Mythology, in any culture or nation, plays an intergal part in shaping the lives of the people within the society, and subsequently, the pattern by which they live their lives. Mythology provides a key to the past, explains how the world was created and how it works, and also gives us tantalising clues as to the future.
Perhaps one of the most prolific images in the wider mythological world is the dragon; a symbol, wild animal, creator, destroyer and divine entity in one, the dragon has possibly spanned the widest boundaries of all the mythological characters and beasts. The dragon has been an inspiration to writers such as the Roman Pliny, famous artists such as Leonardo Da Vinci, and to voyagers such as Marco Polo. It is the dragon who has captured the nature of mythology in all its forms, and this is perhaps partly why in later years the dragon has become such a popular creature.
Before we look directly at the dragon's mythology, we should firstly take a brief look at its mythological forebears, in this case, the snake. Though snakes are not dragons, they do share some similarities and because of this, we can use the snake to give us a better understanding of where, from a mythological point of view, the dragon is coming from.It is also important to note that in the Bible, the words "serpent" and "dragon" are interchangable, though the different terms conjure different meanings. Also, much of the dragon's origins lie in the natural snake.
The early, rudimentary serpent or snake appears as an ancient object of worship. In Crete, we see the snake as an important aspect of religion among the Minoan people. Votive statues, such as a figurine found at the Minoan palace of Knossos, show a woman covered in snakes, perhaps a goddess or priestess. One particular custom which survived into the Iron Age was that of the snake tube: terracotta pipes in an S shape, which were found in shrines (Callender, 1987).In Greek religion, snakes too were special as they shed their skins and were thus able to rejuventate themselves, they were seen as close to the earth and were venerated because of their powerful poison.
Ancient Egypt also respected the snake, as one of the "Two Ladies". Wadjet, the cobra goddess of Lower Egypt, wears her respective crown and in one of the jeweled pectorals of Tutankhamun, she is shown as a winged snake.
The image of Wadjet, along with her twin counterpart, was worn on the pharaoh's brow during battle, with the belief she spat a fiery venom into the eyes of the enemy (Fletcher, 1999). It is interesting, again, to see how the cobra goddess Wadjet shares some similarities with the modern dragon, as posessing wings and spitting not just the normal venom of a snake, but a "fiery" venom, much like the dragon who spits or breathes fire.Snakes were also venerated in Athens. During the second invasion of the Persian wars (480-479 BC), the Delphic Oracle advised the Athenians evacuate their city because Persian attack was imminent: the reason the Oracle knew of this oncoming seige was because the sacred snake had fled.
Now that we've had a very brief look at snakes in religious and contemporary mythology, we can focus on the dragon.The word "dragon" itself is firstly derived from the Greek drakon (this term was originally used to portray any large serpent or snake in mythology), which is also connected with derkomai, which means a seeing or looking serpent with a gaze like lightning. The female term for drakon is drakaina, as used in the tale of Apollo and the she-dragon Delphyne (Fontenrose, 1959). The English term, drake or fire drake comes from the Anglo-Saxon draca, or the Latin draco, which is similar to the flying dragon. Because the modern term "dragon" is derived from the Greek drakon, we run into some difficulty when trying to use textual references to identify the six or four limbed dragon of mythology. The word did not exist in pre-Hellenic times, which consequently means that their appearance and attributes will tell us whether or not they are dragons, but discerning this can be subjective. However, in brief the dragon's basic attributes are their serpentine or reptillian bodies (Allen & Griffiths, 1979); they are associated with water or fire and they are immensly powerful. To meat out this description we would include legs, wings, a fiery breath or water control, a hoard of treasure and perhaps, in later times, the sacrifice of virgins (it is interesting to note that Japanese dragons, as well as their Western counterparts, received virgin sacrifices).
Now that we have established the basic principles of a dragon, we can begin to investigate their mythology, the role they play within this genre, and their characters. Firstly, we will look at the dragons strong ties to their elments. In China, each of the four Dragon-Kings or Lung-Wang dragons were believed to live in a Crystal Palace in one of the universal seas. The Indian Naga dragons, from which the Chinese dragons are said to be descended from, are believed to reside in a place beneath the Earth's seas called Patala1.
The Dragon-Kings were responsible for bringing rain upon the land, and this same link is present in Norse mythology where the hero Svipdag was transformed into a sea dragon, guarding treasure, and in the tale of the British Knucker who resided in a water hole. Other examples come from the Yellow River dragon, a Chinese dragon who terrorised the countryside by causing disasterous flooding. In Greek myth the dragon protects the spring of Ares (god of war), while the dragon which St George battled had taken control of the well at Lydda, and in India Nagas are frequently found by water, usually beneath trees (Allen & Griffiths, 1979). The dragon has such close ties to water, which seems to be emphasised dramatically in Chinese mythology as they were charged with controlling the rains. Perhaps this is because water was seen as creative and life-bearing; similar attributes given to the beneficial dragons (however, not all Chinese dragons were good; some were evil, for example the Chinese dragon god Gu, who plotted against the other gods). Dragons have also been linked to fire, and mythology of the Western dragon portray a fire-breathing or spitting beast guarding treasure. Here it is important to look at the two types of dragons and their linked element: water, typically seen as nurturing and fruitful, seems to have produced a like-minded dragon species. Even the typical, anatomical body structure of the Oriental dragon shows a flowing, graceful dragon that appears to glide and swoop through the air with ease. On the other hand, their Western counterparts share close associations with fire, which is a greedy force (Davidson, 1964) and thus the dragon, in the end, follows this example and transforms into an evil, greedy animal, which is perhaps opitimised by the hoarding of treasure and the demanding of sacrifices.
