Dragons: evil creatures or Buddhist guardians?
- Cri
- Nov 19
- 4 min read
Previously published on Minkai.art
In my native country, Italy, when we hear the word “dragon” we think about medieval folklore. If you grew up in a Western country like me you most definitely learned about these winged, four-legged animals from fairytales or biblical stories, like Saint George and the Dragon. Known for breathing fire and hoarding treasures, they’ve become quite a staple in fantasy books, like J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Hobbit and J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter series. Moreover, in almost all the Western lore they are considered monstrous creatures that must be tamed or killed, without any redeeming quality.
From Chinese cosmogony to Japanese Buddhism
This is not the case, however, in Eastern folklore. Surely, in Chinese Buddhism we can find some malevolent dragons, but they can also be considered guardians of the Buddhist faith and are one of the zodiac signs. In Chinese cosmogony, dragons are also the ruler of the four seas, with the yellow earth dragon king Huánglóng at the center:
Hēilóng: the black dragon king of the Northern Sea (winter, water)
Qīnglóng: the blue-green dragon king of the Eastern Sea (spring, wood)
Chìlóng: the red dragon king of the Southern Sea (summer, fire)
Báilóng: the white dragon king of Lake Qinghai (autumn, metal)
With the spread of Buddhism in South Eastern Asia, these traditions came to Japan. Here, the creatures’ connection with water grew, also thanks to Indonesian and Indian legends that assimilated them with serpent-like ocean gods.
Being closely related with Buddhism, in Japan the kanji for dragon (竜 or 龍) often appears in temples’ names, like Tenryūji (天龍寺) and Ryōanji (竜安寺). Today still, most Zen temples have dragons painted on their main hall ceilings, as talismans against fires. One example is the one in Nanzenji (南禅寺) in Kyōtō. Here we can see the creature surrounded by water and clouds, symbols of his authority over rain. This kind of ability was associated with the Imperial family, since this power was supposedly possessed by the Emperor as well. With the Phoenix, representing the Empress, the dragon supported and protected both China and Japan.
Dragon’s duality in Shintō lore
Dragons are also part of Shintō folklore. In fact, one of the most well-known myths has an eight-headed dragon as the main antagonist, Yamata no Orochi (八岐大蛇). Put to sleep with strong sake by the kami of sea and storms Susanoo no Mikoto (佐之男命), the dragon was then beheaded and his blood now dyes the Hi river’s waters red. From his tail the kami drew the legendary sword Kusanagi, one of the Shintō regalia. For this reason, dragons became quite a common ornament of sword guards and netsuke, as we can see from this example of the Sidney MAAS.
As a matter of fact, one of them is considered the attendant of one of the Shichifukujin (七福神, Seven Lucky Gods), Benzaiten (弁才天). In the print from the Boston Museum of Fine Arts, produced during the Edo period by Aoigaoka Keisei, we can see the river goddess of music and poetry soaring through the clouds. The dragon is depicted in the classical oriental style, wingless and serpentine-like. According to the legend, the goddess appeared to Enoshima ruler Hōjō Tokimasa, who was praying at her shrine for the island’s prosperity. After granting him his wish she disappeared leaving three scales behind, which became part of the Hōjō family crest.
Dragons in today’s Japan
Today dragons are still celebrated as protectors of Buddhism. If you had a chance of visiting the Sensōji temple in Asakusa (Tōkyō) for the Jigen e Ceremony on March 18th or the Chrysanthemum Memorial Ceremony on October 18th, you may have come across the Golden Dragon Dance (金龍の舞, Kinryū no Mai). This ceremony remembers Kannon bosatsu’s appearance in our world as a Golden Dragon, and it’s performed by nine dancers. While one of them wields a lotus shaped golden ball, representing the bodhisattva (click here to know more about bodhisattva), eight people move the dragon’s face and body. The dance is held three times a day, passing through Nakamise Dori toward the Main Hall.
Indeed, dragons are also quite famous in pop culture. In Hayao Miyazaki’s movie Spirited Away, Haku (SPOILER!!! Careful if you haven’t watched the movie yet 😉) is revealed to be an ancient river god, his true form being that of a white dragon.
And how about the Pokémon franchise? I’m sure that a lot of Western fans were confused by Charizard not being a dragon-type Pokémon. As I mention before, however, dragons in Easter traditions assume a very different appearance, not at all similar to the fiery lizard-like creature. Dratini, Dragonair and Dragonite (all dragon-types), on the other hand, closely resembles the representations we saw earlier.
Lastly, how can we not mention Japanese tattoos? Despite today’s rejection of tattoos, mostly for their association with criminality and the yakuza, Japan has a long irezumi (入れ墨, lit. “inserting ink”) tradition. In the Edo period, for example, it was custom for firefighters to cover themselves with dragons. These tattoos were both a symbol of protection against fire and made their skin harder, making them less vulnerable to heat.
As I pointed out, from the Meiji period onward irezumi are mostly stigmatized in Japan, but also gained a lot of attention overseas. In Western countries Japanese-styled tattoos gained popularity, and with them the demand for dragon-themed ink increased.
As time goes on, traditions and customs change, and so do views and perspectives. Will tattoos be always a symbol of the yakuza in Japan, or will we see those dragons again? Only time will tell.
References
Ambassadors Japan website, Kinryū no Mai
British Museum (Department of Prints and Drawings), Descriptive and Historical Catalogue of a Collection of Japanese and Chinese Paintings in the British Museum, 1886 London
Kyoto City Official Travel Guide website, Nanzenji
INGRESOLL Ernest, Dragons and Dragon Lore, Payson & Clarke, 1928 New York
VOLKER T., The Animal in Far Eastern Art: And Especially in the Art of the Japanese Netsuke with Reference to Chinese Origins, Traditions, Legends, and Art, Brill, 1975 Leiden