Two Dragons and Their Tails opus 802
| 26 March 2026 1131 Hours | | Custom, Anthropology, History, Philosophy, Psychology, Superstition |
For some reason, dragons became prominent
In two diverse parts of the world.
The Chinese dragon is an assemblage of a camel's head,
Horns of a deer, eyes of a demon, a snake's neck,
And covered with a carp's scales.
The European dragon is very reptilian,
Bearing heavy scales, four stout legs, and large leathery wings.
In Europe the dragon challenges St. George or Beowulf.
In China it is a sacred ancestor and an imperial symbol.
(These dragons are modelled after the now rare Chinese Alligator.)
The Chinese dragons are wise, sentient gods,
Managing the celestial bureaucracy and providing the land with rainfall.
Thus, while European dragons are monsters to be slain,
With a lizard-like body and wings, associated with fire and hell,
Greedy, evil, and hoarding treasure;
The Chinese dragon is benevolent, to be worshipped,
With a long, wingless, serpentine body, associated with rain and rivers,
Harboring luck, wisdom, and imperial power,
Flying only magically and somehow controlling the weather.
I do wonder how a European perceives a Chinese dragon,
And, of course, the other way 'round!