Saturday, December 31, 2011

A Short Look At Chinese Dragon Heads

By Steve Chung


It is amazing to note the disparity that exists between the western interpretation of the dragon and the Chinese. The western world takes the fire breathing dragon at its face value which makes it a rather evil and fear inspiring creature. In China however the dragon is a symbol of good luck and good virtues like brevity, courage and benevolence.

Most people around the globe interpret the representation of a dragon as a symbol that is evil and one to be feared. It is not commonly used in many forms for this very reason. On the contrary, most Far Eastern cultures utilized this image in many ways, particularly in the Chinese culture where the dragon has been considered a revered figure for centuries.

There are many superstitious beliefs associated with the image of the dragon but what is more interesting is the physical appearance of this mythical character which has been dreamed into life.

There have been known to be true believers in the existence of dragons, yet nothing can be further from the truth. Dragons are without a doubt mythically creatures that became an elaborate aspect of the Chinese culture.

This however raises the question of where the dragon gets its physical features from. The head and face of the dragon are unlike any other animal on planet Earth yet the dragon bears many features in common with other animals. In truth the image of the dragon was conceived by taking different elements from different animals and composing a whole new creature.

The traditional Chinese dragon is believed to be composed of a variety of different elements from various animals. The head of the dragon is that of a camel where eyes those big eyes have been taken from the rabbit. The horns on the head belong to a stag whereas the dragon takes its ears from the cow. When you observe the long neck it reminds you of the body of a snake and the scaly texture is inspired by fish. Underneath the dragon sports the belly from a frog and the claws of a hawk coming out from the palm of a tiger.

In addition to the above mentioned features the dragon has whiskers as well as a beard. Although the dragon features big cow like ears it is considered to be deprived of the sense of hearing. Just like the physical features of the dragon have been extracted from various different animals the dragon is also believed to have extra ordinary abilities. It can swim underwater if that be the need or walk on the land comfortably. Alternatively the dragon can also soar through the skies.

In addition to the dragon's image portrayed as one of the zodiac signs, they are used in and on forms of artwork as well. The Chinese have also designed masks and puppets in the image of a dragon; these are used by the Chinese in their celebrations, but are always enjoyed by Western visitors.

You will also be able to find DIY Chinese dragon head designs that are popularly used as decoration items. The locals also use it to ward of evil. There are many variations of dragon DIY crafts that children can also enjoy.




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