Chinese Dragons
This article is written with the idea of providing a means to
get started in this study. It is by no means an effort to answer every question
or give you all the proof you need. To truly understand, you need to do some
research on your own.
Introduction
Now it seems quite odd to have a scripture study in relation to Chinese
Dragons… but we'll get to an understanding of the subject matter and its
purpose in due time.
First we'll start off with reviewing a few scriptures related to the mention of
dragons.
Dragons in Scriptures
Revelations 12:3-17
3 And there appeared another wonder in heaven; and behold a great red dragon,
having seven heads and ten horns, and seven crowns upon his heads.
4 And his tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven, and did cast them to
the earth: and the dragon stood before the woman which was ready to be
delivered, for to devour her child as soon as it was born.
5 And she brought forth a man child, who was to rule all nations with a rod of
iron: and her child was caught up unto Yahweh, and to his throne.
6 And the woman fled into the wilderness, where she hath a place prepared of
Yahweh, that they should feed her there a thousand two hundred and threescore
days.
7 And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon;
and the dragon fought and his angels,
8 And prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven.
9 And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and
Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his
angels were cast out with him.
10 And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and
strength, and the kingdom of our Yahweh, and the power of his Messiah: for the
accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our Yahweh day
and night.
11 And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their
testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death.
12 Therefore rejoice, ye heavens, and ye that dwell in them. Woe to the
inhabiters of the earth and of the sea! for the devil is come down unto you,
having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time.
13 And when the dragon saw that he was cast unto the earth, he persecuted the
woman which brought forth the man child.
14 And to the woman were given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly
into the wilderness, into her place, where she is nourished for a time, and
times, and half a time, from the face of the serpent.
15 And the serpent cast out of his mouth water as a flood after the woman, that
he might cause her to be carried away of the flood.
16 And the earth helped the woman, and the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed
up the flood which the dragon cast out of his mouth.
17 And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the
remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of Yahweh, and have the
testimony of Yahshua Messiah.
Here is a description of the "great red dragon". However, some of it
seems to not match the images we have of a dragon as passed on to us by fantasy
artists. This one spits out water instead of fire even.
The Two Babylons, Alexander Hyslop, Chapter 7, Section 1 - The Great Red Dragon
This formidable enemy of the truth is particularly described in Revelation
12:3--"And there appeared another wonder in heaven, a great red
dragon." It is admitted on all hands that this is the first grand enemy
that in Gospel times assaulted the Christian Church. If the terms in which it is
described, and the deeds attributed to it, are considered, it will be found that
there is a great analogy between it and the first enemy of all, that appeared
against the ancient Church of God soon after the Flood. The term dragon,
according to the associations currently connected with it, is somewhat apt to
mislead the reader, by recalling to his mind the fabulous dragons of the Dark
Ages, equipped with wings. At the time this Divine description was given, the
term dragon had no such meaning among either profane or sacred writers.
"The dragon of the Greeks," says Pausanias, "was only a large
snake"; and the context shows that this is the very case here; for what in
the third verse is called a "dragon," in the fourteenth is simply
described as a "serpent." Then the word rendered "Red"
properly means "Fiery"; so that the "Red Dragon" signifies
the "Fiery Serpent" or "Serpent of Fire." Exactly so does it
appear to have been in the first form of idolatry, that, under the patronage of
Nimrod, appeared in the ancient world. The "Serpent of Fire" in the
plains of Shinar seems to have been the grand object of worship. There is the
strongest evidence that apostacy among the sons of Noah began in fire-worship,
and that in connection with the symbol of the serpent.
Now, we see something we really had not seen before. This one does not match our
own images in our minds of a dragon. This matches more of a description of the
serpent in the garden of Eden. Of course, since it is the same entity, we have
to explore further about this dragon.
Most importantly, is this image worshipped today? The image of a serpent? Well,
as you have probably guessed from the title of this study, yes, it is. The
Chinese have worshipped the image of a dragon for millennia.
An article from a teacher's resource about Chinese culture1 (website 1)
The dragon is another popular symbol for Chinese New Year. It is a symbol of
strength, goodness, and good luck, and supernatural forces. The dragon is said
to be a mythical combination of many animals. During New Years, one of the main
events is a large parade down the city streets. As part of this parade, people
dress up in dragon costumes and dance down the streets. These costumes are made
of brightly colored silk and decorated very extravagantly. Some of the dragons
are 100 feet long! Men and boys perform intricate dragon dances with one person
manipulating the head of the dragon and the rest moving the body.
Note that the serpent is a distinct symbol of the New Year festivities.
