|
Web Directory Search Home
Store
Current News: a dictionary of current search terms and popular interest topics.
Dragon
The dragon is a mythical creature typically depicted as a gigantic and
powerful serpent or other reptile with magical or spiritual qualities.
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 in many legends around the
world, different cultures have varying stories about monsters that have been
grouped together under the dragon label. 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.
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 creature.
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. Dragons are
depicted in medieval symbolism to be the size of a bear or smaller. Most
dragons posses magical abilities.
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.[1] Another striking illustration of the way dragons
are portrayed is their ability to breathe fire but live in the ocean.
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, not lizards or dinosaurs as they are commonly associated with today.
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, there are references to a 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,[2] on the coat of arms of Moscow, and in English and Catalan
legend. In Italy, Saint Mercurialis, first bishop of the city of Forlě, is
also depicted slaying a dragon.[3] Saint Julian of Le Mans, Saint Veran,
Saint Crescentinus, Saint Margaret of Antioch, Saint Martha, and Saint
Leonard of Noblac were also venerated as dragon-slayers.
Chinese zodiac
The years 1916, 1928, 1940, 1952, 1964, 1976, 1988, 2000, 2012, 2024, 2036,
2048, 2060 etc. (every 12 years — 8 AD) 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 people whose zodiac sign is the dragon 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 people whose zodiac sign is of the rat, snake, monkey, and rooster.
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 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, 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 underwater 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. The dragon is strongly influenced by the Chinese dragon. According
to the ancient creation myth of the Kinh people, all Vietnamese people are
descended from dragons through Lạc Long Quan, who married au Cơ, a fairy.
The eldest of their 100 sons founded the first dynasty of Hůng Vương
Emperors.
In the Philippines, the Bakonawa appears as a gigantic serpent that lives in
the sea. Ancient natives believed that the Bakonawa caused the moon or the
sun to disappear during an eclipse.
The Naga - a minor deity taking the form of a serpent - is common within
both the Hindu and Buddhist traditions. Technically, the naga is not a
dragon, though it is often taken as such; the term is ambiguous, and refers
both to a tribe of people known as 'Nagas', as well as to elephants and
ordinary snakes. Within a mythological context, it refers to a deity
assuming the form of a serpent with either one or many heads.
Occasionally the Buddha is depicted as sitting upon the coils of a serpent,
with a fan of several serpent heads extending over his body. This is in
reference to Mucalinda, a Naga that protected Sakyamuni Buddha from the
elements during the time of his enlightenment. Separated from the
contextualising effect of the Buddha story, people may see only the head and
thus infer that Mucalinda is a dragon, rather than a deity in serpentine
form. Stairway railings on Buddhist temples will occasionally be worked to
resemble the body of a Naga with the head at the base of the railing. In
Thailand, the head of Naga, in a more impressionistic form, can be seen at
the corners of temple roofs, with Naga’s body forming the ornamentation on
roofline eves up to the gables.
Speculation on the origins of dragons
It has been suggested that legends of dragons are based upon ordinary
creatures coupled with common psychological tendencies amongst disparate
groups of humans.
Some believe that the dragon may have had a real-life counterpart from which
the various legends 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 believe dragons are mental
manifestations representing an assembly of inherent human fears of reptiles,
teeth, claws, size and fire in combination. All of these hypotheses are
widely considered to be pseudoscience.
Dinosaur and mammalian fossils were occasionally mistaken as the bones of
dragons and other mythological creatures — a discovery in 300 BC in Wucheng,
Sichuan, China, was labeled as such by Chang Qu.[4] It is unlikely, however,
that these finds alone prompted the legends of such monsters, but they may
have served to reinforce them.
Dragons in world mythology
The ancient Mesopotamian god Marduk and his dragon, from a Babylonian
cylinder seal
Dragon carving on Hopperstad stave church, Norway
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
Indonesian dragon Naga or Nogo Naga is a mythical animal from Indonesian
mythology, and the myth encompasses almost all of the islands of Indonesia,
especially those who were influenced heavily by Hindu culture(including
Malaya. in fact, the word 'Naga' is a common noun for dragon in Malay). Like
its Indian counterpart, it is considered as divine in nature, benevolent,
and often associated with sacred mountains, forests, or certain parts of the
sea.
Chinese dragon Lóng (or Lung) The Chinese dragon, is a mythical Chinese
creature that also appears in other East Asian cultures, and is also
sometimes called the Oriental (or Eastern) dragon. Depicted as a long,
snake-like creature with four claws, it has long been a potent symbol of
auspicious power in Chinese folklore and art.
