The Chinese Dragon or The East Asian Dragon is a legendary creature in Chinese mythology, Chinese folklore, and East Asian culture in general. East Asian dragons have many forms such as animals such as turtles and fish, but most often depicted as snakes with four legs. They traditionally symbolize strong and lucrative forces, especially control over water, rainfall, typhoons, and floods. The dragon is also a symbol of strength, strength, and luck for decent people in East Asian cultures. During the reign of the Chinese Empire, the Chinese Emperor usually used dragons as a symbol of his imperial strength and power.
In Chinese culture, the people are extraordinary and extraordinary compared to the dragon, while the people who can not afford without achievement compared to other immoral creatures, such as worms. Some Chinese proverbs and idioms display references to a dragon, such as "Wishing a boy would be a dragon" (simplified Chinese: ???? ; traditional Chinese: < span lang = "zh-hant"> ???? ; pinyin: using z? chÃÆ' Â © ng lÃÆ'³ng ).
Video Chinese dragon
Symbolic Value
Historically, East Asian dragons were associated with the Emperor of China and used symbols to represent imperial powers. Han Founder of the Liu Bang Dynasty claimed that he was conceived after his mother dreamed of a dragon. During the Tang dynasty, the Emperors wore robes with dragon motifs as symbols of the empire, and high officials may also be presented with dragon robes. In the Yuan dynasty, a two-horned horned dragon is designated for use by the Son of Heaven or Emperor alone, while a four-clawed dragon is used by princes and nobles. Similarly during the Ming and Qing dynasties, the five-paw dragon was strictly reserved for use by Caesar alone. Dragon in the Qing dynasty appeared in the first national flag of China.
Dragons are sometimes used in the West as a national symbol of China although such use is unusual in the People's Republic of China or the Republic of China. Instead, it is commonly used as a cultural symbol. In Hong Kong, the dragon is a component of the state symbol under British rule. Then became the design feature of Hong Kong Brand, a symbol of government promotion.
The Chinese dragon has a very different connotation to the European dragon - in European culture, the dragon is a breath-breathing creature with an aggressive connotation, while the Chinese dragon is a spiritual and cultural symbol representing prosperity and fortune, as well as a rain god that cultivates harmony. It was reported that the Chinese government decided not to use dragons as the official mascot of the 2008 Summer Olympics because of the aggressive connotations of dragons outside of China, preferring the "friendly" symbol.
Sometimes the Chinese use the term "Descendants of the Dragon" (Simplified Chinese: ???? ; Traditional Chinese: ? as a mark of ethnic identity, as part of a trend that began in the 1970s when different Asian countries were looking for animal symbols as representations, for example, wolves could be used by Mongols as being considered ancestors their legendary. Maps Chinese dragon
Country symbol
The dragon was a symbol of the Chinese emperor for many dynasties. During the Qing dynasty, Azure Dragon was featured on China's first national flag. This was briefly displayed on the national symbol of the Twelve Symbols, used during the Republic of China, from 1913 to 1928.
Dragon worship
Origin
The ancient Chinese identified themselves as "descendants of the dragons" because Chinese dragons were imaginary reptiles that represented the evolution of the ancestors and energy of qi . The presence of dragons in Chinese culture has existed for thousands of years with the discovery of a dragon statue dating from the 5th century BC from Yangshao culture in Henan in 1987, and jade badges of rank in rolled form have been extracted from Hongshan. culture around the year 4700-2900 BC. Some of the earliest Naga artifacts are carved pig dragons from Hongshan culture.
The shape of a dragon or a coiled serpent plays an important role in early Chinese culture. The characters for "dragons" in early Chinese writing had the same circular shape, as did jade dragon jade from the Shang period.
Ancient Chinese refers to the bones of dinosaurs dug as dragon bones and documented them as such. For example, Chang Qu in 300 BC documented the discovery of a "dragon bone" in Sichuan. The modern Chinese term for dinosaurs is written as ??/?? ("dragon terror"), and villagers in central China have long found "fossilized" dragon bones for use in traditional medicine, a practice that continues today.
