In ancient times no one tried to kill the dragon. The subjugated. What tamed. In its deepest sense, this mythological animal represents the power of nature is hidden wisdom: "programming" inside every human being bears within, instinct and intellect, the flesh and spirit. And the balance that must prevail among those factors. The dragon itself has occupied a place in the religion of almost all peoples.
The Maya, for example, he appointed Itzamná (iguana heaven), merging in this name the first male-and female-sky-earth-, awarding, therefore, the inherent capacity usually the Dragon realm of high and low. You can walk, swim and fly. In the villages of the East (although now speak of hemispheres is obsolete), in their religions are always the dragon present. For the Chinese is the "king" of 369 species of scaly reptiles. In their mythology is the magical animal par excellence, he has the power to transform and become invisible. In the spring up into heaven fall plunges into the sea floor. To return with the winter announces the recovery of the energies of the nature of the primeval waters. The Chinese said that "the fire of the fire dragons and humans are contradictory. If the fire dragon is moisture, comes alive. Water, burning. But if you fight with fire stops burning and extinguished their Flames ... alchemical equation of the original material, as is known, says that in order to purify a substance, it must be washed not with water but with fire. The symbolism of China
sums as a conjunction of the other species of land, water and air, thereby explaining even all of our weather. In his broadcast zodiac, the dragon appears every twelve years, ruling his last influence this newly passed 2000, and with a meaning astrologically auspicious, being the most benevolent of the 12 animals that make their zodiac signs. As the dragon rules over the natural factors are more influential on the fate of living beings on the planet, and particularly of man, is considered essentially as a body protector spirits malignant and epidemics. Are common in China with dragon amulet for success, wealth or importance. This is how for centuries, every twelve years, when the dragon emerges Zodiac, millions of Chinese pursuing their children born under the sign for the dragon to protect them and lead them in ways fortunate, writing a prosperous future destination . This year 2000 the Chinese authorities did not fail to remind people the problem faced against population growth.
When the dragon came to occupy a place in the pantheon of mythical beings in China is something that is lost in the mists of time, the writing is already in the Han Dynasty, circa 206 before us, the dragon was a symbol of imperial power, becoming an interpretation of the strength of its sovereigns, who were the only ones who could sleep in a bed shaped like a dragon, and use drawings of dragon robes with embroidered in silk and gold, holding in his standard a dragon with five claws, while the military officers used one 4 clamps. In the literature of China, written in the third century begin to summon Wang Lung, a controlling deity of the rains which is described as a dragon king. Then the animal truly is the protagonist of all kinds of legends, sometimes referred to as a terrible beast in appearance, but always with a willingness child whose main fun was to frighten the courtship of the bride and groom at the wedding village, sometimes plague districts are located and many more, kidnapping princesses. Since those ancient times, Chinese people can use the image of the dragon in their festivities as we now see scattered around the world, that even in carnivals such as Mardi Gras in New Orleans or Brazil, we see a dragon parade. Although contrary to the interpretation we give in our Western countries, we should note, the dragon in the East is not harmful, and never attacks you, as always harm in bad design. The only insult this is to risk being great to be offended and withdraw into the depths of land and discourage the rains, so it is necessary to wake him noisily. Precisely this belief derived masquerades dragon figures are dancing and moving to a group of people bending the body from side to side motion giving long costume between the general hubbub.
Wang Fu, a Chinese sage who lived around the third century, says of the dragons: "When you expect rain, dragons and their voices are screaming as the sound produced when striking copper vessels (which is like thunder) ... your saliva can produce all kinds of perfumes (the aromas of vegetation moisture). His breath becomes clouds, and avail themselves of these same clouds to cover their bodies when they want not Watched ... Even now, some people have seen a few times in the lakes and rivers stick his paw or tail of a dragon, but the heads are not.
"In the summer, after the fourth month, the dragons are divided regions of the earth between them and each one defines its territory. This is the reason why a few miles away may have different climates, although they always wear the holy waters that are heavenly if caused by his own instinct when an area is dry, and darker if they have been forced to create at the insistence of prayer and lots of noise, that may violate to send the flood. "
Chinese emperors also claimed to have the power of producing rain, as this because between his titles and attributes was also the King of the Dragons. To be, could exercise his command moving in four directions simultaneously. The fifth direction is the center, where the emperor remains. And although its emblem has five claws, they can not have more than four dragons subsidiary. The first Chinese emperor in "Dragonlings" was Fu Hsi, who lived "before history began." He touched her put in order the country's waters, in order to dig numerous dams and irrigation canals, through which it gained control of the mighty Yellow River. The oldest religion of China, and of the world's most remote, Taoism, the dragon destined for a special place among the deities who represented the forces of nature, which explains its meaning divine preserved for generations. In that magnificent animal anatomy very qualities of different species. To the ancient Chinese is the Lord of animals with scales, has a horse's head, snake tail and wings. For the most widespread tradition are nine things that lend their countenance: his horns resemble the antlers of deer, the head, the head of the horses eyes, those of devils ears, those of oxen, the neck is like the body of a snake's belly, a large clam; their scales are similar to those of carp, his claws are like the eagle, and have the soles of the feet like a tiger, with its own unique fingerprints. The Chinese do not kill the dragon: the subjugated. The tame, in the image and likeness of the human spirit trying to balance all the forces of nature to continue life, embodied precisely in this fantastic animal is and is not, that comes and goes as life itself.
