Today, we are continuing our Dragons Through Cultures series. Last month, we talked about European dragons, which were generally seen as evil. They blew fire, had wings, and had a reputation for killing knights.
However, Asian dragons were completely different. Asian dragons are wise, benevolent creatures. They brought rain to water crops and manipulated the seasons, and were a symbol of spring. Asian dragons are also seen as religious figures sometimes, and once upon a time in Japan during droughts, Buddhist monks would practice religious rites to try to convince the dragon to bring rain. Also, the new year in China is celebrated with a festival, in which dragons take part.
Asian dragons can fly, but do not have wings, and look very different than European dragons. Like European dragons, however, they are still being used in literature today.
What do like about Asian dragons? Was there anything you found unexpected? Post in the comments!
Spruce Nogard
It is so interesting that dragons have such different personas in different cultures. Thanks!
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