From another website about Chinese Dragons2 (website 2)
Chinese dragons of myth could make themselves as large as the universe or as
small as a silkworm. They could also change color and disappear in a flash. They
rise to the skies in the spring and plunge into the waters in the autumn.
Now here is a connection of this serpent with the seasons. Most important to
note, is that it seems to be a representation of the sun again as Hyslop brought
out.
The Two Babylons, Alexander Hyslop, Chapter 7, Section 1 - The Great Red Dragon
Along with the sun, as the great fire-god, and, in due time, identified with
him, was the serpent worshipped. "In the mythology of the primitive
world," says Owen, "the serpent is universally the symbol of the
sun." In Egypt, one of the commonest symbols of the sun, or sun-god, is a
disc with a serpent around it. The original reason of that identification seems
just to have been that, as the sun was the great enlightener of the physical
world, so the serpent was held to have been the great enlightener of the
spiritual, by giving mankind the "knowledge of good and evil." This,
of course, implies tremendous depravity on the part of the ring-leaders in such
a system, considering the period when it began; but such appears to have been
the real meaning of the identification. At all events, we have evidence, both
Scriptural and profane, for the fact, that the worship of the serpent began side
by side with the worship of fire and the sun. The inspired statement of Paul
seems decisive on the subject. It was, he says, "when men knew God, but
glorified Him not as God," that they changed the glory of God, not only
into an image made like to corruptible man, but into the likeness of
"creeping things"--that is, of serpents (Rom 1:23).
Now, this "enlightener" is how the pagan priests put forth the bad guy
as a good guy. The Chinese have done the same in that the dragon is considered
mankind's benefactor.
Another quote from Website 2
The Chinese dragon was a divine bringer of rain, necessary for the good of the
people. Throughout Chinese history the dragon has been equated with weather. It
is said that some of the worst floodings were caused when a mortal has upset a
dragon.
Notice, that this dragon caused floodings, very much like the dragon in
Revelation spewed water to flush out the woman.
Now, as pointed out earlier, the dragon plays a huge role in the Chinese New
Year. Let's look at a few other things that appear important during this
celebration.
Other quotes from Website 1
Homes are decorated with flowers and paper decorations stating wishes of
prosperity, good luck, happiness, good fortune, wealth, and longevity for the
coming year. Decorations of the incoming zodiac animal are also displayed. Red
and gold are very popular colors to decorate with. Red represents power
happiness, vitality (and scares away beasts). Gold represents wealth and good
fortune.
One very important tradition of the Chinese New Year is exchanging gifts. A
traditional gift that is given is small red envelopes filled with "lucky
money". These envelopes are given to children by their family and friends.
The red color is used to bring good fortune, and the money inside is used by the
children to buy holiday treats. These envelopes symbolize the giving of good
fortune.
Red seems very important. Why?
The Two Babylons, Alexander Hyslop, Chapter 7, Section 1 - The Great Red Dragon
In the chapter under consideration, the "great fiery serpent" is
represented with all the emblems of royalty. All its heads are encircled with
"crowns or diadems"; and so in Egypt, the serpent of fire, or serpent
of the sun, in Greek was called the Basilisk, that is, the "royal
serpent," to identify it with Moloch, which name, while it recalls the
ideas both of fire and blood, properly signifies "the King." The
Basilisk was always, among the Egyptians, and among many nations besides,
regarded as "the very type of majesty and dominion." As such, its
image was worn affixed to the head-dress of the Egyptian monarchs; and it was
not lawful for any one else to wear it. The sun identified with this serpent was
called "P'ouro," which signifies at one "the Fire" and
"the King," and from this very name the epithet "Purros,"
the "Fiery," is given to the "Great seven-crowned serpent"
of our text. *
* The word Purros in the text does not exclude the idea of "Red," for
the sun-god was painted red to identify him with Moloch, at once the god of fire
and god of blood.--(WILKINSON). The primary leading idea, however, is that of
Fire.
Red = Fire = Blood = Sun. Another source was quoted as saying that when the
dragon played with the red ball (the sun) that the spring rains then came.
But there is also one more celebration during the year in which the dragon plays
a part among the Chinese.
Awakening the Dragon by Shelagh Pierce (from website 2)
The Chinese dragon boat races will always be a symbol of Chinese culture and
spirit. As one of the three largest Chinese festivals of the year, this mythical
celebration can now be witnessed around the world. To experience a dragon boat
race - either watching or participating - is a thrill in itself and can be
enjoyed by everyone.
