| Dragon | |
|---|---|
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Real Name |
Dragon |
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First Appearance |
Chinese Mythology |
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Created by |
Unknown |
Origin[]
The dragon is the fifth of the 12-year cycle of animals that appear in the Chinese Zodiac related to the Chinese calendar. The Year of the Dragon is associated with the Earthly Branch symbol 辰. It's compatiblity with other Zodiac animals is Dragon needs Monkey, Monkey needs Rat, Rat needs Dragon; It is opposed to or rivals the Dog.
In the Buddhist calendar used in Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, and Sri Lanka, the dragon is replaced by the nāga. In the Gurung zodiac, the dragon is replaced by the eagle. In the Old Turkic calendar it is replaced by a fish or crocodile. Early Persian translations of the medieval period change the dragon to a sea serpent, although in current times it is generally referred to as whale.
An ancient folktale called "The Great Race" tells of the Jade Emperor's decree that the years on the calendar would be named for each animal in the order they reached him. To get there, the animals would have to cross a river.
The flying Dragon came in fifth place. The Jade Emperor wondered why a swift, airborne creature such as the Dragon did not come in first place. The Dragon explained that it had to stop by a village and bring rain for all the people, and therefore it was held back. Then, on its way to the finish, it saw the helpless Rabbit clinging onto a log, so it did a good deed and gave a puff of breath in the poor creature's direction so that it could land on the shore. The Jade Emperor was astonished by the Dragon's good nature, and it was named as the fifth animal of the zodiac.
In Buddhism, legend has it that Gautama Buddha summoned all of the animals of the Earth to come before him before his departure from this Earth, but only twelve animals actually came to bid him farewell. To reward the animals who came to him, he named a year after each of them. The years were given to them in the order they had arrived.
Public Domain Literary Appearances[]
All published appearances of the Dragon of the Chinese Zodiac from before January 1, 1930 are public domain in the US.
Some notable appearances are listed below:
- Ancient Calendars and Constellations (1903)
- Things Japanese (1905)
- 1911 Encyclopædia Britannica
Notes[]
- During China's Cultural Revolution, there was an attempt to replace the dragon with the giant panda; however, the movement was short lived.