One of the key iconographies regarding the Chinese dragon is their attributes to water, specifically that of the rivers and of rain. Seeing how the Emperor was seen as the one wielding the power over the rains (recall how the Imperial status was intrinsically linked to the dragon) and how droughts negatively affected the Emperor’s reputation, it’s only a given as to the significance of water in the Chinese dragon’s iconography.
The Dragon and the Rivers
Many rivers in China are associated with the dragon or derive their names from the dragons. Qiuang Zhao mentions several in his research, of those mentioned, the following are included: (101-102.)
- Long Jian (Dragon River)
- Long Shui (Dragon River)
- Erlong Xi (Two Dragons River)
- Jiulong Jian (Nine Dragons River)
- Bailong Jian (White Dragon River)
- Wulong He (Dark Dragon River)
- Longquanggang He (Dragon Spring Port River)
- Erelong Xi (Two Dragons Brook)
- Huanglong He (Yellow Dragon River)
- Dulong Jiang (Single Dragon River)
- Qinglongwan He (Blue Dragon Bay River)
- Bolong Zangbu (Floating Dragon River)
- Longchuan Jiang (Dragon Valley River)
- Malong He (Horse Dragon River)
- Beilong Jiang (North Dragon River)
Dragons as Water Gods
In ancient China, water was seen as one of the main forces of nature. It is no surprise then, that dragons were aligned with water in all it’s natural forms. They were seen as water gods, and large bodies of water were almost always said to contain a dragon. These dragons were seen both as beings of creation, able to summon rains to water crops on fertile soil, and as harbingers of destruction, bringing thunderstorms and hurricanes to destroy the land. (Zhao, 99-101.) Later, we’ll discuss how this dichotomy was complicated with two different types of dragons, the mythological dragon, and the Dragon King. In his research into religious practices to bring rain, Michael Lowell mentions that in pre-buddhist China, there were several recordings of the creation of clay dragons for use in said religious practices. The figures never survived past the ritual in which they were used, which Lowell speculates is because they were made in a rudimentary way without firing, and so were left to degrade outside. (198.)
Mythological Dragon vs. The Dragon King
According to Zhao, in China there are two different dragon representations of rain. The first is the Chinese mythological dragon, and the second is the Dragon King. The mythological dragon has a far more positive connotation to it’s hold over water, where as the Dragon King has a far more dynamic connotation, having both positive an negative aspects. For example, being related to agriculture instead of despotism, though still responsible for floods. Their origins are also different. The mythological dragon comes from a sky-god, an abstract concept that often gave way to more definable aspects of life, and had roots in Taoist and Confucian worldviews. The Dragon King, on the other hand, is much more heavily influenced by Buddhist and Hindu tradition, much like the Naga. The Dragon King is the one who the people would go to in order to bring the rains, and was much more concrete in it’s concept than the mythological dragon. The Dragon King is able to shape-shift into human form, however the nuance of the human form has been lost in favor of it’s reputation as having only control over the waters. It should be mentioned that the Dragon King is NOT the same as the actual king of the dragons (the jade emperor), but instead just another variant of dragon, just given that title. Rather, if was the mythological dragon that was depicted as higher on the proverbial totem poll, with the emperor being one of these mythological dragons. (Zhao, 1992)
Bibliography
Dragon in a Lake, 9th cent. wall painting, 66×56 cm. Michigan, University of Michigan. Accessed November 29th, 2018. https://library-artstor-org.ezproxy.guilford.edu/#/asset/AAPDIG_10312351341.
Loewe, Michael., Le Blanc, Charles e.d., Blader, Susan. e.d. “The Cult of the Dragon and the Invocation for Rain.” Chinese Ideas About Nature and Society: Studies in Honour of Derk Bodde. Hong Kong University Press, 1987. https://www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctt2jbzkk.15
Yucai, Zhang. “Beneficent Rain 元 張羽材 霖雨圖 卷.” Digital image. Metropolitan Museum of Art. Accessed November 5, 2018. https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/40454.
Zhao, Qiguang. Study of Dragons: East and West. New York: Peter Long Publishing, 1992.
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