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...
Dragons had magic, power, good fortune, abundance, and gave wisdom. The Jade Dragons ruled in Heaven controlling the clouds, vapors, and the rain, which provided rice, fruits, herbs, and vegetables for the people. Queen Mother, yin, and King Father, yang, became powerful human gods losing their dragon bodies and living in the Jade Palace on the Golden Mountain in the heaven.
As a deserving fish who jumped the great falls of the Yellow River became a dragon; so during the Golden Dynasty, a scholar of the three perfections: writing, drawing, and poetry became a royal court dragon. As a Dragon of the Emperor's court, a scholar traveled into the country to write poetry and paint; these were sent to the Emperor for displaying his wealth and blessings. Other scholars stayed at court tending the business as court Dragons.
The Emperor watched from his throne as the celestial dragons watched from the sky. He had his court and scholar Dragons to help with decisions as the celestial Queen Mother of the West and the King Father of the East had weather dragons in their court.
During the Song Dynasty as the myths, legends, and folktales flourish about dragons, the Dynasties Emperors were sons of the royal heavenly dragons. By mandate, as the celestial dragons predicted the functions of the earth's weather and natural disasters, the Earthly Emperor who ruled Imperial China watching from his throne gave wisdom about the weather.
Since Li Chi and other brave warriors kept worms and serpents out of China, and after many wars, and the closing of the silk roads, we come to the age of the Golden Dragon, the Song Dynasty 400 to 1400 centuries and the arts they created and we have today.
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STOooRrrrYyyy,
Sssttooorrrrriieeee,
Sssttooorrrrriieeee.
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Welcome story lovers!
A poet paints beauty with words and images. In a beautiful ancient Taoist garden, Siang Yu creates a lasting love with a peony, a young maiden.
A young scholar, Siang Yu completed his training in the three perfections, poetry, art, and calligraphy. He is a scholar, a Dragon of the Golden Court of the Song Dynasty. As ages ago, Prince Yu, said to Turtle, the friend of First Dragon, P'angu, "We will carve the Yellow River and leave the rapids over the steep rocks. When a fish jumps these rapids, this fish becomes a dragon." This young Court Dragon, Siang Yu paints beauty with words and images. In a beautiful ancient Taoist garden, Siang Yu creates a lasting love with a peony, a young maiden.
Siang Yu walked along the valley. He watched the blue and white dragons play in the sky, while the Goddess of the mountains danced with her Faeries as they play among the flowers. The river dragons swam. The earth dragons slept in the warmth of the sun. The farmers harvested their rice crop and readied to put in the winter rice.
He came to a lovely, old worn, garden with a pink tree peony growing from the stone wall. He climbed the old worn stairs and entered an enchanted place. The Irises still bloomed. He had the feeling someone watched him and was glad when he found the gardener.
The scholar Siang Yu bowed to the gardener, "From where and why is this garden?" The gardener bowed, "This is an old garden of the Taoism. We, of the village volunteer to keep the flowers blooming."
"Why this is an excellent place for me, to write my poems and draw the flowers. Would the Village be respectful to my wish? I am a scholar and just become a Dragon of the Emperor's court. I will send my drawings and poems to the Emperor's Court and with the returned coins pay for my lodging. May I use this old stone building as my studio."
The garden bowed, "I will tell the villagers we have a Dragon of the Court who wished to spend time with our flowers."
To be CONTINUED . . .
"Turn not soft flower from the poet's hand. He seeks to shelter you, lest petals fall."
"Breezes ruffle the opening bud, O' poet, cup your hands to fill with by fragrance."
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SOURCES:
Chinese Fairy Tales, 'Poet and the Peony', Peter Pauper Press. These stories are written to be told.
An adapted story for Dragons Shape China, 'Poet and Peony', as told in the Chinese Galleries at the Asian Art Museum, San Francisco. Enhanced, adapted, re-imaged, and elaborate by teller Bobbie Kinkead, 2002-2012.
