Chinese dragon - meaning, what does the mythical entity symbolize?

Dragon (hieroglyph龙

, traditional hieroglyph
龍
,
lóng
) is one of the most famous symbols of China, a hero of ancient myths, the owner of strength and the most noble qualities.

The Chinese endowed their object of worship with kindness and wisdom, unlike representatives of other countries, where these creatures became the personification of evil and danger. To this day, the people of the Celestial Empire believe that dragons bring them luck, wealth and prosperity.

The most interesting things about dragons

Dragon hieroglyph

Dragon (simplified hieroglyph龙

, the traditional spelling of the character
龍
, pronounced lóng) has become a symbol of Chinese culture and influences almost every aspect of society in China.
From a traditional point of view, the dragon symbolizes positive elements in life such as wealth, success, power, etc.

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Myths and Legends * Chinese Dragons

Chinese Dragons

Chinese dragons Chinese dragons are specially highlighted for a reason. They are central to Chinese mythology. We are more familiar with Western European dragons - evil, bloodthirsty and simply greedy. Chinese dragons are completely different, although, according to scientists, they are the ancestors of European ones. But this time the apple fell quite far from the tree. The dragon in China, in the Celestial Empire, was, as a rule, a kind, gracious creature, merciful to people. For this, the Chinese loved their dragons and gave them high honors.

Among the emperor's many titles, the most honorable was "living dragon." The imperial throne* was called the “dragon throne.” The state's coat of arms featured a dragon. The legendary ruler of China, Fuxi, according to legend, introduced ranks and ranks for officials and assigned a special dragon patron to each class. Thus, the ceremonial robes of officials of the highest, seventh rank were decorated with a moon dragon embroidered with gold threads, which had five claws on its paws. The attire of lesser dignitaries was befitting of a man dragon, which had only four claws. And so on. Dragons were divided not only by the number of claws. At the highest level of the dragon hierarchy were dragons that could fly. They had dragon spirits under their command. Then - earthly dragons: they were once flying, but for various reasons they lost this ability. Closing the list were underground dragons, whose duty was to protect treasures.

Scarlet Chinese dragon

But that's not all. The Chinese divided dragons into yellow - huang, green - qing, red - zhu, white - bai and black - xuan, scaly - jiao, horned - qiu and hornless - ni. There were also more detailed divisions: yun-chi - cloud hornless dragon, yun-qiu - cloud horned. Dragons played an important role in Chinese zoology. According to an ancient manuscript, “10 thousand creatures, feathered, furry, scaly and armored, descended from dragons.” The inhabitants of the Celestial Empire had a pretty good idea of ​​the dragon and its habits. Here is a description of dragons from an ancient dictionary. The Chauwen dictionary (1st century AD) says the following about the dragon: “A dragon is a long, scaly creature. It can hide, it can appear, it can become thin, it can become huge... On the day of the spring equinox it flies into the sky; on the day of the autumn equinox he dives into the abyss.” “The dragon goes into hibernation. If a dragon doesn’t sleep in winter, the cold will kill it.” “The dragon has the antlers of a deer, the head of a camel, the eyes of a rabbit, the ears of a bull, the neck of a snake, the scales of a carp, the claws of an eagle, the paws of a tiger.” “The dragon can direct clouds and rain. He inhales air and exhales a cloud.” This is probably one of its most important qualities: dragons command the elements - rain, winds, floods. If dragons enter into battle with each other, a terrible rain falls on the earth. When a dragon, being in the sky, wants to drink, it attracts water to itself - and huge waves rise on the sea and tornadoes form. Dragons have been familiar creatures to the Chinese since ancient times. According to the ancient author Sima Qian, some families even raised dragons: “A certain Dong, who knew the secret of feeding and taming, received from Emperor Shun (2255-2204 BC!) the title of “feeding the dragon.”

Here is another story: “When King Kun Jia ascended the throne, two dragons descended from the sky to him. Kong Jia did not know how to maintain them, so he appointed a certain Liu Lei as caretaker.” This Liu Lei turned out to be a charlatan, he didn’t know how to handle dragons, and the female quickly died. Liu Lei was executed, and another caretaker, more experienced, was found. As a result, the male dragon “soon became cheerful and vigorous again, frolicking in the pool. Kong Jia loved to feed the dragon.” Not only ordinary people, emperors, mandarins, generals, writers and artists, but also serious scientists believed in the existence of good monsters and could even logically prove it. One “contemporary of dragons,” Wang Chong, reasoned this way: “A dragon has a form. If it has a shape, it can move. If he moves, he must eat. If he eats, then he is of a material nature. A being of a material nature is real.” There were a great variety of dragons - from gigantic to very tiny. There were even stories about a dragon the size of a little finger.

