A dragon tattoo is a famous tattoo that is highly preferred by tattoo addicts from different countries of the world. As we all have seen in the movies, a dragon is portrayed as a powerful creature of ancient times. There are numerous Chinese and Japanese stories made on dragons and the powers related to them. These stories make the viewers wonder if the dragons existed. A dragon is a giant creature that has combined features of different animals, for example, its head looks like a camel’s head, its paws resemble tiger paws and it may have eagle-like claws. Dragon tattoos have a long history and deep meaning.
History
The trend of making dragon sketches and portraits came from China and Japan which later gained popularity in different parts of the world. Here in this article we will acknowledge different facts regarding dragons and will tell you how a Chinese dragon differs from a Japanese dragon.
The Chinese dragon
Chinese dragons are portrayed as snake-like creatures. They have five legs and they don’t have wings but according to Chinese beliefs, they can fly due to their spiritual abilities. Chinese dragon is considered the symbol of fate and intelligence. In China, you may find pictures of various dragons in shops and houses as it is believed that a dragon brings success and can save a person from failure and bad luck. This is also a reason why tattoo lovers in China highly demand dragon tattoos.
People of China have such strong beliefs about dragons that they worship them. Many festivals in China like the famous “Dragon Boat festival” (also known as “Duanwu Jie” in Chinese) are celebrated by people with great joy.
The Japanese dragon
Most people may be unaware of the fact that the Japanese dragon is completely different from the Chinese dragon. Not only the appearance of the Japanese dragon is different, but these dragons are worshiped with different beliefs as well.
As we know that Japan is one of the largest island countries in the world, therefore people in Japan relates dragon with nature. Japanese dragons could be of different colors such as green, blue, gold, or black.
A green dragon is associated with nature. A blue dragon may represent water and it is associated with forgiveness. On the other hand, the gold dragon is known for its intelligence and wisdom. It is considered the rarest of all dragons. Similarly, the black dragon symbolizes experience and wisdom.
Dragon and the Western world
The western world displays an entirely different image of dragons. They consider it an ‘evil’ and harmful monster-like creature that is dangerous for the world. They think of a dragon as a creature with enormous wings and a long tail, an animal that lives in caves and can burn anything by blowing fire. The Buddhist and Taoist traditions may emphasize worshiping dragons but the Christians still consider them the devil.