Dragon
The dragon is a mythical creature typically depicted as a large and powerful serpent or other reptile with magical or spiritual qualities. Mythological creatures possessing some or most of the characteristics typically associated with dragons are common throughout the world's cultures.[1] It is well known that there is a negative image in the western world of the dragon, but in East Asia, especially in China, the dragon has a positive image and is a benevolent god.
Overview
Dragons are commonly portrayed as serpentine or reptilian, hatching from eggs and possessing extremely large, typically scaly, bodies; they are sometimes portrayed as having large eyes, a feature that is the origin for the word for dragon in many cultures, and are often (but not always) portrayed with wings and a fiery breath. Some dragons do not have wings at all, but look more like long snakes. Dragons can have a variable number of legs: none, two, four, or more when it comes to early European literature. Modern depictions of dragons are very large in size, but some early European depictions of dragons were only the size of bears, or, in some cases, even smaller, around the size of a butterfly.
Although dragons (or dragon-like creatures) occur commonly in legends around the world, different cultures have perceived them differently. Chinese dragons (Simplified Chinese: 龙; Traditional Chinese: 龍; pinyin: lóng), and Eastern dragons generally, are usually seen as benevolent, whereas European dragons are usually malevolent (there are of course exceptions to these rules). Malevolent dragons also occur in Persian mythology (see Azhi Dahaka) and other cultures.
Dragons are particularly popular in China. Along with the phoenix, the dragon was a symbol of the Chinese emperors. Dragon costumes manipulated by several people are a common sight at Chinese festivals.
Dragons are often held to have major spiritual significance in various religions and cultures around the world. In many Eastern and Native American cultures dragons were, and in some cultures still are, revered as representative of the primal forces of nature and the universe. They are associated with wisdom—often said to be wiser than humans—and longevity. They are commonly said to possess some form of magic or other supernormal power, and are often associated with wells, rain, and rivers. In some cultures, they are said to be capable of human speech. They are also said to be able to talk to all animals and converse with humans.
Dragons are very popular characters in fantasy literature, role-playing games and video games today.
The term dragoon, for infantry that move around by horse yet still fight as foot soldiers, is derived from their early firearm, the "dragon", a wide-bore musket that spat flame when it fired, and was thus named for the mythical beast.
Symbolism
In medieval symbolism, dragons were often symbolic of apostasy and treachery, but also of anger and envy, and eventually symbolized great calamity. Several heads were symbolic of decadence and oppression, and also of heresy. They also served as symbols for independence, leadership and strength. Many dragons also represent wisdom; slaying a dragon not only gave access to its treasure hoard, but meant the hero had bested the most cunning of all creatures. In some cultures, especially Chinese, or around the Himalayas, dragons are considered to represent good luck.
Joseph Campbell in the The Power of Myth viewed the dragon as a symbol of divinity or transcendence because it represents the unity of Heaven and Earth by combining the serpent form (earthbound) with the bat/bird form (airborne).
Dragons embody both male and female traits as in the example from Aboriginal myth that raises baby humans to adulthood training them for survival in the world (Littleton, 2002, p. 646). Another contrast in the way dragons are portrayed is their ability to breathe fire but live in the ocean—water and fire together. And like in the quote from Joseph Campbell above, they also include the opposing elements of earth and sky. Dragons represent the joining of the opposing forces of the cosmos.
Yet another symbolic view of dragons is the Ouroborus, or the dragon encircling and eating its own tail. When shaped like this the dragon becomes a symbol of eternity, natural cycles, and completion.
In Christianity
The Latin word for a dragon, draco (genitive: draconis), actually means snake or serpent, emphasizing the European association of dragons with snakes. The Medieval Biblical interpretation of the Devil being associated with the serpent who tempted Adam and Eve, thus gave a snake-like dragon connotations of evil. Generally speaking, Biblical literature itself did not portray this association (save for the Book of Revelation, whose treatment of dragons is detailed below). The demonic opponents of God, Christ, or good Christians have commonly been portrayed as reptilian or chimeric.
In the Book of Job Chapter 41, the sea monster Leviathan, which has some dragon-like characteristics.
In Revelation 12:3, an enormous red beast with seven heads is described, whose tail sweeps one third of the stars from heaven down to earth (held to be symbolic of the fall of the angels, though not commonly held among biblical scholars). In most translations, the word "dragon" is used to describe the beast, since in the original Greek the word used is drakon (δράκον).