Dragon Lung-wan

Lung-wan is the master of the water element, the lord of dragons. It is distinguished by its extraordinary size (about one li - about half a kilometer - in length) and unprecedented wealth. This is what his underwater palace looked like, located at the bottom of the Eastern Sea: “This is a huge structure with long arcades, a roof curved at the corners, fancy covered passages and round windows and doors. All its halls are filled with such riches that people on earth have no idea about: golden carved artistic doors decorated with precious stones, coral lattices, mosaic paintings made of rare stones; walls speckled with pearls and turquoise; jasper floors - everywhere a combination of brilliance, beauty and prosperity. In the back rooms there were piles of jewelry piled directly on the floor; in the pantries there are inexhaustible supplies of extremely tasty foods and excellent wines.” Lung Wang was not only a rich ruler, but also a powerful one. One of the legends describes his preparation for the battle: “Couriers - the fastest fish - rushed in all directions, delivering orders. All the luminous sea fish and animals lit their lanterns, and by their light preparations were made for the upcoming march: swords and saw-fish were sharpening their weapons, hammer-fish were renewing the upholstery on both sides of their clubs, crabs were renewing the tubercles of their claws..."

Lung-wan - master of the water element, lord of dragons

There are many legends about the dragon king Lung-wan. According to one legend, one day the dragon king fell ill. Among the inhabitants of the water kingdom there was no doctor who could cure him, and Lun-wan had no choice but to take the form of an old man and go to the people. The lord of the sea visited many doctors, but none of them could determine what kind of illness he had. Finally he got to the famous healer, who, having felt the patient’s pulse, was very surprised to discover that the heart beats completely differently from that of ordinary people. The doctor told the old man about this. And he was forced to admit that he was the king of dragons. The healer stated that he could identify the disease and cure him only if the old man turned into a dragon again. Although dragons are usually not shown to people, this time the lord of the waters, in order to be healed of his illness, agreed to fulfill the healer’s request. On the appointed day, the doctor came to the seashore, and the dragon appeared above the waves. The doctor examined him and discovered that a centipede had crawled behind the scales of the dragon on his lower back, which was causing him severe pain. Having removed the centipede, the doctor smeared the damaged scales with ointment, and the pain went away. As a token of gratitude for the healing, the king of the dragons promised the healer to send down to people, at their request, good weather, beneficial rains and complete well-being. Since then, every year on this day (Healing Day), a dragon dance is performed throughout China. According to traditional beliefs, the dragon symbolizes happiness. Drought and flood brought ruin, poverty, and hunger to the Chinese people. Who could help in the fight against natural disasters? Of course, the king of dragons. If an area experienced drought or flood, the locals would perform a ritual dragon dance, begging the lord of the sea to send down rain. Prolonged drought was seen as the dragon's refusal to send rain. Then prayers were held in front of the image of the dragon. If after this the fields remained dry, then the ritual of “flagellation of the dragon” was performed: an image of a dragon made of clay or other material was struck with a whip or a bamboo stick, demanding to send down rain.

Dragon Lung-wan

The cult of Long Wang was extremely widespread in old China. Temples dedicated to him were built in cities, villages, near rivers, lakes, crossings and wells. His intercession was asked by sailors, fishermen, farmers, as well as water carriers, who believed that the underground springs in the wells were controlled by Lun-wan and connected underground with the sea. During a drought, the statue of Lun-wan was taken out of the temple and placed in the sun, and during a flood it was carried around the surrounding area to show Lun-wan the extent of the disaster and to reassure him. If this did not help, then the statue was drowned in water.

Dragon Ying-long The Heavenly Lord had a magical two-winged dragon Ying-long. He lived in the northeastern corner of the Great Wasteland on the southern slope of Xiongli Hill, and could store water and pour it out as rain. In difficult situations, the Heavenly Lord resorted to the help of Ying-long. For example, once during a flood, the dragon was ordered to divert bottomless waters from the earth to the ocean. He set to work zealously. This is how it happened, according to the old story: “Ying-long crawled, his tail dragging along the ground. Rivers and canals broke through in the direction indicated by Ying-moon's tail. The rivers reached the Eastern Ocean. They have survived to this day."

