The Origin of China Zodiac Dragon

Speaking of dragons, they are definitely recognized as the biggest mascots in China. The ancient emperor compared himself to the real dragon emperor. Of course, dragons are mythical beasts that we have never seen before. This portrait is the imagination of our ancestors. Among the 12 zodiac animals, the dragon is the only beast we have never seen. So how was it chosen as the zodiac? Today, Bian Xiao will take you to see the origin of the zodiac dragon. Let's get to know each other.

The Origin of the Zodiac Dragon

Dragon has always been a mysterious animal in ancient times. It is made up of various animal body parts. The whiskers of centipede, the body of snake, the scales of carp, the horns of deer, the claws of eagle, the head of lion, the mouth of crocodile, the strength of tortoise, the legs of shrimp and the claws of tiger are all in one animal. Dragons also have the symbol of ancient emperors, because dragons are unique.

Fight for the zodiac with the dragon horn. If the centipede is broken, it would rather eat it.

Let Feng Jiao believe in dragons. A dragon breaks his word, but a chicken pecks at a centipede.

It is said that in ancient times, dragons had no horns. They live on land, can fly and run, and are good at swimming. The dragon is ambitious, not only to be the first of the 12 zodiac animals, but also to replace the position of the king of tigers and beasts. So there is a folk proverb in Long Hudou. In ancient times, chickens had horns. On the day when the emperor chose the zodiac, the dragon felt that he needed a horn to decorate himself and play a deterrent role. The centipede told the dragon that chickens have a pair of good horns. Watch and watch, the scene is scary.

I heard that Jilong wanted to borrow its horn, but he refused to live or die. As soon as the dragon saw the emergency, he swore to heaven, "If I don't return your horn, I will die when I return to the ground." The centipede is also on the side to ensure. "If Brother Long doesn't return your horn, you will eat me in one bite." Seeing the centipede as a guarantor, the chicken lent its horn to the dragon.

When Dragon and Tiger arrived in the Heavenly Palace, the Jade Emperor saw that Dragon and Tiger were mighty and made him the king of beasts. Tiger is the king of animals on land, and dragon is the king of aquatic animals. Since the tiger can be the zodiac, the dragon can also be the zodiac, only in the back. So, both the dragon and the tiger were happy, left the jade emperor and returned to the world. When I came back, the dragon thought, if I return the horn to the chicken, how can people in the aquarium care about me when they see that I am so ugly? So I decided not to return the chicken horn and plunged into the water. Now it is not on land. Zhao Ye's "Wu Yue Chun Qiu" in the Eastern Han Dynasty also recorded that "Wu Zaichen is a dragon", which is the origin of Chen Long, an animal of the 12 Zodiac in China.

The origin and legend of the zodiac dragon;

It is said that ancient dragons had no horns. At that time, dragons lived on the ground. It is strong, can fly and swim. I want to be an animal symbol. I want to be a king of beasts, not a tiger. Thus, Long Hudou was born, and this result is inextricably linked. Finally, the Jade Emperor thought that they had played too badly and ordered them to come to the Heavenly Palace for trial. When he left, the dragon felt that although he was tall, he was not as powerful as the tiger. He was afraid that the Jade Emperor would look down on himself and that he was not a beastmaster or an animal. At this time, the dragon's brother centipede had an idea: "The rooster has a pair of beautiful horns. If you borrow it, you will definitely add a little prestige to Brother Long. " Hearing this, the dragon took the centipede to borrow the cock's horn.

It is said that the rooster will borrow its horn and refuse to live or die. The rooster was in a hurry and swore to heaven, "If I don't return your horn, I will die when I get back to land." Centipede also served as a protector during the first emperor's period. "If Brother Long doesn't return your horn, you will eat me in one bite." Seeing the centipede as a guarantor, the rooster lent its horn to the dragon.

