Chinese mythology: characters. Dragons in Chinese mythology

Chinese mythology reveres a huge number of creatures and animals, each of which embodies something. Probably the most popular character, about which each of us has heard, is a dragon, and in China various kinds of it are worshiped. It is noteworthy that the first drawings devoted to these animals were found during ancient excavations.

What is the essence of the riddle?

The dragon in Chinese mythology is a creature personifying the elemental forces of nature, the heavens, the power of the emperor. Numerous images of this animal until today meet in the buildings of this country, including the Imperial Palace. Chinese mythology makes the dragon a symbol of goodness, peace, prosperity, in honor of it, even set the dragon festival, which is held on the fifth of the fifth month. Love for this animal is reflected in the language itself, which is full of proverbs and sayings dedicated to it.

All the power of the dragon

In Chinese culture, it is no accident that such an important place is given to the dragon. It is believed that this is a magical creature, which was so in ancient times. It was on the basis of these ideas that other cultures were formed and developed. Even the ancient ancestors of today's Chinese recognized the dragon as a totemic cult, today it remains an integral part of the country's culture, always appears on architectural structures and in painting. It is also remarkable that dragons in China are magical creatures endowed with gifts and combining the traits of many other animals.

The ancient Chinese believed that the dragon does not live on earth, but it can go up into the heavens or dive into water. But wherever these beings are, they were powerful and acted as messengers of spirits or deities. The emperors of all the dynasties believed that they were sons of the sky, and therefore the real descendants of the dragon. And the common people worshiped the power of this animal, which is still a symbol of prosperity in China.

Mother of the Dragons

Dragons are considered cult creatures in China, and even have a mother of dragons. She, according to legend, raised 5 dragons, which were symbols of devotion and parental love. It is noteworthy that Lunma - the mother of dragons - was a simple woman who once picked up a white stone on the river, which in fact turned out to be an egg. From it hatched five serpents, who helped her in everything. Over time, they turned into powerful dragons.

In Chinese mythology, there is a huge number of dragons. So, some are responsible for the East China, South China Sea, Indian Ocean. Some dragons are classified in colors: the most compassionate is the lapis lazuli, the scarlet dragon gives the blessing to the lakes, the yellow one of their brother listens to the petitions, and white is considered virtuous.

Types of Dragons

China is a country in which people still believe in fairy-tale creatures, including dragons. By the way, they meet in different hypostases, perform different functions and personify different properties. The most popular dragons in Chinese mythology are the following:

1. Tianlong is a heavenly dragon, which, according to myths, serves as a heavenly guardian guarding the heavens and protecting his gods. It was believed that Tianlong is able to fly and maneuver, so depict it, including with wings. The heavenly dragon has five toes, while the rest of his fellows have four fingers.
2. Shenlong are divine dragons, which are ways to command thunder and keep under control the weather conditions. Often, Chinese mythology depicts them with the dragon's body and with the human head, while they have an unusual stomach, similar to a drum. According to the legend, Shenlong can not fly, but swims across the sky, and at the expense of the blue shade of the skin merges with the sky. Due to its excellent disguise, it is difficult to see, so it was considered a great success if someone succeeded. It was believed that if to offend the divine dragon, he could send bad weather, drought or flood to the country.
3. Diloon is an earth dragon, capable of controlling rivers and any other water bodies. According to myths, these dragons live in depths, in unusually chic palaces.
4. Futsanlong, as the Chinese mythology says, is a dragon who is an underground guardian of precious stones. It is believed that he lives deep underground.

Spirits of various elements

Among the deities of China, who are responsible for the elements and phenomena of nature, one can note the god of thunder of Leigun. The spirits of the water resembled dragons, fish, turtles, and the spirits of the rivers were both male and female. It is noteworthy that the Chinese believe in any of these entities, no matter what kind and origin. Among all the spirits of Chinese mythology can be identified:

1. Rong Cheng in China's mythology is the magician who invented the calendar. Legends say that he appears on earth in 1010 years. And the Chinese believe that Rong Cheng is able to regain youth, restore the hair color of the elderly and return their teeth.
2. Hou I - this is the son of the supreme deity, the shooter, who did brave deeds. He assigns a large role to Chinese mythology, the spirits of which are found in many myths.
3. Huangdi is the personification of the magical powers of the earth. According to the myths, this spirit was of enormous growth, outwardly resembling a dragon, possessed a solar horn, four eyes and four faces. It is believed that it was Huangdi who invented a mortar, an ax, arrows, clothes and shoes. In general, Huangdi is one of the most popular spirits, who was both a skilled shooter, a strongman, and an artisan.
4. Yu. This hero is the suppressor of the flood. In myths, he was portrayed half human, half dragon. For 13 years he worked to stop the flood.

In addition to the spirits of various elements, attention was also drawn to creatures that were responsible for fertility and drought. Ba - the spirit of drought in Chinese mythology - was one of the most frightening, since he could send arid weather to the cities, thereby reducing yield. In general, the Chinese believed in mystical and wonderful creatures, and the characters of Chinese mythology described above are proof of this.

The guardian spirits of the world

Chinese mythology is rich in various characters. Beings that are four sacred animals are as follows:

1. Qing-moon is a green dragon, which is a symbol and spirit of the east. It, in turn, is always associated with the spring, so this dragon was always depicted a bright green color. It was believed that this image brings happiness to those who see it, so it was always placed on military banners. Qing-Lun was also a spirit - a guard of doors.
2. Bai-hu was considered the patron of the west and the kingdom of the dead, so the image of the white tiger was placed on the funerary structures. It was believed that it protects the living from evil.
3. Zhongyao was the spirit of the south and was portrayed as a Phoenix bird.
4. Xuan-y personifies the severe spirit of the north, which is closely connected with water. Initially, Xuan-y was portrayed in the form of a tortoise, entwined with a snake.

Demons of the Chinese Myths

Chinese mythology is very interesting and original. Demons in it, too, there are, and the forces of evil are represented by numerous characters. So, the master of demons, according to myths, is Zhong Kui, who was originally portrayed as a club. He was painted with red paint and hung this image for magical purposes. The master of the underworld was Yanwan, who investigated, according to myths, the earthly life of the dead and then decided what punishment they should give to the trial. The main magician and ruler of demons was Zhang Tianshi. There was a huge terrible snake in Chinese mythology, called Man. It was believed that it was the king of snakes, but he looked like a dragon with four claws.

conclusions

Chinese mythology is a combination of various images of dragons, which are reflected in architecture and art. Today, the country has a huge number of monuments dedicated to dragons.