Lung Shui, the House Dragon
Almost four years ago, my husband, (Magnum), and I took our son, Peep, to Disney World. We had a wonderful camping trip in the highest rated campground in the US, and managed to visit four parks in a week where we walked at least 25,000 steps every day, according to Magnums pedometer! We went to Epcot, and visited the back part, the Round the world tour! I was well on the way toward meeting my goal of eating my way around the world, when we decided to get out of the heat, and visit the China gift shop.
Delicate tea pots beckoned, beautiful silk fans waved gently, and the Chinese art and dcor was fascinating. Gazing at all the different goodies offered, my eyes were drawn by a whole section of dragons. Chinese dragons! Beautiful Chinese dragons of every size, shape, and description! Oh MY!!!
"Every house needs a dragon," I told my husband. "Dragons are good luck!" Behind me, the little lady at the China Pavilion in Epcot Center giggled and nodded vigorously. "Yes," she said, "very good luck!" My husband looked doubtful at first, but then, considering-- weighing good luck versus bad luck, he nodded. "I would like a dragon," he said.
"Will you help us select one?" I asked the lady.
"Yes, one with Good Fortune!" she chuckled. Her black hair shone and her face was porcelain perfection. She was so very beautiful! How can these ladies, with a smile, convey such gracious acceptance of us, the "foreign devils"? I have always been fascinated by China, reading books about the Chinese culture, learning in bits and pieces. I have several colleagues at work that are from China who occasionally indulged me by talking about China, even though they are sure I am too stupid to understand. I had already placed special China tea in my shopping bag to take to them, and thought, I can show them the dragon! They can help me understand!
"I would really like a traditional dragon, one that looks most like the real ones in China," I said.
She looked into my eyes for a moment, thoughtfully. I smiled at her, "I will take care of the dragon. It will have a place of honor in my home. I mean no disrespect. A traditional dragon, like the real ones in China!"
She unhesitatingly selected the green dragon. "Most traditional," she said, "Best luck!"
I thanked her, and watched as she carefully wrapped the green dragon in tissue paper, placing it carefully in a box. "Good Fortune!" she smiled at me. I thanked her again.
Traveling in its box, wrapped in tissue, the green dragon came home with us. When we got home, I carefully opened its wood box, and unwound the sheets of tissue. I placed it beside my bed. "What's your name, little dragon?" I asked with a smile. "Will you watch over us? Will you bring my family good luck?"
The dragon's eyes gleamed, mystery in its smile.
That night, I dreamed of a mythical, mystical beast that tossed its head above foaming waves. In my dreams, the green dragon was alive! It was huge, and the water fell from its scales in shining cascades as it stepped from the foam on the sea, turned its head and looked at me. Then, with hardly a whisper, it carefully picked its way through the sands of the shore to disappear into the mist... I woke groggily, and wondered if the dragon would deign to live with us!
That morning, the little green dragon had not moved, frozen in a fearsome pose. After watching it for a moment, I came to feel that I needed to know how to care for our dragon, so that it would gladly watch over us. Good fortune must be earned, I remembered Fu Yuin Fas teacher, from the book "Young Fu, of the Upper Yangtze". To earn good fortune, I must care for our little dragon very carefully.
The internet yielded some information about Chinese dragons. Unlike their European counterparts, Chinese dragons are very benevolent beings. Chinese dragons only wreak havoc when the emperor or the people do not care for them properly. I learned that there are, basically, nine kinds of Chinese dragons:
- The Horned Dragon -- Giver of rain;
- The Winged Dragon -- Domain over the wind;
- The Celestial Dragon -- Protector of heavenly mansions of the gods;
- The Spirit Dragon -- Blesses earth with rain and wind;
- The Earth Dragon -- Protector of lakes, rivers, and seas;
- The Underworld Dragon -- Guardian of hidden treasures, such as gems, gold, and other precious metals;
- The Coiled Dragon -- Water dweller of lakes and oceans;
- The Yellow Dragon -- Emerged from water to bestow the art of writing to Emperor Fu Shi; and
- The Dragon King -- The God of the wind, sea, and all four directions, (east, west, north, and south).
Royal dragons or dragons that were honored or worshiped by the emperor had five claws. Those related to royalty in some way could own dragons with four claws, and the peasants were only allowed to have three-toed dragons in their homes.
Korean dragons have four toes, while Japanese dragons have only three toes-- due to the fact that the farther a dragon travels from China, the more toes he loses. Chinese dragons are allowed to travel no farther than Japan. Dragons in other cultures are not eastern dragons, and have no status among eastern dragons.
I looked at my little dragon. I told her, YOU will have status with us!
Female dragons have fins on their tails, while male dragons have clubs. Chinese dragons have the attributes of nine different animals. Not all dragons have horns, but horned dragons have the horns of a deer. All dragons have the head of a camel, the eyes of a rabbit, the neck of a snake, the belly of a frog, the scales of a carp, the paws of a tiger, the claws of an eagle, and the ears of an ox.
Horned dragons, known as Lung , (loong, the oo as in moon), are the strongest dragons, and can overcome all obstacles. They are valiant and protective of people. They are totally deaf, but they can bring rain, and are very powerful. Usually, they are shown with their heads pointing to the south and their tails pointing to the north. From this, the flaming pearl of wisdom comes from the east. I carefully looked at our little dragon. It was a she and she had horns! She also had a flaming pearl of wisdom! So far, so good!
