Year of the Dragon + 'The Four Dragons' Folktale
(image from Pinterest)
The Lunar New Year began on the 10th of February, heralding the Year of the Dragon, specifically the Wood Dragon.
The Chinese calendar is known as a ‘lunisolar’ calendar as it relies on both the sun and moon cycles to calculate dates.
Unlike the Western zodiac that has, roughly, a sign for each of the 12 months, the Chinese zodiac revolves around a 12-year cycle.
The Dragon, the 5th animal sign in the Chinese zodiac, is regarded as an auspicious creature, symbolising power, honour, luck, and success.
In Chinese mythology, Chinese dragons live at the bottom of bodies of water – seas, rivers, and lakes.
They are said to be able to float on clouds and ride the mist, summon wind and call down the rain.
In ancient times, the dragon symbolised imperial power, and only the emperor was allowed to use its image.
As I’ve already written about the story of the Chinese Zodiac back in 2016, here’s a popular folktale about dragons.
(Own image, from Kuan Yin temple in KL, Malaysia)
THE FOUR DRAGONS
In a faraway time, there were no rivers and lakes on the earth, only the Eastern Sea, guarded by four dragons – the Great Dragon, the Yellow Dragon, the Black Dragon, and the Pearl Dragon.
One day, while the four dragons were soaring and playing in the sky, the Pearl Dragon caught sight of something on the earth, and quickly called to the other three.
They saw a multitude of people, all clasping sticks of burning incense, kneeling with their heads bowed.
Drifting down a little closer, the dragons heard the words of an old woman who had a thin boy lying against her.
“Please, God of Heaven,” she said, “please send rain quickly, so our children have rice to eat.”
Then the dragons noticed the withered crops, the yellowed grass and cracked fields under the blazing sun.
“How long has it been since the rains have come?” said the Yellow Dragon. “If it does not rain soon, the people will surely die.”
The other dragons nodded their agreement.
Then the Great Dragon said, “Let us go the Jade Emperor, and beg him to send rain.”
He led the way upwards into the high clouds, followed by his fellow dragons, and they flew to the Heavenly Palace.
The Jade Emperor, the powerful God of Heaven, presided over all the affairs in heaven, on earth, and in the sea.
He was greatly displeased at the sudden arrival of the dragons.
“Why are you here?” he said. “You should be in the sea where you belong.”
The Great Dragon stepped forward, lowering his serpentine neck to bow his head. “Most honoured Majesty, the earth has been without rain for so long, the crops have withered. The people are suffering. We have come to beg you to please send the rain down.”
The Jade Emperor frowned darkly, then said, “I will send the rain tomorrow. Return to your work.”
The four dragons thanked the Jade Emperor, and flew back to their home in the sea, happy that the people’s suffering would soon end.
However, as the dragons left, the Jade Emperor summoned his goddesses to sing, so he could sleep.
After ten days, the dragons emerged from the sea, expecting to see the earth changed and the people happy.
To their disbelief, the earth remained as dry as before, and the people’s suffering had increased.
They were now reduced to eating bark, grass roots, even white clay.
The four dragons were overcome with sadness, and disappointed that the Jade Emperor cared little for the people.
They wanted to help the people but what could they do?
The Great Dragon, unable to bear the sight of the starving people, turned his gaze to the sea.
Suddenly, an idea came to him.
“There is plenty of water in the sea, is there not?” he said to the others.
They nodded, mystified.
“Let us scoop up the water, fly high to the clouds and spray the water. It will fall like rain drops onto the earth. Surely that will save the people.”
The other three immediately agreed with his idea.
Then the Great Dragon’s excitement turned to worry.
“What is the matter?” asked the Pearl Dragon.
“If we do this and the Jade Emperor learns of it, we will be punished.”
Silence followed his words until the Yellow Dragon said, “I will do anything if it means the people are saved.”
“Yes,” said the Great Dragon, his voice firm and resolute once more. “I will never regret my actions.”
“Neither will we,” said the Black Dragon and the Pearl Dragon.
Then all four flew to the sea, scooped water up in their mouths, and flew high into the sky before spraying the water over the earth.
Countless times, the dragons flew back and forth, and the sky began to turn dark.
Then the sea water turned into rain as it poured down from the sky.
The people turned their faces heavenwards as the deluge soaked them.
“It’s raining,” they cried. “It’s raining. We’re saved.” And they laughed and danced in the rain.
The crops slowly straightened, raising their heads as if they too rejoiced in the life-giving rain.
But the god of the sea, aware of what had happened, quickly ascended to the Heavenly Palace, and told the Jade Emperor of what the four dragons had done.
“How dare the four dragons bring rain?” shouted the Jade Emperor. “How dare they act without my permission?”
Furious, the Jade Emperor ordered his heavenly generals and their troops to capture the four dragons.
The four dragons tried to escape into the depths of the sea, but outnumbered, were soon captured.
They were dragged to the Heavenly Palace to face their punishment.
The Jade Emperor had no desire to listen to any explanation, turning instead to the Mountain God whom he’d summoned.
“Take four mountains and lay one on each of these dragons to forever hold them that they may never escape.”
Using his powers, the Mountain God caused four mountains to fly to him, and he pressed them down on the four dragons.
Thus imprisoned, far from their home in the sea, the four dragons did not regret their actions.
Still determined to help the people, they turned themselves into four rivers.
Flowing past high mountains and deep valleys, the rivers surged from the west of the land to the east to finally empty into the sea, the home of the four dragons.
Thus, the four great rivers of China were formed.
In the far north is the ‘Heilongjian’ (Black Dragon); the ‘Huanghe’ (Yellow Dragon) in central China; further south, the ‘Changjiang’ or ‘Yangtze’ (Great Dragon); and the ‘Zhujiang’ (Pearl Dragon) in the far south.
(Own image, from Kuan Yin temple in KL, Malaysia)
Over the weekend, to herald the start of the Year of the Dragon, dragons appeared in the Singapore night sky, as they did in a number of other Asian countries, thanks to drones.