When Dragon and Tiger arrived in the Heavenly Palace, the Jade Emperor saw that Dragon and Tiger were mighty and made him the king of beasts. Tiger is the king of animals on land, and dragon is the king of aquatic animals. Since the tiger can be the zodiac, the dragon can also be the zodiac, only in the back. So, Longhu was very happy and left the Jade Emperor and returned to the world. When he came back, the dragon thought, if you give the horn back to the rooster,

Although the dragon is the only fictional animal in the zodiac, China people respect and fear it and have special feelings. The status of the dragon is so high that no animal can compare with it. In the eyes of China people, it can call the wind and rain and soar in the clouds. The emperor claimed to be the real dragon emperor, and the people themselves were descendants of the dragon. People have exerted their infinite imagination, portrayed dragons as magical and great, combined the images of various animals into a dragon, which has the wildness of animals, the understanding of human beings and the spirituality of gods, and created many legends of dragons, which are more fascinating after being processed by folk people and polished by literati. People's psychology of John Lone's love for dragons has sublimated into a kind of worship. Perhaps this is also the cultural factor that makes the dragon a zodiac.

At 7,333,549 in the morning, it is said that this is the time when the dragon rains. Dragons are mythical animals, so Chen Shi belongs to dragons.

The Symbolic Significance of China Zodiac Dragon

Dragon, as a unique condensation and accumulation of China culture, has taken root and sprouted, and is deeply hidden in each of our subconscious. Not only people's daily life, life and death are almost branded with dragon culture, but also from the perspective of dragon culture, the aesthetic consciousness of dragon culture has penetrated into all fields and aspects of our social culture. Dragon, in China, is connected with everything in the world. In the traditional culture of China, the dragon is a symbol of power, nobility and honor, as well as luck and success.

The reason why the dragon has this cultural symbolic significance is closely related to the legend, myth and unparalleled magical power of the dragon in the sky, such as soaring in the air, chasing waves in the sea and begging for rain on earth. But more importantly, because the dragon has become the "exclusive patent" of slaves in China, the supreme ruler of feudal society for thousands of years is synonymous with imperial power. So the emperor regarded himself as the "real dragon emperor" and called everyone's body ". Their chairs are called "dragon chairs", and their cars and boats are called "dragon cars" and "dragon boats". In a word, everything related to their daily life is crowned with the word "dragon" to show their privilege beyond things.

It has a long history linked to the imperial power of the Dragon, starting from the era of the Yellow Emperor. Legend has it that in the era, the Yellow Emperor related to dragons traveled around the world to observe people's feelings. He invited people to mine the first mountain and then transported it to the foot of Jingshan to cast a tripod to commemorate his brilliant victory in the Great War. After a while, the tripod was finally cast, and the Yellow Emperor held a ceremony in Jingshan to celebrate the tripod casting. Not only immortals from all walks of life, but also people from all directions were invited to attend the ceremony. Everyone wants to see what the tripod made by the Yellow Emperor looks like. It is likely that the emperor will unveil it himself. I saw a bronze tripod as big as a jar, more than three feet high, shining with dazzling golden light in front of God and people. Everyone is envious and looking forward to it. The tripod is engraved with a vigorous Youlong, surrounded by ghosts and gods and all kinds of rare birds and animals. It can be described as varied and lifelike.

When all the gods were admiring the huge tripod and the patterns on it with reverence, suddenly the sky was covered with thick clouds, blocking the sun, and the sky soon darkened. Everyone thought it was going to rain, and they realized that a golden light had penetrated through the thick clouds, and a dragon in shining armor broke through the clouds. Its tail and lower body are supported in the clouds, and its head rests on a tripod. Its long dragon had to hang its legs on the ground. Knowing that the Yellow Emperor had completed his mission on earth, God sent a dragon to pick him up. He jumped on the dragon's back and flew back to heaven. The world doesn't want such a wise monarch as the Yellow Emperor to go back, but it is reluctant to let him go. As a result, many dragon whiskers were torn off, and the Yellow Emperor and the dragon were still gone. It is said that Gracilaria lemaneiformis will produce many tiny and slender grasses when it lands. People will call this grass "Gracilaria lemaneiformis" in the future.

