Tuesday, March 27, 2018

Dragon Mythology Part 2

Rebecca Tran


Dragons play different roles depending on the culture their myth developed in. As I discussed in the
last post wyvern's and Welsh dragons were sometimes used as battle standards or on crests. They were majestic symbols, but they were also something to be feared. There reputation for destruction made the commoner respect the mighty beasts. The story throughout Europe was the same.

Courtesy of MzayatClipart.com
Dragons in China are the polar opposite. Chinese dragons represent all the positive aspects the people of Chia wish to portray. They are wise, beautiful, and friendly. Chinese dragons are never feared and are in fact considered lucky. In some places they are worshiped in their own temples.

Chinese dragons come in seven basic colors and are usually broken into four basic groups based on those colors. These groups represent the four cardinal directions and have their own unique properties. 

Blue and Green dragons are associated with serenity, growth, health, prosperity, harmony and the east. They symbolize spring with the colors reminding people of new plants and clear skies. 

Black and White dragons are associated with the Chinese concept of yin and yang. The black dragon represents the feminine or yin which is negative and passive. It also represents the winter and the north. Black dragons are commonly associated with power and storms. White dragons represent the masculine or yang which is active and positive. The color white is associated with the west, autumn, purity, mourning and death. The latter aspects carry over to the white dragon and it is often seen as an omen of death. 

Red Dragons are the dragons of the summer and of the south. They represent luck, fire, and passion. 
Courtesy of MzayatClipart.com

Gold and Yellow dragons are the most revered dragons. They represent the emperor and imperial family. Yellow dragons represent reliability, solidity, and warmth. Even now that there isn't an emperor in China gold dragons continue to represent wisdom, wealth, and compassion. 

When my lead dragon Dr. Lucas Meyers needed a leading lady to fix his broken heart I was inspired
by a green Chinese dragon. I wanted to use a dragon with unique abilities that were a wild card for the domestic dragons. If you want to read the result you can find my box set Dragons of the North here

Blurb:  Stronger Together

Dr. Lucas Meyers gave up on finding a mate. After a bad break up with a witch, he was sure he was destined to be alone. That was fine by him. Lucas threw himself into his work at the hospital instead. When he goes home after a long shift and finds his new roommate Jade he’s forced to re-evaluate a few things. Is Jade really his mate or is she another woman waiting to break his heart?

Be sure to read my next post in this series April 5, 2018.

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