Binomial names for various dinosaurs found in China, may long, in Chinese (? MÃÆ'¨i and? LÃÆ'³ng) mean "sleeping dragons." Remnants of fossil May It has long been found in China in sleep and circular form, with the dinosaurs huddled its snout under one of the forelegs while circling its tail around its entire body.
Mythical creatures
From its origins as a totem or depiction of the style of a natural being, the Chinese dragon evolved into a mythical animal. Wang Han's Han Dynasty scholar records the Chinese myth that the dragon has long been nine anatomical resemblances.
People paint the shape of a dragon with a horse's head and a snake's tail. Furthermore, there are expressions as 'three joints' and 'nine resemblances' (dragons), namely: from head to shoulder, from shoulder to breast, from breast to tail. It is a joint; for the nine resemblances, they are the following: its horn resembles a stag, its camel-like head, its eyes are like a demon, its neck is like a serpent, its belly is like a shell (shen), its scales are like a gurame, its claws are like eagles, tiger palms, ears like cows. Above his head he has something like a broad eminence (big bump), called [ chimu ] (??). If a dragon does not have [ chimu ], he can not ascend to heaven.
Further sources provide a list of variations of nine animal similarities. The Sinologist Henri Dorà © listed the authentic features of this dragon: "Deer deer, crocodile head, demon eye, snake's neck A viscera of turtle, eagle's claw, tiger's palm A cow's ears And heard through its horns, his ears are deprived of all hearing powers. "He notes that," Others claim to have rabbit eyes, frog belly, goldfish scales. " Anatomy of other legendary creatures, including chimera and manticore, are also united from ferocious animals.
The Chinese dragon is considered physically short. Of 117 scales, 81 are of Yang essence (positive) while 36 are Yin (negative) essences. Initially, the dragon was full of virtue, wisdom and justice, but Buddhists introduced the concept of evil influence among several dragons. Just like the devastating water, they say, so do some dragons can destroy through floods, tidal waves, and storms. They claim that some of the worst floods are believed to be the result of human deaths that drag the dead.
Many images of East Asian dragons show pearls glowing beneath the chin or in his paws. Pearls are associated with spiritual energy, wisdom, prosperity, power, eternity, thunder, or moon. Chinese art often depicts a pair of dragons chasing or fighting a burning pearl.
Chinese dragons are sometimes depicted with wings like bats that grow outside the front branch, but most do not have wings, because their ability to fly (and control rain/water, etc.) is mystical and is not seen as a physical result. attribute.
This description corresponds to the artistic depictions of the dragon to this day. The dragon also gained almost unlimited magic. It is said to be disguised as a silkworm, or as big as the rest of our universe. It can fly between clouds or hide in water (according to Guanzi ). It can form clouds, can turn into water, may change color as the ability to blend with its surroundings, as an effective form of camouflage or light in darkness (according to Shuowen Jiezi) .
In many other countries, folklore speaks of dragons having all the attributes of 11 other creatures from the zodiac, these include the Mustache's mustache, Cow's face and horns, claws and teeth Tigers, Rabbit belly, Snake body, Horse legs, goate beard, intelligence (or brain) Monkey, Chicken symbol, Dog ear, and Pig snout.
In some quarters, it is considered bad luck to describe a dragon facing down, because it is seen as impolite to place a dragon in such a way that it can not ascend to heaven. Also, depictions of dragons in tattoos are prevalent because they are symbols of strength and strength, especially the criminal organization in which the dragon holds all meaning all by itself. Thus, it is believed that a person must be vicious and strong enough, then get the right to use dragons on his skin, lest his luck be consumed by dragons.
Weather and water ruler
The Chinese dragon is strongly associated with water and weather in popular religion. They are believed to be rulers of the flow of water, such as waterfalls, rivers, or the sea. Dragon God is a rain dispenser as well as a zoomorphic representation of the power of masculine generation. In this capacity as the water and weather ruler, the dragon is more anthropomorphic in shape, often described as humanoid, dressed in a king's costume, but with a dragon's head wearing a king's headdress.