Most of the famous emperors in the legends of past dynasties have an ambiguous and seemingly unknown relationship with dragons. During the reign of Yao, there was a big flood in the world. In order to save the people, he ordered the use of guns to control water. Gun stole the land of the heavenly emperor and used the method of "blocking" to control water, but failed. He was killed by the angry Emperor in Yushan, and Candle dragon happened to be the patron saint here. The landlord, Yushan, doesn't see the sun all the year round, and it's all illuminated by candles in Candle dragon's mouth. So the gun body will not rot for three years. The Emperor of Heaven was afraid of the resurrection of the gun and avenged himself. He sent a god named "Wudao", which is probably the "knife and axe hand" in the sky. He's in the lower body with a nod. When Wu Dao cut open the gun chamber, he suddenly blamed a dragon from the inside. Strange to say, after birth, the gun rolled down the feather pool and turned into a dragon, constantly "scraping scales and repairing waves."

He inherited his father's legacy and finally surrendered to the flood, winning everyone's admiration. Later, the elderly Shun ceded the throne to Yu, who became the founding monarch of the Xia Dynasty. This may also be one of the historical basis of "the emperor is the real dragon emperor".

Another cultural symbol of the dragon is that it is different from other people and ordinary people. It is a kind of dragon worship, comparable to extraordinary people, so people often call those who are ambitious, virtuous, capable, ambitious and accomplished "dragons". Zhuge Liang and Ge were in Nanyang when they were young. They compared themselves to Guan Zhong, who was named the teacher of Wolong, meaning that they didn't get what they wanted.

In Chinese, dragons and worms are relative. What is a bug and what is a snake? Also known as snake insect, it can be seen everywhere and there are many kinds. They are commonplace, not surprising, and not expensive. "Mixed dragons and snakes" means that good things and bad things are mixed together and it is difficult to distinguish. This is a phenomenon that cannot be explained by biology-the prototype of the dragon, or the basic physiological animal of the dragon is the snake. Dragons and snakes are not brothers, but at least they are family. But once the dragon is separated from the snake, it doesn't care about the snake, and even "kills" the snake to show its difference. The most typical story is the story of Liu Bang, the Emperor Gaozu, chopping the white snake. According to legend, Liu Bang's mother had intercourse with the dragon and was pregnant and gave birth to Liu Bang. He is seldom ambitious. On a field trip, I met a python on the way. He immediately hacked the snake to death with his sword, broke its stomach and took courage. It spreads as a beautiful talk, and people think it is good. At the end of the Qin dynasty, there was chaos in the world. Liu Bang took Peixian County as an opportunity to level the pack and establish the Han Empire, which made Liu's country pass down in the Han Dynasty for 400 years.

The dragon also symbolizes Excellence and extraordinary. In ancient times, those sages and nobles were also called "dragons". According to legend, Confucius went to find Meng, the founder of Taoism, but he didn't say a word for three days after he came back. His disciples were surprised and asked him, "How did the teacher teach him when he met Li Meng?" Confucius said, "What I see is a dragon that changes endlessly along Yin and Yang. I am tongue-tied, where can I teach him? " It means that all words are redundant. Lao Dan is a dragon among men and a rare Great Sage.

In addition, Zhu Gekongming was called "Teacher Wolong" before her debut, and Cai Yong, a doctor of the Eastern Han Dynasty, drank several hundred Jin and fell drunk on the side of the road. Everyone calls him "Drunken Dragon". Therefore, anyone who is virtuous, talented, skilled in writing, incorruptible as an official or outstanding in behavior can be compared to a "dragon".

As the saying goes, "Looking forward to your child's success" means that you don't want your child to become a monster with a long head and scales, but you want your child to succeed in the future and make a career. One of the popular new children's songs in recent years is "100 is a dragon", which means the same thing. In addition, we often hear news about the "Dragon and Tiger List" in radio, television, newspapers and magazines. What is the "Dragon and Tiger List"? In AD 200, Ouyang Zhan was a scholar.

The pattern of "dragon and phoenix match" was widely circulated after the Tang Dynasty. It not only symbolizes the authority of the emperor and queen, but also symbolizes the happy combination of all human couples. It also symbolizes the harmony of Yin and Yang of all spiritual and material things in the world. It can be said that the dragon and phoenix pattern is the most representative image symbol of the Chinese nation and a wonderful artistic image.