In European countries the dragon usually has horns, which are a symbol of virility. Its tail can be of lizard, snake, crocodile, eel and dolphin. Again the duality: being formed by warm-blooded animals, cold shows the nature of water and fire. Because it can take parts of birds, fish, reptile, mammal. Or even an insect, when you add details that emparientan with flying locusts and dragonflies. Also Leonardo Da Vinci, one of its design books, gave particular shape to draw dragons that is convincing, combining parts of animals. In the Bible the Great Beast of Revelation that threatens the Earth is represented as a dragon with 7 heads, and is often beaten or subjected to various martyrs and saints, to be performed in countless sculptural paintings and engravings that good overcomes evil dragon. San Miguel won the dragon-Satan in a melee; San Jorge fought according to the canons of the cavalry. Having an extra protection: the archangels, enemies of the dragon. Because St. George defeated the dragon "demonic" aided by divine inspiration and rescue the daughter of the king of the region that it accomplishes the conversion to Christianity of all the people was the custom in Silene, Libya, sacrificing children to the dragon who lived in a swamp, the same that St. George removed to end the savage custom; clear that the legend of the holy knight, who is patron of England, originated in the need to combat human sacrifice. It is well known, moreover, that during the time of the Crusades, were included often the dragon in the arms of the Knights, who thus sought to inspire fear into his opponents. As a reminiscence of the practice, the figure of the dragon became part of the coat of arms of the Prince of Wales in Britain. Precisely in this country is the famous Dragon's Hill or hill of the dragon is but a land drawing depicting a white horse, guarded by the inhabitants of the region for nearly 2000 years. Nobody knows the meaning of that figure or the reason for the name given to the hill, but is known to the paramount importance is given to the site, perhaps based on fear of the unknown. In England itself remains a folk myth whereby if a snake swallows a congener, will become a dragon, and even when the story of St. George is still the most widespread, it probably derives from an even more ancient, located in Ethiopia, that myth signaling Andromeda, ranks as one of the first appearances of the dragon in the West, perpetuated by mouth, has the legend that a beautiful Greek virgin named Andromeda was offered in sacrifice to a sea dragon that was devastating the region and that could only be saved by her boyfriend, who with the help of magical arts beat the beast and married the maid.
The Roman hero Hercules due to various mythical dragons in their work, one would cut out his tongue. With that not only emasculated, but acquired the ability to understand the language of birds also had to make dams to control the deep swamp near Lerna, where he was the terrible Hydra, a water dragon, and its various heads that had to do a multiple degollina (said to the many heads symbolized the uncontrollable, having to give an overall solution to a problem). In the serpents in his cradle had as a baby, Hercules strangled them. Another legend tells that a dragon went blind for committing the indiscretion to see the goddess Athena while she was swimming naked. But once cleared things up for giving it "another view" (the sixth sense.) The Iliad of Homer, Agamemnon, carrying a banner with a three-headed dragon. Another mythical hero, Perseus (which some identify with the hero who saves Andromeda Ethiopia) could defeat the Gorgon, kill and behead helped by the shield of invisibility to Hades (the lord of "another world", where it is rarely presented carnal desires) lent. According to legend, Perseus not only ended with an evil, but he left a gun to his heroic successors: the death of the Gorgon, his blood gave birth to a horse that later would which led to another hero to slay the Chimera (the dragon as a symbol of the yearning of so many impossible things).
Another assessment of the "Satanists" Dragon is recorded in France, so that in the early seventeenth century was called dragonnade (dragon) was a bloody persecution ordered by Louis XIV against the Protestants and heretics. In France it comes to dragons, if they wish, they can assume human form, living in caves near the river, waiting for men to drink, they catch and eat. Women (especially those who are raising) are attracted to the fund, make captive and engaged in feeding dragons, are released after a while, and usually rewarded for their services. Gauls say that if a woman takes a little eel paste that her captors fed and smeared in one eye, will be able to recognize any dragon who is disguised as a man (these women would say "of eye wise "). There are four typical French dragons have in common that children like to eat tender and kidnap virgins. One in Aix, Provence, died busted by Santa Margarita, which had been eaten, the Holy sprang from her womb safely, so someone decided to make the patron saint of childbirth. It is noteworthy that in Aix-en-Provence have found numerous fossils of dinosaur eggs, so that can think of historical memory. Another French dragon "lived" in Draguignan (the name of the province says it), town where the town mayor has the right to baptize any of their godchildren with the name of Drac. The third was located in Beaucaire gala tradition, it specializes in getting babysitters for dragons. But perhaps the most popular of the quartet is to Tarascon: a Santa Martha tamed it as according to legend.