Ying-Long Dragon of the Heavenly Lord

Another time, Ying-long took part in a very important battle. He was tasked with flooding the enemy with torrents of rain. The dragon flew up and laid out rain clouds on a special stand. But - this has to happen! — he set the stand askew, and an unprecedented rain poured on his own army. The Heavenly Sovereign was very annoyed. But in the end he still won - and not without the help of Ying-long. The dragon, with a terrifying cry of “ga-ha,” rushed from the sky at the enemies; Those who did not have time to escape were killed. However, the Heavenly Lord was dissatisfied with the awkward dragon: the exhausted Ying-long, who had lost the ability to fly, was left on the battlefield - which is why there, in the south of China, precipitation has been so frequent since then.

The Jiao-long dragon is a scaly water monster. This is a rare evil dragon for China that devours people. In addition to human flesh, he loves fried swallows, but is afraid of iron and five-color threads. Therefore, when crossing a water barrier in a place where Jiao-long may live, it is recommended to put a metal plate and several balls of colored thread in your pocket. But beware of eating swallows before this - this increases the danger of a dragon attack! In order not to confuse the evil Jiao-long with someone else, you should firmly remember the description given in the ancient book “List of Trees and Herbs”: “Jiao refers to dragons. More than a zhang long (3.2 meters). Similar to a snake, but has four legs. Small head and thin neck. There is a white necklace on the throat. The front of the chest is red. There are dark spots on the back. There seem to be patterns on the sides. There are horns on the head. Teeth protrude from lips. The eggs he lays are very large.”

Qing-long - Green Dragon In Chinese mythology, Qing-long is the Green Dragon, Guardian of the East. This scary-looking green monster is actually extremely friendly towards people.

Qing-long - Green Dragon, Guardian of the East

The green color of the Qing-long dragon simply represents spring. Meeting him promises people wealth. His entire body, as befits a dragon, is covered with scales - but not ordinary ones, but made of gold coins. Soaring in multi-colored clouds, Qing-long sprinkles pearls, gold, silver, and corals on the ground. Koreans call the dragon that guards the east of the country Cheongnyeon.

Dragons Post Series:
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Dragons in Chinese culture

The Chinese believe that they are descendants of dragons.
The ancestors of the Chinese people, occupying a central place in Chinese mythology, are the leaders Yandi (炎帝) and Huangdi, (黄帝） who lived more than 5 thousand years ago. Both legendary emperor-inventors are inextricably linked with the fire-breathing creature of Chinese mythology: Yandi was born from a union earthly woman and the Dragon, and subsequently, with the help of the Dragon, united with his brother Huangdi, laying the foundation of the centralized Chinese statehood with their union. Since then, the emperors of China began to be called “Dragons” or “sons of the Dragon,” and their throne “the seat of the Dragon.”

The personification of imperial power

Long was considered a symbol of the emperors, the state and the entire Chinese people. As history shows, dragon tracks can be seen during the reign of all imperial families.

The rulers called themselves followers of dragons, and they, in turn, became guardians of palaces, bedrooms, and holy places. As a sign of respect, emperors crowned their weapons, coat of arms, their own attire, and throne with drawings of dragons. It was called the “dragon throne”.

Long is the king of animals and all things in China, he was respected by the rulers, and the common people worshiped him. However, if the image of a dragon was seen on the clothes or personal belongings of an ordinary person, he was threatened with punishment up to the death penalty.

The prefix “lun” was added when addressing some rulers. There is a legend that the great Yellow Emperor, having left his body after death, turned into a dragon and flew into the sky. They also said that a true ruler must have a characteristic mole, shaped like the moon.

What does a Chinese dragon look like?

Dragons in China combine the features of several animals.

• In ancient records one can find a description of these creatures with a head like a camel, horns like a deer, demon eyes, a neck like a snake, scales like a carp, eagle claws, tiger paws and ears like a cow.
• In traditional depictions, most Chinese dragons have long bodies like snakes and sharp claws like hawks or eagles, a long tongue and sharp teeth. They can fly, although they do not always have wings (those who do not have them use a special bump on their head to fly). The first images of dragons were found on the border with Mongolia more than 7 thousand years ago!

Appearance

Old legends and numerous Chinese sources describe the dragon's appearance in detail:

• camel head;
• bull horns;
• carp scales, of which there must certainly be 81 or 117;
• snake neck;
• eagle claws;
• tiger paws;
• cow ears;
• goat beard;
• catfish mustache as a symbol of wisdom.

Sometimes a bump is added to this description, which can be seen on the top of the animal’s head. She helps him soar above the ground without wings.

