Is the dragon a mean and dangerous creature?
This two-period lesson for 6th grade Ancient World History students employs a jigsaw
strategy to engage students in a cross-cultural comparison of dragons in Chinese and
Western history. First, small groups of students become experts in one of six dragon
stories, three from Chinese history and three from Western history. Then the groups are
reconfigured so each new group has at least one expert on each dragon story. Each
new group reaches a consensus on the question “Is the dragon a mean and dangerous
creature?” Finally, students generalize this experience of cross-cultural comparison to
understand the problems of making assumptions about one culture based on
understandings from a different culture.
CONTENTS OF THIS FILE
Lesson plan
Images for Activity 3
Six dragon stories
Worksheets and answer keys
Background notes for teachers
Pages
1–5
6 – 11
12 – 30
31 – 46
47 – 51
STANDARDS
California History/Social Science Content Standards
6.6: Students analyze the geographic, political, economic, religious, and social
structures of the early civilizations of China.
California Historical and Social Sciences Analytical Skills
Research, Evidence and Point of View: 4. Students assess the credibility of primary and
secondary sources and draw sound conclusions from them.
Historical Thinking Standards from the National Center for History in the Schools
Standard 2: Historical Comprehension
A. Identify the author or source of the historical document or narrative and assess
its credibility.
B. Reconstruct the literal meaning of a historical passage.
Standard 3: Historical Analysis and Interpretation
A. Compare and contrast differing sets of ideas.
B. Consider multiple perspectives.
CHINESE HISTORY THROUGH CHINESE EYES — Dragons in China and the West
1
LEARNING GOALS OR OUTCOMES
1. To understand the role of the dragon in Chinese history.
2. To compare Chinese dragons and Western dragons and understand that the latter
are usually well respected creatures while the former are invariably evil.
3. To understand that transferring assumptions from one’s own cultural experiences to
the study of other cultures often produces misunderstandings.
ASSESSMENTS
Formative assessments
1. Check each student’s Dragon Character Analysis worksheet to assess
understanding of the dragon story that the student read.
2. Check the Looking for Patterns worksheet to assess students’ understanding of the
comparison of Chinese and Western dragons.
Summative assessment
Read the paragraph each student writes to assess understanding of
1. The caution against applying assumptions from one culture to different culture.
2. The use of information from the sources as evidence to support the thesis.
STUDENT ACTIVITIES
Into activities
1. To connect the lesson to students’ study of ancient Chinese history, remind them of
any references to dragons in the textbook or other instructional materials they have
worked with. For example, the Teachers’ Curriculum Institute textbook History Alive! The
Ancient World mentions dragons on Page 198 and presents an illustration of a jade
carving in the shape of a dragon. Explain that because dragons are such important
creatures in both Chinese culture and Western culture they are going to spend the next
couple of classes studying the history of dragons.
2. To connect the lesson to students’ previous knowledge of dragons, direct students in
a think-pair-share activity around the question “What do you remember about dragons
from any stories you have read or heard or stories you have seen on television or in the
movies?” Direct students to individually write down any such recollections, then direct
pairs of students to verbally share their recollections, and then direct individual students
to share their ideas with the whole class. Create a comprehensive list of their ideas on
the whiteboard or elsewhere. Note any of the recollections that involves any of the six
dragon stories that the students will study in this lesson. Encourage students to bring
manga, books, DVDs, or other sources of dragon stories that they may have at home to
share with the class.
CHINESE HISTORY THROUGH CHINESE EYES — Dragons in China and the West
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3. To provide a visual context for the dragon stories the students will read, project or
display images included later in this lesson, beginning with the Chinese dragons and
continuing with the Western dragons. Solicit students’ observations of what they are
seeing in each illustration, and then use the information in the notes below each
illustration to explain the illustration’s content and history. At this point in the lesson
DO NOT directly answer the question about whether dragons are mean and dangerous
creatures. Students should discover the answer to this question during their
investigations of the dragon stories.
Through activities
1. Create groups of 3 to 5 students by dividing the class into 6 or 12 groups, depending
on the number of students in the class. For example, if you have 30 students, create six
groups of five. If you have 36 students, create 12 groups of 3. An extra student can be
added to any given group to account for numbers not divisible by six.
