Eastern Dragon Overview

Eastern dragons can be from Korea, Japan, or China. There are slight but subtle differences between them. Many different animals contribute to the dragon's body. For instance, the dragon has the body of a snake, belly of a frog, scales of a carp, head of a camel, horns of a giant stag, the eyes of a hare, ears like a bull, a neck like an iguana, paws like a tigers, and claws like an eagle.

The Difference between Dragons

Chinese dragons have five toes. The Chinese believe that all eastern dragons originated from China. They believed that when the dragons flew away, they began to lose toes. The farther and farther the dragons flew, the more toes they lost. So, Korean dragons have four toes, and Japanese dragons have three.

Japanese dragons have three toes. The Japanese believe that all eastern dragons originated from Japan. They also believed that when the dragons began to leave Japan, they gain toes. The farther the dragons went, the more toes they gained. This is why the other dragons have more toes. The breath of Japanese dragons turned into clouds, which could produce rain or fire. Due to a measure upon their heads, they could ascend to Heaven when they chose.

Korean dragons have four toes. 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 Oriental Dragons

There are nine types of Chinese dragons, also regarded as the Oriental Dragons. You should also note that nine is a very lucky number to the Chinese. These are: the horned dragon, the celestial dragon, the spiritual dragon, the winged dragon, the dragon of hidden treasures, the coiling dragon, the yellow dragon, and the dragon king. Each of these dragon types has a special attribute to them.

The Horned dragon is also know as Lung. They are the most powerful of the Oriental Dragons and are completely deaf. They how the power to produce rain, too. It should also be noted that the head points South, and the tail points North. In addition, they are a symbol of the East and the sun.

The Celestial dragon protects the mansions of the gods to the Chinese, and the Spiritual dragon creates rain and wind for mankind.9 The Dragon of Hidden Treasures helps keep watch over concealed wealth, and the coiling dragon lives in the water, primarily lakes and deep, deep waters.10 The yellow dragon is especially important, for this dragon emerged from water and aided the Emperor Fu Shi by showing him writing.

The Dragon King is really four dragons, and these dragons keep watch over the four main seas. They were honored and respected, for they were the ones the Chinese went to if there was little or no rain. The four lived in the North, South, East, or West waters.

The dragon figures strongly in the mythology of various Oriental countries, notably China. It is deified in the Taoist religion and was the national emblem of the Chinese Empire. Among the Chinese people, the dragon is traditionally regarded as a symbol of good fortune.

Dragon Mythology Overview

Mythology, in any culture or nation, plays an intergal part in shaping the lives of the people within the society, and subsequently, the pattern by which they live their lives. Mythology provides a key to the past, explains how the world was created and how it works, and also gives us tantalising clues as to the future.

Perhaps one of the most prolific images in the wider mythological world is the dragon; a symbol, wild animal, creator, destroyer and divine entity in one, the dragon has possibly spanned the widest boundaries of all the mythological characters and beasts. The dragon has been an inspiration to writers such as the Roman Pliny, famous artists such as Leonardo Da Vinci, and to voyagers such as Marco Polo. It is the dragon who has captured the nature of mythology in all it's forms, and this is perhaps partly why in later years the dragon has become such a popular creature.