Thursday, October 15, 2009

Chinese Dragon Tattoo

The Chinese Dragon Tattoo - What does it mean?
By Marie Wilson



Dragon tattoos are the most popular mythical creature called for in tattoo shops. People find themselves intrigued with their power, grace and spirituality. History and traditions of the Dragon is steeped in almost every culture throughout the world. This makes them interesting to note that almost anyone regardless of whether they were or were not even consider a tattoo. Dragon temptation is especially true for the Chinese dragon tattoo. People simply can not tear their eyes away from it.

While the Dragon is shown in the tales of blood are often harsh and hungry for the fire breathing monsters, and the Chinese dragon symbolizes just the opposite. Affectionately called descendants of the Chinese people the dragon because the dragon is a smart, kind and full of good intentions. She was said to bring rain much needed. This is the snake-like dragon and often do not have wings. They also have five claws. The Chinese Dragon in a very specific design. To have 117 tables, 81 are positive (Yang) while 36 are negative (Ying).



There are more than 100 dragon named old. Choose one of the Chinese dragon tattoo will require a lot of research and a lot of patience. It's worth the effort to have the authentic tattoo that speaks personally to those who you are. Here are just a few examples for consideration to you. Jiaolong hornless dragon that is said to be the leader of all aquatic animals. Tianlong heavenly dragon said to guard the sky. Shenlong is the god of thunder, which control the weather and Longwang is the divine ruler of the sea four. There are many more - this is not only a taste!



There are also five dragons colored classified as kings. White Dragon pure utopia. The Black Dragon lurks the mystic in deep water, and the dragon fruit to give the Vermillion lakes, the Azure Dragon is the most compassionate of all the Yellow Dragon kindness listen to any appeals.

These kings are only some sub-categories falling into the Chinese dragon. Chinese dragon tattoo can be literally one of hundreds of historically portrayed.



Whatever the Chinese dragon tattoo you choose, please make sure it is done correctly, and good taste. It is taboo in Chinese culture to distort the dragon. It is seen as very disrespectful. In an attempt to be faithful to this entire process, and ensure that your tattoo artist has a good knowledge on this particular subject. Chinese dragon is a symbol of power and strength. It is revered and distortion is no doubt that it will reach the soft spot.



Dragon are some of the most beautiful creatures and mythical monarchy that was created than ever before. It is mysterious and compelling. These properties make them exceptional for tattoos. A Chinese dragon tattoo will become a piece of the conversation. If you do your research, you should be able to wow anyone with your knowledge on this subject. Will be pleasantly surprised with the amount of thought and preparation which was put into your tattoo. It will become more than just a masterpiece. Will become a statement about you and what you are.

Chinese Dragon Tatoo

About Chinese Dragon Tattoo - What Most People Don't Know But Should
By Fanyun Ding

Chinese dragon is a mythical divine beast originated from ancient Chinese folklores. It is now commonly depicted as a huge, serpentine, and scaled creature. Unlike "western dragon" that has been described as evil, Chinese dragon has long been symbolized as the power of auspice both in folklore and art. Created on the land of an agriculture-oriented country, Chinese dragon is believed to bring rain and water, which well explains the position it takes in Chinese culture.

For centuries, Chinese people proudly refer to themselves as "Long De Chuan Ren", or "Descendants of the Dragon". This ethnic identity is believed to originate from Huang Di, a benevolent, legendary emperor who was said to have been immortalized into a dragon. Since Huang Di is considered to be the ancestor of Chinese, hence the saying "Descendants of the Dragon".



Due to that Huang Di myth, Chinese dragon is also symbolized as an imperial power. For dynasties, emperors were referred to as "Long Zi" or "offspring of the dragon", who wore imperial robes with dragons drawn on and claimed to have a dragon birthmark as a divine authorization by heaven.

Chinese dragon is also among the 12 animals of the Chinese zodiac, a special Chinese way of designating years. To be more specific, year 2000,1988,1976,1964,1952 or any year with a 12-year gap between would be year of the dragon. In order to be "like a dragon", there are more babies born in the years of dragon than in any other animal years of the Chinese Zodiac.



