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Japanese dragon

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Japanese sea-dragon, byUtagawa Kuniyoshi
Japanese dragon, byHokusai
Princess Tamatori steals the Dragon King's jewel, byUtagawa Kuniyoshi.
Emperor Antoku's grandmother rescuing him from a dragon, by Yoshitsuya Ichieisai
A dragon ascends towards the heavens withMount Fujiin the background in this 1897ukiyo-eprint fromOgata Gekkō'sViews of Mount Fuji.

Japanese dragons(Nhật bổn の long / long,Nihon no ryū)[a]are diverselegendary creaturesinJapanese mythologyandfolklore.Japanesedragon myths amalgamate native legends with imported stories aboutdragonsfromChina,Koreaand theIndian subcontinent.The style and appearance of the dragon was heavily influenced by theChinese dragon,especially the three-clawedlong( long ) dragons which were introduced in Japan from China in ancient times.[1]: 94 Like these otherEast Asiandragons, most Japanese ones arewater deitiesorkami[2]associated with rainfall and bodies of water, and are typically depicted as large, wingless, serpentine creatures with clawed feet.

Indigenous Japanese dragons

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Kiyohime Changes from a Dragoninto a human woman, byYoshitoshi Tsukioka
The Dragon King's daughter, whose father the Dragon King lives at the bottom of the sea. ByUtagawa Kuniyoshi

The c. 680 ADKojikiand the c. 720 ADNihongimytho-histories have the first Japanese textual references to dragons. "In the oldest annals the dragons are mentioned in various ways," explains de Visser,[3]"but mostly as water-gods, serpent- or dragon-shaped." TheKojikiandNihongimention several ancient dragons:

  • Yamata no Orochi(Bát kỳ đại xà,lit. 'eight-branched giant snake')was an eight-headed and eight-tailed dragon slain by the god of wind and seaSusanoo,who discovered theKusanagi-no-Tsurugi(legendary sword of theImperial Regalia of Japan) in one of its tails.
  • Watatsumi(Hải thần,lit. 'sea god')orRyūjin(Long thần,lit. 'dragon god')was the ruler of seas and oceans, and described as a dragon capable of changing into human form. He lived in the underseaRyūgū-jō(Long cung thành,lit. 'dragon palace castle'),where he kept the magicaltide jewels.
  • Toyotama-hime(Phong ngọc cơ,lit. 'Luminous Pearl Princess')wasRyūjin's daughter. She purportedly was an ancestress ofEmperor Jimmu,Japan's legendary first emperor.
  • Wani(Ngạc)was asea monsterthat is translated as both "shark" and "crocodile".Kuma-wani(Hùng ngạc,'bear (i.e., giant or strong) shark/crocodile')are mentioned in two ancient legends. One says the sea godKotoshiro-nushi-no-kamitransformed into an "8-fathomkuma-wani"and fathered Toyotama-hime, the other says akuma-wanipiloted the ships ofEmperor Chūaiand hisEmpress Jingū.
  • Mizuchi(Giao or cầu)was a river dragon and water deity. TheNihongirecords legendaryEmperor Nintokuoffering human sacrifices tomizuchiangered by hisriver engineeringprojects.
  • Raijūis Raijin's animal companion and messenger that commonly take form of a dragon, qilin or komainu.
  • Kiyohime(Thanh cơ,lit. 'Purity Princess')was a teahouse waitress who fell in love with a young Buddhist priest. After he spurned her, she studied magic, transformed into a dragon, and killed him.
  • Nure-onna(Nhu nữ,lit. 'Wet Woman')was a dragon with a woman's head and a snake's body. She was typically seen while washing her hair on a riverbank and would sometimes kill humans when angered.
  • Zennyo Ryūō(Thiện như long vương,lit. 'goodness-like dragon king')was a rain-god depicted either as a dragon with a snake on its head or as a human with a snake's tail.
  • In the fairy tale "My Lord Bag of Rice",the Ryūō" dragon king "ofLake Biwaasks the hero Tawara Tōda (Điền nguyên đằng thái) to kill a giant centipede.
  • Urashima Tarōrescued aturtlewhich took him to Ryūgū-jō and turned into the attractive daughter of the ocean god Ryūjin.

Chinese-Japanese dragons

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Chinese dragonmythology appears to be the source of Japanese dragon mythology. Japanese words for "dragon" are written withkanji( "Chinese characters" ), either simplifiedshinjitaiLong or traditionalkyūjitaiLong from ChineselongLong. Thesekanjican be readtatsuin native Japanesekun'yomi,[b]andryūorryōin Sino-Japaneseon'yomi.[c]

Many Japanese dragon names areloanwordsfrom Chinese. For instance, the Japanese counterparts of the astrologicalFour Symbolsare:

JapaneseShiryūTứ long "4 dragon [kings]" are the legendary ChineseLongwangLong vương "Dragon Kings"who rule the four seas.

