Chinese culture and mythology » Myths and legends about dragons

Myths and legends about dragons

Of all the creatures mificherkih most popular (even fear) of the Chinese people enjoy dragons.
Hieroglyph inscription «moon» (dragon), which is a symbol depicting the animal with a long body and head, topped with horns (or tongue), found in the inscriptions on bones gadatelnyh Yin era (from the XIV century. BC. E.). There is the assumption that the prototype of these icons were lizards, as well as the relationship of the image of the moon (dragon) with the Crocodile.
Dragon images of diversity and different formations. But in all cases the appearance of monsters was a magnificent, harsh and belligerent.
Here’s a description: «Eyes of the Dragon like a rabbit, and the ears – per cow; pastyu rising above its long whiskers, the body resembles the body of a snake covered with scales, four tiger paws with claws Eagles».
Sometimes, the dragon was portrayed as a big snake or an animal, reminding both the tiger and horse. Often around the dragon painted clouds, fog and raging waves to create a picture of his extraordinary strength and ability to cause disasters. Dragon vzmyval paril in the sky and the clouds, rocks fangs and claws produced. The dragon has the ability to transformation, he could run, swim, fly. —
The image was used as a dragon heraldic emblems on the banners of noble birth. In medieval China the dragon was the symbol of the emperor, it was portrayed on the throne, the robe sovereign. The highest dignitaries and courtiers wore robes with the image of a dragon with four claws, and only for special services to any of the dignitaries complained the right to wear slippers with pyatikogotnym dragon – a robe for the emperor.
Cult Dragons was associated primarily with water. Dragons, embodies the rain clouds, which brought the rains needed for crops, presented Chinese blagostnymi gods daruyuschimi «sweet», «bread» rain. Dragons esteemed as the guardians of rivers, lakes and reservoirs, the water used for irrigation (artificial and natural). Dragons, daruyuschie rain, could be at the same time, the perpetrators are too heavy rains that are harmful to crops. In such cases, they turned to the people of its «dark», «evil» side. But especially intimidating were dragons, gods of rivers. That they are representations of the ancient Chinese who were the perpetrators of terrible spill of Chinese rivers, sour on its way, hundreds of villages, bearing the loss of crops and thousands of people. It is therefore bound by a perception zlobnosti and the bloodthirsty dragons. Obezumevshie from the fear people had povelitelyam many victims of this terrible disaster, including human. This tradition has continued for a long time. An incredible and inexplicable force of dragons contributed extraordinary popularity of these creatures in mythical tales. At a later time in folklore motives appear to curb the rivers and their masters – dragons, gods, heroes-arts fighters to floods and flood.
There are many legends about dragons king Lun-Lebanon. According to one legend, once the king of dragons ill. Among residents of the kingdom of the water found no doctor who could cure him, and Lun-Wang was left with no alternative but to accept the face of the old and go to the people. Many doctors have been lord Sea, but none of them could not determine that he had the disease. Finally, he got the famous healers who, poschupav pulse of a patient, very surprised to discover that the heart beats is not so, as with ordinary people.
The doctor said this old man. And he was forced to admit that he is the king of dragons. Healer said that to determine the disease and to cure him, he can only happen if the old man again become a dragon. While dragons are usually people are not running this time, the lord of water, to recover from illness, agreed to comply with the requirement healer. In uslovlenny day the doctor came to the beach, and a dragon appeared above the waves. Doctor examined him and discovered that the scales of a dragon on the back zapolzla scolopendra, which caused him severe pain.
Deleting scolopendra, doctor smazal damaged mazyu scales, and the pain was. As a token of gratitude for the healing of the king of dragons promised tselitelyu send people on their request, good weather, beneficial rains and total well-being. Since then, every year on this day (Day of Healing) throughout China is the dragon dance.
According to traditional concepts, the dragon symbolizes luck. Droughts and flooding brought the Chinese people devastation, poverty, hunger. Who could help in disaster management? Of course, the king of dragons. If any area affected by drought or flood, local people performed a ritual dance of the dragon, beseeching Vladyka Sea nisposlat rain. The prolonged drought has been considered as a waiver dragon send rain. Then, before the image of a dragon arranged rogation. If and when this field is still dry, then performed the ritual «whipping dragon»: on made from clay or other material dragon image caused lashes or bamboo sticks, demanding nisposlat rain.
The cult-Lun Wang was highly distributed in the old China. Temples dedicated to him, were built in towns, villages near rivers, lakes, ferries and water wells. His intercession asked seamen, fishermen, farmers, as well as water-bearer who believed that the underground sources in wells operated by Lun-vanom and connected underground to the sea. During a drought statue Lun Lebanon ruled out of the temple and put on sun exposure, and during floods in the area around it were to show Wang Lun-size disasters and usovestit it. If that does not work, the statue was drowned in the water.
Finally, talking about dragons, it is impossible not to recall the spirit of Chzhulune – Dragon with a candle to the mountains of Zhongshan, which, according to one of the variants of the myth of creation, a creator of the universe. The story about him written in the ancient «Book of Mountains and Seas». This spirit of a human body and snake skin red was rising in a thousand there. He had eyes, reminiscent of two olive trees. When he closed them, they turned in two straight vertical slits. Once he opened it, as in the world of the day, and when ever it meshed, came to the ground overnight. At the slightest dunovenii dragon appeared veil of clouds, falling snow flakes plentiful and come winter. Once he дохнуть heat – and immediately attacked the summer, as the sun was beginning to burn so that plavilis metals and stones. Dragon lying svernuvshis like a serpent. He has not been any demand for food, nor drink nor sleep, nor breath. But one of his inhalation raised wind good ten thousand there in the district. Light a candle, which Chzhulun kept in the mouth, he could cover the highest spheres of heaven and the deepest depths of the earth, which reigned eternal darkness. And because he always kept in the mouth and covered by a candle in the darkness of the gates of heaven in the north, it is still called Chzhuin, ie «Illuminating darkness».

Category People and substance of the myths

Сентябрь 2010
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