Whispering Woods Dragon Lore course

Lesson Four
Types of Chinese Dragons

Types of Dragons:

There are nine major types of Chinese dragons. These include the horned dragon, the winged dragon, the celestial dragon (which supports and protects the mansions of the gods), the spiritual dragon which generates wind and rain for the benefit of mankind), the dragon of hidden treasures (which keeps guard over concealed wealth), the coiling dragon (which lives in water), and the yellow dragon (which once emerged from water and presented the legendary Emperor Fu Shi with the elements of writing)

The last of the nine is the dragon king, which actually consists of four separate dragons, each of which rules over one of the four seas, those of the East, South, West, and North.

The most powerful generalized type of Chinese dragon is the horned dragon, or “lung”, which can produce rain and is totally deaf. Additionally, there is a homeless dragon (Ii) that lives in the ocean and another type (chiao) that is scale-covered and usually inhabits marshes but also keeps dens in the mountains.

There are also nine ways the Chinese have traditionally represented these dragons, each one revealing a different dragon characteristic.

There are dragons carved on the tops of bells and gongs, because of the beast’s habit of calling loudly when attacked.

A second type is carved on the screws of fiddles, since most dragons are fond of music.

A third is carved on the tops of stone tablets, because of dragons’ love of literature.

A fourth is found at the bottom of stone monuments, as dragons can support heavy weights.

A fifth is placed on the eaves of temples, as dragons are ever alert to danger.

A sixth occurs on the beams of bridges, since dragons are fond of water.

A seventh is carved on Buddha’s throne, as dragons like to rest.

An eighth is placed on the hilts of swords, since dragons are known to be capable of slaughter.

The ninth is carved on prison gates, as these are dragons that are fond of quarreling and trouble making.

The colors of Chinese dragons are evidently quite variable, but in the case of the chiao type its back is striped with green, its sides are yellow, and it is crimson underneath.

The nine major characteristics of a lung type dragon include a head like a camel’s, horns like a deer’s, eyes like a hare’s, ears like a bull’s, a neck like an iguana’s, a belly like a frog’s, scales like a carp’s, paws like a tiger’s, and claws like an eagle’s. It has a pair of large canine teeth in its upper jaw. The long, tendril-like whiskers extending from either side of its mouth are probably used for feeling its way along the bottom of muddy ponds.

In color dragons varies from greenish to golden, with a series of alternating short and long spines extending down the back and along the tail, where they become longer. One specimen had wings at its side, and walked on top of the water. Another tossed its mane back and forth making noises that sounded like a flute.
Cow-heads are also common. A ten-footer, found lying on the banks of China’s Yangtze River, was different from most because of its long, thick eyebrows. A Yellow River variety, seen on shore in the 1920s by a Chinese teacher, was bright blue, and as big as five cows. Both dragons crawled into the water as soon as it started to rain.

A few dragons begin life as fish. Carp, which successfully jump rapids and leap over waterfalls, change into fish-dragons. A popular saying, “The carp has leaped through the dragon’s gate,” means success, especially for students who have passed their exams.

Chinese Dragons are divided into five categories and these are:
Celestial Dragons who guard the mansions of the gods
Spiritual Dragons who rule wind & rain but can also cause flooding
Earth Dragons who cleanse the rivers & deepen the oceans
Treasure-Guarding Dragons who protect precious metals & stones
Imperial Dragons; dragons with five claws instead of the usual four

Male dragons sometimes mate with other kinds of animals. A dragon fathers an elephant when he mates with a pig, and he sires a racehorse, after mating with a mare.

Having sinuous serpentine bodies and four legs, eastern dragons do not usually breath fire, nor do they fly. According to Wang Fu (Han 206 BCE-220 CE) dragons are made up of many different types of animals of the Earth: the body of a snake, scales of a carp, head of a camel, horns of a deer, the eyes of a hare, ears like a bull, a neck like an iguana, belly of a frog, paws like a tigers, and claws like an eagle. A lion-type mane decorates its neck, its chin, and each elbow.
They also carry two antler-like horns on their wide-mouthed head, and two long whiskers spread out from their snout. They are depicted in many colors like blue, black, white, red, or yellow. Oriental dragons are usually shown with a pearl in their mouth, under their chin, or in their claws.
They use the power emendating from the pearl to ascend to heaven. The male dragon holds a war club in its tail while the female dragon holds a sensu or fan in its tail.