In Germany also assigns the dragon mythology magical qualities. Siegfried, a mythical hero Germany, for example, kills the dragon guardian of a fabulous treasure: the source of life. The hero takes a bath with the blood of the beast and gets invulnerable, then drinking a little of that vital fluid, learn the language of birds and has access to various mysteries of nature. This makes common the idea that those who defeat the evil dragon acquired by that very fact, extraordinary powers. A dragon has been called, among many other names, The Wise, The Terrible, The Magnificent, The Abominable, abrasive, Who Look Beyond, The Lord Of The World ... Catholic religion gives an interpretation uniquely evil, most likely not only by the League of fire with Satan, but as the dragon itself represents: the part of ourselves that we must control, our true self we must never deny or destroy it is an essential member of our human formula.
The dragon, then, is the symbol of the primitive combination that prevails chemically in the formation of life itself by having all its parts. In Sanskrit, the ancient literary language of India, where sacred books were written as the Ramayana and the Mahabharata, have been rescued writings that speak of before the start of the financial times, the dragon was no distinction in its be of no -being, and its light of his darkness, or heaven on earth ... then only then you could call Tad Ekam, which means He ... Mexican writer Gloria Fuentes says, "Quetzalcoatl, the feathered serpent, is another dragon. His legend depicts a being who is torn between the carnal and the spiritual. Their chastity became shameful to Tezcatlipoca, the dark mirror steaming, that inclines to sin with meat. And Quetzalcoatl must leave the land, promising to return one day ... "
Thus, although the concept and name are universal, their appearance and customs differ greatly by region on the planet. There are water dragons, earth, flying, there are of fierce or timid or household of gigantic proportions. The Hindu dragon, for example, resembles an elephant, the Chinese servant Western and a reptile, a close relative of the snake. The latter, in particular, strongly resembles a prehistoric reptile, like a dinosaur. Therefore, it is not impossible that the origin of the myth comes from the discovery of some fossils of animals that lived millions of years. Under certain assumptions about the dragon would be a reptile belonging to the order of the dinosaurs, much like a lizard or snake with flapping wings, huge mouth spit-fire and a long flexible tail. If we examine in detail the physical characteristics of the dragon, without exaggerating its qualities and proportions, it is clear that this mythical animal could fit the description called scientific Komodo dragon (Varanus komodoensis) which is actually a lizard, of course, the power to spit fire, fly and resize daughters seem to be more hype than the observation. Often
American Dragon boasts more than one head, and is credited as favorite food and fresh meat young virgin girls: some modern psychologists who have studied this property have come to the conclusion that the battle with the beast to rescue beautiful maidens symbolize the internal struggle between lustful instincts and moral bases of consciousness. Others, however, contend that represents old age, impotence, they are replaced by the energy of youth to start a new life.
Indeed, in many cultures the dragon is considered a deity of the sea (there are many legends of the navigators of the sixteenth and seventeenth century about the terrible sea serpents, who later served as inspiration for his stories of authors such as Jules Verne). The Chinese believe that there are four dragons: one in each of the big ocean out there. Hence, in many regions sailors assigned to it. In relation to the dragon-shaped boats, probably born of the groups that practiced plunder the seas, as the Vikings. Although currently in Japan are popular Dragon Boat on board which made tours. The ship whose bow is a bust dragonil used also be used by Chinese emperors, who also symbolized by a ship that carries souls to the afterlife. According to a legend began to be dragon boat from the seventh century, said to be a Buddhist monk, arrived in China Gisho at that time and returned to his native Korea carried beyond the sect's teachings Kegon. During his stay in the country he fell in love with a girl from China. They say that to see Gisho embarked, the girl jumped into the water after his ship, and then she became a loving dragon who guided him until he safely reach their destination.
In our America, the word "hurricane" comes from the Caribbean dragon of the same name, who in addition to these weather phenomena, producing earthquakes ... is represented as a being half human, half snake. Go ", as on one foot", turning: the tornado, cyclone. Coincides with Chinese symbolism of the maker of climate ... The very name "Dragon" is no less interesting, apparently the English word comes from the Greek word "drakon" which was commonly used to indicate any type of snake of immense proportions. Even today, most pictorial representations of the dragon inspired figures of serpents. Interestingly the name "dragon" is meaningless zoo, but applies the Latin word "draco" to describe some species of lizards of the Indo-Malay. So while science denies the dragon as a real animal and rejects even the effectiveness of its name for a given species, the legend and mythology have magnified until it becomes a source of explanation of the vital mysteries. Sea
only part of the catalog of imaginary beings or the result of ancestral remains in human memory, this fantastic animal suggests itself because of its permanency in the ages and cultures, that in everything around us (in us) something of immortality. It is the spirit of life, which encourages the water flowing, trees, rocks from the caves. Therefore, its existence can not discredit using the usual forms of evidence ... but neither can be proven absolutely. Let's stay with the hope that if it exists, is as magic suggests that their existence: to occupy a unique place, mythical or not, in the history of human imagination. Alchemically, all copy must combine great features that identify the four elements: water, air, earth and fire. Although the importance of its appearance is secondary if we think that dwells in the realm of the imagination. Otherwise no one has tested or there were no dragons.
© Waldemar Verdugo Fuentes. Chilean writer
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