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'', color engraving on wood, Chinese school, nineteenth century]] The dragon is a Mythical Creature typically depicted as a gigantic and powerful Serpent or other Reptile with Magical or Spiritual qualities. OVERVIEW (a dragon swallowing its own tail) by Lucas Jennis , in Alchemical tract titled '' De Lapide Philisophico ''.]] Lima, Peru]] As with every mythological creature, dragons are perceived in different ways by different cultures. They 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, a row of dorsal spines, bat-like 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 Dragon s (), and Eastern dragons generally, are usually seen as benevolent, whereas European Dragon s 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, and 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 , 1997. 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. 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 ]] slaying Zmey Gorynych '', by Ivan Bilibin ]]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. Joseph Campbell in the '' The Power Of Myth '' viewed the dragon as a symbol of divinity or transcendence, arguing that it represents the unity of Heaven and Earth by combining the serpent form (earthbound) with the bat/bird form (airborne). 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 portrayed slaying a dragon and resurrecting its victims]] The Latin word for a dragon, ''draco'' ( 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 Believers 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 , 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 Angel s, 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 , Saint Veran , Saint Bienheuré , Saint Crescentinus , and Saint Leonard Of Noblac were also venerated as dragon-slayers. In Medieval and Renaissance artworks, Saint Matthew , Saint Martha , Saint Sylvester , Saint Margaret , and Saint Philip The Apostle are all depicted as overcoming dragons.Giorgi, 2005, pp. 156-62. Chinese zodiac , Museum Of Fine Arts, Boston .]] 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 See Also: Chinese dragon Japanese dragon 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 Pearl s. 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). guarding the Temple of Wat Sisaket in Viang Chan , Laos ]] In . According to the ancient Creation Myth of the Kinh people, all Vietnamese people are descended from dragons through Lạc Long Quân , who married Âu Cơ , a fairy. The eldest of their 100 sons founded the first dynasty of Hùng 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 Nāga - 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 (especially in east Asian forms of buddhism); the term is ambiguous, and refers both to a Tribe of people known as 'Nāgas', as well as to Elephant s 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 Nāga that protected Śākyamuni 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 Nāga with the head at the base of the railing. In Thailand , the head of Nāga, in a more impressionistic form, can be seen at the corners of temple roofs, with Nāga’s body forming the ornamentation on roofline eves up to the Gable s. SPECULATION ON THE ORIGINS OF DRAGONS Most experts on mythology and folklore argue that legends of dragons are based upon ordinary snakes and similar creatures coupled with common psychological fears 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 Lizard s 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. Dinosaur and mammalian fossils were occasionally mistaken as the bones of dragons and other mythological creatures — for example, a discovery in 300 BC in Wucheng , Sichuan , China , was labeled as such by Chang Qu .http://www.abc.net.au/science/k2/moments/s1334145.htm 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 |
Image:Hopperstad DragonjpgDragon Carving On
| "http://wwwinformationdelightinfo/information/entry/Hopperstad_stave_church" class="copylinks">Hopperstad Stave Church , Norway |
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Image:Paolo Uccello 050jpg
| "http://wwwinformationdelightinfo/information/entry/Saint_George" class="copylinks">Saint George slaying the dragon, as depicted by Paolo Uccello , c 1470 |
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Image:Flag Of Wales 2svgThe Red Dragon Of
| "http://wwwinformationdelightinfo/information/entry/Wales" class="copylinks">Wales , Y Ddraig Goch , on the Flag Of Wales |
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Родово Наследство |
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