Quiz:
1. Chinese Dragons are divided into ______ categories.
2. The ninth dragon is carved on _______ ______. 3. The most powerful generalized type of Chinese dragon is the ________ _______.
4. There are ______ major types of Chinese dragons.
5. The carp has leaped through the dragon’s gate,” means _______.
6. Spiritual Dragons rule the ______ and _____.
7. Eastern dragons do not usually breathe ______, nor do they ____.

Author & Researcher: Crick
Website: The Whispering Woods

Whispering Woods Dragon Lore course

Lesson Three
The Chinese Dragon Calendar

According to the Chinese calendar, every 12 years is the year of the Dragon. For example the years 1916, 1928, 1940, 1952, 1964, 1976, 1988, 2000, 2012 are years of the Dragon.

Dragon people are honest, full of energy, stubborn, loyal, strong, and protective. Dragon people are incredibly lucky. They love flattery, and can be attracted to bad behavior. That is their weakness. Children born during Dragon Years enjoy health, wealth, and long life.

Eastern Dragons are vain, even though they are wise. They are insulted when a ruler doesn’t follow their advice, or when people do not honor their importance. Then, by thrashing about, dragons either stop making rain and cause water shortages, or they breathe black clouds that bring storms and floods. Small dragons do minor mischief, such as making roofs leak, or causing rice to be sticky. People set off firecrackers and carry immense paper dragons in special parades. They also race dragon-shaped boats in water all to please and appease their dragons.  The Dragon is the ultimate representation of the forces of Mother Nature, the greatest divine force on Earth.  The Chinese Dragon is often seen as the symbol of divine protection and vigilance. It is regarded as the Supreme Being amongst all creatures. It has the ability to live in the seas, fly up the heavens and coiled up in the land in the form of mountains. Being the divine mythical animal, the Dragon can ward off wandering evil spirits, protect the innocent and bestow safety to all that hold his emblem. The Chinese Dragon is looked upon as the ultimate symbol of Good Fortune.

Year of the Dragon – Personality Traits:

The Dragon person is self confident and impulsive and consequently does not always listen to the advice of others. He is also a perfectionist and he sets high standards for himself.
Although strong and decisive the Dragon is not manipulative or sly. He refuses to deceive or compromise and fails to spot subversive intent. He enjoys being in command and like an emperor holding court he eliminates obstacles until success is his.

Wood Dragon: (Feb. 16, 1904 CE to Feb. 3, 1905 CE and Feb. 13 1964 CE to Feb. 1, 1965 CE) The Wood Dragon is creative, imaginative, and inquisitive. He is both a thinker and a doer and is capable of brilliant new concepts. His every move is guided by sound logic. His drive and ambition allow him to put many of his ideas into practice, nevertheless this Dragon is capable of concealing his domination and tries not to offend. He will even compromise if it is advantages. Although not as self-centered as other Dragons, he is still outspoken and fearless when challenged.

Fire Dragon:  (Feb. 3, 1916 CE to Jan. 22, 1917 CE, and Jan. 31, 1976 CE to Feb 17, 1977 CE)
The Fire Dragon is the most extroverted and competitive Dragon. He tends to push too hard and expects a lot from everyone. His criticisms are objective and he has the ability to arouse massive popular support. His insatiable ambition can make him short-tempered and intolerant. He is an empire builder who needs to master his less favorable traits and learn how to communicate more humbly with people as individuals.

Earth Dragon: (Jan. 23, 1928 CE to Feb. 9, 1929 CE and Feb. 9, 1988 CE to Feb. 5, 1989 CE)
The Earth Dragon is a quieter, more reflective Dragon, He will be appreciative of other’s opinions even if he fails to agree with them. He is reasonable in his approach to problems and his leadership is less dictatorial. He is not given to outbursts of temper, but at the same time demands respect. He knows the value of cooperation and is more diplomatic than the other Dragons. He is ambitious, but his initiatives are less hurried and more carefully thought out.