Given all the foresaid reasons, it is not hard to understand why Chinese dragon is so popular among tattoo lovers. In fact, if you happen to be born in those dragon years, it's much recommended that you get a dragon tattoo because you are born blessed to be connected with Chinese dragon.

Basically, Chinese dragon is being tattooed in two forms: picture and character. Some prefer to have their whole back area tattooed with a vivid picture of dragon, while others may be satisfied with the Chinese character of "dragon" tattooed within a one-inch square of area. For dragon picture tattoos, a careful selection of the picture as well as the tattoo artist would be enough to ensure a quality dragon tattoo. For dragon character tattoos, however, it takes efforts to find a great tattoo idea, since you have to take many factors into consideration, including the literal meaning, the "actual" meaning, and the "cultural meaning" of the word that you select. Well, that's just the tricky thing of Chinese.



Fortunately, there are many Chinese phrases that associate with the idea of Chinese dragon. Followings are three dragon-related Chinese idioms for your reference.

Shen Long Ma Zhuang/ Long Shen Ma Zhuang

Strong and energetic with an impressive bearing.

Both Shen Long Ma Zhuang and Long Shen Ma Zhuang are legitimate as an idiom, as in many cases Chinese characters can be reversed in words yet remain a similar meaning, just like this one.



Literally speaking, Shen means "magical, with divine power", Long means "dragon", Ma means "horse" and Zhuang means "strong". In Chinese culture, horse is considered intelligent, powerful and friendly to human, which therefore is used together with dragon in this idiom to describe the state of being strong and energetic.

What's worth noting, however, is that Long usually appears before Hu in expression, and it would seem weird when reversed. That being said, it would be a great idea to add Hu to your tattoo if your former choice was to ink Long alone, yet the right way to do this would be to ink "Long Hu", not "Hu Long".


Celtic Dragon Tattoos

Do Dragon Tattoos Fly in Your Celtic Heritage?
By Dan Thompson



If you're looking for a tattoo design that breathes fire, while depicting mystical strength and benevolence, the ancient dragon tattoo is the one for you. Dragons have been capturing the minds and hearts of people for centuries and still are, if the current popularity of dragon tattoos are any indicator of that continuing fascination.

The myths and legends around this flying creature can be found in many fairy tales and are part of the folklore of most ancient cultures. Usually, dragons are thought of as belonging to Asia, but the are part of the beliefs and mythology of cultures all over the world.



Dragons in Eastern cultures are associated with good luck, kindness, fertility and are considered protectors of the villages they fly over. The Western dragon is not so benevolent and is most often depicted as an evil destroyer of villages and a fire-snorting guardian of chests full of treasure hidden in deep caves on a mountaintop.

One of the more spiritual legends about dragons and their powers comes from the beliefs and superstitions of the ancient Celtic chiefs of Ireland. In their beliefs, dragons were symbols of power held by the Celtic tribal ruler. The title, "Pendragon," is the Celtic word for "Chief."



Though the Celts were one of the fiercest groups populating Europe in ancient times, they were spiritual in their relationship with the land around them. That spirituality carried over to Celtic dragons who were believed to influence the land and sites identified as dragon haunts were believed to possess special powers.

The ancient Druids, the priests of the ancient Celtic societies, thought the Earth resembled the body of a dragon, and that dragons were our spiritual connection with Earth's magnetism and healing waters. Some historians say they built their sacred stone circles where they believed the power nodes of the dragon's body existed.



The term "dragon" comes from the Greek word that translates to "to see clearly," which indicates the benevolent nature the Celts believed their dragons possessed, the gift of vision, wisdom and the ability to prophesize.

If you decide to decorate your body with a dragon tattoo, and your ancestry is Irish, stemming from the ancient Celtic tribes, you would be continuing the myths that survived a thousand years of wonderment and the magical powers of dragons. If you select the circular Celtic dragon swallowing its tail, your tattoo would symbolize eternal life.



Tattoo artists the world over are famous for beautiful dragon tattoos of all sizes and colors. Whether your choice of a dragon tattoo is one of the fire-snorting creatures that caste fear on the villagers or one that protected the land and promised eternal life, your body art is sure to be admired by all who see it.