Draken in Antieke voorwerpen

In verschillende antieke voorwerpen en archeologische fondsen komen afbeeldingen van draken voor.

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Chinese Draken Bron

"...Dragons are known as Lung, based off the ancient Indiana Nagas. Nagas were considered semi-divine dragon-like beings. They had human faces and a snake’s tale known to occupy the bodies of water under the Earth. They were categorized into four groups: heavenly, divine, earthly, and hidden. These groups were determined by their function. Some guarded heaven, others made it rain, while even others drained the rivers or guarded treasures. Nagas contained features from the dragon, snake, and crocodile...."

"....In ancient Chinese culture it is said that the picture of the dragon is the symbol of the emperor. This is the symbol that they signed all of the laws and other declarations for everyone to see. It is also a symbol of power in the Chinese culture. In some legends, emperors were born with a dragon shaped birthmark on them to show that they were of royal blood. This means that they would become emperor in the future...."

De slang of draak als symbool (Wikipedia)

Denk ook aan de overeenkomst met de strengen van ons DNA (!)

Diverse afbeeldingen van stilistische draken Diverse soorten

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Symbolic pictures in china. Iconography of dragon

Date: 16.05.2005

Author: Alexey Pochekunin

"It is possible to see a picture of dragon on many antique subjects. Dragon together with tiger, tortoise and Phoenix constitute a line of four magic creatures of traditional Chinese culture. It corresponds with such notions as spring, East, Emperor, Yan (an active male origin). Dragon is a deity, which occupies the third place in Chinese hierarchy, after Sky and Earth. ..........."

"...There are three basic kinds of dragon: Lung who lives in the sky, Lee is a dragon without horns who lives in ocean and, finally, Chiao is a dragon covered with scales who lives in bogs and mountains. The most powerful is Lung. He has seven features or forms of other animals i. e. camels head, deers horns, rabbits eyes, cows ears, snakes neck, frogs belly, carps scale, hawks claws and tigers paws. On his back, there is a crest of eighty one scales;...."

A primitive dragons form is famous under the title ╚Kuey╩. Picture of this kind creature, who directs his efforts to overcome a sin of greediness, can be often found on ancient Chinese subjects made of bronze.

"Another kind of this animal is Heaven Dragon, which protects and supports Gods dwellings; Spirit Dragon, which produces wind and rains for humans benefit; Dragon of Hidden Treasures, which guards the treasures from the mortals eyes; Winged Dragon; Horny Dragon; Twined Dragon, who used to live in water; and Yellow Dragon, who used to appear from the river Lo in order to present elements of literature to Emperor Phu Hsi. Modern prejudices originate from an ancient legend about four Kings-Dragons, who corresponds with Nagu or Hindus Spirit of Snake. Each of them used to govern one of the four seas, which form the border of the inhabited Earth. They are the Eastern, Southern, Western and Northern seas.

It is considered that there used to be nine extinct kinds of dragons ╚relatives╩. They need special discussion. According to Ancient Chinese sources, there are following creatures:

1. Pu-Lao, which is cut out in the upper part of bells and hongs, tells about his ╚habit╩ to cry loudly during an attack of his main enemy, the whale.

2. Chiu-Hiu used to be cut out on violin because of his love to music.

3. Pi-His used to be cut out in the upper part of stone plates because of his love to literature.

4. Pa-Hsya used to be cut out in the bottom part of stone monuments. It was considered that he was able to lift big weighs.

5. Chao-Fang used to be cut out on Cathedrals cornices. This dragon is always alert and is ready to face danger.

6. Chih-Ven used to be cut out on the railings of the bridges because of his love to water. Also, his picture may be seen on house roofs. They used to think that he was able to protect house from fire. He stands alerts with his mouth open and is sometimes depicted as a fish with a lifted tail.

7. Chih-Ven used to be cut out on Buddhas throne because of his love to rest.

8. Yai-Tsu used to be cut out on the surface of dagger blade in the place where the blade is connected with the handle. Dragons skillfully master military arts.

9. Pi-Kan used to be cut out on prison gates as he was keen on court and arguments and tended to use his power and energy when he got angry. He has scaled breast and a horn.

Among other kinds of dragon it is necessary to note Chiao-Tu whose picture used to be cut out on door handles; Thao-Tieh used to be cut out on the lids and surfaces of food products containers as he was considered to protect from gluttony; and Cha-Yu who had dragons head, horses tail and tigers claws. The length of these monsters equaled to 4 changes (12,80 m). They used to appear when governing of the monarchs turned out to be unfair.

