The mythology of Chinese dragons
Author: Daniel
Chinese dragons are on the mythology that goes back thousands of years. In European mythology the dragon has a negative connotation, but in the Chinese culture dragons are benevolent creatures that possess power, wisdom, and the ability to bring good luck.
Dragons represented emperors in the imperial age, and were believed to have divine powers. One of the oldest forms of art in China is jade dragon sculpture, some of which date to 5,000 years.It continues to be revered as a creature that brings prosperity and abundance, and the ultimate symbol of good luck.
The Chinese believe the dragon is an animal, now extinct. Some experts believe that the dragon mythology stems from how the ancient Chinese viewed the alligators during a flood season.
Noting that the dragons are associated with water is a theory probably. The imperial dragon, called lung, is part of four animals considered to have spiritual power: the phoenix, unicorn, and tortoise. The dragon is the first of four animals and is considered the wisdom and power. It represented the emperors of China, who themselves were called dragons. It is thought to have evolved from the snakes with human faces, who lived in groundwater.
In Chinese art, the dragon is depicted in various vivid colors. The lung type is either green or gold, with short and long spines on its back and tail. Dragons have nine main characteristics: The head of a camel-like, deer-like horns, eyes-like hare, bull-like ears, iguanas-like neck, frogs belly, carp scales, tiger-like, eagle Claw. It also has large canine-like teeth on the upper part of its jaw, and long whiskers (probably believed to be used for moving at the bottom of muddy water).
For Westerners, the dragon is usually a symbol of modern China, but China has not as a symbol of the connection with past emperors and imperial China. Still, dragons are beloved by Chinese, and depicted in art in vivid reds, jade greens, golden yellows, and bright blues. A sight works, dragon art is a form of art that can brighten any room.
In ancient China, part of dragon artwork consisted of jade sculptures. The jade that was used is called nephritis, and is used for 7,000 years, from the late Neolithic period (4000 B.C.) . Jade is very hard and grainy. It must be slowly carved by using an abrasive sand. It is not known exactly how ancient Chinese jade sculptures were carved because none of the instruments have been recovered. However, looking at the holes and grooves in the sculptures that were found, it was probably produced by a method different drilling methods(drilling head with a stick of wood and bamboo). Jade dragon sculptures were found in the modern day Liaoning Province and Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, where the Hongshan culture lived during the Neolithic Age. Archaeologists have discovered more than 20 of Jade dragon with the head like a bear. The Hongshan culture worshipped bears. Archaeologists have found in 2003 a sculpture of jade dragons Niuheliang (Liaoning Province), made from Hongshan. It was not the first but fourth one to be found at the site, but it is the oldest. The dragon sculpture is 26 cm high and has prominent nostrils that are tilted up. It has a neck with a long mane, a tail curling, a mouth that is closed, and a long face. The jade dragon sculpture is believed to be the oldest one ever found, according to an archaeologist from Peking University.
Jade dragon sculptures from other cultures, such as the Liangzhu culture were found. The Liangzhu people lived 4,000 to 5,300 years ago along the lower part of the Yangtze River, in present day Jiangsu, Zheijiang, and Shanghai. In 1936, the jade artifacts were discovered, including dragon sculptures.
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