These creatures generally look different to a western dragon. Eastern dragons don't have wings for example.
Dragons in western culture are said to be a representation of evil, but in eastern culture they are benevolent and are revered. According to about.com the Chinese dragon is a symbol of imperial power. The dragon was a symbol of the emperor, a 5 toed dragon represented the emporer and 3 toed dragons were commoners. Also dragons are considered symbols of good luck.
According to about.com "Traditionally the dragons are considered as the governors of rain falls in Chinese culture. They have the power to decide where and when to have rain falls." The chinese dragons are associated with water, lakes, oceans, storms, floods etc.
The japanese dragon is also associated with water. It was considered a water deity. There are a lot of similarities between the japanese and chinese dragons, according to wikipedia "Japanese dragons are diverse legendary creatures in Japanese mythology and folklore. Japanese dragon myths amalgamate native legends with imported stories about dragons from China, Korea and India. The style of the dragon was heavily influenced by the Chinese dragon"
The eastern dragon fascinates me more than the western style dragon. Maybe because the eastern dragon is more associated with peace and nature where as the western dragon is fierce and fiery.
I find it interesting though that dragons feature in both western and eastern mythology. Does that lend credability to the existence of such a creature? Or are these no more real than the loch ness monster?
What are YOUR thoughts on dragons? Personally, I think they belong to myths and legends but its interesting to have a look into. There is A LOT of information on dragons in different cultures but I don't want to just copy and paste a tonne of information. I encourage you to look into this yourselves and share your discoveries.
Share your thoughts below.
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