LESSON #3
Dragons from the East are used in ceremonies and parades. This creature, like the Western dragon, can sometimes also take on the form of a monster. However, it is made of many different animal qualities and parts. It symbolizes heroism and not so much danger or threat. The Eastern dragon is seen as more of protector than a villain. It is a symbol of beauty and power. The Chinese even have a year of the dragon, and it is said that anyone born in this year will be healthy, wealthy, and wise, all of the things which the dragon of the East represents. The year of the dragon is also said to be a very prosperous year for the people of China.
Dragons from the West are said to breathe fire and are seen as unwanted and something that a hero must work to get rid of. These dragons try to kill people who get near them by breathing out fire. They also have great wings and sharp claws.
The Chinese dragon is a symbol of wisdom, power, and luck in Chinese culture. Unlike western dragons, oriental dragons are usually seen as benevolent and kind. Dragons have long been a symbol in Chinese folklore and art. Temples and shrines have been built to honor them.
Through the symbol of the dragon, many Chinese see divine attributes which they aspire to themselves. In fact, the Chinese are sometimes referred to as "descendents of the dragon." The dragon is held in reverence and respect in Chinese culture. It is unseemly to defile a depiction of a dragon. Dragons are referenced by several Chinese proverbs.
Chinese dragons control the rain, rivers, lakes, and sea. They can ward off wandering evil spirits, protect the innocent, and bestow safety unto all. They are called lung or long in the Chinese language.
They fly in the sky among clouds. Most pictures of Chinese dragons show them playing with a flaming pearl. Legend has it that the pearl gives them their power and allows them to ascend into heaven.
The Legend of the Carp says that a carp able to leap over the mythical Dragon Gate will become a dragon. Many have sought out the true location of this Gate, but none have found it. Several waterfalls and cataracts in China are believed to be the location of the Dragon Gate. This legend is an allegory for the drive and effort needed to overcome obstacles.
Chinese dragons have serpentine bodies, four legs, and are usually without wings. They are said to be a composite of various other animals-the body of a snake, the antlers of a deer, the talons of an eagle, the soles of a tiger, the scales of a carp, and the eyes of a demon. It is said that Chinese dragons have 117 scales.
They are usually depicted with four toes. In the traditional symbol of the emperor, the dragon is depicted with five. In Japan, dragons are depicted with three toes.
Through the symbol of the dragon, many Chinese see divine attributes which they aspire to themselves. In fact, the Chinese are sometimes referred to as "descendents of the dragon." The dragon is held in reverence and respect in Chinese culture. It is unseemly to defile a depiction of a dragon. Dragons are referenced by several Chinese proverbs.
Chinese dragons control the rain, rivers, lakes, and sea. They can ward off wandering evil spirits, protect the innocent, and bestow safety unto all. They are called lung or long in the Chinese language.
They fly in the sky among clouds. Most pictures of Chinese dragons show them playing with a flaming pearl. Legend has it that the pearl gives them their power and allows them to ascend into heaven.
The Legend of the Carp says that a carp able to leap over the mythical Dragon Gate will become a dragon. Many have sought out the true location of this Gate, but none have found it. Several waterfalls and cataracts in China are believed to be the location of the Dragon Gate. This legend is an allegory for the drive and effort needed to overcome obstacles.
Chinese dragons have serpentine bodies, four legs, and are usually without wings. They are said to be a composite of various other animals-the body of a snake, the antlers of a deer, the talons of an eagle, the soles of a tiger, the scales of a carp, and the eyes of a demon. It is said that Chinese dragons have 117 scales.
They are usually depicted with four toes. In the traditional symbol of the emperor, the dragon is depicted with five. In Japan, dragons are depicted with three toes.
German Dragons are an important part of German myths, legends, and tales. They are usually portrayed as evil and stories are told of how people outsmart and kill them. There are a several different types of German dragon. Nidhogg, Fafnir, and Jormungand are the more famous dragons from Norse/Germanic mythology. There are four types of dragons mentioned in German stories. They are the lindworm, firedrake, black worm and the puk.