You'll watch as long, multicoloured boats, with frightening dragons' heads, long
tails, and scaly bodies, splash through the water. You'll see men, women, and
children grunt and sweat as they push themselves harder and faster to be the
first to the finish line. You'll hear the crowds screaming and cheering for
their favourite team, while the drummers pound on their drums and yell at the
paddlers. The event is not intended to be quiet and peaceful but loud and
exciting - a celebration!
To observe the Chinese dragon boat races of today, you can only dream of its
meagre beginnings. A time when superstition determined how a person lived. In
fact, dragon boat racing began more than 2000 years ago when a group of
superstitious people believed that the boat racing would ensure prosperous and
bountiful crops. Their celebrations took place on the summer solstice - the time
of year typically associated with disease and death and when man felt most
helpless against the powers of nature. The race has come to symbolise both man's
struggle against nature and his fight against dangerous enemies.
The tragic tale of Ch'u Yuan further integrated the dragon boat races into the
lives of the Chinese. Fourth Century B.C.E. is known as the period of the
"warring states" in Chinese history. It was a time when numerous
supremacy wars between feudal lords erupted. Many kingdoms had already
disappeared, except for Ch'u, which was one of the mightiest kingdoms remaining.
Ch'u Yuan was a poet and a minister and councillor to the king of Ch'u - truly a
great patriot. He feared for the future of his kingdom and to do the best for
his country, he gave advice to the king. To his surprise, the advice was not
accepted and he was exiled. At the devastation of the kingdom of Ch'u and his
exile, Ch'u Yuan, in desperation and sorrow, threw himself into the Mi Lo river.
The people of Ch'u loved Ch'u Yuan. They grieved over his death and spent much
time trying to scare the fish and water dragons away from Ch'u Yuan's body by
rowing around the river in their fishing boats, splashing their oars, and
beating their drums. And to ensure that Ch'u Yuan never went hungry, they
wrapped rice in leaves and threw them into the river. Rice cakes are still eaten
today as part of the dragon boat festival celebration.
The dragon boat festival is typically celebrated "the Fifth of the
Fifth" - the fifth day of the fifth month. Red is the prominent colour on
the boats because it is the colour of the number five and symbolises heat,
summer, and fire. The lengths of the boats can range between 30 and 100 feet but
are wide enough to barely fit two people side by side. Some of the original
rituals are still practiced today, like the "Awakening of the Dragon"
by dotting the eyes of the dragon's head on each boat. This ceremony is
conducted to cleanse and bless the area of the competition, the competitors, and
their boats. It also gives the boats and their crew the strength of the Dragon
and the blessing of the Goddess of the Sea.
Nevertheless, much has changed in the festival. The crowd no longer throws
stones at the rival boats and it is not imperative a boat capsize and at least
one person drown - which was considered a special sacrifice to the gods and was,
surprisingly, a sign of good luck.
Today the dragon boat races are primarily a form of amusement. It is no longer a
necessary ceremony performed to scare away evil and call for a good year but
entertainment that teaches people a little about Chinese history and culture. We
are not nearly as superstitious as we were in the past but it sure is fun
pretending!
Wow… what a mess. Seems like this is pretty much a commemoration of the days
getting shorter because the day itself remembers death in a sense. A very dark
holiday in some respects.
Now, what does this all have to do with us today? Why are we even looking into
the teachings of other nations? Because it is important in knowing the origins
of our own traditions and customs in this nation we live.
You see, everything in which this nation participates as a holiday has some
origins which we have to hunt out. This study stemmed from delving into The Two
Babylons and finding references to St. John's day. This day is really just a
Catholicized version of the worship of the summer solstice. Just look at the
following from a website about Christianity and Masons.
Origins of FreeMasonry3 (website 3)
The high festival of the Masons is on the day they call St. John's day; but
every enlightened Mason must know that holding their festival on this day has no
reference to the person called St. John, and that it is only to disguise the
true cause of holding it on this day, that they call the day by that name. As
there were Masons, or at least Druids, many centuries before the time of St.
John, if such person ever existed, the holding their festival on this day must
refer to some cause totally unconnected with John.
The case is, that the day called St. John's day, is the 24th of June, and is
what is called Midsummer-day. The sun is then arrived at the summer solstice;
and, with respect to his meridional altitude, or height at high noon, appears
for some days to be of the same height. The astronomical longest day, like the
shortest day, is not every year, on account of leap year, on the same numerical
day, and therefore the 24th of June is always taken for Midsummer-day; and it is
in honor of the sun, which has then arrived at his greatest height in our
hemisphere, and not any thing with respect to St. John, that this annual
festival of the Masons, taken from the Druids, is celebrated on Midsummer-day.