In iconography, some Catholic saints are depicted in the act of killing a dragon. This is one of the common aspects of Saint George in Egyptian Coptic iconography [1], on the coat of arms of Moscow, and in English and Catalan legend. In Italy, Saint Mercurialis, first bishop of the city of Forlì, is also depicted slaying a dragon.[2] Saint Julian of Le Mans, Saint Veran, Saint Crescentinus, and Saint Leonard of Noblac were also venerated as dragon-slayers.
However, some say that dragons were good, before they fell, as humans did. Also contributing to the good dragon argument in Christianity is the fact that, if they did exist, they were created as were any other creature, as seen in Dragons In Our Midst, a contemporary Christian book series by author Bryan Davis.
Chinese zodiac
The years 1916, 1928, 1940, 1952, 1964, 1976, 1988, 2000, 2012, 2024, 2036, 2048, 2060 are considered the Year of the Dragon in the Chinese zodiac.
The Chinese zodiac purports that people born in the Year of the Dragon are healthy, energetic, excitable, short-tempered, and stubborn. They are also supposedly honest, sensitive, brave, and inspire confidence and trust. The Chinese zodiac purports that Dragon people are the most eccentric of any in the eastern zodiac. They supposedly neither borrow money nor make flowery speeches, but tend to be soft-hearted which sometimes gives others an advantage over them. They are purported to be compatible with Rats, Snakes, Monkeys, and Roosters.
In East Asia
Dragons are commonly symbols of good luck or health in some parts of Asia, and are also sometimes worshipped. Asian dragons are considered as mythical rulers of weather, specifically rain and water, and are usually depicted as the guardians of flaming pearls.
In China, as well as in Japan and Korea, the Azure Dragon is one of the Four Symbols of the Chinese constellation, representing spring (season), the element of Wood and the east. Chinese dragons are often shown with large pearls in their grasp, though some say that it is really the dragon's egg. The Chinese believed that the dragons lived under water most of the time, and would sometimes offer rice as a gift to the dragons. The dragons were not shown with wings like the European dragons because it was believed they could fly using magic.
A Yellow dragon (Huang long) with five claws on each foot, on the other hand, represents the change of seasons, the element of Earth (the Chinese 'fifth element') and the center. Furthermore, it symbolizes imperial authority in China, and indirectly the Chinese people as well. Chinese people often use the term "Descendants of the Dragon" as a sign of ethnic identity. The dragon is also the symbol of royalty in Bhutan (whose sovereign is known as Druk Gyalpo, or Dragon King).
In Vietnam, the dragon (Vietnamese: rồng) is the most important and sacred symbol. According to the ancient creation myth of the Kinh people, all Vietnamese people are descended from dragons through Lạc Long Quân, who married Âu Cơ, a fairy. The eldest of their 100 sons founded the first dynasty of Hùng Vương Emperors.
History and origins of dragons
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Where the original concept of a dragon came from is unknown, as there is no accepted scientific theory or any evidence to support that dragons actually exist or have existed.
Some believe that the dragon may have had a real-life counterpart from which the legends around the world arose — typically dinosaurs or other archosaurs are mentioned as a possibility — but there is no physical evidence to support this claim, only alleged sightings collected by cryptozoologists. In a common variation of this hypothesis, giant lizards such as Megalania are substituted for the living dinosaurs. Some Creationists hold that dragons are just an exaggerated depiction of what we now call dinosaurs and that humans and dinosaurs (dragons) did co-exist.[2] All of these hypotheses are widely considered to be pseudoscience or myth.
Dinosaur fossils were once thought of as "dragon bones" — a discovery in 300 B.C.E. in Wucheng, Sichuan, China, was labeled as such by Chang Qu.[3] It is unlikely, however, that these finds alone prompted the legends of flying monsters, but may have served to reinforce them.
Herodotus, often called the "father of history", visited Judea c.450 B.C.E. and wrote that he heard of caged dragons in nearby Arabia, near Petra, Jordan. Curious, he travelled to the area and found many skeletal remains of serpents and mentioned reports of flying serpents flying from Arabia into Egypt but being fought off by Ibises Histories. Histories (Greek). Retrieved 2006-06-14..
