Chinese Dragon

Chinese Dragon

Dragons are legendary creatures. They are derived from mythology or folklore. Dragons typically have serpentine or reptilian traits. They are the subject of myth in many cultures. There are two main categories. The first category is the European dragon. The second category is the Chinese dragon.

The Chinese dragons are typically long, scaled, serpentine creatures with four legs. The Chinese dragons are not considered evil like the European dragon. The Chinese dragon symbolize potent and auspicious power. In Yin and Yang, Yang is the male dragon and Yin is the female Chinese phoenix. The Dragon was the symbol of the Emperor of China.

The origins of the Chinese dragon are not certain. The Chinese dragon evolved to become a mythical animals. They are physically concise. There are a total of 117 Scales. 81 scales are yang, positive. 36 scales are yin, negative. The pearl under the Chinese dragons chin is associated with wealth, good luck, and prosperity. Most Chinese dragons do not have wings. The wings that are on some Chinese dragons are bat-like growing out of the front limbs. The Chinese dragons do not need wings because their ability to fly are mystical and not part of their physical appearance. The Chinese dragon has acquired an almost unlimited range of supernatural power.

The Chinese dragon is associated with water. They are the rulers of moving bodies of water. There are four major dragon kings. The four Dragon Kings represent the North Sea (Lake Baihal), South Sea (South China Sea), East Sea (East China Sea) and the West Sea (Indian Ocean). They are in control of water related weather.

The first Ming Emperor decreed that the dragon would be his emblem. The Ming Emperor's Dragon would have five claws. The four-clawed dragons were for imperial nobility and high ranking officials. The three-clawed dragon was used by lower ranks and the general public. The completely gold-colored, five-clawed dragon was only for the Emperor. It was a capital offence to use the gold five clawed dragon. If the claw number and/or color was used improperly, it was considered treason. The punishment for this treason was the execution of the offender's entire clan. The five toe rule was enforced in 1336 AD

The number nine is the largest possible digit. The Chinese dragon is connected to the number nine. The Chinese dragon is described in terms of nine attributes. The nine attributes are the eye of a demon, the head of a camel, the ears of a cow, the neck of a snake, the horns of an antelope, the feet of a tiger, the stomach of a shellfish, the scales of a fish, and the claws of an eagle. There are nine major types of oriental dragons. They are:

Dilong - Earth Dragon

Horned - the most powerful Chinese dragon

Winged - the oldest of all dragons - Yinglong

Tianlong - Celestial dragon

Shenlong - Spiritual

Dragon of Hidden Treasures

Coiling - Inhabits oriental lakes

Yellow - Huanglong

Dragon King - representing the 4 seas

The "Nine Dragon Wall" (found in imperial Palaces and gardens) is a screen wall with images of nine different dragons. There are 635 dragons on the "Nine Dragon Wall" including 9 large dragons. The Chinese dragon unlike the evil European dragon symbolizes potent and auspicious power.

European Dragons Dragons are legendary creatures. They are derived from mythology or folklore. Dragons typically have serpentine or reptilian traits. They are the subject of myths in many cultures. There are two main types of dragons from mythology. The two categories are the European dragon and the Chinese dragon. The European dragon is a serpentine legendary creature. The European dragon is usually evil. These dragons are depicted as huge fire-breathing, scaly, and horned creatures with wings and a strong tail. The dragon is thought to have powerful magic. The blood of the dragon has magical properties. The European dragon protect a cave or castle filled with gold and treasure. There are many stories and examples of the European Dragon. The Roman dragon evolved from the serpentine Greek dragon and the Persian dragon. There are several Germic dragons. The most famous are Niohoggr, the giant sea serpent which surrounds Miogard the world of mortal men, the dragon Beowulf encountered, Fafnir (turned into a dragon because of his greed) and was killed by siqurd. The dragons of Beowulf and Falnir guarded mounds full of ancient treasure. The treasure was cursed and brought misfortune to anyone who possessed it. The Celtic dragon from Wales ia a red dragon. It may have originated during the legend of King Arthur. Myiddin had a vision of the red dragon and the white dragon fighting at Dinas Emrys. The red dragon represented the Britons and the white dragon represented the invading Saxons. The Slavic dragons of Bulgaria, Russia, Ukran, and Serbia are generally evil four-legged beast. These dragons demand maidens for food or gold. They have anywhere from one to seven heads. Three and seven headed dragons are the most common. The blood of the Slavic dragon is poisonous. There are many stories of dragons in European mythology a few more examples are: The Ceulebre or Culebra - A giant winged serpent in Asturian and Cantabia The dragon in the Peria Urel mountain near Jaca in Aragonese mythology Herensuge is the dragon in Bsaque mythology Catalan Drac is an enormous serpent with two legs, fire-breathing in Catalan mythology The Portuguese dragon is Coca. Coca is a female dragon that battles Saint Georg on the Corpus Christi Holiday In Italy the story of Saint George is well-known. There are other saints that battle dragons Saint Mercurialis killed a dragon and save the city of Foril, Saint Theodore of Tyco was a dragon-slayer. St Michael is depicted slaying a dragon. Many dragons of the European Middle Ages were thought to be demonic or Evil. The European dragons differ from the Chinese dragon. The Chinese dragon symbolize potent and auspicious power. Home Page