Customs will often outlive the remembrance of their origin, and this is the case
with respect to a custom still practiced in Ireland, where the Druids flourished
at the time they flourished in Britain. On the eve of Saint John's day, that is,
on the eve of Midsummer-day, the Irish light fires on the tops of the hills.
This can have no reference to St. John; but it has emblematical reference to the
sun, which on that day is at his highest summer elevation, and might in common
language be said to have arrived at the top of the hill.
The lighting of fires…again fire worship. Interesting to note also is that
there may be a more solid origin of the name of this observance as noted in the
following source:
Summer Solstice Midsummer - Litha4 (website 4)
Celebrate Litha with with fire and singing and feasting, with all-night
vigils and torch lit processions. Weave green boughs and crowns of flowers.
Dance around a bonfire. Decorate your altar with candles and flowers. Perform
the Great Rite in the fields. Erect a Midsummer Tree. Set a fire wheel ablaze
(being mindful of fire safety, of course). Walk naked or ride a broomstick
through fields as a fertility charm. Draw down the Sun. Begin taking St.
John's Wort if you have been depressed. Drink mead or use it for
offerings. Make honey cakes or cornbread with honey butter for the feast.
Firewheels: Firewheels symbolize the sun at its highest point. They were
usually rolled down a hill into water, simulating the course of the sun.
The use of this herb along with the associated flower pervades this solstice
ritual. The origin of the name of the holiday may be from the herb, or
vice-versa. No one seems to know as they consistently associate it with
the St. John of the gospels.
Paganet Newsletter 19985 (website 5)
Midsummer is, of course, a fire festival and has at times been called
Beltane as both Sabbats usually have bonfires lit during the rites. The
traditions of jumping the fire and driving cattle between two bonfires are
observed the same as for Beltane. In some areas, a solar wheel would be set
ablaze and rolled down a hill as a symbol of the sun's power. In more ancient
times, Druids would gather mistletoe in the oak groves, for mistletoe without
the berries was viewed as an amulet of protection. Amulets which have lost
their usefulness were traditionally destroyed on this day as well. The
worn-out amulets were cast into the Sabbat fire, with the respect due them, to
be destroyed. The ashes were then scattered to bring blessings to the land.
Customs also mention that women should walk naked through their gardens to
ensure continued fertility for the season of growth.
Today, in Ireland, the celebration of the summer solstice has been taken
over by the Christian St. John, and is celebrated with bonfires at sunset on
June 24th. St. John can be seen as an Oak King figure, being sacrificed and
succeeded by Christ, who wore the thorny crown.
So we see that both solstices
involve some form of fire worship… but how does this coincide with what we've
covered about the "dragon festivals" of the Chinese?
Quoted from Website 1
A Chinese New Year celebration would not be complete without fireworks. There
are many beliefs about why fireworks are used. One is that the noise wakes up
the dragon who will fly across the sky to bring the spring rain for the crops.
Another belief is that the noise of the fireworks is supposed to scare away all
evil spirits and misfortunes, preventing them from coming into the new year. In
fact, gunpowder was invented in China over 1000 years ago for that very purpose.
Firecrackers are thrown at the feet of the dragons in the parade to keep them
awake for the celebration. The dragons are believed to sleep the rest of the
year.
Fireworks are an integral part of everything the Chinese celebrate. When they
are about to close the door to the home for the last time on the eve of New
Year's, they light a string of firecrackers outside the door to ward off evil
spirits. When a new business opens, again, firecrackers to scare away the bad
spirits.
Fireworks History6 (website 6)
The Chinese soon discovered that if the explosive ingredients were packed into
hollowed - out bamboo, the confined explosion was rocketed skywards to
spectacular effect. The accompanying light and bang proved perfect for
ceremoniously frightening off evil spirits, and for celebrating weddings,
victories, eclipses of the moon, and the New Year. The Chinese called their
early fireworks "arrows of fire."
Hmm… fireworks… The one thing used in this nation at only two times of the
year, New Years Eve (near the winter solstice) and the 4th of July (near the
summer solstice). Is this coincidence? I don't think so.
In the article about the dragon boat races, I highlighted the sentence
"The race has come to symbolise both man's struggle against nature and his
fight against dangerous enemies." Does this not sound like a description of
the 4th of July?
And now for a short history lesson (paraphrased from several sources).
The British Colonies in America started importing firecrackers from China in
the 1650s. After the declaration of independence in 1776, the use of
firecrackers for the 4th of July was not instituted until 11 years later in
1787. However, later on, the southern states no longer observed the holiday, for
fear of the slaves being encouraged to revolt. So they replaced use of the
fireworks in the summer with the winter and used them at Christmas. They then
associated independence with Christmas by convincing the slaves that the birth
of Jesus was the sign that they would receive their freedom when they enter
heaven.