According to Marco Polo's journals, Polo was walking through Anatolia into Persia and came upon real live flying dragons that attacked his party caravan in the desert and he reported that they were very frightening beasts that almost killed him in an attack.[citation needed] Polo did not write his journals down — they were dictated to his cellmate in prison, and there is much dispute over whether this writer may have invented the dragon to embellish the tale.[citation needed] Polo was also the first western man to describe Chinese "dragon bones" with early writing on them. These bones were presumably either fossils (as described by Chang Qu) or the bones of other animals.[citation needed] Reference: Il Milione
It has also been suggested by proponents of catastrophism that comets or meteor showers gave rise to legends about fiery serpents in the sky.[citation needed] In Old English, comets were sometimes called fyrene dracan or fiery dragons. Volcanic eruptions may have also been responsible for reinforcing the belief in dragons, although instances in Europe and asian countries were rare.
In Hindu mythology, Manasa and Vasuki are serpent like creatures associated with the dragon. [3] Indra, is the hindu storm god who slays Vritra, a large serpent like creature on a mountain.
The Vietnamese dragon is the combined image of crocodile, snake, lizard and bird. Historically, Vietnamese people lived near rivers, so they venerated crocodiles as "Giao Long", the first kind of Vietnamese dragon. Then, many kinds of dragon were developed in architecture, painting, literature and Vietnamese consciousness.
In Greek mythology there are many snake or dragon legends, usually in which a serpent or dragon guards some treasure. The first Pelasgian kings of Athens were said to be half human, half snake. The dragon Ladon guarded the Golden Apples of the Sun of the Hesperides. Another serpentine dragon guarded the Golden Fleece, protecting it from theft by Jason and the Argonauts. Similarly, Pythia and Python, a pair of serpents, guarded the temple of Gaia and the Oracular priestess, before the Delphic Oracle was seized by Apollo and the two serpents were draped around his winged caduceus, which he then gave to Hermes.
The Greek myths of Hercules and Ladon and others are believed to be based upon earlier from Canaanite myth where Baal overcame Lotan, and Israelite Yahweh overcame Leviathan. These stories too go back still further in history 1,500 B.C.E., to the Hittite or Hurrian hero Kumarbi who had to overcome the dragon Illuyankas of the Sea.
In Australian Aboriginal mythology, the Rainbow Serpent was a culture hero in many parts of the country. Known by different names in different places, from the Waugal of the South Western Nyungar, to the Ganba of the North Central Deserts or the Wanambee of South Australia, the rainbow serpent, associated with the creation of waterholes and river courses, was to be feared and respected.
Recently, the Discovery Channel ran a programme titled Dragons: A Fantasy Made Real. The programme tries to look at plausible scientific explanations to assume a "what if" scenario, putting various theories and portraying dragons as if they had existed.[4]
Dragons in world mythology
The ancient Mesopotamian god Marduk and his dragon, from a Babylonian cylinder seal
- Pergamonmuseum Ishtartor 02.jpg
Oldest known picture of a "dragon" (Ishtar Gate)
Saint George slaying the dragon, as depicted by Paolo Uccello, c. 1470
The red dragon of Wales, Y Ddraig Goch, on the Flag of Wales
| Asian dragons | |||
| Chinese dragon | Lung | Lung have a long, scaled serpentine form combined with the attributes of other animals; most (but not all) are wingless, and has four claws on each foot (five for the imperial emblem). They are rulers of the weather and water, and a symbol of power. | |
| Japanese dragon | Ryū | Similar to Chinese and Korean dragons, with three claws instead of four. They are benevolent (with exceptions) and may grant wishes; rare in Japanese mythology. | |
| Vietnamese dragon | Rồng or Long | These dragons' bodies curve lithely, in sine shape, with 12 sections, symbolising 12 months in the year. They are able to change the weather, and are responsible for crops. On the dragon's back are little, uninterrupted, regular fins. The head has a long mane, beard, prominent eyes, crest on nose, but no horns. The jaw is large and opened, with a long, thin tongue; they always keep a châu (gem/jewel) in their mouths (a symbol of humanity, nobility and knowledge). | |
| Korean dragon | Yong | A sky dragon, essentially the same as the Chinese lóng. Like the lóng, yong and the other Korean dragons are associated with water and weather. | |
| yo | A hornless ocean dragon, sometimes equated with a sea serpent. | ||
| kyo | A mountain dragon. | ||
| Siberian dragon | Yilbegan | Related to European Turkic and Slavic dragons | |
