In ancient Chinese myths and legends, the dragon is a miraculous animal that has the image of nine different animals combined into one. The specific nine animals are controversial. It is currently recognized that the origin of the dragon is a synthesis of multiple animals and a symbol of totem worship formed in primitive society. Most of the legends say that it can appear or hide, can be thin or large, can be short or long. The spring equinox ascends to the sky, the autumnal equinox dives into the abyss, it can call the wind and rain, and it is omnipotent. These are already late developments in the image of the dragon. In the feudal era, the dragon was a symbol of the emperor, and was also used to refer to the emperor and his things: dragon species, dragon face, dragon court, dragon robe, dragon palace, etc. The dragon ranks fifth among the twelve traditional Chinese zodiac animals, and together with the white tiger, the red bird, and the black basalt, it is also known as the "Four Divine Beasts." Dragon in Western mythology is also translated as Jackie Chan, but the two are not the same. See Western Dragon.
In ancient times, the ancients divided heaven into four palaces: east, west, north and south, named after Qinglong (blue dragon), white tiger, red bird, and Xuanwu (a turtle-shaped god) respectively. In fact, the sky is divided into four parts, which are formed by connecting the seven main constellations in each part, and named after their shapes
"A dragon in ancient China, the dragon's ancestors were in Huangling"
The body of a snake, the scales of a fish, the head of a horse, the nose of a lion, the eyes of a tiger, the tongue of an ox, the horns of a deer, the tusks of an elephant, the whiskers of a sheep, the claws of an eagle, and the tail of a dog. Create a special totem. This is after Huangdi Xuanyuan defeated Chi You and calmed down the war, he used some of the original totems of each tribe, large and small. In terms of care, this can be regarded as truly comprehensive care. However, what does this totem look like and what is its name? Cangjie said: "Huang Emperor, this totem is among the animals in the world. No one can find it and no one can forge it." I think, let’s name it ‘Dragon’! It can not only soar into the clouds, but also turn over rivers and seas. Huang Di stroked his beard, walked gently, thought carefully for a long time, and then said decisively: "Okay!" It was called 'dragon'." From then on, the dragon became a symbol of auspiciousness and authority of the Chinese nation. No one could harm it, even the Yellow Emperor took the lead in worshiping it. This is the origin of 'dragon'.
For thousands of years, dragons and phoenixes have become great symbols of the Chinese nation, and the majority of people have also regarded dragons and phoenixes as mascots. "Phoenix plays with peony", "dragon soars and tiger leaps", "tiger sits on the dragon's plate", "subdues the dragon and subdues the tiger", "hides the dragon and crouches the tiger", "Ye Gong loves the dragon" and other auspicious idioms. When history entered the feudal society, emperors of all dynasties regarded the dragon and phoenix as their supreme rule. Symbols. The so-called "true dragon emperor", "dragon son and dragon grandson", dragon robes and dragon hats, later evolved into "dragon begets dragon, phoenix begets phoenix, and mice can burrow"
Dragon has the divine nature of being fond of water, good at flying, reaching the sky, fickle, supernatural, signifying auspiciousness, foretelling misfortune, and demonstrating.
Phoenix has the divine nature of being fond of fire, facing the sun, being virtuous, auspicious, lofty, and noble. It shows beauty, metaphors and other divinities.
According to the ancient mythological communication room, the "snake bodies" in the images of Fuxi and Nuwa, the ancestors of the Chinese nation, are the original prototypes of dragons, and the leaders of the Xiahou clan, the ancestors of China. The birth of Yu is related to the Yellow Dragon. Therefore, in the ancient totem era, Chinese society first worshiped the dragon as a god. To this day, Chinese people are still regarded as "descendants of the dragon".
There are many images of the dragon. Characteristics of the animal: deer antlers, bull head, python body, osprey claws, beards at the corners of the mouth, and beads under the stool. It can be powerful and subtle, can be ethereal and bright, can cause rain, and can subdue demons. The dragon is the god, authority and power. A symbol of nobility, people regard the dragon god as a sacred, auspicious, festive and fearless thing.
The dragon pattern has evolved countless times from ancient times to the present. In the beginning, the dragon appeared similar to the image of a snake. After the Ming Dynasty, the image of the dragon gradually became more colorful and perfect according to people's imagination.
The idiom story of dragon and phoenix presenting auspiciousness
p>Qin Mugong's youngest daughter was born with a love for jade, so Qin Mugong named her "Nongyu".
Nongyu was free-spirited by nature and liked to play the flute and the sheng. Duke Mu loved her so much that he ordered craftsmen to carve jade shengs from the Western Regions as tributes and gave them to her. Since the princess had the jade sheng, her skill in playing the sheng has become even more exquisite. When she was a teenager, she was extremely beautiful and intelligent. Duke Mu of Qin wanted to recruit a prince from a neighboring country as his son-in-law, but he refused to do so. He insisted freely that if he didn't understand music and was not a master of playing musical instruments, he would rather not marry. Duke Mu cherished his daughter and had no choice but to obey the princess.