There are four main Dragon Kings, representing each of the Four Sea: the East Sea (corresponding to the East China Sea), the South Sea (corresponding to the South China Sea), the West Sea (sometimes seen as Qinghai Lake and its surroundings), and North Sea (sometimes seen as Lake Baikal).
Because of these associations, they are seen as "responsible" water-related phenomena. In pre-modern times, many Chinese villages (especially those close to rivers and seas) had temples dedicated to their local "dragon king". In times of drought or flood, it is customary for local aristocrats and government to lead the community in sacrificing and performing other religious rituals to calm dragons, whether to ask for rain or cessation.
The Wuyue King in the period of the Five Dynasties and the Ten Kingdoms is often known as the "Dragon King" or "The King of the Sea Dragon" because of its vast hydro-engineering scheme that "tamed" the sea.
According to Chinese legend, both Chinese primogens, the earliest Doors and the Yellow Emperor (Huangdi), are closely related to 'Long' (Chinese dragons). At the end of his reign, the first legendary ruler, the Yellow Emperor, is said to have been immortalized into a dragon resembling his emblem, and ascended to Heaven. Another legendary ruler, Emperor Yan, was born by his mother's telepathy with a mythical dragon. Since the Chinese consider the Yellow Emperor and the Emperor Yan their ancestors, they sometimes refer to themselves as "dragon descendants". This legend also contributed to the use of the Chinese dragon as a symbol of imperial power.
The dragon (usually with five claws on each leg) was a symbol for the emperor in many Chinese dynasties. During the Qing dynasty, imperial dragons were yellow or gold, and during the Ming dynasty it was red. The imperial throne is referred to as the Dragon Throne . During the Qing Dynasty, the dragon was even adopted as a national flag. The dragon is displayed in carvings on the steps and sidewalks of imperial palaces and imperial tombs, such as in the Forbidden City in Beijing.
In some Chinese legends, an emperor may be born with a birthmark in the form of a dragon. For example, one legend tells the story of a farmer born with a dragon birthmark that eventually overthrew the existing dynasty and discovered a new one; Another legend may tell the prince hiding from his enemies identified with the birthmark of the dragon.
In contrast, the Queen of China is often identified with the Chinese phoenix.
Modern belief
The Dragon God worship is celebrated throughout China with sacrifices and processions during the fifth and sixth months, and especially on the anniversary date of the thirteenth day of the sixth month. A folk religious movement of good relations in modern Hebei is especially devoted to the generic Dragon God whose icon is a tablet with its written name, which has been named "the Dragon Tablet movement".
Dragon depictions
neolithic depictions
Dragon or dragon-like depictions have been found extensively in archaeological sites of neolithic periods throughout China. Early depictions of dragons were found on the Xinglongwa culture site. The Yangshao cultural site in Xi'an has produced clay pots with dragon motifs. A Xishuipo burial site in Puyang associated with Yangshao culture shows a large dragon mosaic made of seashells. Liangzhu culture also produces dragon-like patterns. The Hongshan cultural site in Inner Mongolia is now producing dragon jade dragons in the form of a pig dragon which is the first 3-dimensional representation of the Chinese dragon.
One of the earliest forms is the pig dragon. It is a long, circular creature with the head resembling a boar. The characters for "dragons" in early Chinese writing had the same circular shape, as did the jade dragon jade of the Shang dynasty.
Classic description
Nama naga Cina lebih sedikit berasal from awalan panjang -:
- Longwang (Mandarin Mandarin: < ld ÂNn ; Wade-Giles: lung-wang ; downloaded: "Raja Naga" ) ilahi penguasa Four Seas
- Longma (Mandarin: ; pinyin: ln³ngm? ; Wade-Giles: mouse-me ; secara harfiah: "kuda naga"), luo Fu Xi is a famous mangungkapkan guy.