Metal Dragon: (Feb. 8, 1940 CE to Jan. 26, 1941 CE and Feb. 5, 2000 CE to Jan, 23, 2001 CE) The Metal Dragon is the most strong-willed Dragon. He is inflexible, unbending and combative. He gives little regard to the feelings of others. This ruthlessness can result in a rapid rise to a position of authority, but often at the cost of destroying important relationships. It is futile to attempt to convince him that certain things are simply undoable. He will go it alone if he can’t gain support. He succeeds because he refuses to accept failure.

Water Dragon: (Jan. 27, 1952 CE to Feb.13, 1953 CE, and the next year will be 2012 CE.) The Water Dragon is less selfish and opinionated than the other Dragons. He is more inhibited and less power-hungry. He can accept defeat without recriminations. He makes a good negotiator as he knows when, where, and how to apply pressure. He has a tendency to be over-optimistic and needs to learn how to relinquish what is unfeasible so that he can concentrate his energies on the most rewarding endeavors.

Chinese calendars:
Chinese calendar uses the Stem-Branch system to count the day, month and year. There are 10 Stems and 12 Branches in the system. Stems are named by the Yin-Yang and Five Elements (Metal, Water, Wood, Fire and Earth). The Stem sequence order is  Yang Wood, Yin Wood, Yang Fire, Yin Fire, Yang Earth, Yin Earth, Yang Metal, Yin Metal, Yang Water and Yin Water. Branches use the animal names. The Branch sequence order is  Rat, Cow, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Sheep, Monkey, Chicken, Dog and Pig.

Stem and Branch are used together to form a cycle of 60 counting systems which begin from Wooden Rat and end with Water Pig.

The calendar goes in 12 year cycles with an animal representing each year. Unlike most other calendars, the Chinese calendar does not count years in an infinite sequence. Instead years have names that are repeated every 60 years.

Each group of sixty years was given a compound name.

The first name was the celestial branch. The second name was the terrestrial branch represented by the twelve animals.

Each of the twelve years was assigned an animal, because, as legend has it, only twelve animals came to bid farewell to the Buddha before he departed from the earth.  As a reward to these twelve animals, the Buddha named a year after each one in the order that they arrived. During the sixty year cycle each animal is combined with five Chinese elements namely:

Wood – ruled by Jupiter
Fire – ruled by Mars
Earth  – ruled by Saturn Metal – ruled by Venus Water – ruled by Mercury

These five Chinese elements are in turn divided into the positive and negative magnetic poles of the Ying and Yang.  The Chinese lunar calendar starts at 11pm and the twenty four hours of the day are divided into twelve sections of two hours each.  An animal sign rules each one of these twelve sections and has an element, direction and a season.

A Chinese birth sign is calculated by the elements and their effects on our lives as follows:
1). The element of the year of birth
2). The element of one’s animal sign
3). The element of the hour of birth
4). The element of the month of birth
5). The element of the country of birth
Attributes of the Dragon are:
The Dragon (LONG)
Ruler of the hours 7am to 9am
Direction – East/Southeast
Season – Spring/April
Fixed element – Wood positive
Yin/Yang – Yang
The Dragon is highly compatible with: Rat, Tiger, Snake, Monkey
The Dragon has a harmonious relationship with: Pig
The Dragon has no conflict but needs to make an effort with: Horse, Rooster
The Dragon has a difficult relationship with: Rabbit, Dragon, Goat
The Dragon has a turbulent relationship with: Ox, Dog

According to legend, the Chinese calendar was developed during the third millennium BCE. It is said to have been invented by the legendary ruler, “Huang Di” who was also known as the Yellow Emperor.
Quiz:
1. The Chinese Dragon is often seen as the symbol of  ________  _________ and  ________.
2. The Metal Dragon is the most  _______ – _____   Dragon.
3. The Element of Wood is ruled by ______.
4. The energy of the Dragon is Yin.     True or False?
5. Dragon people are incredibly  _______.
6. The Water Dragon is less _________.
7. The Dragon has a harmonious relationship with ___.