Give each student in each group one of the six readings, so that all members of the
group have the same reading and each reading is read by approximately the same
number of students. Also give each student the Dragon Character Analysis worksheet.
Direct students in each group to work together to read their story and complete the
worksheet. Thus each group becomes an “expert” on one dragon story. Formative
assessment: Check each student’s Dragon Character Analysis worksheet to assess
understanding of the dragon story.
2. Once each group has mastered the content of its dragon story, reorganize students
into new groups so that each new group has at least one expert on each of the six
stories. To accommodate class numbers not equally divisible by six, a group may have
two experts on one dragon story. Distribute one copy of the Looking the Patterns
worksheet to each student.
Direct students to take turns retelling the dragon stories until everyone in the new group
has heard each story. Students should share the image of the dragon they read about to
help each other keep the stories straight. Each student should explain to the new group
what the previous group concluded about the question “Is the dragon a mean and
dangerous creature?”
As students report on their expert group’s analysis of its dragon story, direct students to
complete the table in the Looking for Patterns worksheet.
After the group has heard all six dragon stories, direct students to come to consensus
on the question: “How does the place where the dragon story comes from affect
whether the dragon is mean and dangerous or not?” Lead the groups to understand that
dragons from Chinese history and dragons from Western history are different creatures
because they developed in different cultural traditions.
Finally, direct each group to discuss the question, “Should we use the same word
CHINESE HISTORY THROUGH CHINESE EYES — Dragons in China and the West
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‘dragon’ for these different creatures, or should they have two different names?”
3. After all the groups have written notes on their answers to the two questions, direct a
representative from each group to share the group’s answers with the rest of the class.
Explain that in Chinese, the word for dragon is “long” (pronounced with a long “o” and
sometimes spelled “lung”) and that translators have decided to use the word “dragon”
when converting this word to English even though Chinese dragons and Western
dragons are very different creatures.
Beyond activities
The “Beyond” section is not an extension that can be dispensed with. It is the
culminating concept of the lesson – the “so-what,” as some teachers say – that provides
the long-term pay-off of the lesson and justifies the effort students have invested up to
this point. Understanding the different views of dragons in Chinese and Western culture
is interesting, but understanding how our assumptions sometimes get in the way of our
learning is a universal life lesson.
1. Organize students in pairs and ask each pair to think of one example other than the
dragon where the use of the same words for two different ideas causes problems. To
stimulate ideas, direct students to review the previous chapters they have studied in the
world history textbook and/or to think about situations in their own lives. Since this is a
challenging task, circulate around the room as students work and quickly share any
good ideas that students come up with. List the ideas on the whiteboard or elsewhere
as you encourage each pair to come up with an example.
One of the most obvious examples is the word “god,” which often means something
different from culture to culture.
After the class has generated four to six examples, write the following observation or
conclusion on the white board: “A lesson from the dragon stories: When we are
discussing different people’s experiences or different culture’s ideas, we should always
avoid assuming that the words we use mean the same thing to everybody.”
2. Direct each student to write a paragraph on one of the following theses and use
information (evidence) from the dragon stories or from other examples discussed in
class to develop their ideas:
Thesis: We shouldn’t call the Chinese long a “dragon” because that gives people
the wrong idea of what kind of creature the long is.
Thesis: When we are discussing different people’s experiences or different
culture’s ideas, we should always avoid assuming that the words we use mean
the same thing to everybody.
CHINESE HISTORY THROUGH CHINESE EYES — Dragons in China and the West
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Additional notes for the teacher on the lesson
If you would like more details on the jigsaw strategy, please see the Facing History
and Ourselves Web site. One key to a successful jigsaw activity is that the task given to
the second group must require each student in the group to contribute something. In
this lesson, each student must summarize his or her story for the group. The pattern in
“good dragons” vs. “bad dragons” emerges most clearly when everyone in the group
understands all six stories.
Essential academic vocabulary involved in this lesson that you may need to pre-teach
or otherwise provide additional instruction for includes:
Character – The term is used here the same way it is used in the language arts
curriculum; students can apply the same skills to describe the character of the
dragon in this lesson as they use to describe a character in fiction.