What is your name? lama ?, Misalnya,
- Hong (Mandarin: ; pinyin: hó³ng ; Wade-Giles: tergantung ; secure harfiah: "pelangi"), to the end of the file
- => zh "> ; pinyin: y ; Wade-Giles: shen ; secre harfiah: "raksasa kerang"), seeker naga yang berubah bentuk monster laut yang dipercaya untuk membuat fatamorgana
- Bas (Mandarin Mandarin: ; pinyin:
bh Æ' © ; Wade-Giles: pa-dia ; secure harfiah: "no snake") sean madam python-like dragon yang memakan gajah - Teng (Mandarin: < td/span> ; Wade-Giles: ) Tengshe (Cina yang disederhanakan: ; tradisional mandarin: <; pinyin: tÃÆ'Â © ÃÆ'Â © ; Wade-Giles: teng-she ; melayang ular) adalah naga terbang tanpa kaki
Chinese scholars have classified dragons in diverse systems. For example, Emperor Huizong of the Song dynasty canonized five colored dragons as "king".
- The Spirit of the Azure Dragon [ Qinglong ), the most compassionate king.
- The Vermilion Dragon [ Zhulong ?? or Chilong ??) spirit, the king who gives blessings in the lake.
- Yellow Dragon [ Huanglong ??) spirit, the king is happy to hear all petitions.
- The White Spirit [bailong ??] spirit, a pious and pure king.
- The Black Dragon [ Xuanlong ?? or Heilong ??) spirit, the king who lives in the depths of the mystical waters.
With the addition of the Yellow Dragon of Center to the Azure Dragon of the East, the Vermilion, White and Black Dragons coordinate with the Four Symbols, including Vermilion Bird of the South, the White Tiger of the West, and the Northern Black Tortoise.
Nine dragons
Some of the Ming dynasty texts include what is claimed to be the Nine Dragon Descendants (????), and then this feature stands out in popular Chinese stories and writings. Scientist Xie Zhaozhe (???, 1567-1624) in his work Wu Za Zu (???, c 1592) gives the following list, as translated by M.W. de Visser:
A famous work of the late sixteenth century, which is
, tells us about the nine different young of the dragons, whose shapes are used as ornaments according to their nature.
- [ pulao ], the weeping dragon, represented at the top of the bell, serves as a grip.
- The [ qiuniu , which likes music, is used to decorate musical instruments.
- The [ chiwen ??/??], which is like swallowing, placed on both ends of the roof ridgepoles (to swallow all evil influences).
- [ chaofeng ], animals like cliff-like lions, placed in four corners of the roof.
- The [ yazi ??/??], who likes to kill, engraved on the guardian of the sword.
- The [ bixi ??], which has the form [ chilong ??], and likes literature, is represented on the grave-monument side.
- The [ bi'an ], which is like litigation, is placed above the prison gate (for security).
- [ suanni ), who like to sit, are represented on the grounds of the Buddha idols (under the feet of the Buddhas or Bodhisattvas).
- [baxia ], finally, large tortoises carrying heavy objects, are placed under grave monuments.
Furthermore, the same author mentions nine other types of dragons, which are represented as ornaments of various objects or buildings according to the wishes of prison, water, freshly captured fish scent or newly dead meat, wind and rain, ornaments, smoke, mouth closure (used to decorate the keyhole), standing in a steep place (placed on the roof), and fire.
The Sheng'an waiji (????) collection by the poet Yang Shen (??, 1488-1559) gave different names for 5 and 9 for the nine dragon children: taotie (??), who like to eat and be found on food-related items, and jiaotu (??), which look like a snail or shellfish, do not like to be harassed, and used in the front door or threshold. Which is bixi , chiwen or chÃÆ'¡of? ta , taotie , qiuniu , yazi i>, suanni , and jiaotu .
The longest validation of the list of "dragon children" is found in Shuyuan Zaji (????, Other notes from the garden of beans ) by Lu Rong (1436) -1494 ); However, he noted that the list only mentions synonyms of various antiques, not dragon children. Nine dragon boys are commemorated by Shanghai Mint in 2012 from dragons with two sets of coins, one in silver, and one in brass. Each coin in the set depicts one of 9 sons, including an additional coin for the father's dragon, which depicts the nine sons on the reverse.