Height can vary - from one to three hundred meters. Dragons appear from eggs, but this happens infrequently, sometimes a millennium may pass. Such an event makes itself felt by meteorites, natural disasters, and strong storms.

What does the dragon represent?

The dragon is the embodiment of Yang 阳 (male) energy, which is complemented by the phoenix bird （凤凰 “fènghuáng”） with Yin 阴 (female) energy.

The dragon represents cold, strong wind and rain, while the Phoenix represents warmth and even fiery heat. According to Chinese mythology, the coexistence of the Dragon and Phoenix represents peace, harmony and happiness, as well as the balance of energies in the Feng Shui system.

Feng Shui Dragon Hour and its activation

Bulging eyes of a dragon - activation
Take black mascara or gouache and a regular brush. Dip it, place it where the dragon’s eyes are just black dots on the eyes, thus drawing his pupils. If you look at the figurines, their eyes are the same color as the color scheme of the entire body. This must be done from 07.00 to 09.00 in the morning during the hour of the dragon. There is no need to change the time, to complicate everything, just at this time in the time zone in which you live.

That is, we awaken the dragon and, as it were, tell him: “Look, now you will live here.” We install it according to the rules described above. That's all. This way, your talisman will be in working order.

Dragon on the national flag of China

From 1888 to 1912, the dragon was featured on the official flag of the Qing Empire.

A blue dragon on a bright yellow background with a red fruit became the first National Flag of China (黄龙旗 "huánglóngqí"） at the end of China's last Qing dynasty. After the overthrow of the monarchy and the Xinhai Revolution, China abandoned the illustration of the dragon due to the controversial perception of this creature by other countries .

Where to put the dragon - cardinal directions and rooms

Kyoto Prefecture, Japan
The best place for a dragon according to Feng Shui is in the east of a house or apartment, and it is better if it is in the east of the living room or dining area.

Meaning in the East:

• family patron - protecting the whole family from troubles
• family well-being - luck, including material
• health of the whole family
• supporting men or even attracting men
• to strengthen a man’s affairs or position in the family

If it turns out that it is not possible to place a dragon in the east of the living or dining area, then you can place it anywhere, but it should face the east. Single women can do this, buy a dragon figurine, place it in the east or facing the east.

In the southeast and north:

To advance in your career, even if you are in the southeast or not the north, the dragon’s face must look east, towards its home sector.

The same information applies to your workplace. A Feng Shui dragon can be placed on your desk or within your work office, if you have the opportunity. You can install it in the southeast, in the north for a career or in the northwest (this is a sector that helps attract help and support, including from superior people), if you feel that you need such support, then feel free to install it there figurine or image of a dragon.

If you want to use a dragon for protection, then you need to install it in the hallway, next to the entrance area. To the left of the entrance, not lower than 60 cm from the floor, but should not be higher than your height or almost at head level. Otherwise, the dragon will begin to dominate you and not eat well. Moreover, by placing the dragon to the left of the entrance, we often strengthen the position of a man in the family if he has difficulties with his physical or psycho-emotional health or is lazy and does nothing.

You can put a dragon on a window if the view from the window overlooks an active part of the road. Only this is not a road along which a couple of cars pass per hour, but an active route or vital intersections.

Dragon with a pearl in its mouth

If the view from the window overlooks water bodies, even if they are not visible, but you know that there is a river, lake, sea or ocean in that direction, then it is very good when the dragon looks at the water. By the way, it could even be a water tower or something similar. The water must be clean and flowing, it should not be reservoirs with stagnant water, such as ponds in which there are no underground sources, and water does not circulate in them, some dirty rivers or polluted reservoirs. The dragon absorbs this energy and accumulates it, thus mentally attracting energy to your home, so it is better not to use such an activator.

Dragons love cleanliness and fresh air. Since these are mythical animals that either live in water or move through the air, therefore this freedom and purity of natural thoughts is very important, try to wipe the dust off it as often as possible and ventilate the room where it is located.

If the dragon is under an air conditioner or fan, this is also good.

Dragons in modern Chinese culture

The Chinese love to have a dragon accompany them through life.

Last name

(lóng, “dragon”) is not on the list of the most common in the PRC, so its owners are especially proud of it.
The character 龙 is often used in a child's full name, regardless of gender. Surely many people know that the beloved Jackie Chan in China is known under the name成龙
("chéng lóng", lit. "who became a dragon"), while the no less famous Bruce Lee was called 小龙 （ "xiǎolóng", lit. . "little Dragon").

