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Chinese
Dragon or Lung
There
are nine major types of Chinese dragons. These include:
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the
horned dragon,
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the
winged dragon,
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the
celestial dragon (which supports and protects the
mansions of the gods),
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the
spiritual dragon which generates wind and rain for
the benefit of mankind),
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the
dragon of hidden treasures (which keeps guard over
concealed wealth),
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the
coiling dragon (which lives in water),
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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 it 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 their life as fish. Carp,
who 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.
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.
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