Japanese dragon Ryū Similar to Chinese dragons, with three claws instead of
four. They are benevolent (with exceptions), associated with water, and may
grant wishes.
Philippine Dragon Bakonawa The Bakonawa appears as a gigantic serpent that
lives in the sea.
Ancient natives believed that the Bakonawa caused the moon or the sun to
disappear during an eclipse.
It is said that during certain times of the year, the bakonawa arises from
the ocean and proceeds to swallow the moon whole. To keep the Bakonawa from
completely eating the moon, the natives would go out of their houses with
pans and pots in hand and make a noise barrage in order to scare the
Bakonawa into spitting out the moon back into the sky.
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.
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 chau (gem/jewel) in their
mouths (a symbol of humanity, nobility and knowledge).
Siberian dragon Yilbegan Related to European Turkic and Slavic dragons
European dragons
Sardinian dragon scultone The dragon named "scultone" or "ascultone" was a
legend in Sardinia, Italy for many a millennium. It had the power to kill
human beings with its gaze. It was a sort of basilisk, lived in the bush and
was immortal.
Scandinavian & Germanic dragons Lindworm Lindworms are serpent-like dragons
with either two or no legs. In Nordic and Germanic heraldry, the lindworm
looks the same as a wyvern. The dragon Fafnir was a lindworm.
Hungarian dragons (Sárkányok) zomok A great snake living in a swamp, which
regularly kills pigs or sheep. A group of shepherds can easily kill them.
sárkánykígyó A giant winged snake, which is in fact a full-grown zomok. It
often serves as flying mount of the garabonciások (a kind of magician). The
sárkánykígyó rules over storms and bad weather.
sárkány A dragon in human form. 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, змей, 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.
Asturian dragons Cuélebre In Asturian mythology the Cuélebres are giant
winged serpents, which live in caves where they guard treasures and
kidnapped xanas. They can live for centuries and, when they grow really old,
they use their wings to fly. Their breath is poisonous and they often kill
cattle to eat. Asturian term Cuelebre comes from Latin colŭbra, i.e. snake.
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.
Turkish dragons Ejderha or Evren The Turkish dragon secretes flames from its
tail, and there is no mention in any legends of its having wings, or even
legs. In fact, most Turkish (and later, Islamic) sources describe dragons as
gigantic snakes.
American dragons
Meso-American dragon Feathered Serpent 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"
Brazilian dragon Boi-tata A dragon-like animal (sometimes like a snake) of
the Brazilian Indian cultures.
Chilean dragon Caicaivilu and Tentenvilu Snake-type dragons, Caicaivilu was
the sea god and Tentenvilu was the earth god, both from the Chilean island
Chiloé.
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.
* Orochi, the eight-headed serpent slain by Susanoo in Japanese mythology
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. Contrary to most old folklore and literature J. R. R.
Tolkien's dragons are very intelligent and can cast spells over mortals.
A common theme in literature concerning dragons is the partnership between
humans and dragons. This is evident in Dragon Rider and the Inheritance
Trilogy. Most notably it is featured in Anne McCaffrey's Dragonriders of
Pern series.
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 dragon in Shrek and Shrek 2, who displays her affection 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. See Dragon (Dungeons & Dragons) for additional
information.
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.
As emblems
The dragon is the emblem of Ljubljana, Slovenia. The city has a dragon
bridge which is embellished with four dragon depictions. The city's
basketball club is nicknamed the "Green Dragons". License plates on cars
from the city also feature a dragon depiction.
Y Ddraig Goch (IPA: [ə đraig gox]) (Welsh for the red dragon) appears on the
national Flag of Wales (the flag itself is also called the "Draig Goch"),
and is the most famous dragon in Britain. There are many legends about y
Ddraig Goch.
The dragon is also in the emblem of FC Porto, a sports club from Portugal,
which is nicknamed "Dragőes" (Dragons). Their football stadium is also
nicknamed "Estádio do Dragăo" (Dragon Stadium) and has a large bronze Dragon
logo at the entrance.
Further reading
* Dragons, A Natural History by Dr. Karl Shuker Simon & Schuster (1995) ISBN
0-684-81443-9
* A Book of Dragons by Ruth Manning-Sanders (a representative collection of
dragon fairy tales from around the world)
Notes
1. ^ (Littleton, 2002, p. 646)
2. ^ Orcutt, Larry (2002). Slaying the Dragon. Retrieved on 2007-03-17.
3. ^ http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/06137a.htm
4. ^ http://www.abc.net.au/science/k2/moments/s1334145.htm
References
* Littleton, C. Scott. (2002). Mythology. The Illustrated Anthology of World
Myth and Storytelling. London: Duncan Baird.
read the
copyright
|