Although the dragon and phoenix in Oracle Bone Inscriptions are amorphous, why can we see that the dragon is a spirit insect that bends and stretches with time, while the phoenix is a spirit bird with a gorgeous long tail? In ancient bronzes, the image of dragon presents a ferocious, mysterious and dignified overall effect. In the Han Dynasty, it broke through the shackles of mysterious and strange atmosphere by grasping the thick surface, unrestrained arc and delicate points, and formed a grand theme. In the Tang Dynasty, it was endowed with a gentle and honest personality and formed a rich, graceful and powerful style. Song, Yuan, Ming and Qing dynasties emphasized exquisite style, from complexity to complexity. However, the dragon and phoenix patterns on the interface have always maintained a simple, clear, concise and vivid style with a strong flavor of life. In practical application, the dragon has always represented an authority or strength, and its divinity is constantly increasing.

Every part of the dragon has a specific meaning: the prominent forehead indicates wisdom; Antlers represent the country and longevity; Bull's ear means the top spot; Tiger's eyes are majestic; Eagle claws are brave; Knife eyebrows symbolize courage; The lion's nose symbolizes preciousness; Goldfish tail symbolizes flexibility; Teeth symbolize hard work and kindness. Yunlong in front of the stone flower table in Tiananmen Square, Pan Yunlong's stone pillar in the Confucius Temple in Qufu, Shandong Province, and the dragon bed in the Forbidden City are all symbols of imperial power in history. The secularity of the phoenix bird is greater than the sacredness. As the old saying goes, "Wind Lion" and "Feng Huang Yu Fei", this ideal spirit bird has always been regarded as the embodiment of auspiciousness and happiness, and it also symbolizes happy love. The theme of "Dragon and Phoenix" is very popular in court art. The dragon represents the emperor and the phoenix is the symbol of the queen. Today, the dragon and phoenix patterns are reunited with the artistic creation enthusiasm of thousands of people in Qian Qian, Qian Qian, and have gained infinite artistic life in the fields of architecture, sculpture, painting and arts and crafts.

The outstanding performance of drawing dragon patterns is the emperor's "dragon robe". Its color is bright yellow, the leader embroidered with azurite gold, embroidered with golden dragon nine, and colored clouds. There is a dragon in the front and back of the collar, a dragon in the left and right sides and a dragon in the horizontal lapel, a dragon in the sleeve and a dragon in the bottom, and the eight treasures stand around the water. Dragon robe is the supreme costume, beautifully made and exquisite in craftsmanship. For example, the robes made in the Qing Dynasty were precisely designed and manufactured by the first-class engineers in Ruyi Hall of the Qing Palace at that time. After the emperor personally examined and approved, he sent a righteous man to Nanjing or Suzhou and Hangzhou to supervise the production. Sometimes it takes 190 days for a robe. Its special robes are knotted with peacock tail hair, covered all over the floor, bounded by thin lines, embroidered with rice and big pearls, forming a dragon and phoenix or group flower pattern. It is shocking that a lot of work and materials are needed.

In ancient times, there were dragon flags painted with dragon patterns. Dragon flags have existed since the Zhou Dynasty, and there are as many as 12 kinds of dragon flags in the Song Dynasty, such as Huanglong Banner and Qinglong Banner. Although there are many kinds of dragon flags, all the dragon flags have similar patterns, all of which are yellow and green, with red flames and colorful footsteps, and then draw different dragon images. For example, the Pearl Flag of Panlong Opera is a kind of dragon flag, which is also called "Huanglong Negative Map Flag" because it is painted with a picture of the North River of Huanglong.