Author & Researcher: Crick
Website: The Whispering Woods

Whispering Woods Dragon Lore course

      Lesson Two
A history of Oriental Dragons

The dragon is considered to be a mythological animal of Chinese origin, and a member of the NAGA (Sanskrit) family of serpentine creatures who protected Buddhism. It was by his subtle but powerful charms that the Naga Apalala was able to keep the wicked dragons in check.

Japan’s dragon lore comes predominantly from China. Images of the reptilian dragon are found throughout Asia, and the pictorial form most widely recognized today was already prevalent in Chinese ink painting in the Tang period (9th century CE).  Chinese Dragons are believed to decide where rain fell, to affect river flows and wind conditions. They breathed out heavy mists which create rain, and not fire like their Western counterparts. Chinese Dragons are associated with rivers. Folktales often have them carving out major rivers with their sinuous bodies. They are also associated with other water sources such as wells and springs.

According to the Chinese, the reason their Dragon has five toes, the Japanese dragon has four toes and the Korean dragon has three toes is because the further away from China a dragon goes the more toes that it loses. The Japanese believe just the opposite, believing that they grow more toes so that they eventually cannot walk very well.

The mortal enemy of the dragon is the Phoenix, as well as the bird-man creature known as Karura. In contrast to Western mythology, Asian dragons are rarely depicted as malevolent. Although fearsome and powerful, dragons are equally considered just, benevolent, as well as the bringers of wealth and good fortune. The dragon is also considered a shape shifter who can assume human form and mate with humans. The Chinese call the dragon ‘lung’ (long) because it is considered to be deaf.

In China, however, dragon lore existed independently for centuries before the introduction of Buddhism. Bronze and jade pieces from the Shang and Zhou dynasties (16th – 9th centuries BCE) depict dragon-like creatures. By at least the 2nd century BCE, images of the dragon are found painted frequently on tomb walls to dispel evil. Buddhism was introduced to China sometime in the 1st and 2nd centuries CE.

By the 9th century CE, the Chinese had incorporated the dragon into Buddhist thought and iconography as a protector of the various Buddha and the Buddhist law. These traditions were adopted by the Japanese (Buddhism did not arrive in Japan until the mid6th century CE).

In both China and Japan, the character for “dragon” is used often in temple names, and dragon carvings adorn many temple structures. Most Japanese Zen temples, have a dragon painted on the ceiling of their assembly halls.
In both Chinese and Japanese mythology, the dragon is one of four legendary creatures guarding the four cosmic directions (Red Bird – S, Dragon – E, Tortoise – N, and the Tiger – W). The four, known as the Four Celestial Emblems, appear during China’s Warring States period (476 BCE – 221 BCE), and were frequently painted on the walls of early Chinese and Korean tombs to ward off evil spirits.

The Dragon is the Guardian of the East, and is identified with the season spring, the color green/blue, the element wood (sometimes also water), the virtue propriety, the Yang male energy; supports and maintains the country (controls rain, symbol of the Emperor’s power). The Guardian of the South, the Red Bird (aka Suzaku, Ho-oo, Phoenix), is the enemy of the dragon, as is the bird-man Karura. Actually, the Phoenix is the mythological enemy of all Naga, a Sanskrit term covering all types of serpentine creatures, including snakes and dragons. The Dragon (East) and Phoenix (South) both represent Yang energy, but they are often depicted as enemies, for the Dragon represents the element wood, while the Phoenix signifies the element fire. However, they’re also often depicted together in artwork as partners. The Dragon is the male counterpart to the female Phoenix, and together they symbolize both conflict and wedded bliss; the emperor (dragon) and the empress (phoenix).

The oriental Dragon has the head of a camel, horns or a deer, eyes of a hare, scales of a carp, paws of a tiger, and claws resembling those of an eagle. In addition it has whiskers, a bright jewel under its chin, and on the top of its head the “poh shan” or foot rule, without which it cannot ascend to heaven.  This is merely a general description and does not apply to all dragons, some of which have heads of so extraordinary a kind that they cannot be compared with anything in the animal kingdom.