Dragon claw
Early Chinese dragons can be described with two to five claws. Different countries that adopt the Chinese dragon have different preferences; in Mongolia and Korea, dragon four claws are used, while dragon Japanese dragon three claws is a common thing. By the Yuan dynasty, the five-story dragon was reserved for use by the emperor while the princes used a four-paw dragon. The use of dragon motifs was codified during the Yuan dynasty, and the two-horned two-horned phoenix and dragon may not be used on official robes and other objects such as plates and ships. It further stipulates that for the common people, "forbidden to wear cloth with the pattern of Qilin, Male Fenghuang (Chinese phoenix), White rabbit, Lingzhi, Five-Toe Two-Horn Dragon, Eight Dragons, Nine Dragons, 'Ten thousand years, Fortune- longevity and Golden Yellow etc. "
Emperor Hongwu of the Ming dynasty imitated the Yuan dynasty's rule regarding the use of dragon motifs and determined that the dragon would be its emblem and that it would have five claws. The four-clawed dragon will be typical for imperial nobility and certain high-ranking officials. The three dragon paws are used by low-ranking people and the general public (widely seen in various Chinese goods in the Ming dynasty). The dragon, however, is only to choose a kingdom closely associated with the imperial family, usually in symbolic colors, while it is a grave offense for anyone - other than the emperor himself - to ever use fully colored gold, five-mirror Length dragon motif. The use of incorrect claw or color numbers is considered a betrayal, punishable by the execution of the entire clan of the perpetrator. The service was brought to the Qing dynasty, and the portrait of the Qing emperor was usually depicted with a five-legged dragon.
In works of art that leave the imperial collection, either as a gift or through theft by the court (old problem) court where one practical claw has been removed from each set, as in a few pieces of engraved lacquerware, for example the famous Chinese table varnish in the Museum Victoria and Albert in London.
Cultural reference
Figure nine
Number nine is special in China because it is considered the number of heaven, and the Chinese dragon is often connected with it. For example, Chinese dragons are usually depicted in nine attributes and typically have a scale of 117 (9x13) - 81 (9x9) Yang and 36 (9x4) Yin. This is also why there are nine dragon shapes and there are 9 dragon boys (see Classic description above). The Nine-Dragon Wall is a spirit wall with images of nine different dragons, and is found in imperial Chinese palaces and gardens. Since nine counted as the number of emperors, only the most senior officials were allowed to wear nine dragons on their robes - and then only with a cloak completely covered with a mantle. Low level officials had eight or five dragons on their robes, once again covered with coats; even the emperor himself wore his dragon cloak with one of nine dragons hidden from view.
There are a number of places in China called "Nine Dragons", the most famous being Kowloon (in Cantonese) in Hong Kong. Part of the Mekong in Vietnam is known as C? U Long , with the same meaning.
Chinese zodiac
Dragon is one of 12 animals in the Chinese zodiac used to determine the year in the Chinese calendar. It is estimated that each animal is associated with certain personality traits. Dragon years are usually the most popular to have children. There are more people born in the years of the Dragon than in the other animal years of the zodiac.
Constellation
The Azure Dragon (Qing Long, ??) is considered the main of the four guardians of heaven, the other three are Zhu Que-- ?? (Vermilion Bird), Bai Hu-- ?? (White Tiger), Xuan Wu-- ?? (A creature like the Black-Turtles). In this context, the Azure Dragon is associated with the East and Wood elements.
Dragon Boat Racing
At special festivals, especially the Duanwu Festival, dragon boat races are an important part of the celebration. Typically, this is a boat rowed by a team of up to 20 paddlers with drummer and steersman. The boats have a dragon carving as head and tail of the boat. Dragon boat races are also an important part of celebrations outside of China, as in Chinese New Year. Similar racing is popular in India in the state of Kerala called Vallamkali and there are records of Chinese merchants visiting the beaches of Kerala last century (Ibn Batuta).
