East Asian Dragon's, or The Oriental Dragon...
Dragon myth's can be found in all corners of the world East Asia Korean Japan and China have their own unique dragon legends too, however the East Asian dragon is often seen as a more benevolent being as apposed to it's European counterpart...
When you hear the word Dragon what comes to mind, for most of us it's a massive winged beast of fire and destruction terrorizing some poor medieval village. or in more recent times Viking flying their fire breathing friends (How To Train Your Dragon)..
Or maybe from your next adventure driven campaign of DnD (Dungeons and Dragons) it would seem that dragons real or imagined hold a special place in our hearts and mind's from classic literature, too modern entertainment dragons can be found in some form or another in every corner of the world.
However Dragons differ in appearance slightly from culture to culture, where most European dragons are usually large winged fire breathing creatures of destruction, East Asian dragons are often seen as lean flying creatures often associated with the elements Earth, Fire, Water and Air...
In Korean mythology dragons are mostly seen as benevolent beings related to water and agriculture,
treated with reverence and respect, these dragons are considered bringers of good fortune, rain and clouds.
Many Korean dragons are said to make their homes in rivers, lakes, deep mountain ponds and even the ocean.
Korean culture is full of dragon's both in ancient art and mythology.
Intelligent sentient dragons, capable of understanding speech and complex emotions are mentioned in ancient myth's these beings often show very human emotions
such as devotion, kindness, and gratitude.
One of the more popular and well known legends is that of The great King Munmu, who on his deathbed wished to become a Dragon of the East Sea in order to protect Korea forever.
The Korean dragon differs slightly in appearance when compered to other East Asian dragons like the Japanese and Chinese.
The Korean dragon was said to have certain specific traits: for example it could fly but it dose not have wings in addition to a slightly longer beard.
East Asian dragons share a common mythology and as far as physical appearance the Korean dragon look's a lot like the Japanese or Chinese dragon's.
In some depictions this dragon may be shown carrying a dragon orb
known as the Yeo-ui-ju (여의주) in one or more of its claws.
Legend has it that whoever could wield the Yeo-ui-ju was blessed with the abilities of
omnipotence and creation at will, and that only four-toed dragons
(those with thumbs to hold the orbs) were both wise and powerful
enough to wield these orbs (as opposed to the lesser, three-toed dragons
As with China, the number nine is significant in Korea, and dragons were said to have 81 (9×9) scales on their backs, representing yang essence.
Korea also has legends of the cockatrice (Chicken like reptile), a type of chimera in European mythology that is capable of breathing fire and turning it's victims to stone just by looking at
them, similar to a basilisk a large serpent like reptile that also turns it's victims to stone, but where the cockatrice can breath fire the basilisk is venomous so much so that even
it's breath is toxic
The Korean cockatrice is known as a gye-lyong they do not appear in myth's as often as actual dragons.
Cockatrice are sometimes seen as chariot-pulling beasts for important figures or for the parents of mythological heroes.
Dragons and Naga's
Though very similar in appearance the East Asian Dragon should not be confused with another massive serpent of myth the Naga.
Dragon's, Imugi and Naga..
In Korean mythology it is said that most dragons were originally Imugis (이무기), or lesser dragons, these creature resemble a gigantic serpents.
There are a few different versions of the Imugi myth differing slightly be regions, these myths describe both what imugis are and how they wish to become full dragons.
According to legend's an Imugi can become a true dragon, or yong or mireu, if it was able to catch a Yeouiju that had fallen from heaven.
Another myth says that they are hornless creatures closely resembling dragons that had been cursed and were unable to become real dragons.
In either case they are said to be large, benevolent, python-like creatures that live in water or caves, and their sighting is often associated with good luck.
In Hindu mythology the Naga is often described as being somewhat human in appearance, a Half Serpent Half Human creature whereas a more traditional Naga is said to be more serpentine in appearance.. as seen below.
On the left is the Hindu Goddess..Naga Kanya The Guardian of the three Realms, and on the right is a classic Serpent style Naga.
Korea also has a large variety of festivals and events ranging from cultural heritage or just fun and game's with great food. Feel free too join in on if your in the area :)
Muju Firefly Festival..
Kick of the beginning of fall season with the ( Link too site
Muju Firefly Festival ) which takes place from August 31st
to September 8
th.
This fall Korean festival celebrates the beauty of nature and fireflies, it also offers
guests the opportunity to participate in nighttime activities that
involve observing fireflies in their natural habitat.
There
are also plenty of outdoor activities during the daytime for festival
attendees.