The breath of the Dragon changes into clouds from which is emitted either rain or fire. It is able to expand or contract its body, and in addition it has the power of transformation and invisibility.
The ancient Chinese Emperor Yao was said to be the son of a dragon, and many rulers of that country were metaphorically referred to as dragon-faced.”

Chinese Dragons:

Heavenly Dragon
The heavenly or celestial dragon (tian-long) was the celestial guardian who protected the heavens, supporting the mansions of the gods and shielded them from decay. The Tian-long could fly and are depicted with or without wings they are always drawn with five toes while all other dragons are shown with four or three toes.

Spiritual Dragon
The spiritual dragons (shen-long) were the weather makers. These giants floated across the sky and due to their blue color that changed constantly were difficult to see clearly. Shenlong governed the wind, clouds and rain on which all agrarian life depended. Chinese people took great care to avoid offending them for if they grew angry or felt neglected, the result was bad weather, drought of flood.

Earth Dragon
Dragons that ruled the rivers, springs and lakes were called Earth dragons (di-long). They hide in the depths of deep watercourses in grand palaces. Many Chinese fairy tales spin yarns of men and women taken into these submarine castles to be granted special favors or gifts. Some of the di-long even mated with women to produce half-human dragon children.

Treasure Dragon
Believed to live in caves deep in the earth the (fu-can-long) or treasure dragon had charge of all the precious jewels and metals buried in the earth. Each of these dragons had a magical pearl that was reputed to multiply if it was touched. This pearl was as symbol of the most valuable treasure, wisdom.

From Japanese lore we have;
The Origin of the Sword of Heaven, one of the Three Sacred Treasures of Japan
Susano-O-no-Mikoto descends to the mountain Torikamiyama in Izumo, where he comes upon an old couple weeping beside their daughter. The man says that he’s a god of the land (kunitsukami) and that each year the eight-headed, eight-tailed serpent, the dragon-prince Yamata no Orochi has devoured one of his daughters (some versions say 12 most say 8 daughters), and that the time has come for him to claim the last.

Susano-o-no-Mikoto transforms the girl, Kushinada Hime, into a comb, which he puts in his hair, and orders that a special wine (The first gift of Saki to mortal men) be brewed and barrels of it placed along a fence with eight apertures or gates.

When the serpent drinks the potion and falls into a drunken sleep, Susano-O-no-Mikoto severs each of the heads with his sword.

As Susano-o-no-Mikoto is dismembering the dragons body to dispel the dragon-prince’s strong magic’s in one of the tails he discovers a sword, which he presents to Amaterasu. This is the sword that is later known as Kusanagi (Mower of Grass).

It is given to Ninigi no Mikoto by Amaterasu as one of the three symbols of his authority over Ashihara no Nakatsukuni.

And these three symbols become the Three Sacred Treasures of the Imperial Family of Japan, “Kenji (sacred Kusanagi sword called “Grasscutter”and Magatama, coma shaped beads (supposedly a jade and/or splendid jewels) and Yata no Kagami (mirror), thus begins the Story or Legend of Imperial Japans beginnings.

While Japanese Dragons are also weather elementals, they are more associated with the sea (the Tatsu) and wells and lakes rather than with rivers.

Perhaps because China has more great rivers and Japan is surrounded by seas. Nevertheless, Japanese Dragons are closely associated with the beginning of life and fertility. Japanese myths also include the Hai Riyo, a dragon-bird with scaly body and clawed feet but gilded feathered wings and tails.

The Japanese see their dragons as kings of the land.

Japanese Dragons:
There are the Tatsu, which are Japanese dragons. They are a symbol of the Mikado. They are also looked upon as imperial and spiritual power, and they like to live in lakes and springs.

Sui-Riu is the Japanese Dragon King. The Dragon King was in charge of all the rain, and he was sometimes known as “the rain dragon.”

Han-Riu is a multi-striped Japanese Dragon. Though the dragon is around forty feet long, this dragon can never reach heaven.

Ri-Riu, A bit of an unknown dragon, it is said that he has exceptional eye sight. And that he could see more than 100 miles away.

