Hi Everyone!
I want to thank Sapphyria’s Book Reviews for inviting me to
contribute a post to this wonderful site!
As Saph is a self-admitted fan of dragons, demons and other
paranormal friends, I thought it might be interesting to write a post about one
of these wonderful creatures. I am speaking about the dragon; however, I should
qualify this by making a clear distinction between the Western dragon and its
much-misunderstood Eastern cousin.
I’ve spent many years in various parts of Asia and when I
first set foot in Taiwan as a student, I was quickly educated on the
differences between the Eastern dragon and its fire-breathing, virgin-consuming
Western cousin. These differences were hammered home in later years, as I began
research for my first book, Chasing Dragons, in which Chinese dragons and
dragon lore feature prominently.
Eastern dragons are a symbol of Imperial authority and
embody a host of traits that include power, integrity, excellence,
decisiveness, nobility and intelligence. Perhaps as the necessary counterpoint
to this Imperial lineage, they can also be vain, impulsive, ambitious, and
stubborn, and no doubt enjoy their status at the top of the zodiac hierarchy.
They are magical creatures heavily associated with water and weather and in
some instances are known to change shape and even assume human form.
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Many Chinese families hope to have a child born in the year
of the dragon so as to acquire some of the creature’s more favorable traits.
Famous dragons in history include Bruce Lee, Dr. Seuss, Friedrich Nietzsche,
Florence Nightingale, Deng Xiaoping, Ernesto "Che" Guevara, Helen Keller
and Salvador Dali.
Nightingale the dragon! A remarkable woman and to many a
delirious, wounded solider who saw her coming with her trademark lamp, she
might have appeared as an ethereal, otherworldly figure.
Dragons have featured prominently in Chinese history and
mythology for generations and there have been many stories involving dragons in
various ways. Here is one that I’ve always liked.
During China’s Northern and Southern Dynasties period, which
was around 420-589 AD, there lived a famous painter named Zhang Seng-Zuong. The
Emperor Liang Wu was said to be a major fan of his work and one day, Seng-Zuong
was asked to paint the wall of the temple of Andong. He agreed and created this
beautiful image of four dragons soaring through the clouds. Everyone loved
these vivid dragons, but one man asked why Seng-Zuong didn't paint in the
pupils of the dragons’ eyes. Well, they will fly away if the pupils are put in,
answered Seng-Zuong. Nobody believed him, of course, and thought he was joking.
They badgered him until he finally agreed to paint in the pupils. He took up
his paintbrush and after a moment of hesitation, filled in the eyes of two of
the dragons.
Almost immediately, amidst a swirl of thunder, lightning and
rolling clouds, the two dragons suddenly came to life. The crowd of people
immediately scattered with some rushing to hide behind pillars and others
dropping to the floor and covering their heads. A loud crash was heard as part
of the wall broke apart and collapsed to the floor. The two dragons writhed and
struggled but soon pulled free and soared into the sky leaving chaos and
destruction behind. Fortunately, the two dragons without pupils remained
peacefully on the wall where Seng-Zuong had painted them.
This tradition has continued and if anyone has ever attended
a Dragon Boat race, they will note that eyes are painted on prior to the race
to “awaken” the dragon. It’s a cool thing to see and perhaps owes homage to the
story above.
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In my book, Chasing Dragons, I confess that I take some
liberties with my Chinese dragons, but I do try to remain true to their genuine
nature and avoid completely any identification with the fire-breathers of
Western lore. Readers ultimately judge if I have succeeded. Either way, I hope
that anyone who sees an Eastern dragon will be mindful of its remarkable
history and avoid calling for an unruly mob of knights to attack it!
Bio:
Douglas Jaffe has been in Asia for most of the last two
decades and originally came to the region from New York as a graduate student,
studying in China and Taiwan. He has a dual Masters in Chinese Studies and
International Affairs and speaks passable Chinese on a good day.
In recent years, Douglas has pursued his interest in writing
fiction and has recently published his first novel, Chasing Dragons. A second
book is currently in the works.
You can find Doug on his Chasing Dragons Facebook page or on
his Goodreads author page.
https://www.facebook.com/chasingdragonsnovel
http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6714316.Douglas_A_Jaffe
Chasing Dragons is available for purchase at Amazon, Barnes&Noble and other online retailers.
Amazon - Chasing Dragons
Barnes&Noble - http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/chasing-dragons-douglas-a-jaffe/1113934417?ean=9781624883729
1 comment:
Great book, can't wait to go find it for myself. Also love your blog back ground. have a terrific day!
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