Modern China respects the zodiac sign of this animal. Young parents even try to predict the birth of a child in the year of the dragon. About children they say “望子成龙

” (“wàng zǐ chéng lóng”), or hope that they will achieve great success in life, literally “the son will become a dragon.”

Behind the scenes, the Chinese agree that all influential people were born in the year of the dragon - Deng Xiaoping (1904), Bruce Lee (1940), Vladimir Putin (1952) and many others.

Varieties of moons

Breeds

The Chinese have about a hundred species of dragons. Let's name the most famous of them:

• Tian

Lives in the sky, flies, guards the gods, and carries them in chariots. Transforms stone blocks into gold bars, breathes fire flames and exhales clouds. Symbolizing powerful and domineering qualities, it appears to be the strongest species.

• Futsang

Living underground, he protects underground wealth in the form of precious stones and metals. Capable of causing volcanic eruptions and creating new mountains. He hides a pearl in the lower part of his face as the personification of wealth and is considered the wisest.

• Di

The earthly moon, lives in the depths of the water in the castle, rules the water resources. He often comes into contact with humanity and even marries ordinary women, as a result of which creatures are born - half people, half dragons.

• In

Submitting to the gods of the moons with wings, he controls the weather, sending downpours, thunderstorms, and winds.

• Shen

Has a human face, a huge belly, blue skin color. Controls winds and clouds, determines whether the harvest will be good or bad.

Meaning by colors

Dragons are also distinguished by colors, each of which carries a specific meaning:

• green (and sometimes azure) Qinglong - compassion, mercy, change for the better;
• blue Jiulong – fertility, depicted with horns or scales;
• red Zhulong - happy future, success, favor;
• yellow Huanglong - goodwill, forgiveness;
• white Bailong - purity, purity, virtue;
• black Xuanlong - silence, calm, harmony;
• golden - wealth, nobility.

The color of a dragon depends on what kind of gold it was born from. You can also use it to find out how old the moon is: for example, Huanglong, Zhulong, Bailong, Xuanlong are 1000, and Jiulun is 800.

Dragon Festival in China

The Dragon Boat Festival (端午节 “duānwǔ jié”) is an occasion to remember dragons.

This is one of the favorite traditional holidays, which is celebrated according to the lunar calendar on the 5th day of the 5th month of every year. This colorful festival symbolizes the beginning of summer, so people celebrate it with special joy by organizing boat rowing competitions. Rowers compete not only to be the first to reach the finish line, but also to decorate their boat (龙舟 "lóngzhōu"). The head of the dragon is located at the bow of the boat, and the tail is at the stern. Everything else is the body, which is also brightly and colorfully painted. Similar competitions are held in many cities in China and are remembered by spectators for their unforgettable beauty.

How to choose the right dragon according to Feng Shui when buying

It is better to purchase the size of a figurine or image in a medium or small size. There is no need to acquire too much, because the symbol itself is already quite powerful in energy, and when it becomes too much, it can lead to conflicts in families or some unpredictable and unpleasant events.

Dragon figurine with pearl

There is no need to take huge wall-length panels with a dragon or some huge statue in the garden; after all, we are not in China, and without knowing all the laws, the actions of huge dragon symbols can easily cause harm. And ignorance, as they say, is no excuse from responsibility.

Color also matters, but it is not as critical as, for example, in a situation with size, if you are simply buying a dragon to attract good luck, prosperity or harmony in the family, but it would be nice to take into account the color of the Feng Shui dragon.

Dragon on buildings

Quantity. Try not to keep more than one dragon in your house, because if there are many of them in your house, the dragon will begin to dominate you and dictate terms to you. The dragon is a symbol of a man, that is, this can lead to the fact that the man in the family begins to suppress the woman.

The presence of a pearl in a water dragon.

Dragon symbol - meaning of tattoo

The dragon has no gender, therefore it is a universal symbol that can be applied to both the body of a man and a woman. First of all, his image is associated with power and strength. It is also a symbol of nobility, tranquility and great wisdom. The tattoo speaks of the justice and determination of its owner. It is filled with people who strive to find their way in life.

The golden dragon tattoo symbolizes the thirst for knowledge and the desire to comprehend all the secrets of the Universe. The heavenly dragon strengthens faith. If a mythical creature is depicted with horns, this indicates that the bearer of the tattoo has determination and fearlessness. The red dragon is a symbol of passion and love, aggression and fearlessness, and the black one is respect.