Ka-Riu was one of the smaller dragons, being that he was only seven feet long. It is said, however, that the Ka-Riu was fiery red.

Fuku Riu is a dragon of luck.

Hai-riyo is Japanese “Dragon-Bird”. Said to be much like the Chinese Ying-Lung, this was the most “evolved” form of a dragon.

Sui Riu–a rain-dragon, which when in pain causes reddish rain, colored by its blood.

From Korean Lore:
The Korean dragon was said to have certain specific traits: no wings, for example, in addition to a long beard.
The Korean dragon was said to have three toes. They are generally viewed as benevolent beings related to water and agriculture, often considered as bringers of rain and clouds. Many Korean dragons are said to have resided in rivers, lakes, oceans or even deep ponds up within the mountains.

The Koreans believe that all eastern dragons originated from Korea. When the dragons leave Korea and go toward China, they gain toes. When the dragons leave Korea and go toward Japan, they lose toes.
The Korean dragon is usually described as having a camel’s head with rabbit eyes, a serpentine neck, the belly of a frog and tiger feet.

As with Chinese dragons, the number nine is significant with Korean dragons and they are said to have 81 (9×9) scales on their backs.

Main Korean Dragons:
Yong – The powerful sky dragon
Yo – The hornless ocean dragon
Kyo – The mountain dragon

Korean dragons are said to have long beards and bear no wings. They prefer to spend most of their time in water such as rivers, or deep lakes away in the mountains. Korean dragons are considered to be benevolent and strongly tied to agriculture.
Quiz:
1. The mortal enemy of the dragon is the _____________.
2. The Dragon is the male counterpart to the female _________.
3. What type of a dragon is a “di long”?
4. Han-Riu–striped with ________ different colors.
5. Chinese and Korean dragons are said to have ____ scales on their back.
6. The dragon is one of _____ legendary creatures guarding the four cosmic directions
7. The oriental dragon has the paws of a ______.

Author & Researcher: Crick
Website: The Whispering Woods

“This information is written and researched by a wonderful Druid by the name of Crick. He has a website on Homestead and for some reason, the host site has started eating his pages. To prevent all of his hard work and research from being lost forever, we have decided when we had a moment or two, we would move some of it over here.”

The following course is researched and wrote by Crick

His website: The Whispering Woods

Whispering Woods Basic Dragon Lore course

Greetings and welcome to our Basic Dragon Lore course. In this course we will be looking at all aspects of Dragons. Not only their magickal uses but the various histories and beliefs of different cultures as well.  For if one is to work with Dragons, and then a full knowledge of these wonderful creatures is a must. Dragons can be difficult to work with, but with a deep understanding of their lore and their ways we can reach a level of fulfillment and cooperation with these magickal creatures.

Nine Dragon Wall

A very popular tourist site in Beijing is this Nine-Dragon Wall in BeiHai Park. After hundreds of years, the colors of the ceramic tiles are just as brilliant.  The wall was built in 1756. It is 21m long, about 15m high and 2m thick. It is faced with 424 7-color ceramic tiles.  At the center of the wall, there is a giant dragon, flanged by four dragons on each side. In addition to these nine large dragons, the wall is covered from edge to edge with many smaller dragons. In all, there are 635 dragons.

Whispering Woods Basic Dragon Lore Course
Lesson One – Facts and Myth

An intro to Dragons:

Dragons are a prominent part of Chinese festivals, including the Chinese New Year. In ancient China, dragons did not breathe fire, instead they were considered to be wise and caring. They were known to guard the wind, the rain, the rivers, precious metals and gems.

Many countries include dragons in their art and history; this is especially true of China, Korea and Japan. To tell the difference between Chinese, Korean and Japanese dragons, simply count the dragon’s toes.

Chinese dragons will have five toes.
Japanese dragons will have four toes.
Korean dragons will have three toes.

Some Dragon Related Facts: 

The Black Dragon Pool Chapel, near Peking, was reserved for the Empress and her court.
The Japanese Emperor Hirohito traced his ancestry back 125 generations to Princess Fruitful Jewel, daughter of a Dragon King of the Sea.

