails, and the sound is like the roar of an ox.”
Dong Yu, a painter in the Song Dynasty, believed that dragons “have horns like deer, heads like cattle, eyes like shrimp, mouths like donkeys, bellies like snakes, scales like fish, feet like Phoenix, whiskers like people, and ears like elephants.” This is a more recognized statement in the 21st century. Disclaimer: the above content originates from the network, and the copyright belongs to the original author. Please inform us if your original copyright is infringed, and we will delete the relevant content as soon as possible.
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