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While Europe’s shining knights spent
their lives slaying dragons, the Chinese
sought after and worshiped Eastern
dragons as the most benevolent, wise,
and generous of all creatures. Indeed,
to be called “dragon face” was a great
honor, and it was believed that emperors
received counsel and aid from dragons
in times of need. A few emperors even
proudly claimed to be direct descendants
of dragons. Pairings between humans
and dragons were thought possible,
since dragons were capable of changing
their shape and size to assume whatever
form they desired.
Unlike the fierce western dragons
who hoarded treasure and demanded
virtuous young women as sacrifices,
the dragons of Chinese legend showed
tenderness toward humans, and even
acted in their behalf many times,
sometimes at great cost. This is seen
in one of the oldest legends about
the Four Dragons. According to this
legend, China once had no rivers.
The people were dependent on the gods
to send rain for their crops. One
year the ruler of the gods, Yu-Huang-Shang-Ti,
or the Jade Emperor, did not send
rain in due season. As the crops began
to wither and die, the people turned
to the heavens for help.
In the Eastern Sea lived four dragons
which heard the cries of starvation,
and were moved with compassion. Eagerly
they left their comfortable underwater
home and sought out the mighty Jade
Emperor. In behalf of the starving
people below, the dragons pleaded
with the emperor to send rain and
save the crops. But the emperor was
not pleased with the dragons and he
refused their request. Ten days passed,
and still no rain fell. The people
were so hungry they were eating bark,
grass roots, and white clay. Undeterred
by the cruel and selfish emperor,
the dragons devised a plan to create
a rainstorm and thus save the villagers.
Rushing to their home in the Eastern
Sea, they scooped up the water and
sprayed it into the sky. The water
fell like raindrops over the crops,
and the hopeful people leaped with
joy.
But when the sea god told the Jade
Emperor what the dragons had done,
the emperor grew very angry. How dare
the dragons rebel against his word!
He was in charge of all the affairs
of heaven, earth, and sea, and did
not like his authority to be questioned.
The dragons were arrested and taken
to the heavenly palace. Then the Jade
Emperor ordered the mountain god to
separate the four dragons in different
corners of the country and imprison
each under a mountain.
The four dragons were unrepentant,
and as the mountains were pressed
upon them they thought of yet a new
way they could help the people. So
each dragon transformed itself into
a river, winding out of its mountain
prison back to the people and their
crops. The black dragon in the far
north became the Heilongjian, the
yellow dragon and the long dragon
in central China became the Huanghe
and the Changjiang (Yangtze), and
the pearl dragon in the south became
the Zhu. And this, according to legend,
is how the four great rivers in China
were formed.
As in the ancient telling of the
four dragons, water and rain were
often associated with Eastern dragons.
It was believed at one time that dragons
existed in every storm and pool of
water. Although they sometimes caused
severe rains that destroyed houses,
uprooted trees, and flooded inhabitants,
the Chinese never regarded the dragon
as malevolent. Because of the prevalent
belief in yin and yang, it was accepted
that to reap the benefit of the storm,
one had to survive the horror of it.
In this way Eastern dragons were seen
as the givers of life while at the
same time the cause of great death
and destruction.
About the Author:
Francesca Black has long been interested
in the history of dragon and lore
http://www.dragon-gifts.com
and http://www.mystical-creatures.com
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