The legendary founder of Chinese civilization, Fu Hsi, was said to be half-man, halfdragon.
A thirteenth-century Cambodian king spent his nights in a golden tower, where he was said to have consulted with a nine-headed dragon.

The word for “dragon” comes from the Hindu word “darsha” or “darshana” which means “the one with clear vision” or “the one who sees clearly”.

Other names for dragons include wyrm, wurm and firedrake.

The magical rowan tree of Irish legend was guarded by a dragon.

Glass was once believed to be solidified dragon breath.

Green dragons:  Male symbol

White dragons:  Gold was believed to be formed of  their congealed breath

Purple dragons:  Rock crystal was believed formed of their spittle

Sea dragons:  Sacred to Hung Sheng, the Holy One, who protects fishing vessels

According to Chinese mythology, a dragon has to spend 1000 years under the sea, 1000 years in the mountains and 1000 years among men before turning into a real dragon. Before that he is a small serpent prisoner of a stone, called a “serpent’s egg”. After 3000 years, the dragon escapes and take his adult form, the stone was known to spill a magic liquid called “inky blood”.

The word typhoon comes from Typhon, the name of the fire breathing monster that served the Titans of Greek mythology. And the word hurricane comes from Huracan the name of the winged serpent of the Caribbean.
The Dragon’s Eye symbol stands for the balance of love, power and wisdom. Triple triangles are associated with the Goddess and the nine Muses.

The first Hexagram of the I Ching is “The Creative”, the ascending dragon.
The Hindu Dragon Goddess that sleeps in the lotus at the base of the spine is Kundalini the Coiled. When she is understood, she will climb to the forehead where illusion will fall from the inner eye to reveal the Golden Embryo of Life.

The giant red dragon of the Apocalypse (Rev. 12) gave rise to the use of the beast as symbolic of Satan in Christian art and literature.

A search for the word “dragon” in the King James Version of the Bible produces 34 separate matches across 10 different books written between approximately 2000 BC and 90 AD. The word “dragon” (Hebrew: tannin) is used throughout the Old Testament, and most directly translates as “sea or land monsters.” In the Book of Job, the author describes the great creatures, Behemoth (Job 40) and Leviathan (Job 41).

In alchemy a green dragon devouring the Sun means that the gold was dissolved in aqua regia (royal water), a mixture of nitric and hydrochloric acids.

Philosophic Mercury is sometimes represented by a serpent, or winged dragon.

Uroboros is a dragon whose end is his beginning… he endlessly eats his own tail. He keeps the cosmic waters under control, and is symbolic of the cyclical nature of alchemical work. He is the basilisk, the alchemical serpent. He is also called Ouroboros.

Dragons are born with their colors based upon the age and color of their parents. The colors of dragons are: white, red, black, blue, and yellow. Each is born to a different parent.

Black dragons are children of a thousand-year-old dragon that is black-gold. They are symbols of the North. They caused storms by battling in the air.

Blue dragons are children of blue-gold dragons that are eight hundred years old. They are purest blue colors, and they are the sign of the coming spring. They are they are the symbol of the East.

Yellow dragons are born from yellow-gold dragons who are one thousand years or older. They hold no symbol. They are secluded and wander alone. They appear at “the perfect moment” and at all other times remain hidden. Yellows are also the most revered of the dragons.

Red dragons descend from a red-gold dragon who is about one thousand years of age. They are the symbol for the West, and are much like black dragons. They can cause storms in the skies when they fight.

White dragons come from white-gold dragons of a thousand years of age. They symbolize the South. White is the Chinese color of mourning and these dragons are a sign of death (which the Chinese did NOT deem evil).

Quiz:
1. Other names for dragons include wyrm, wurm and  ____________.
2. Green dragons represent a _______   symbol.
3. Japanese dragons have _____   toes.
4. The first Hexagram of the I Ching is _______   _______.
5. The Black Dragon Pool Chapel, near Peking, was reserved for the __________.
6. Glass was once believed to be solidified ________   _______.
7. In ancient China, dragons did not _______   ____.

Author & Researcher: Crick

Website: The Whispering Woods