Daily in April will be posted a written story: 'How Dragons Shaped China'; the Hindu Ramayana from SITA's point of view; and from Korea, 'Taming of Tiger'; from my days of telling verbal stories at the Asian Art Museum in San Francisco. These tradi...
The Chinese have told stories of the dragons in the sea, and on land, and in the air for thousands of years. The first drawing of a dragon, without wings, was found on a stone dating back 7,600 years. There are the heavenly celestial Dragons, the weather dragons of the sky, the earth dragons of the rivers, lakes, and mountains and the court dragons. Dragons fly, control the weather, die and are reborn, and change shapes. The bones of the dragons, when found in lakes, rivers and on mountains, were used as powerful medicines.
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This is the first dragon's story.
This creation myth was told on wide stairs going up a huge white hall into the Chinese Gallery at the Asian Art Museum in San Francisco. This story is about birth and life and ---> the yang and yin of the balance of the male and female within all of us.
As a storyteller, I wanted visitors and children to know why Dragons are important. My stories tell the history of and the respect the dragon gained and has in the Chinese culture. If I misrepresent anything please let me know.
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In the beginning of time, there were no humans, no seas, no waves, no rain or winds; there was no sand or dirt, no plant or trees, no living animals. The universe was a turning mist swirling around and around.
The mist twisted
hot and cold,
damp and dry,
soft and hard,
thin and thick.
Chaos, disorder, was everywhere.
Light flashed.
Rumbles vibrated through all.
Heavy matter and light air twirling together tighter and tighter. Around and around coming together as a turning mass, a circle and inside the center was an EGG with a hard shell.
CRACK! U g g a a a a a a gh!
A long nose followed by two large eyes poked out. More the egg cracked and five clawed toes pushed out. Wider broke the egg; two legs reached out then three, then four.
CRACK! The shell broke open.
Then a long-necked, four-legged and rough-tailed creature, P'angu stretched.
P'angu breathed into his body. He looked at himself.
His face had wide nostrils and a beak for a mouth.
One longhorn grew in the center of his head.
He had long ears surrounded by fur and a single horn on top.