| Indian Dragon | Vyalee | Usually seen in temples of South India | |
| European dragons | |||
| Scandinavian & Germanic dragons | lindworm | A very large winged or wingless serpent with two or no legs, the lindworm is really closer to a wyvern. They were believed to eat cattle and symbolized pestilence. On the other hand, seeing one was considered good luck. The dragon Fafnir, killed by the legendary hero Sigurd, was called an ormr ('worm') in Old Norse and was in effect a giant snake; it neither flew nor breathed fire. The dragon killed by the Old English hero Beowulf, on the other hand, did fly and breathe fire. Marco Polo encountered one on his journey. | |
| Welsh dragon | Y Ddraig Goch | The red dragon is the traditional symbol of Wales and appears on the Welsh national flag. | |
| Hungarian dragons (Sárkányok) | zomok | A great snake living in swamp, which regularly kills pigs or sheeps. A group of sheperds can easily kill them. | |
| sárkánykígyó | A giant winged snake, which in fact a full-grown zomok. It often serves as flying mount of the garabonciások (a kind of magicians). The sárkánykígyó rules over storms and bad weather. | ||
| sárkány | A kind of human form dragon. Most of them are giants with multiple heads. Their strength is held in their heads. They become gradually weaker as they lose their heads. | ||
| Slavic dragons | zmey, zmiy, or zmaj | Similar to the conventional European dragon, but multi-headed. They breathe fire and/or leave fiery wakes as they fly. In Slavic and related tradition, dragons symbolize evil. Specific dragons are often given Turkic names (see Zilant, below), symbolizing the long-standing conflict between the Slavs and Turks. | |
| Romanian dragons | balaur | Balaur are very similar to the Slavic zmey: very large, with fins and multiple heads. | |
| Chuvash dragons | Vere Celen | Chuvash dragons represent the pre-Islamic mythology of the same region. | |
| Tatar dragons | Zilant | Really closer to a wyvern, the Zilant is the symbol of Kazan. Zilant itself is a Russian rendering of Tatar yılan, i.e. snake. | |
| Basque dragons | Herensuge | Basque for Dragon. One legend has St. Michael descending from Heaven to kill it, but only when God agreed to accompany him, so fearful it was. | |
| Sugaar | The male god of Basque mythology, also called Maju, was often associated to a serpent or snake, though he can adopt other forms. | ||
| American dragons | |||
| Meso-American dragon | Mex.amphthere or Am.amphithere | Feathered serpent deity responsible for giving knowledge to mankind, and sometimes also a symbol of death and resurrection. | |
| Inca dragon | Amaru | A Dragon(sometimes called a snake) on the Inca Culture. The last Inca emperor Tupak Amaru's name means "Lord Dragon" | |
| Boi-tata | A Dragon-like animal (sometimes like a snake) of the Brazilian indian cultures | ||
| Chilean dragon | Caicaivilu and Tentenvilu | Snake-type dragons, cacaivilu was the sea god and tentenvilu was the earth god, both from the chilean island "Chiloé" | |
| African dragons | |||
| African dragon | Amphisbaena | Possibly originating in northern Africa (and later moving to Greece), this was a two headed dragon (one at the front, and one on the end of its tail). The front head would hold the tail (or neck as the case may be) in its mouth, creating a circle that allowed it to roll. | |
| Dragon-like creatures | |||
| Basilisk | A basilisk is hatched by a cockerel from a serpent's egg. It is a lizard-like or snake-like creature that can supposedly kill by its gaze, its voice, or by touching its victim. Like Medusa, a basilisk may be destroyed by seeing itself in a mirror. | ||
| Leviathan | In Hebrew mythology, a leviathan was a large creature with fierce teeth. Contemporary translations identify the leviathan with the crocodile, but in the Bible, the leviathan can breathe fire (Job 41:18-21), can fly (Job 41:5), and cannot be pierced with spears or harpoons (Job 41:7), his scales so close that there is no room between them (Job 41:15-16), his upright walk (Job 41:12), his teeth close together (Job 41:14), an underbelly that could cut you(Job 41:30) so the identification does not precisely match. Over time, the term came to mean any large sea monster; in modern Hebrew, "leviathan" simply means whale. A sea serpent is also closely related to the dragon, though it is more snakelike and lives in the water. | ||
| Wyvern | Much more similar to a dragon than the other creatures listed here, a wyvern is a winged serpent with either two or no legs. The term wyvern is used in heraldry to distinguish two-legged from four-legged dragons. | ||
| zmeu | Derived from the Slavic dragon, zmeu are humanoid figures that can fly and breathe fire. | ||
Notable dragons
In myth
- Azhi Dahaka was a three-headed demon often characterized as dragon-like in Persian Zoroastrian mythology.
