In ancient China, the dragon was a symbol of the emperor’s power and authority. According to legend, the Nine Dragons were believed to bring good fortune and prosperity. The dragon’s appearance perched upon its head two horns; its eyes bulge outwards. The Dragons body is covered in scales, it’s four legs are strong and sturdy.
In the old legend it is said that 4,000 years ago there was a great flood. The God sent nine dragons to earth who drank up all the water and stopped the flooding. This took nine days and nine nights and is known as ‘Nine Dragons Destroying the Flood’.
In some variations of the myth, the Nine Dragons have been assigned different identities or roles, but they are generally seen as representations of the forces of nature. Here is a common list of names associated with the Nine Dragons in certain myths:
- Long Wei (龙威) – The dragon of power, often seen as the leader.
- Long Xie (龙邪) – The dragon of mischief or chaos.
- Long Jiao (龙骄) – The proud dragon.
- Long Shan (龙山) – The dragon of the mountain.
- Long Shui (龙水) – The water dragon, directly linked to the flood legend.
- Long Yun (龙云) – The dragon of clouds.
- Long Yue (龙月) – The moon dragon, often connected to night or dreams.
- Long Feng (龙凤) – The dragon of the phoenix, symbolizing the balance of yin and yang.
- Long Zhen (龙震) – The dragon of thunder, representing power and storm.
These names may vary across different traditions or retellings of the myth. The Nine Dragons symbolize not only the natural elements but also imperial authority, as they were seen as guardians and symbols of the emperor’s divine right to rule. The mythology has also been a source of artistic inspiration, as seen in the famous Qing Dynasty glazed clay dragon walls.
In the Qian-Long Period (1736 – 96) of the Qing Dynasty, artists made the wall of dragons from glazed clay. This was for the people to remember the legend. Today, the dragon still remains a symbol of the Chinese nation.
Image By Gisling – Own work, CC BY 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=12083995
