Asian Art

Dragon

A dragon is a mythical creature found in the folklore of cultures throughout the world. It is roughly serpentine in form, and often possesses features drawn from different animals, such as wings and claws. In nearly all cultures, it is conceived of as a powerful and awe-inspiring creature. Dragon-like creatures appear in ancient Mesopotamian art, where they could be hostile or benevolent. In East Asia, dragons were usually regarded as positive beings; Chinese dragons were thought to govern the rain, the sea, and other forms of water, and from the Han dynasty onwards they were emblems of imperial power. Ancient Greek drakontes were large serpents endowed with supernatural qualities; in myth they were defeated by heroes or gods, whereas in cult they were gentle figures associated with healing and wealth. In the Western tradition, dragons have been depicted as fire-breathing embodiments of evil, associated with death. Dragons have featured in works of modern fiction by writers such as J. R. R. Tolkien, Ursula K. Le Guin, and George R. R. Martin.

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See also

• ▸Hatakeyama Shigetada
• ▸2009 swine flu pandemic in Canada
• ▸Cultural depictions of Napoleon

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Text from Wikipedia; plate via Wikimedia Commons. Text CC BY-SA 4.0; plate freely licensed (see Commons). Source record. Images and catalogue data are reproduced from open-access collections.