One night, the princess was leaning on the railing to admire the moon, using the jade sheng to express her yearning for love and release the spring mood in her heart. At this time, the sound of the cave flute and the music of the princess's sheng sounded. For several nights in a row, the music of Sheng was like the sound of dragons and the whistles were like the crowing of phoenixes. The ensemble was as beautiful as fairy music and could be heard throughout the Qin Palace, even within a radius of hundreds of miles. Duke Mu asked the reason, and the princess said that she wanted to make peace from a far away place. Duke Mu of Qin ordered General Meng Ming to find the person who played Xiao. We went all the way to the foot of Huashan Mountain and heard from the woodcutter that there was a young man named "Xiao Shi" who lived in seclusion on Mingxing Cliff at the middle peak of Huashan Mountain. He was good at playing the flute and his music could be transmitted for hundreds of miles. Meng Mingli came to Mingxing Cliff and brought Xiao Shi back to the Qin Palace.
As a long-standing and rich cultural phenomenon, dragon and phoenix are the seals, emblems, signs and symbols of the Chinese nation. If the traditional cultural symbols of the Chinese nation are ranked according to the size of their functional effects, the dragon will undoubtedly take the first place, then the second place should be the phoenix.
The dragon is a mythical creature created by the ancients from a vague collection of fish, crocodiles, snakes, pigs, horses, cows and other animals, as well as natural celestial phenomena such as clouds, thunder and lightning, and rainbows. Reptiles and mammals are the main gathering targets of dragons. Therefore, dragons are often called "the leader of the scale clan" and "the king of beasts".
The phoenix is ??a mythical object created by the ancients from a vague collection of various birds and some wandering animals. Winged birds are the main gathering objects of phoenix. Therefore, phoenix has ascended the throne of "the leader of the feather clan" and is known as the "king of birds".
A short story about dragons and phoenixes
Confucius once made a special trip to Luoyi to meet Laozi. After coming back, Confucius didn't speak for three days. His disciples asked him what he said when he saw Laozi. Confucius sighed: I actually saw a dragon! The dragon "combines to form a body, disperses to form a chapter, rides on the clouds and soars over Yin and Yang", I "open my mouth but cannot close it, lift my tongue but cannot speak", how can I give advice to others! This is Confucius calling Lao Tzu a dragon.
Another story says: When Laozi saw Confucius walking in front with five disciples, he asked: Who are those in front? He replied: Zi Lu is brave and strong, Zigong is resourceful, Zengzi is filial to his parents, Yan Hui pays attention to benevolence and righteousness, and Zizhang has martial arts. After hearing this, Lao Tzu sighed: I heard that there is a bird in the south, and its name is the phoenix. This is Laozi compared to Confucius.
New theories about dragons and phoenixes
It is generally believed that dragons and phoenixes are mythical animals made up by the ancients. However, this kind of fiction is not achieved in one step, but is the result of gradual deduction.
The word "dragon" in the oracle bone inscriptions is in the shape of a beast's head and a snake's body, with a "Xin" symbol representing a knife-like weapon on its head. The head of the beast represents the planar shape of the layered lightning when it illuminates the clouds, which is similar to the face of the beast, giving people the shocking power of the sky being angry; the body of the snake represents the strip lightning; the symbol "Xin" represents "being driven". The pronunciation of the word "dragon" is exactly the sound of "rumbling" thunder. Therefore, the dragon is driven by the sky to control the clouds, spread the rain, and make thunder.
In the oracle bone inscriptions, the character "phoenix" is a flying bird with a "Xin"-shaped symbol on its head. This flying bird is actually the wind associated with rain, the phoenix. The pronunciation of "wind" is to simulate the sound of level 4 or 5 wind blowing by the ears, which is somewhere between "bah" and "buzz". Therefore, the phoenix is ??the wind driven by the sky to move clouds and rain. It blows by the ears and makes the sound of wind, flying like a bird.
The dragon is the leader of hundreds of insects, and the wind is the king of birds. They have both become symbols of the Chinese nation. As a cultural phenomenon, Longfeng culture has penetrated into all aspects of Chinese society and has become a kind of cultural cohesion and precipitation. The images of "dragon" and "wind" have also been given positive meanings, generalizing a series of spirits representing Chinese culture and becoming symbols of the Chinese nation. They show the spirit of Chinese culture from two different aspects. The dragon represents the resolute, enterprising and unyielding side of the Chinese nation, while the wind represents the benevolent, generous and wise side of the Chinese nation.