Some authors attempt to differentiate Japaneseryūand Chineselongdragons by the number of claws on their feet. In 1886 Charles Gould wrote that in Japan the dragon is "invariably figured as possessing three claws, whereas in China it has four or five, according to whether it is an ordinary or an Imperial emblem".[5]A common belief in Japan is that the Japanese dragon was native to Japan and was fond of travelling, gaining claws as it walked further from Japan; e.g. when it arrived in Korea, it gained 4-claws; and when it finally arrived to China, it gained five-claws.[1]: 94 However, contrary to the Japanese belief that the three-clawed dragons also originated in China and were introduced to Japan.[1]: 94 Three-clawed dragons were depicted in China earlier in history[1]: 94 and were the principal form of dragons which were used on the robes of theTang dynasty.[6]: 235 When the Chinese dragons were introduced in Japan, they still had three claws.[1]: 94 Three-clawed dragons were seldom used after theSong dynastyand were later depicted with four or five claws in China.[6]: 235 Three-clawed dragons were briefly revived during theQing dynasty.[7]

DuringWorld War IIthe Japanese military named many armaments after Chinese dragons. TheKōryūGiao long <jiaolongGiao long "flood dragon" was amidget submarineand theShinryūThần long <shenlongThần long "spirit dragon" was a rocketkamikazeaircraft. An Imperial Japanese Army division, the 56th Division, was codenamed the Dragon Division. Coincidentally, the Dragon Division was annihilated in the Chinese town ofLongling( long lăng ), whose name means "Dragon's Tomb".

Indo-Japanese dragons

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WhenBuddhistmonks from other parts of Asia brought their faith toJapanthey transmitted dragon and snake legends fromBuddhistandHindu mythology.The most notable examples are thenāgaナーガ or long "Nāga;rain deity; protector of Buddhism "and thenāgarājaナーガラージャ or long vương "Nāgarāja;snake king;dragon king".de Visser (1913:179) notes that many Japanesenāgalegends haveChinesefeatures. "This is quite clear, for it was viaChinathat all theIndiantales came toJapan.Moreover, many originally Japanese dragons, to which Chinese legends were applied, were afterwards identified withnāga,so that a blending of ideas was the result.

Some additional examples of Buddhistic Japanese dragons are:

  • Hachidai ryūōBát đại long vương "8 great naga kings" assembled to hear the Buddha expound on theLotus Sutra,and are a common artistic motif.
  • Mucharindaムチャリンダ "Mucalinda"was the Nāga king who protected the Buddha when he achievedbodhi,and is frequently represented as a giant cobra.
  • BenzaitenBiện tài thiên is the Japanese name of the goddessSaraswati,who killed a 3-headedVritraserpent or dragon in theRigveda.According to theEnoshima Engi,Benzaiten createdEnoshimaIsland in 552 CE in order to thwart a 5-headed dragon that had been harassing people.
  • KuzuryūCửu đầu long "9-headed dragon", deriving from the multi-headed Naga king シェーシャ or xá sa "Shesha",is worshipped atTogakushi ShrineinNagano Prefecture.
  • GozuryūNgũ đầu long "5-headed dragon" is worshipped atRyuko Myojin ShrineinKamakura.

Dragon temples

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Dragon lore is traditionally associated withBuddhist temples.Myths about dragons living in ponds and lakes near temples are widespread. De Visser[8]lists accounts forShitennō-jiinOsaka,Gogen Temple inHakone, Kanagawa,and the shrine onMount Hakuwhere theGenpei Jōsuikirecords that a Zen priest saw a 9-headed dragon transform into the goddessKannon.In the present day, the LakeSaikoDragon Shrine atFujiyoshida, Yamanashihas an annual festival and fireworks show.

Temple names, like Japanesetoponyms,frequently involve dragons. For instance, theRinzaisect hasTenryū-jiThiên long tự "Heavenly Dragon Temple",Ryūtaku-jiLong trạch tự "Dragon Swamp Temple",Ryōan-jiLong an tự "Dragon Peace Temple". According to legend,[9]when the Hōkō-ji pháp hưng tự orAsuka-deraPhi điểu tự Buddhist temple was dedicated atNarain 596, "a purple cloud descended from the sky and covered the pagoda as well as the Buddha hall; then the cloud became five-coloured and assumed the shape of a dragon or phoenix".

