Dragons: Fossils to Folklore. Ancient Science to Modern Spectacle

Dragons are prevalent in the history and fantasy in many cultures around the globe. In Europe, Dragons are described as evil behemoths that terrorize villages, hoard treasure, and must be slayed by knights or magically tamed. The Aztecs and Mayans of Central America portrayed dragons as sacred serpents that embodied the power of priests, kings, and flowing water, a source of life (Nigg 107). No other culture, however, has embodied dragons with as much significance as the Chinese. Evidence suggests that the image of the dragon was prominent in the Xia Dynasty, China’s first recorded dynasty, which originated in 2100 BC. Remarkably, four thousand years later, despite changing societal values towards dragons, they have sustained significant social and political influence and are defining characteristics of modern Chinese culture. In this light, the Chinese dragon blurs the boundary of science and fantasy by explaining unknown phenomenon in ancient times and setting the foundation for cultural practices and values in modern day China.

In sharp contrast to the portrayal of villainy in Europe, Chinese dragons are powerful, benevolent creatures that bring good fortune. They represent strength and longevity and are capable of driving away evil spirits. Lu Dian, a Song Dynasty scholar, described dragons as masters of change and life by saying that “None of the animals is so wise as the dragon. His blessing power is not a false one. He can be smaller than small, bigger than big, higher than high, and lower than low" (AMNH). Dragons can change their size at will and are capable of controlling rain, lightening, thunder, and producing clouds. Like many legendary creatures, Dragons are described as a combination of fierce animals and often contain elements of the eleven other creatures of the zodiac. Common features include a horse’s head, stag’s antlers, demon’s eyes, a snake’s body, and the talons of an eagle (Nigg 120).

Dragons also give insight on the symbolic nature of numbers that represent imperial rule in ancient Chinese culture. Imperial dragons have five claws on each talon representing the five elements and the power of the emperor, and all dragons have eighty one yang scales, nine times nine, with nine considered a lucky number. Emperors were the only ones allowed to wear imperial dragon robes, and walls depicting nine dragons are common in imperial courtyards such as the Nine Dragon Screen Wall (pictured below) found in the Forbidden City in Beijing. The theme of life and imperial rule is further seen in Han Dynasty folklore with the first emperor being the fabled son of a dragon and a farmer’s wife. Chinese people, with notably the largest ethnic group being composed of Han Chinese, therefore often consider themselves “Descendants of the Dragon” (Wikipedia).

*Photo by Author

Even though Han Chinese have ethnic ties to dragons, the origin of the dragon predates such anecdotes and still remains a mystery to Asian history scholars. One theory is that the first emperor of China used a snake as a national totem or coat of arms, and according to myth, he incorporated the animal numina of other conquered tribes and thus created the versatile image of the dragon (Wikipedia). Other archeologists argue that dinosaur fossils, especially the skull of the Tyrannosaurus Rex, likely inspired the formation of draconic creatures when mistaken as dragon bones. Another likely theory, made by Zhou Chongfa, a renowned archeologist in central China’s Hubei Province, suggests that the Chinese dragon originates from primitive agriculture. Zhou claims that totems would be considered too sacred and unique to be passively changed. His theory is based on the fact that the Chinese depended on rain as irrigation for sustenance, which led to the creation of serpent-like deities that were influenced by interactions with crocodiles and carp. Regional ethnic groups would then add elements of familiar animals to the deity such as the cow-dragon of central China or the hog-dragon of northeast China. As society progressed, Zhou argues, globalization would increase the variability of the dragon to the image that we perceive today (People’s Daily).

In spite of dispute over origins, it is widely accepted that the dragon helped to explain the sustenance of life and natural phenomena such as weather. While modern science involves theory and investigation as a means to fact, primitive science was in large based on observation and religious inferences. It is here where the line between science and fantasy is blurred. Assuming that the idea of dragons was created by men, they are thus an imaginary medium for actual events. It is unclear whether dragons are real or fictitious to Chinese people as some still openly reference dragons in daily life. In the past, dragons served as a means of explaining the environment, but today they are still adorned with medicinal power in traditional Chinese medicine. Such examples give historians insight into the scientific minds of the ancients (Wikipedia).

Although there is no longer a Chinese emperor to embody the dragon, the image and connotations of the dragon live on in ceremony and in medical practice. Until stopped in 2007, villagers in central China continued to unearth fossils sold as “dragon bones” for 25 cents a pound, which later were proven to be dinosaur bones. the bones were boiled and eaten to treat dizziness and leg cramps or were ground into a paste and applied directly to the skin to treat other injuries (MSNBC). Chinese celebrations such as the Dragon Dance, celebrating the Chinese New Year, and the Dragon Boat Festival, a holiday honoring Chinese arts and traditions, give homage to the Dragon as a figurehead of Chinese unity and as a force that generates national identity. A common symbol displayed in Chinese architecture and decoration, the dragon remains linked to wisdom and longevity, and if used to describe a person, it is a compliment of the highest respect. Clearly the dragon is a key facet of Chinese society. While perhaps classified as pseudoscience today, the practices and implications of the dragon transitioned from an explanation of nature as well as medical science to a social and political hierarchy and rest today as a powerful symbol of China.

*Villagers in Zhengzhou would eat dinosaur bones, such as this one photographed in 2007, for medicinal purposes.

Works Cited

"Chinese Ate Dinosaur 'dragon Bones'" msnbc.com. N.p., 5 July 2007. Web. 9 June 2011. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/19606626/ns/world_news-asia_pacific/t/chinese-villagers-ate-dinosaur-dragon-bones/.

"Chinese Dragon Originates From Primitive Agriculture: Archeologist." People's Daily Online. N.p., 5 Feb. 2001. Web. 9 June 2011. http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/english/200102/05/eng20010205_61559.html.

"Chinese Dragon." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., 3 May 2011. Web. 9 June 2011. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_dragon.

Dragon Bone Display. 2007. Photograph. Zhengzhou. Msnbc.com. Associated Press, 5 July 2007. Web. 9 June 2011. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/19606626/ns/world_news-asia_pacific/t/chinese-villagers-ate-dinosaur-dragon-bones/.

Nigg, Joe. Wonder Beasts: Tales And Lore of the Phoenix, the Griffin, the Unicorn, And the Dragon. Englewood, Colo.: Libraries Unlimited, 1995.