Dragons also have curative and sexual potency, particularly in Chinese tradition as they represent the epitome of the male principle, yang2. Dragons were also believed to be the ancestors of the ancient emperors (Littleton, 2002). Their saliva, in particular, is said to hold powerful properties: when two dragons were seen fighting above the waters, the next day people would go to where they'd fought and with nets, they would collect all the saliva they could. One recount, of a king from the Xia dynasty tells of how how he'd collected foam from the mouths of two of his forebears who had appeared to him in dragon form. This saliva was locked away in a box, where it was opened years later by the tenth ruler of the Zhou dynasty. The saliva spread out through the palace like a great mist, and recognising its procreative potential the emporer ordered his wives to strip naked in its presence: as a result, several of his wives became pregnant. Dragons also have great potential for protecting people, and in the Forbidden City in China, the dragon (associated with imperial power) dominated the other animals. The emperor himself occupied the Dragon Throne, wore Dragon Robes, and slept in the Dragon Bed, while the ordinary people of China referred to themselves as the Children of the Dragon (Littleton, 2002). In Scandinavia, dragons adorned prow heads on boats, however this was primarily a tactic used to strike fear in enemies. Dragons were also depicted on weapons of war; a fitting link, considering the dragon's vicious nature. The poem Beowulf describes in detail the dragon on the king's shield, with its long teeth, folded wings and pointed tail (Davidson, 1964).Dragons have also been associated with the dead and in Scandinavia and England were regarded as the guardian of the grave mound, while some late legendary sagas said the deceased turned into dragons in order to protect the treasure that had been buried with them. Serpent-dragons carved into the lids of preserved tree coffins at the cemetary of Oberflacht show an extended dragon covering the dead, triumphant (Davidson, 1964). The dragon is described in the Old English poem Beowulf:
"Ancient in years, he mounts guard over the heathen gold; yet he is not one whit the better for it."
The dragon, however, is mostly portrayed as a bringer of death, as we see with the black dragon Nidhog (corpse-tearer) who, lairing in the world of ice, gnaws away at the universal tree to bring about the downfall of the gods. This same dragon is known for eating corpses. It is also important to remember that the typical fire breathing dragon is rarely mentioned in Scandinavian mythology, however we do hear about the dragon, depicted as the serpent, in Old Norse poetry. The mentioning of wings and fire breathing capabilities are most often left out. Again, we must mention the snake here, for the snake too, like the dragon, shared a connection with the dead. Because the snake shed its skin and was seen as emerging bigger and brighter than before, it was a commonly-held belief the snake could cheat death and so subsequently was used in funeral rites; it was also associated with death because it was found underneath stones, in the roots of trees and beneath the ground (Allen & Griffiths, 1979).
Now that we have looked into the dragon's ties with its corresponding elemental forces, and its inevitable linkage with the dead, we can look at the dragon's larger place in mythology, and perhaps its most important role: as a creator. When we look at the dragon's place as shaping the world we see today, we are looking directly into a primitive, yet no less unevolved or unsophisticated form of the dragon or serpent. Within the oldest recount of creation, an Australian Aboriginal dreamtime myth which is 40 000 years (or more) old, we find embodied the traditional tale of the Rainbow Serpent, who shaped the formless Earth void into the diverse regions we see today. A strikingly familiar tale is that of Aido-Hwedo, the African creator snake who created the running rivers and streams with his serpentine coils, and who also created the mountain peaks with his excretement. Both serpents were credited with shaping or crafting the featureless and flat world. But the dragon's sustaining nature doesn't stop at merely shaping the world, but holding it together as well. The African Aido-Hwedo, after helping shape the world we know today, lies on the waters with the Earth resting atop its coils, lest the heavy world collapse; a task similar to the Norse Jormungand or World Serpent. However, throughout mythology dragons do not always play a completely pure role in creation. The dragon goddess Tiamat has a double persona: as representing goodness, she is the creatrix of the gods with her masculine counterpart Apsu. As the origin of evil, Tiamat was the goddess of the deep and tempests, and was the enemy of goodness and order, seeking only the downfall of the world (Mackenzie, year unknown). As we look deeper into the mythology of this most interesting of creatures, we will find this character is not unfamiliar among the dragons. Through its very nature, the dragon is a king of tempests, who seeks to bring out the worst nature, in particular greed, among mankind, and to bring war and pestilence to the land. This is even further reinforced by the dragon's draconis, or draconias; a gem that all Western dragons are supposedly said to wear on their head. Should this gem be removed before the dragon's death, it will bring good luck to the new owner3. This key element to the dragon's psychology, persistent in myth, can be opitimised in stories such as the Teutonic Beowulf, where a slave could not resist the dragon's great hoard despite the consequences or the danger he placed his own life in; subsequently, the people and their land suffered under the dragon's rage after he had been robbed.