TheKinryū-no-Mai"Golden Dragon Dance" is an annual Japanesedragon danceperformed atSensō-ji,a Buddhist temple inAsakusa.The dragon dancers twist and turn within the temple grounds and outside on the streets. According to legend, the Sensō Temple was founded in 628 after two fishermen found a gold statuette ofKannonin theSumida River,at which time golden dragons purportedly ascended into heaven. The Golden Dragon Dance was produced to celebrate the reconstruction of the Main Hall of the temple in 1958 and is performed twice yearly.[10]

Takenouchi no Sukune Meets the Dragon King of the Sea

Images

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Dragon shrines

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Japanese Dragon shrine inFujiyoshida.

Japanese dragons are mostly associated withShinto shrinesas well as some Buddhist temples.

Itsukushima Shrineon Miyajima orItsukushimaIsland in Japan'sInland Seawas believed to be the abode of the sea-god Ryūjin's daughter. According to theGukanshōandThe Tale of Heike(Heinrich 1997:74–75), the sea-dragon empoweredEmperor Antokuto ascend the throne because his fatherTaira no Kiyomorioffered prayers at Itsukushima and declared it his ancestral shrine. When Antoku drowned himself after being defeated in the 1185Battle of Dan-no-ura,he lost the imperialKusanagisword (which legendarily came from the tail of theYamata no Orochi]dragon) back into the sea. In another version, divers found the sword, and it is said to be preserved atAtsuta Shrine.The great earthquake of 1185 was attributed to vengeful Heike spirits, specifically the dragon powers of Antoku.

Ryūjin shinkōLong thần tín ngưỡng "dragon god faith" is a form of Shinto religious belief that worships dragons as waterkami.It is connected with agricultural rituals, rain prayers, and the success[citation needed]of fisherman.

Dragons in modern Japanese culture

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See also

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Part of a series on
Japanese mythologyandfolklore
Mythic texts
Divinities
Legendary creaturesandurban legends
Mythical and sacred locations
Sacred objects
ShintōandBuddhism

Explanatory notes

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  1. ^Ortatsu(Long / long),inkun'yomiorryō(Long)pronounced archaically. Cf.§ Chinese-Japanese dragons.
  2. ^As fortatsu(Long / long),inkun'yomi,note that Japanese custom also followed theChinese zodiac( "Year of the Dragon" ) system, in which case the character tatsu(Thần)is used. This latter character has traditionally been frequently employed in personal names.
  3. ^Alternativelyryō(Long),as archaically pronounced, especially in certain combined forms inset phrases,e.g.,garyō tensei(Họa long điểm tình),orriryō ganka no tama(Li long hạm hạ の châu,"jewel below the jaw of the black dragon" ).[4]

References

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  1. ^abcdeBates, Roy (2007).All about Chinese dragons.Beijing: China History Press.ISBN978-1-4357-0322-3.OCLC680519778.
  2. ^Carlson, Kathie; Flanagin, Michael N.; Martin, Kathleen; Martin, Mary E.; Mendelsohn, John; Rodgers, Priscilla Young; Ronnberg, Ami; Salman, Sherry; Wesley, Deborah A. (2010). Arm, Karen; Ueda, Kako; Thulin, Anne; Langerak, Allison; Kiley, Timothy Gus; Wolff, Mary (eds.).The Book of Symbols: Reflections on Archetypal Images.Köln:Taschen.p. 280.ISBN978-3-8365-1448-4.
  3. ^de Visser 1913,p. 135.
  4. ^"ganka no tama"Hạm hạ の châu 【がんかのたま】.Seiseban Nihon kokugo daijitenTinh tuyển bản nhật bổn quốc ngữ đại từ điển.Shogakukan.
  5. ^Gould, Charles (1886).Mythical Monsters.Norderstedt Hansebooks.ISBN978-3-337-97714-6.OCLC1199763967.
  6. ^abSullivan, Michael (1999).The arts of China(4th ed., expanded and rev ed.). Berkeley, Calif.: University of California Press.ISBN0-520-21876-0.OCLC40200406.
  7. ^Cammann, Schuyler (1949). "Origins of the Court and Official Robes of the Ch'ing Dynasty".Artibus Asiae.12(3): 189–201.doi:10.2307/3248384.ISSN0004-3648.JSTOR3248384.
  8. ^de Visser 1913,pp. 181–84.
  9. ^de Visser 1913,p. 180.
  10. ^"Kinryu no Mai (Golden Dragon Dance)".Ambassadors Japan.October 6, 2015.

Bibliography

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Media related toJapanese dragonsat Wikimedia Commons

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