Then, I read about the chi'ih muh-- a small flat horn on the top of the dragon's head, which enables them to fly without wings! Sure enough, our little dragon has a chi'ih muh! She can fly!
There are several life stages to a dragon's life. Since our dragon has horns, she is 1500 to 2000 years old, and is in the prime of her life, and has earned her flaming pearl of wisdom. Dragons rarely live beyond 3000 years of age. When it is time for a dragon to die, they sit at the rim of a volcano and sing a song that lets all the dragons in the world know that one of their community is leaving. All the dragons sing the song with their fellow dragon. Then, at the moment of death, the dragon plunges down into the hot lava, to become as one with the earth.
My first day back at work, I carefully wrapped the little dragon in my best silk scarf, and gently carried her to the lab area, next to my heart, where my Chinese friends work. I am the closest to Eric, and can talk with him about most things He is kind to me, for which I am grateful.
Eric? Got a minute? I asked, suddenly shy. Would he think I was being disrespectful?
He motioned me over to his desk. I carefully unwrapped the dragon, and asked him, Can you help me find a name for my dragon?
Eric peered at me sternly. I gulped, and said, Eric, I know she is not as nice as the dragons in China, but I want to make her happy. Im hoping that you can help me find a name for her, and can tell me how to care for her so that she will be happy!
Chinese people dont believe in dragons, he said, affronted. That is LONG in the past. Dragons are a silly custom! And we NEVER name a dragon!
Feeling that I had insulted him somehow, I said, I mean no harm, Eric. I know it is a silly custom, but such a lovely custom, dont you think? She is very beautiful to meI only hope to honor her, and ask her to watch over my family My voice trailed off. I had not meant to insult my friend!
Erics eyes softened. He and I had once talked about how I wished to learn more about China and that in my ignorance, if I asked questions, I never meant harm or pain to him, I just wanted to understand. He nodded his head, slowly, looking into my eyes.
She doesn't have a name, that I can find, and she deserves one," I said. I looked at the floor. "I wish to be respectful of her. Please understand. You would know her better than I. I can only try to learn about her. Please, I am not trying to make you uncomfortable, nor hurt your feelings. I would like to be respectful of her. She has a spirit, dont you think?"
He held her up to the light, and her sparkles glittered. "She is a very pretty dragon, isn't she?" he asked gently.
"Yes, she is. She has a beautiful face! That is why she deserves a good name. One that would make her feel at home in my house. One that would make her happy," I said, softly. "Please, understand that I truly feel that one must earn good fortune. I would like to honor her with a good name, and bring joy to her spirit."
He thought for a moment and said, "Lung is the name of horned dragons. She is coming out of the water... What about Lung Shui? Shui is the word for water."
"Thank you, that is perfect. It is a very pretty name, Loong Shway. I can even say it!" He shrugged his shoulders and handed her back to me. "Well, I can't say it that well, but it is a very lovely name for a pretty dragon. I want to make sure she is happy in our home. It will be a full time job just watching over us!"
We laughed together, and his eyes were soft. He understood. As I was leaving him, he smiled at me and said, You know that we dont believe in dragons any more, but don't make her mad He shrugged his shoulders again, with a secretive gleam in his eyes
I brought Long Shui home again, and placed her on the table beside my bed. I sometimes burn a small stick of incense for her, and have placed my best gemstones at her feet. I occasionally place an orange beside her, so that she can eat of the spirit of the orange. Perhaps, if Im very good, and very careful, she will continue to bring us good fortune!
Thanks for coming by!
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Long Shui sits in a place of honor in my little "Chinese Room"... She has definitely brought us good luck, and her benevolent smile has often cheered all of us!
Thanks for coming by!
PS, I know she's really just "junk"-- but I love her!
LOL!
You sound like John Huston. He said he had married "a ballerina, a journalist, an actress, and a crocodile..."
Is Chongqing, what used to be Chunking? Thanks!
Thanks for coming by to see me...
See how ignorant I am? My son studies all this, and knows it so well-- but when he tells me about it, he pronounces it in Chinese, and I can't seem to figure it out, at all!!!
Thanks, so very much!!! 30 million people! WOW! I bet it is beautiful there!
Do you know which province or area, has the mountains that stand up out of the ground like loaves of bread?
And thank you, for your patience!
Golly! Those are beautiful and look like they're floating!!! Probably the same range/geologic history as these:
They were shown in the movie The Joy Luck Club... She described them as fish jumping out of the pan!
Charles, wherever it was, she was escaping the Japanese... I've seen pictures of the place, but can't seem to find exactly what I'm looking for...
In the book, (and the movie), Suyan Woo was married to an officer, and had to flee the Japanese, with her twin babies in a heavy cart. She walked through the mountains that looked like fish jumping out of the hot oil in a pan. This may be it, but the mountains that I recall seeing are more rounded at the top. One right after the other... Seemingly rising up out of the ground. Sort of like a Sugar Loaf Mountain chain in China.
Kweilin-- I'll look that one up! -- Looks like it is a similar area...
Those are called Karst Towers. Geologically, the rest of the mountain has dissolved. Now, isn't that neat?
Phonetic spelling of How are you--
Knee how ma, Long Shen?