"Then did the visitant spit forth embers, and burn up the bright dwellings; the flaming ray wrought mischief to men, for the enemy flying through the air would leave nothing alive... He encompassed the people of the land with burning, with fire and flame."
The dragon's other associations which bring out the worst in its character lie with its enemies, which are ever-recurring. In western culture we see time and again the dragon being slain by a knight or hero, after provoking the people into action by its destructive behaviour. The dragon is commonly stabbed with a spear down the throat or in the soft flesh of the underbelly, though sometimes its poisonous nature has been turned against itself and it has been tricked into eating poisoned food.The method of stabbing a dragon was believed to have originated in the Greek mythological tale of Apollo, who laid waste to the dragon Python by firing an arrow down his throat (Allen & Griffiths, 1979). The dragon also has enemies in the animal world. The Basilisk can be put to death by a rooster's crow and the bite of a weasel, while the Western dragon is said to battle the elephant because, as a representitive of Adam and Eve (according to medieval bestiaries, which also illustrate the two fighting), the elephant blames the evil serpent, or dragon, for their subversion (Allen & Griffiths, 1979). The Roman writer Pliny tells how the two foes kill each other: while the dragon winds itself around the elephant and stings it so that it is crushed, the elephant, defeated, falls over and crushes the dragon with its weight.
A nineteenth-century painting of a Thai elephant composed of 24 minor divinities shows a Naga making up the elephant's trunk; this is an example of Buddhist Naga worship (Buddha himself was originally born a Naga).
According to bestiaries, only the panther considers the dragon its enemy, and an early sixteenth-century English bestiary illustrates the pair. The panther, symbolising Christ, slumbers for three days after eating. Upon waking, it belches and all the animals follow its sweet breath except for the dragon (who stands for the devil) who hides in fear. Unable to tolerate the smell it becomes catatonic (Allen & Griffiths, 1979).
Medieval bestiaries tell how the dragon is also an enemy of the dove, and will lie in wait and watch the dove which lives in the Perindeus tree. However, the dragon will only eat the dove if it leaves the tree, because it is afraid of the tree and the shadow it casts. This concept was later interpreted by Allen & Griffiths in The Book of the Dragon, who believe that while the dove (representing a Christian person who has received the salvation of the Holy Ghost [or Spirit]), lives with the Father and Son, they will be safe. However, as soon as they turn away from the Father, Son and the Ghost, the dragon (in this case, devil), will quickly devour them with worldly greed and desires.
Now that we have looked at all the basic concepts of the dragon's mythological roles, we will take a look at the dragon's place in the wider cosmological world and how it fits into the universe as a whole. Because the dragon holds such great strength and power, it is no wonder dragons are seen in the heavens and were linked to cosmology. The constellation "Water Monster" (Latin name Hydra), in the Southern Hemisphere is a long band of stars in a serpentine shape (Kerrod, 1990).Another, more commonly known serpentine pattern in the sky is the constellation Draco in the Northern hemisphere. The myth surrounding Draco tells of Cadmus, who laid waste to the dragon and then planted his teeth under the instruction of the goddess Athena; these teeth then turned into soldiers who killed one another but for five, who helped Cadmus to build the city of Thebes. The constellation Draco now appears to be encircling the Little Bear Ursa Minor, and around 3500 BC, Thuban (arabian for "the dragon"), or alpha Dra was the Pole Star (seds.org, 2003). According to the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle for the year 793, lights in the sky were thought to be fiery dragons, and were believed to be a portent of calamity (Davidson, 1964).
A water dragon, decorating a wall of the Palace of Peaceful Longevity in the Forbidden City (China) shows a dragon who is believed to live beneath the water for half the year, then rises into the sky during spring, when the dragon constellation is at its zenith. In China the Green Dragon represented the East along with spring and the element of wood.
The dragon has played an important part in mythology from around the world, and its double personality and dual character have ensured this powerful creature is not viewed with contempt, but is seen as a universal figure. As an evil character within mythology, the dragon has tempted mankind and tried to bring about the fall of the gods, while playing a good, divine role the dragon has ensured the order of the universe. Its links to procreation, cosmology, death and the elements are important and signify a creature that has trangressed the normal, mythological boundaries and has ensnared for itself a long-lasting place in mythological history and tradition.
~ koga zanima neka si ako može uzme vremena i pročita a tko to nemože jako mi je žao ~
@dagoberhr
Post je objavljen 02.01.2006. u 11:58 sati.