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These three species of dragons look very similar, but come from different parts of the world. They all have sinuous serpantine bodies, have four legs, they do not usually breath fire, usually shown not to have wings, but are illistrated to have them which is the adult imperial dragon. They are said to be made of many different animals of the earth: The body of a snake, scales if a carp (fish), head like a camel, horns of a giant stag (deer), the eyes of a hare (rabbit), ears like a bull, a neck like an iguana, the belly of a frog, paws like a tigers, and claws like an eagle. Most of the time they are shown to have a lion-type mane around it's neck, on it's chin, and on each elbow.They have two antler-type horns decortaing their wide mouthed head, and twp long "feeler" whiskers spreading out from their snout. Eastern dragons have 117 scales, 81 infused with yang, the good and 36 infused with yin, the bad. This evens out the dragons temper, and personality.
There are three families of Eastern dragons: 3 toed, 4 toed, 5 toed. Three toed dragons are Japenese. Four oed are Indonesian or Korean. Five toed are Chinese. They are shown in the colors blue, black, white, red, or yellow. Oriental dragons are usually shown with a pearl in their mouth, under their chin, or in their claws. This is apparently where the dragon gets it's power, and how it ascends to heaven. Roasted swallows are the Chinese dragon's favorite food. |
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In China dragons are known as Lung. There are four main kinds of Lung: Tien-Lung, The Celestial Dragon: who protects the places of the gods, Shen-Lung, the Spiritual Dragon: who controls the wind and rain, Ti-Lung, The Earth Dragon which control rivers, and water on the Earth, and Fut's-Lung, The underworld Dragon which guards precious metals and gems. Seperate dragons control the rivers of the Norh, South, East and West. The commander of all the River Dragons is Great Chien-Tang who is blood red, has a firey mane, and is 900 feet long.
Eastern dragons are portrayed as good, kind, and intelligent. Oriental Dragons have the most recorded history in the world, especially in China going back thousands of years. In history they have a very close link to the weather. It is said that some of the worst flodding in Asia's history were caused when a mortal has upset a dragon. In Chinese history, 5toed dragon is the symbol of power, and are concidered "Imperial Dragons". Long ago, it became law in China that only the Emperor could have a five-clawed dragon displayed on his robes or illistrated on anything the Emperor owned. It was usally a Yellow dragon, thought to be the most superior of all the colored dragons. If someone other than the Emperor was caught wearing a symbol of a 5toed dragon, he was put to death.
Eastern dragons are still shown in parades around the world celebrating the chinese new year with the Dragon Dance. |
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