The Chinese dragon (moons) is China's most famous mythical creature , if not all of East Asian culture. Symbolizing abundance, prosperity, good luck, it differs from dragons in Western European cultures, which are usually associated with evil. The appearance of the moon combines the features of nine animals: a camel (head), snakes (neck), bull (ears), deer (horns), carp (scales), tiger (paws), eagle (claws), lobster (eyes), whale (tail). Thanks to the bump on the head, moons can fly without wings. True, in artistic creations he is portrayed as a serpentine scaly creature with four legs. Its mythological origin in Chinese culture has been lost for centuries, but it is traditionally believed that he is the ruler of water elements.
Since primitive times
people thought
it is a mysterious creature with supernatural powers that can bless and influence their lives. When many tribal formations were united in one community, the Chinese dragon became the national symbol and deity of rain, thunder, rainbow and stars. In a society engaged in agricultural labor, almost everything depends on nature, so the moon was worshiped as the source of everything related to well-being. Even today, in rural areas, people turn to local deities in the person of dragons (who are believed to live in rivers, lakes, bays) when they ask that it rain. Belief in the magical powers of the moon has been maintained for thousands of years.
With the formation of a feudal society in the Middle Kingdom, the Chinese dragon became the emperor’s exceptional symbol, embodying his power and strength. According to the concept of opposites of ancient Chinese natural philosophy, the moons are yang, fenghuang (phoenix) is yin. They personify heaven and earth (emperor and empress), thus controlling the fate of mankind.
The Mongols, who conquered Chinese lands in the thirteenth century, adopted the symbols and distributed them to the
countries of the Middle East, which they also conquered. Of course, for Middle Eastern art they were an innovation in the thirteenth century. But later, stylized pictures of the Chinese dragon and phoenix are increasingly appearing on carpets, metal products.
Over the millennia, the image of the moon has undergone a number of changes - from the ferocious and mysterious on the primitive products of the Bronze Age to the elegant and tamed in works of art from the era of the Song Dynasty. It happens in different colors - yellow, blue, black, white, red. The most revered is yellow, associated with the legendary first emperor Fu Xi.
The mythological creature, as you know, is also popular in Japanese, Korean, and Vietnamese cultures. The Chinese dragon plays an important role in festivals. So, the moon dance, which has a long history, was already popular during the Song Dynasty.
The most amazing embodiment of the motive is Jiulongbi (the wall of nine dragons). Such walls were in imperial palaces and gardens, they performed a protective function. There are nine main breeds of this creature, among them the horned Chinese dragon is considered the most powerful. The tattoo depicting him is very popular in different cultures today.