Beliefs
Most Japanese dragons are connected to seas and weather, and are depicted as large, wingless, serpent-like creatures. Japanese emperors were supposedly descended from dragons. Some dragons married mortals. Dragons guarded things, even whole sections of the compass. Japanese dragons are made up of parts of the snake, camel, deer, rabbit, ox, cockle, carp, tiger, and eagle. Also, Japanese dragons have three toes unlike the Chinese dragons which have five. Japanese dragons were often thought to have all the world's knowledge.
Some Japanese Dragons
Ryu Jin or Ryo Wo
· Originated from Shinto, Japan's traditional religion
· Dragon king of a kingdom of serpent people under the sea
· Ruled in a spectacular palace of crystal and coral
· Said to have a human body, and a serpent entwined in his crown.
· Known for his nobility and wisdom, Ryu-wo was a guardian of the Shinto faith. People who have fallen into the sea are said to have lived on in the kingdom of Ryu-wo.
· Ryu-jin has a submarine palace, Ryugo-Jo. His messenger is Riuja, a small white serpent with the face of an ancient man.
· A man named Hoori once visited the sea-god's palace and got a wife. But as soon as the first baby came the wife became a dragon and sank beneath the sea.
Blue-Green Dragon
· Guardian of the Eastern signs of the Japanese Zodiac
· The Chinese characters making up the name can be read seperately as "qing," meaning either "green" or "young," and "long," meaning "dragon."
· In Japanese the kanji is "aoi" for "blue-green," and "ryu," for dragon. The name can also be pronounced "Sei Ryu."
· This could be Sui Riu, mentioned two lines below.
The main 'dragon kings' recognized in Japan:
· Sui Riu is a rain-dragon, which when in pain causes
red rain, coloured by its blood.
· Han Riu is striped with nine different colours and is forty feet long. This dragon can never reach heaven.
· Ka Riu is a small dragon; only seven feet long. It's said
that Ka-Riu is scarlet, a fiery red. Some sources even
say that its body is all flame.
· Ri Riu has wonderful sight and can see more than 100 miles.
- Benten is the Japanese goddess who rides on a nameless dragon. She frequently descends to earth to stop the evil doings of other dragons.
- Fuku Riu is the Japanese Dragon of Good Luck. Likely to be depicted as "ascending" since an ascending dragon is a sign of good luck in Eastern culture.
- Kinryu is a golden dragon.
- Kiyo was originally a beautiful waitress. She becomes a dragon to seek revenge on a priest that lost his passion for her.
- O Goncho is a white dragon that signals famine.
- Uwibami is a huge fearsome flying beast that snatches and devours men right off horse's backs.
· Originated from Shinto, Japan's traditional religion
· Dragon king of a kingdom of serpent people under the sea
· Ruled in a spectacular palace of crystal and coral
· Said to have a human body, and a serpent entwined in his crown.
· Known for his nobility and wisdom, Ryu-wo was a guardian of the Shinto faith. People who have fallen into the sea are said to have lived on in the kingdom of Ryu-wo.
· Ryu-jin has a submarine palace, Ryugo-Jo. His messenger is Riuja, a small white serpent with the face of an ancient man.
· A man named Hoori once visited the sea-god's palace and got a wife. But as soon as the first baby came the wife became a dragon and sank beneath the sea.
Blue-Green Dragon
· Guardian of the Eastern signs of the Japanese Zodiac
· The Chinese characters making up the name can be read seperately as "qing," meaning either "green" or "young," and "long," meaning "dragon."
· In Japanese the kanji is "aoi" for "blue-green," and "ryu," for dragon. The name can also be pronounced "Sei Ryu."
· This could be Sui Riu, mentioned two lines below.
The main 'dragon kings' recognized in Japan:
· Sui Riu is a rain-dragon, which when in pain causes
red rain, coloured by its blood.
· Han Riu is striped with nine different colours and is forty feet long. This dragon can never reach heaven.
· Ka Riu is a small dragon; only seven feet long. It's said
that Ka-Riu is scarlet, a fiery red. Some sources even
say that its body is all flame.
· Ri Riu has wonderful sight and can see more than 100 miles.
- Benten is the Japanese goddess who rides on a nameless dragon. She frequently descends to earth to stop the evil doings of other dragons.
- Fuku Riu is the Japanese Dragon of Good Luck. Likely to be depicted as "ascending" since an ascending dragon is a sign of good luck in Eastern culture.
- Kinryu is a golden dragon.
- Kiyo was originally a beautiful waitress. She becomes a dragon to seek revenge on a priest that lost his passion for her.
- O Goncho is a white dragon that signals famine.
- Uwibami is a huge fearsome flying beast that snatches and devours men right off horse's backs.