Dragon dancing
On lucrative occasions, including Chinese New Year and store and residence opening, celebrations often include dancing with dragon dolls. These are medium-sized puppet-and-wood puppets manipulated by a group of people, who support the polar dragons. They perform choreographic movements to drum, drama, and music accompaniment. They also wore nice clothes made of silk.
In many Buddhist countries, the concept of n? Ga has been combined with the local traditions of the great and wise serpents and dragons, as depicted in this staircase of the many nostrils that emerged from the mouth of a Makara in the style of the Chinese dragon in Phra Maha Chedi Chai Mongkol in place of Wat Pha Namthip Thep Prasit Vararam in Roi Et Province of Thailand Nong Phok District.
Dragon and tiger
The tiger is considered an eternal rival for dragons, so various works of art depict a dragon and a tiger fighting in an epic battle. A Chinese idiom used to describe the same rival (often in today's sport) is " Dragon versus Tiger ". In Chinese martial arts, " Dragon Style " is used to describe a fighting style based on more on the understanding of movement, while " tiger style " is based on rugged power and rote technique.
Dragon and botanical
The 'Pendula', of northern China, called the Weeping Chinese Elm in the West, is known locally as Lung chao yÃÆ'¼ shu (: 'Dragon's- claws elm ') because of its ramifications.
In popular culture
- As part of traditional folklore, dragons appear in mythological fiction. In the classic novel Journey to the West, the son of the Western Dragon King was cursed to serve as a horse for travelers because of his carelessness at a party in the heavenly court. Sun Wukong staff, Bang Ruyi Jingu, were robbed of Ao Guang, Dragon King of the East Sea. In Fengshen Yanyi and other stories, Nezha, the boy's hero, defeats the Dragon King and tame the oceans. The Chinese dragon also appears in many Japanese anime movies and Western television, manga, and cartoon shows as the personification of the People's Republic of China. Chinese respect for dragons is emphasized in the novel Naomi Novik Temeraire , in which they are the first to tame dragons and treated the same, intellectual, or even noble, not the animals raised for war on the dragon. West. Manda is a great Chinese dragon that appears in the Godzilla storyline. The three-headed gold dragon also appears in the God Is Dead comic book series .
- The red dragon is a Chinese symbol that appears in many Mahjong games.
- A Chinese Water Dragon is used as the main antagonist in Season 3 of the Australian television series Mako Mermaids . The dragon is heavily based on Chinese mythology to coincide with the new Chinese mermaid on the show.
- In Lego Ninjago Films , Lloyd, green ninja, has a Chinese dragon robot as its main vehicle.
Regional variations across Asia
While depictions of dragons in art and literature are consistent across cultures in which it is found, there are several regional differences.
For more information on the peculiarities in depictions of dragons in other Asian cultures, see:
Dragon associated with the Chinese dragon:
- Druk, the Thunder Dragon of Bhutanese mythology
- Japanese dragon
- Korean dragon
- N? ga, Hindu and Buddhist beings in South and Southeast Asian mythology.
- Dragon Vietnam
A dragon similar to a Chinese dragon:
- Makara, Sea dragon in Hindu and Buddhist mythology
- Yaazhi, a South Indian or Tamil mythical creature
- The Nepali dragon is described with Bahirav
- Bakunawa, the lunatic sea dragon described in Philippine mythology.
Gallery
See also
References
Quote
Source
- Nikaido, Yoshihiro (2015). Asian People's Religion and Cultural Interaction . Vandenhoeck & amp; Ruprecht. ISBNÃ, 3847004859
- Overmyer, Daniel L. (2009). Northern Religion in Northern China in the Twentieth Century: The Structure and Organization of Community Rituals and Beliefs . Brill. ISBNÃ, 900417592X
- Tom, K. S. (1989). Elegant from Old China: Life, Legends, and Lore of the Middle Kingdom . University of Hawaii Press. ISBN: 0824812859.
External links
- Quotes related to the Chinese dragon on Wikiquote
Source of the article : Wikipedia
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