CHINESE
DRAGON TATTOOS
In the common Western way of thought, the dragon is a
mythical creature bent on destruction. It is typically considered to be
an evil animal, unworthy of trust and to be combated at all costs. It is
often associated with the devil. On the other hand, in Eastern
cultures, such as Chinese and Japanese, the dragon is considered to be
beneficial.
The Chinese Dragon is a creature that is rich in
symbolism. This mythical creature inspires both fear and admiration for
its beauty. It is impressive in terms of size and gait and is usually
depicted as a winged or scaly beast with enormous claws. The Chinese
Dragon looks like a snake and had no wings (unlike the European Dragon
which was winged). The dragon represents mystery and power in China. It
is synonymous to intelligence, good luck, strength, health, harmony and
benevolence. It has 117 scales (consisting of 81 yang scales and 36 ying
scales). It is therefore thought to have positive (yang) attributes but
it sometimes can have a negative connotation as well due to the presence
of the ying scales. Indeed, many floods and other calamities have been
attributed to a man upsetting a dragon. Dragons were believed to ward
off evil spirits. Most Chinese cities have buildings adorned with
decorative dragons for this purpose. Dragons are associated with the
number nine, a very auspicious number in China because it is the largest
possible single-digit number. Thus, Chinese Dragons, unlike what most
European legends portray, is a symbol of goodness and benevolence.
Chinese dragon tattoos have thus become very popular.
Dragon tattoos come in various shapes, styles and sizes, although they
depict some common things. A dragon tattoo conveys a message of strength
as well as intelligence and compassion. There are different types of
Chinese dragon tattoos, each type conveying a specific message. The most
common types of Chinese dragon tattoos are as follows:
(i)
A horned dragon depicts strength and power.
(ii)
The earth dragon which emphasizes the wearer’s connection to the
earth and an affinity for Nature
(iii)
The yellow dragon represents knowledge and wisdom
(iv)
The Celestial Dragon is the protector of the Gods and has a
spiritual connotation. This is a very popular type of tattoo as many
people want to share their spiritual beliefs with others.
The Chinese Dragon tattoo is usually very colorful and
attracts the eye. It can be worn all over the body including around the
arm (with the dragon twisting around it), on the back (the traditional
way), and on the thighs. Of course, the darker colored versions are also
quite attractive, if one prefers not to attract too much attention. The
beauty of the dragon tattoo is that it is assertive without being
formidable. There is a whole panoply of versions to choose from, making
the dragon tattoo very popular among both men and women. No wonder that
stars like Angelina Jolie, Pink, Howard Stern and Bruce Willis have
chosen the dragon as tattoos.
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