Dragons In Historical Art

A dragon is a manmade mythological creature that takes the shape of many reptiles. With the body of a snake being one feature, and the hands and feet of a lizard being another, the dragon is formed. Many ancient artworks have recorded its existence with some even depicting its form, yet a great number of people have attempted at the discoveries of dragons in the past and many have pondered upon the authenticity of the existence of this creature. It existed in many ancient civilizations and it is still prevalent to this day. With that being said, many researchers have deepened their study into the reasons for the existence of this creature. Apparently, as their research findings imply, a dragon is an ancient symbol of certain things, and this symbol varires in their essence in different societies around the world, being the reason for their existence in various historical artworks. Both in Europe and in Asia dragons were prominent. They represented different things to the different societies that existed in the two continents. In ancient European mythological paintings of dragons, dragons were depicted as creatures with hard backs that lived in rivers or caves underground. They had different forms in different parts of Europe, some with legs and others legless, but they were all classified as dragons regardless of the forms they took to themselves. Some famous examples are the hydra, a water dragon in Greek mythology, and the Wyvern, a dragon with two legs in English mythology. These dragons were used as a symbol in some paintings and medieval heraldry all throughout Europe. Some stones were even carved into artistic representations dragons to symbolize the conflicts of some nations in Europe. However, one of the more common depictions of European dragons in ancient artworks was that they were often characterized as creatures to be despised and associated with elements such as destruction and the like. In the east, namely in the continent of Asia, dragons had a more peaceful image than their European counterparts. Dragons in the east varied greatly in their looks and symbolic representation. They differed greatly from European dragons that were depicted as evil and often associated with themes of destruction and agony, being on the direct opposite side of the spectrum. Asian dragons had more of a kind spirit that, rather than promoting fire, promoted the elements of peaceful waters. The dragons in Asia were more commonly characterized as benevolent creatures that lived in waters, and provided rain and sustenance for crop growth and similar activities. In ancient Chinese paintings and historical records of dragons, Chinese dragons were often depicted as having five claws and were able to fly and control the weather that it yielded crops for farmers. Rivers were one of the few places where these creatures lived. There had been many paintings that featured dragons and stone carvings that took the shape of dragons. The possible reason may be that many had believed and worshipped these dragons as gods. The dragon may not have been a real creature, but many people in the past were consumed by the power of the dragon. For that there had been various forms of artworks that incorporated the image of the dragon among the people of the ancient societies. Paintings and stone crafts are a few examples that fall under this category of art. Some have worshipped dragons as gods and have made sacrifices to them, and others have carved statues of dragons to represent evil and agony. Their artworks are reflective of the very practices they had in the past. Ancient artwork is rich in dragon mythology and fables. Regardless of the locations where this creature had gained its prominence, it influenced many great cultures in the world. Dragons have clearly had a prominent position in the ancient artwork of different societies. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Adam_Ferry

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