Not only simple citizens of China, Emperors, mandarins, commanders, writers and artists but also serious scientists tended to believe in kind monsters and could even found it logically. One of ╚dragons contemporary╩, Van Chun, used this line of reasoning: ╚Dragon has a form. If he has a form he can move. If he can move he must eat. If he eats he has material nature. Creature, who has material nature, is real╩.

Dragons occupy a central place in Chinese mythology. As already mentioned, dragon in China, unlike European tradition, was normally a kind creature and peaceful towards people. Chinese loved their dragons and granted them honours for it.

Chinese sincerely believed in mythological and magic creatures, which had appeared in Ancient times. Legends of Buddhism are rich in their mentioning. Daocism tales describe their activities. Pictures of dragons may be seen both in houses and in cathedrals and these pictures are much more significant than grotesque lions in architectural and artistic ornaments. However, it is necessary to note that frequency of dragon's picturing considerably decreased after the overthrow of monarchy in China.

The first picture of dragon composed of shallow river shells counts about 7 thousand years. It was founded in Henan province, China. Severe golden dragons guard the entrance of Meridian Gates in the Closed (Prohibited) City where an Imperial palace is situated, in the centre of Pekin. Built between 1407√1421, the Closed City had been the centre of Chinese power during over 500 years. Today, it is opened to the public as the The Palace Museum, which contains a splendid collection of Chinese art.

On many paintings and bar-reliefs, dragons are depicted together with Phoenix which symbolizes a long life and prosperity. Symbolism of overwhelming majority of Chinese amulets comes to the wish of health, wealth, and deterrence of evil spirits. Often, they are depicted with tiger. Picture, where dragons are presented together with tiger, symbolizes sky and earth, or In (female origin) and Yan (male origin). Dragon is a ╚Yan╩ animal and he does not couple with the second ╚Yan╩ dragon but with tiger.

A round pearl, an integral dragons attribute, is explained differently: as the sun, as the moon, as a symbol of rolling thunder, as an emblem of duplicity of nature, as a grain of power the loss of which is accompanied by reduction of the power, or as a ╚night sparkling pearl╩. Besides, a couple of dragons fighting for the pearl used to be a symbol of Chinese weapon beginning from period of Emperor Hans governing and up to the period of Chings dynasty. Two of these dragons were placed on the front side of Order of Doubled Dragon of Manchus dynasty. Wide-spread signs of fifth and fourth grade were often sold in the shops as ╚antiques╩ and could fairly give birth to souvenir imitations.

Dragon is considered to be a symbol of safety. Both ancient and contemporary people speak about these magic creatures. Having become an object of Eastern mythology, they began to carry out the will of Gods and guard their treasures. For people, dragon is a symbol of pure energy Yan (the energy of fulfillment, energy of male origin). Various Chinese dragons are still patronizing numerous crafts in the human race.

Buddhists ascertain that in their concentric seas, dragons are as numerous as fish. Somewhere in the universe there is a sacred number, which exactly determines their total amount. Chinese people believe in dragon more than in other deities as they normally see them in changing forms of clouds. Shakespeare noticed that there were clouds that looked like dragons (╚Sometimes we see a cloud thats dragonish╩).

On the top of dragon hierarchy, there were dragons, which could fly. They governed Spirits-dragons who obeyed to them. They were followed by Earth dragons. They had used to be able to fly but they lost this skill under various reasons. The list was ended by underground dragons whose obligation was to guard treasures. This is not the end. Chinese divided dragons into yellow √ huan, green ≈ tzin, red √ chju, white ≈ bai and black ≈ suan; into scaled ≈ tzyao, horny ≈ tzu and hornless ≈ chi.

Dragon is a central figure, which symbolizes both evil and kindness in Chinese legends. Dragon of Chinese legends is endowed with a divine attribute and is similar to angel, which is also lion. So, in Sym Tzyans ╚Historical chronics╩, we read that Confutsy once came for an advice to Lao Tzy, an archivarius. After meeting him he declared: ╚Birds fly, fish swim, animals run. It is possible to catch the running into a trap, the swimming into a net, and the flying by an arrow. But what to do with a dragon? I do not know how he manages to ride the wind and to shoot into the sky. Today, I saw Lao Tzy and I can say that I have seen a dragon╩.

Pagina is in opbouw Zomer 2009