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Cures and Charms
Message
chicklette
12:27PM
06/28/2003 " Cures and Charms "
Here's your dragon fact everyone. It's about chinese dragons. Enjoy ^.^
Dragon blood, fat, brains, saliva, teeth, and horns are miracle medicines curing everything from measles to madness. Dragon bones are the best remedies, and also easiest to find.
Until 1927 entire villages in China supported themselves by digging and selling dragon bones. Visiting scientists from the American Museum of Natural History were very upset when they saw warehouses filled with the bones, because they claimed that these were fossils of prehistoric animals. They bought and shipped huge quantities to their museum in New York City, and presented some to a museum in Peking. Thereafter, selling dragon-bone medicine was forbidden. However, an undercover dragon-bone business continues to cater to customers all over the Orient.
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Posted By Message
chicklette
12:26PM
06/28/2003 " Cures and Charms "
Dragon saliva is an excellent ink for marking jade and gold and a base for the finest perfume and incense. The saliva is found floating on the ocean's surface.
Dragon meat is reserved for royal kitchens. Emperor Hwo ordered soup made from a dragon that fell on his palace grounds during a storm. He and his ministers enjoyed the broth. Emperor Chao handed his chefs a tusked dragon he caught while fishing in the Wei River. The dragon was delicious "brain food." After eating it, Emperor Chao was able to write brilliant essays.
Dragon whiskers are used for keeping flies and mosquitoes away. They are also a boon to fishermen, because they attract fish when placed in a stream. The best quality whiskers are three feet long, and deep purple.
Dragon paths are more important than dragon products. To assure good fortune, locate your home, your business, and the family burial plot near underground dragon paths. Feng shui experts can be hired to advise you. They own round wooden compasses that point to the paths and they sometimes taste the soil before deciding upon a lucky site. People swear by them, but in some cases they swear at them. In 1976 feng shui advisors were blamed when water pipes burst and elevators broke in a Hong Kong skyscraper, but feng shui experts must have a good record, for they have customers all over the world. Some people are guided by the stars, others by dragon paths.
Well that's it. Sorry it was so long, but this will be the last fact for a while. I'm heading off on a vacation over seas for 3 weeks and won't have any access to the internet. Till next fact!
Eastern Dragons "
Ok guys here's your dragon fact. Sorry it's taken so long. Enjoy ^.^
Eastern dragons can be from Korea, Japan, or China. There are slight but subtle differences between them.
Chinese dragons have five toes. The Chinese believe that all eastern dragons originated from China. They believed that when the dragons flew away, they began to lose toes. The farther and farther the dragons flew, the more toes they lost. So, Korean dragons have four toes and Japanese dragons have three.
Japanese dragons have three toes. The Japanese believe that all eastern dragons originated from Japan. They also believed that when the dragons began to leave Japan, they gain toes. The farther the dragons went, the more toes they gained. This is why the other dragons have more toes. The breath of Japanese dragons turned into clouds, which could produce rain or fire. Due to a measure upon their heads, they could ascend to Heaven when they chose.
Korean dragons have four toes. The Koreans believe that all eastern dragons originated from Korea. When the dragons leave Korea and go toward China, they gain toes. When the dragons leave Korea and go toward Japan, they lose toes.
How did they fly?
Unlike most types of dragon, most Eastern Dragons have no wings. (As a mater of fact, Ying-Lung dragons were the only ones to have wings.) How pray tell did these dragons fly? Well the people of the East saw dragons as magical beings, so they believed in "Flight by Magic".
On Chinese dragon's heads, they would have a lump called the chi'ih-muh. This is usually omitted in pictures, either due to the fact that the Chinese did not wish to put it in or due to the fact that the lump looks "normal".
Some dragons did not have a chi'ih-muh. Instead, they had a wand (or baton) shaped object that they called po-shan. This too would allow them to fly.
Well that's it for now. Hope you liked it!
" Dragon fact "
I know this is really late, but I've been having internet problems again. Hopefully it should be fixed now. The last one was about eastern dragons losing and gaining claws..I think. So I've decided to give ya some info on Korean dragons. Enjoy ^.^
The Koreans have lived for centuries with their own distinct set of beliefs. But they are also bound by a common Asian symbol. In Korea, dragons are called yong, and there are three main types:
Yong: is the most powerful and protects the sky.
Yo: is hornless and lives in the ocean.
Kyo: dwells in the mountains on Earth.
The Korean dragon has the head of a camel, the horns of a deer, the eyes of a rabbit, the ears of an ox, the neck of a snake, the belly of a frog, the scales of a carp, the claws of a hawk, and the feet of a tiger.
Like the Chinese, Koreans also believe the original Asian dragon originated in their homeland, where it was born with 81 scales lining its back and four claws in each hand and each foot.
Well that's it for now. Next time I'll tell ya a little about the Japanese Dragons
Dragons in Japan are similar to their Chinese counterparts. Known as tatsu or ryu, Japanese dragons are also national symbols and the insignia of the royal family. According to Japanese lore, a single female dragon spawned nine young dragons and like the Chinese, each of the nine became distinctive sub-types, reigning in heaven, the seas, and all points of the Earth. However, Japanese dragons are more serpent-like and have the ability to alter its size at will, or become invisible.
Tatsus are also identifiable by their three claws. Chinese beliefs maintain that since the dragon has traveled so far away from China, they have lost all but three claws in Japan. But in Japan, the original Asian dragon is native to their country, where it was born with only three claws. According to the Japanese, dragons traveling away from Japan would grow extra claws.
Regardless of the region of origin, Asian dragons are usually depicted in the colors blue, black, white, red, or the ever popular yellow. Often, they are shown bearing a pearl in their mouth, under their chin, or in their claws. This pearl symbolizes the power that enables the dragon to ascend to heaven. A beloved figure, dragons are not only a symbol of identity, but also the essence of Asia.
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