- Similarly, Ugaritic myth describes a seven-headed sea serpent named Lotan.
- The Hydra of Greek mythology is a water serpent with multiple heads with mystic powers. When one was chopped off, two would regrow in its place. This creature was vanquished by Heracles and his cousin.
- Smok Wawelski was a Polish dragon who was supposed to have terrorized the hills around Kraków in the Middle Ages.
- Y Ddraig Goch is now the symbol of Wales (see flag, above), originally appearing as the red dragon from the Mabinogion story Lludd and Llevelys.
- Nidhogg, a dragon in Norse mythology, was said to live in the darkest part of the Underworld, awaiting Ragnarok. At that time he would be released to wreak destruction on the world.
In literature and fiction
The Old English epic Beowulf ends with the hero battling a dragon.
Dragons remain fixtures in fantasy books, though portrayals of their nature differ. For example, Smaug, from The Hobbit by J. R. R. Tolkien, who is a classic, European-type dragon; deeply magical, he hoards treasure and burns innocent towns.
A common theme in literature concerning dragons is the partnership of Dragon Riding between humans and dragons. This is evident in Dragon Rider and the Inheritance Trilogy. Most notably it is featured in Anne McCaffrey's Pern series; however, "dragons" (really genetically modified fire-lizards) feature prominently as workhorses, paired with so-called dragonriders to protect the planet from a deadly threat.
In Ursula K. Le Guin's Earthsea series, the portrayal of dragons undergoes significant changes from book to book.
The dragons in Harry Turtledove's Darkness series, a magical analogue of the Second World War, are beasts, highly pugnacious and under incomplete human control. In the storyline they are the analogue of fighter planes and dragon riders are obviously intended to represent fighter pilots of the Luftwaffe and the RAF.
Dragons have been portrayed in several movies of the past few decades, and in many different forms. In Dragonslayer (1981), a "sword and sorcerer"-type film set in medieval Britain, a dragon terrorizes a town's population. In contrast, Dragonheart (1996), though also given a medieval context, was a much lighter action/adventure movie that spoofed the "terrorizing dragon" stereotype, and depicts dragons as usually good beings, who in fact often save the lives of humans. Dragons can also be passionate protectors, just like the dragoness in Shrek and Shrek 2, who displays her love for a donkey. Reign of Fire (2002), also dark and gritty, dealt with the consequences of dormant dragons reawakened in the modern world.
Dragons are common (especially as non-player characters) in Dungeons & Dragons and in some computer fantasy role-playing games. They, like many other dragons in modern culture, run the full range of good, evil, and everything in between.
On the lighter side, Puff the Magic Dragon was first a poem, later a song made famous by Peter, Paul and Mary, that has become a pop-culture mainstay. The poem tells of an ageless dragon who befriends a young boy, only to be abandoned as the boy ages and dies.
Some stories give accounts of dragons in human form, notably the fourteenth-century French story Voeux du Paon [1] tells the story of Melusine, a beautiful woman who seemed faithful but refused to take communion in church. When confronted, she turned into a dragon and fled. She has been depicted in Russian art of the 18th century as a woman's head on a dragon's body [1].
As emblems
The dragon is the emblem of Ljubljana, Slovenia. The city has a dragon bridge which is embellished with four dragons. The city's basketball club are nicknamed the "Green Dragons". License plates on cars from the city also feature a dragon.
Further reading
- Dragons, A Natural History by Dr. Karl Shuker Simon & Schuster (1995) ISBN 0-684-81443-9
- The Flight of Dragons by Peter Dickinson HarperCollins (1981) ISBN 0-06-011074-0
- Dragonology: The Complete Book of Dragons by Dugald A. Steer
- A Book of Dragons by Ruth Manning-Sanders (a representative collection of dragon fairy tales from around the world)
ReferencesISBN links support NWE through referral fees
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Jones, David (2002). An Instinct for Dragons. Routlege.
- ↑ Rouster, Lourella. (1997). The Footprints of Dragons. http://www.rae.org/dragons.html
- ↑ http://www.abc.net.au/science/k2/moments/s1334145.htm
3. Littleton, C. Scott. (2002). Mythology. The Illustrated Anthology of World Myth and Storytelling. London: Duncan Baird.
4. Theosophical University Press. "Encyclopedia Theosophical Glossary Dis – Diz. (1999). Dragons. http://www.theosociety.org/Pasadena.etgloss.dis-diz.htm.
External links
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