After the civil war, the purchase of fireworks in the winter time became ever
more popular, but was moved from Christmas to New Years because it was deemed
inappropriate for a holiday like Christmas to have the noise and danger
associated with it.
Another interesting note is the flag associated with the Commander in Chief of
the Continental Navy. Everyone remembers the phrase "don't tread on me",
but everyone seems to forget the image on the flag was that of a snake coiled up
to strike.
So now we have fireworks in two celebrations that fall very much around worship
of the sun via the solstices. Should we be observing this day of independence
coming up? Let's review some facts.
- Fireworks may be "converted" now as representation of the bullets
and bombs used during the Revolution, but should we re-enact such violence if
this were the representation?
- In every other country, fireworks are used for RELIGIOUS celebrations7.
- Is this really the day of our independence? No, we only claimed our
independence. Just as Moses claimed that Pharaoh would let the Israelites go, we
only honor the day in which the independence was assured on Passover. The new
leaders of this nation signed the Treaty of Paris on September 3, 1783, which
officially ended the revolution. But why isn't that our day of independence?
- The day is spent making noise (similar to the Chinese). In fact, one
tradition on the observance of this day was to ring the liberty bell. This was
traditional until it cracked in 1846.
- A flag is also honored this day and duplicated everywhere. It in and of
itself is the appearance of an icon. Just think about the image of the dragon
representing the sun. We have 7 red stripes (as if to say 7 suns, just like the 7
crowns on the dragon) and the blue is the sky with the stars.
Now these could be stretching it. But the most popular things to do on this day
are to decorate with red/white/blue and set off or watch fireworks and have
cookouts. Where is the Father in all of this?
Isaiah 2:14-20
14 Your new moons and your appointed feasts my soul hateth: they are a trouble
unto me; I am weary to bear them.
15 And when ye spread forth your hands, I will hide mine eyes from you: yea,
when ye make many prayers, I will not hear: your hands are full of blood.
16 Wash you, make you clean; put away the evil of your doings from before mine
eyes; cease to do evil;
17 Learn to do well; seek judgment, relieve the oppressed, judge the fatherless,
plead for the widow.
18 Come now, and let us reason together, saith Yahweh: though your sins be as
scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they
shall be as wool.
19 If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land:
20 But if ye refuse and rebel, ye shall be devoured with the sword: for the
mouth of Yahweh hath spoken it.
We hope you can continue this study and find even more information in
relation to the subject at hand. Please feel free to email cmartin@yahsaves.org
if you happen to have more information.
1 http://teacherlink.ed.usu.edu/TLresources/longterm/LessonPlans/Byrnes/chinese.html
2 http://www.fortunecity.com/roswell/goldendawn/102/Dragons/chinese.html
3 http://www.infidels.org/library/historical/thomas_paine/origin_free-masonry.html 4 http://open-sesame.com/Litha.html 5
http://www.paganet.org/pnn/1998/Litha/Sabbat.html 6 http://www.schoolcircle.com/nlob/lightup.htm 7 For an
example of religious celebrations involving fireworks, review the list of
holidays in the province of Oaxaca, Mexico in the website (http://oaxacalive.com/calendar.htm)
Below is a list of several celebrations in which fireworks are used:
- January 25 - Santiago Apóstol
- Tuesday before Ash Wednesday - Fiesta de los compadres
- March - La Samaritana
- April 29 - La Fiesta de la Tortilla
- May 18 feast of the Lord of the Sacristy.
- July 5 - Fiesta of the Blood of Christ
- July 16 - Fiesta de la Señora del Carmen
- August 2 - Our Lady of the Angels
- August 15 - Feast of the Assumption
- August 30 - Santa Rosa de Lima
- September 8 - Virgen de la Consolación
- September 15 - Grito of Independence of México
- September 24 - Virgen de la Merced
- October 7 or nearest weekend - La Virgen del Rosario
- December 12 - Feast of the Virgin of Guadalupe
- December 18 - La Virgen de la Soledad
Additional religious observances include those found at the following website
(http://www.interfaithalliance.org/Resources/calendar.htm)
- Dewali (Hindu)
Festival of Lights symbolizing the human urge to move toward the light;
Observed with gift exchanges, fireworks and festive meals
- Jashan Sadeh (Zoroastrian)
Ritual time using symbolic elements and prayers commemorating the discovery
of fire; Observed by the recital of sacred writings
- Obon Festival (Buddhist)
Japanese festival to honor the dead; Observance involves lighting of
bonfires, traditional meal, paper lanterns, folk dances
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