In order to meet the needs of luxury entertainment, Yang Di has also built "Dragon Boat" and "Dragon Boat Team". Its "Dragon Boat" architecture and furnishings are extremely luxurious. The "Weilong inkstone" named after the "dragon" is a treasure of She Yan, and it is named because it is made of Weilong stone from Wuyuan. Its inkstone is hard and soft,

Clothing decorated with dragon patterns has a long history, but for a long time, it was only a specialty of royalty, and most of it was monopolized by the emperor, the son of the dragon and the grandson of the dragon. According to legend, the Yellow Emperor believed that the change of the dragon was infinite, and he had great power. He liked the dragon's appearance very much, so he asked Shi Huang, the minister, to paint the dragon's image on his clothes in colorful colors. This is the first "dragon robe" in the history of China. Because the emperor calls himself "the real dragon emperor", the dragon is an indispensable symbol in his family: the emperor wears a dragon crown-a hat decorated with dragon patterns; Wearing a dragon robe-there are dragons on the front chest and the back chest, twisted into a ball and mixed with clouds; Wear a dragon belt-a belt with a dragon as the main pattern, and wear a dragon and phoenix Yu Pei. We have seen these with our own eyes in museums, imperial tombs and folk art. As for the things used by emperors, they are mostly related to dragons: dragon cases, dragon chairs, dragon beds, dragon boats, dragon balls and so on. The emperor's discomfort is called "dragon's body is uneasy", the emperor's anger is called "dragon's face is furious", and even the emperor's straight step has a unique wound, called "dragon and tiger's step"

Since it is a royal patent, others can't get their hands on it easily. During the reign of Emperor Yingzong in the Ming Dynasty, such an interesting thing happened, and later there were dragon robes and embroidered robes. During the Kaiser period, King Annan paid tribute to Beijing. Ming Yingzong saw that he was absent-minded, which was commendable. When he was happy, he said he would give him a dragon robe. The dragon robe symbolizes mountains and rivers. How can he give up easily? But there are no jokes in your land. What if the spilled water can't be collected? Ministers discussed the timeliness for a long time before they came up with a flexible way to kill two birds with one stone-subtract one claw from the dragon on the dragon robe and change it into four claws, with three claws moving forward. A claw pierced, and the dragon robe almost spoke on the surface. In fact, it is no longer a dragon. Five claws are dragons and four claws are pythons. Annan received the "fake" and returned to China happily.

Later, the emperor gave embroidered robes to the closest and most effective ministers, and all courtiers wearing embroidered robes were proud of it. Later, even the servants and guards in the palace put on embroidered robes and were always looked down upon. Therefore, people who do odd jobs, play flags and shout slogans on the audience stage are commonly known as "walk-on", which means that they can only cook without real kung fu.

Interestingly, while opposing imperial power, ordinary people also attach great importance to depriving dragons of their royal patent rights. According to historical records, by the end of the Tang Dynasty and the Five Dynasties, the people's uprising had put up flags and put on homemade robes. During the Song Dynasty, Liao, Xia, Jin and later Meng Yuan, who competed with the Song Dynasty, absorbed the Han culture in the Central Plains, and their leaders' costumes were mostly decorated with dragon patterns. More interestingly, in New Tang Book? In the year of Ouyang Zhan's biography, there was a chivalrous man named Shi Jin, nicknamed "Nine Dragons". According to legend, he has nine dragons tattooed with ink lines. Most people who wear clothes have this part of showing off subconsciously, so "dragon" is also a part of "clothes"

In the legends of ancient mythological society in China, both Huangdi and Yandi were "sons of dragons". The descendants of the Yellow Emperor are naturally "descendants of the dragon". In the myths and legends of ethnic minorities, there are also many ancestors who belong to dragons. The most typical story is the ancestor story of Ailao people, which has been circulated since the Han Dynasty:

Once upon a time, there lived a girl named Sha Yi at the foot of Ailao Mountain. Once she went to the river to wash clothes and saw a fish swimming around. At that time, she was elated and waded into the river to catch it. She accidentally bumped into a piece of wood floating down from the upper reaches of the quilt and got pregnant soon after she came back. Later, she gave birth to 10 sons in one breath. Gradually, the children grew up under her care. On this day, I took them to the river to play with water. Suddenly, I saw a dragon jump out of the water and asked her, "Are they the children you gave me?" Sha nodded and asked the children to come and meet their father. The children were dispersed in a hubbub by the strange appearance.