Not much is written about the puk, it is a small dragon spirit with four feet. It lives in households and brings stolen goods to the head of the house. Stories of the puk started in Germany and spread outward through Europe from there.
The black worm is mentioned in a tale of a greedy man. This dragon sleeps coiled around its hoard of treasure but it is not big enough to fit around all of it. While it is sleeping, a man sneaks into the creature’s cave and quietly fills his pockets with gold. He wants more gold and calls to his wife to come in and get some gold. This awakens the dragon who roars, scaring the man into dropping the treasure he took. When the man runs away, the black worm and its gold sink into the ground, never to be seen again.
Firedrakes are from German mythology. They usually are found in caves guarding treasure. They can breathe fire to defend themselves from intruders looking to steal their treasure. The dragon that Beowulf defeats toward the end of the epic poem is a firedrake. J.R.R. Tolkien’s famous dragon Smaug is also a firedrake.
Lindworms are often depicted as a monstrous serpent, sometimes with front claws and wings, other times just with front claws. They are evil creatures and considered a bad omen. They invade churches and churchyards digging up corpses. When cattle and other livestock go missing, it is blamed on a lindworm. They are thought to be greedy creatures that guard hordes of treasure in underground caves. In some German tales, a lindworm is a human that became so greedy he transformed into the monster.
Not much is written about the puk, it is a small dragon spirit with four feet. It lives in households and brings stolen goods to the head of the house. Stories of the puk started in Germany and spread outward through Europe from there.
The black worm is mentioned in a tale of a greedy man. This dragon sleeps coiled around its hoard of treasure but it is not big enough to fit around all of it. While it is sleeping, a man sneaks into the creature’s cave and quietly fills his pockets with gold. He wants more gold and calls to his wife to come in and get some gold. This awakens the dragon who roars, scaring the man into dropping the treasure he took. When the man runs away, the black worm and its gold sink into the ground, never to be seen again.
Firedrakes are from German mythology. They usually are found in caves guarding treasure. They can breathe fire to defend themselves from intruders looking to steal their treasure. The dragon that Beowulf defeats toward the end of the epic poem is a firedrake. J.R.R. Tolkien’s famous dragon Smaug is also a firedrake.
Lindworms are often depicted as a monstrous serpent, sometimes with front claws and wings, other times just with front claws. They are evil creatures and considered a bad omen. They invade churches and churchyards digging up corpses. When cattle and other livestock go missing, it is blamed on a lindworm. They are thought to be greedy creatures that guard hordes of treasure in underground caves. In some German tales, a lindworm is a human that became so greedy he transformed into the monster.
Roman Dragons
The Romans do not have dragons that are unique to them. Their dragons are based on stories from Greek mythology that they expanded on and changed the names to Roman names. Roman dragons combine the serpentine Greek dragons with the dragons of the Near East to give us a dragon that is closer to what we imagine a European dragon to be with a long body, four clawed feet and crests upon their heads.
One story about a dragon that is unique to the Romans is about a mud dragon. Outside of a prominent Roman city, a dragon made its lair in the mud pits. For centuries, the dragon protected the city, destroying any enemy that attacked. The dragon demanded a high price to act as the city’s guardian. Every month the city had to perform a ritual that ended with a virgin bringing a basket of food to the dragon in his mud cave.
The girl had to hand feed the dragon and if her purity flagged while feeding him, he ate her. If she did not flinch, the dragon would return her to the city unharmed. The Roman naturalist, Pliny the Elder wrote about dragons in his encyclopedia Naturalis Historia. In book eight, he talks about reptiles such as the crocodile and serpent, ruling these out as possibly being the dragon. He writes about dragons a few times. First, he writes about a dragon that entwined around an elephant and crushed it, but when the elephant collapsed, it crushed the dragon as well.
Dragons, now wary of being crushed, entangle elephant’s feet and legs with their tails. The elephant however, untangles the dragon’s tail with its trunk. The main reason the dragon bothers with this is so it can suck the elephant’s blood while it is distracted. He says that in Ethiopia dragons are bred to be 30 feet long. Although in India, there are dragons that are so big they can swallow stags or bulls whole.
