Dragon Mother of Schnauzers Shirt

The dancing processions had another handy purpose too, which was to ward off illnesses and disease, especially in times of epidemics. The dragon dance became a part of rural festivals and came to be closely associated with the Chinese New Year celebrations. The link between dragons and rain, dancing and healing may all derive from shamanism, commonly practised in ancient China.n folk-tales, there was a race of dragons led by their Dragon-king Lung-Wang. With scaly bodies, four legs, and horns they could take on human form and whisk away young girls. They are similar to Nagas, the snake-like creatures of Hindu folklore which protect water sources. In Chinese art, these dragons often posses a magnificent pearl whose iridescent sheen is reminiscent of a rainbow and which may represent the idea of treasure connected with that phenomenon.Another traditional belief was that the Four Seas of the world (to the ancient Chinese there were four and not seven) were each presided over by a dragon king. Their names are Ao Kuang (who rules the East), Ao K’in (South), Ao Jun (West), and Ao Shun (North). Ao Kuang is the leader, but all four must bow to the will of the Jade Emperor whom they offer homage to in the third month of the year, the month of the heaviest rains. Besides these more lordly figures, locals often believed that any nearby water source was the home of a dragon. The long-standing connection between dragons and rivers is attested by the fact that over 40 Chinese rivers have the word dragon in their name.

Dragon Mother of Schnauzers Shirt

FOR TAOISTS, THE DRAGON REPRESENTED THE CENTRAL OMNIPRESENT FORCE KNOWN AS THE ‘CENTRAL WAY’ OR TAO.The dragon came to have a certain significance in some of the more formal Chinese religions, too. In the paintings of Chan Buddhism, a dragon appearing from behind clouds was a symbol of truth and the difficulties in seeing it clearly. For Taoists, the dragon was even more important and represented the central omnipresent force known as the ‘Central Way’ or Tao. The four dragon kings of the Four Seas were also adopted by Taoists. Finally, the dragon is the fifth sign of the Chinese zodiac or shengxiao and associated with one of the 12 years in the calendar cycle, the most recent ‘year of the dragon’ being January 2012 to February 2013.