by Christina Rivas

Created on: November 10, 2008

Chinese Dragons in Mythology and Legend

It seems as though Dragons have been a part of many different cultural mythologies. I have always been fascinated with these magnificent creatures however one particular group of dragons, hold more allure to me than the rest.

Chinese dragons are among the most unique I have ever had the pleasure of researching. The Chinese Dragons that I have read about are nothing like the original depictions that I held of them.

When I asked a few people how they would describe a dragon, most of the answers that I received were very similar. Scaly, fire-breathing lizards and destroyers were among the responses that I received.When you are dealing with Fairy Tale Dragons, I suppose that those descriptions are accurate enough. However those descriptions are completely the opposite if you are talking about a Chinese Dragon.

Chinese mythology has been centered on the Dragon since even before the beginning of history. In Chinese cultures, the Dragon is said to be a symbol of the masculine Yang power. While fairy tale Dragons seem to be centered on fire, the opposite is true of the Chinese Dragons. The Chinese dragons were very closely associated with the water, rain, lakes and rivers.

It was said that the Dragons could harness the elemental powers of water and use them at their will. Most stories that I know about Dragons, tell about giant, towering creatures with monstrous wings.This isn't always true when dealing with a Chinese Dragon in fact until they reach a certain age the Chinese believe that the Dragons are wingless. The Dragons of Chinese mythology were also thought to be able to change their sizes; they could make themselves as big as giants or as small as silk worms.

Chinese Dragons were also believed to be able to shape shift. They could use their Dragon magic to take on the form of a mortal man whenever they chose to do so. The usually did this to remain hidden from mortals.The Chinese also worship their Dragons instead of fearing them. They believe that the Dragons were in fact life-givers, not the destroyers of fairy tale stories from other countries.

Chinese Dragons are highly honored and considered to be very powerful. Chinese Emperors and Royalty were often closely aligned with the image of the Chinese Dragons. In fact they have been since the beginning of Chinese history.

One Chinese Legend is that Fu His, China's first emperor, possessed the tale of a dragon. It was also said that his successor Shen Nung, was fathered by a dragon.

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