Address ... 326-17 Hanpungnu-ro, Muju-eup, Muju, Jeollabuk-do, South Korea
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7080 Chungjang Recollection Festival
Also if your a fan of retro 70's -80's then check out the Chungjang Recollection Festival in October
The 7080 Chungjang Recollection Festival
7080 Chungjang Recollection Festival is a popular Gwangsan-gu festival that is centered around reviving the culture of
the ‘70’s and the ‘80’s that thrived on Chungjang-ro Street. Food drink's and a family friendly parade and events October 7th - 11th
These are just two of the many many festivals to visit this time of year :)
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Chinese Dragons and History..
In ancient times the dragon was the symbol of the
Emperor of China.
In the Zhou Dynasty, the 5-clawed dragon was assigned
to the Son of Heaven, the 4-clawed dragon to the nobles (zhuhou, seigneur), and the 3-clawed dragon to the ministers (daifu).
In the Qin Dynasty, the 5-clawed dragon was assigned to represent the
Emperor while the 4-clawed and 3-clawed dragons were assigned to the
commoners. The dragon in the Qing Dynasty appeared on national flags.
The Statue of the goddess Xihe charioteering the sun, being pulled by a
dragon, in Hangzhou
The dragon is sometimes used in the West as a national emblem of China.
However, this usage within both the People's Republic of China and the
Republic of China on Taiwan as the symbol of nation is not common.
Instead, it is generally used as the symbol of culture.
In Hong Kong,
the dragon is part of the Hong Kong Brand a symbol of Kong, a symbol used to
promote the city as an international brand name of sorts.
Sometimes Chinese people use the term Descendants of the Dragon as a sign of
ethnic identity, as part of a trend started in the 1970s when different
Asian nationalities were looking for animal symbols for representations.
The wolf was used among the Mongols, the monkey among Tibetans.
In Chinese culture today, the dragon is mostly used for decorative purposes. It is a taboo to disfigure a depiction of a dragon.
The C-shaped jade totem of Hongshan culture (Pig Dragon) was carved dragon ornament from the Warring States period (403 BC-221 BC).
Gilded-bronze handle in the shape of a dragon's head and neck, made
during the Eastern Han period (25–220 AD)
The origin of the Chinese
dragon is not certain. The presence of dragons within the Chinese culture
dates back thousands of years one archeological dig discovered a dragon
statue dating back to at least the fifth millennium BC from the Yangshao culture
in Henan in 1987, there where also several jade badges of different rank in coiled form excavated from the Hongshan culture dating to roughly 4700-2900 BC.
The coiled snake or dragon form played an important role in early
Chinese culture. The character for "dragon" in the earliest Chinese
writing has a similar coiled form, as do later jade dragon amulets from
the Shang period.
Hongshan Coiled Snake or Pig Dragon Jade carving
A pig dragon or zhūlóng is a
type of jade artifact from the Hongshan culture of neolithic China as discribed above. Pig
dragons are zoomorphic forms with a pig-like head and elongated limbless
body coiled around to the head
Ancient Chinese referred to unearthed dinosaur bones as dragon bones and documented them as such. For example in 300 BC Chang Qu documented the discovery of Dragon Bones in Sichuan and the modern word for dinosaur is konglong meaning Terrible Dragon.
A Chinese Dragons and their relation to the water and the weather....
During the Ming Dynasty Chinese dragons were strongly associated
with water in many Chinese myths. they are believed to be the rulers of
moving bodies of water, such as waterfalls, rivers, or seas.
They can
show themselves as water spouts (tornado or twister over water). In this
capacity as the rulers of water and weather, the dragon is more
anthropomorphic in form, often depicted as a humanoid, dressed in a
king's costume, but with a dragon head wearing a king's headdress.
There are four major Dragon Kings, representing each of the four
seas: the East Sea (corresponding to the East China Sea), the South Sea
(corresponding to the South China Sea), the West Sea (sometimes seen as
the Indian Ocean and beyond), and the North Sea (sometimes seen as Lake
Baikal).
Because of this association, they are seen as "in charge" of
water-related weather phenomenon.
In the past, many Chinese
villages (especially those close to rivers and seas) had temples
dedicated to their local "dragon king". In times of drought or flooding,
it was customary for the local gentry and government officials to lead
the community in offering sacrifices and conducting other religious
rites to appease the dragon, either to ask for rain or a cessation
thereof.
The King of Wu-Yue in the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period
was often known as the "Dragon King" or the "Sea Dragon King" because of
his extensive hydro-engineering
No matter were you are or were you go there are dragon legends in every corner of the globe.
I will be going more post's on Dragons and other Mythological creatures soon, thank you for reading.