The generals of Rome often used dragons as an excuse for not completing their missions. One general took this excuse a step further by sending a dragon hide back to Rome as proof of encountering the beast. In the 3rd century BC, General Atilius Regulus was in North Africa battling Carthage. At Bagrada River, a dragon attacked his army. According to the report, a dragon crept up and situated itself behind the Roman army’s wall. General Regulus ordered his men to kill it, which they did.
The Romans do not have dragons that are unique to them. Their dragons are based on stories from Greek mythology that they expanded on and changed the names to Roman names. Roman dragons combine the serpentine Greek dragons with the dragons of the Near East to give us a dragon that is closer to what we imagine a European dragon to be with a long body, four clawed feet and crests upon their heads.
One story about a dragon that is unique to the Romans is about a mud dragon. Outside of a prominent Roman city, a dragon made its lair in the mud pits. For centuries, the dragon protected the city, destroying any enemy that attacked. The dragon demanded a high price to act as the city’s guardian. Every month the city had to perform a ritual that ended with a virgin bringing a basket of food to the dragon in his mud cave.
The girl had to hand feed the dragon and if her purity flagged while feeding him, he ate her. If she did not flinch, the dragon would return her to the city unharmed. The Roman naturalist, Pliny the Elder wrote about dragons in his encyclopedia Naturalis Historia. In book eight, he talks about reptiles such as the crocodile and serpent, ruling these out as possibly being the dragon. He writes about dragons a few times. First, he writes about a dragon that entwined around an elephant and crushed it, but when the elephant collapsed, it crushed the dragon as well.
Dragons, now wary of being crushed, entangle elephant’s feet and legs with their tails. The elephant however, untangles the dragon’s tail with its trunk. The main reason the dragon bothers with this is so it can suck the elephant’s blood while it is distracted. He says that in Ethiopia dragons are bred to be 30 feet long. Although in India, there are dragons that are so big they can swallow stags or bulls whole.
The generals of Rome often used dragons as an excuse for not completing their missions. One general took this excuse a step further by sending a dragon hide back to Rome as proof of encountering the beast. In the 3rd century BC, General Atilius Regulus was in North Africa battling Carthage. At Bagrada River, a dragon attacked his army. According to the report, a dragon crept up and situated itself behind the Roman army’s wall. General Regulus ordered his men to kill it, which they did.
Western dragons have traditionally been a symbol of evil and they also have a rich heritage in the mythology and symbolism of Western culture. A typical Western dragon can fly and breathe fire. Many legends describe dragons as greedy, keeping hordes of gold and other precious treasure. In myths and folklore, dragons were monsters to be conquered. As dragons may be seen to represent the dark side of humanity, including greed, lust, and violence, the conquest of a dragon represents the confrontation and extinguishment of those evil instincts.
The dragon has also been used as a symbol of war. The Viking longship, also called a drakkar or dragon ship, was used to transport Viking warriors on their raids across Europe. Often, sea-going dragon ships would have a dragon head mounted at its stern to ward off sea serpents and evil spirits.
Dragoons, which are a particular kind of soldier originating in the 16th century, received their name from their primary weapon, called a dragon. The dragon was a short Wheelock gun with a muzzle decorated with the head of a dragon. The mounted infantryman with his loose coat and the burning match at a gallop resembled a mythical dragon.
King Arthur's father, Uther Pendragon, received his name Pendragon from his older brother, who saw a dragon-shaped comet. Pendragon also means "chief dragon," which refers to Uther's status as chief of warriors.
The dragon has also been used as a symbol of war. The Viking longship, also called a drakkar or dragon ship, was used to transport Viking warriors on their raids across Europe. Often, sea-going dragon ships would have a dragon head mounted at its stern to ward off sea serpents and evil spirits.
Dragoons, which are a particular kind of soldier originating in the 16th century, received their name from their primary weapon, called a dragon. The dragon was a short Wheelock gun with a muzzle decorated with the head of a dragon. The mounted infantryman with his loose coat and the burning match at a gallop resembled a mythical dragon.
King Arthur's father, Uther Pendragon, received his name Pendragon from his older brother, who saw a dragon-shaped comet. Pendragon also means "chief dragon," which refers to Uther's status as chief of warriors.