Infer – Students are inferring the character of the dragon from the dragon’s words
and actions. If they are familiar with this skill, remind them of it; if they are not
familiar with this skill, this lesson provides an opportunity to introduce it.
Assumption – Since the ultimate goal of the lesson is to teach students to
beware of making assumptions about cultures with which they are not familiar, be
sure that students understand the term “assumption.”
The reading on dragons in the I Ching is the most challenging in the collection
because it is more complex than a simple story. Ask students who need or enjoy an
extra challenge to become the experts on this reading.
Remember that when asking students to read religious texts, such as the Christian
Bible and the I Ching, the goal is not to promote belief in the religion but to understand
the ideas of the religion. See the California 3 Rs project for further information.
For more information on sourcing and close reading, please see the introduction to
this collection of lessons and/or the Web site of the Stanford History Education Group.
Take particular note of the link “Unit 1: Introduction.”
This lesson could also be incorporated into the English/Language Arts
curriculum, as the central skill involved is character analysis.
CHINESE HISTORY THROUGH CHINESE EYES — Dragons in China and the West
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Dragon images for “Into” Activity 3
To provide a visual context for the dragon stories the students will read, project or
display following images, beginning with the Chinese dragons and continuing with the
Western dragons. Question students about what they are seeing in each illustration, and
then use the information in the notes below each illustration to explain the illustration’s
content and history. At this point in the lesson DO NOT directly answer the question
about whether dragons are mean and dangerous creatures. Students should discover
the answer to this question during their investigations of the dragon stories.
Discussing the images with the students before they read and analyze the stories
should increase their engagement with the lesson and make it easier for them to
conduct the cross-cultural comparison on which the lesson is based. All images
embedded in this lesson are in the public domain or otherwise legal to reproduce for
classroom use.
Projecting or displaying the images depends, of course, on your technology capacities:
 If you have access to an LCD projector, you can project the images directly from
this PDF file.
 If you prefer to insert the images in a PowerPoint or similar presentation file, you
can follow the URLs provided to the original sources, where you can download
the images.
 If you have access to a paper projection system, you can print the illustrations on
a color printer and project them from paper.
 If you have access to an overhead projector, you can print the illustrations on a
color printer and create color transparencies to project.
CHINESE HISTORY THROUGH CHINESE EYES — Dragons in China and the West
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Imperial Chinese Dragon (1)
 “Imperial” in the sense of being associated with the emperor, which is
one of the primary motifs for the dragon in China. (See teacher notes.)
 Make sure that students see the dragon’s four legs and the five talons on
each claw. Chinese dragons don’t have wings, but they can fly.
 The green swirls below the dragon represent the waves in the sea,
symbolizing the association between dragons and water.
 This playful dragon is chasing a pearl or round ball (on the left side of the
image), a typical portrayal of imperial dragons.
 This dragon is made of ceramic tile. It is one of nine dragons on a
famous wall in Beihai Park, an imperial garden adjacent to the Forbidden
City in Beijing.
Source for image: File:Nine-Dragon Screen-1.jpeg. (2006). Wikimedia Commons.
Retrieved March 23, 2011, from http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:NineDragon_Screen-1.JPG
CHINESE HISTORY THROUGH CHINESE EYES — Dragons in China and the West
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Imperial Chinese Dragon (2)
 A very similar image of an imperial dragon from a ceramic stool. Although
these two examples show blue dragons, not all Chinese dragons are
blue. The red forms near the dragon’s front and back legs are auspicious
clouds that often accompany the dragon.
Source for image: Object ID: B67P31. (n.d.). Asian Art Museum. Retrieved March 23,
2011, from http://67.52.109.59:8080/emuseum/view/objects/asitem/id/11332
CHINESE HISTORY THROUGH CHINESE EYES — Dragons in China and the West
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A Dragon Carries the Yellow Emperor back to Heaven
 This is a modern depiction of the legendary event mentioned in the
student reading about the Yellow Emperor.
 Anatomically the dragon is similar to the imperial dragons in the two
previous illustrations.
 This illustration reinforces the concept the Chinese dragons can fly even
though they don’t have wings.
Source for image: Yellow Emperor. (n.d.). China Tour. Retrieved March 24, 2011, from
http://yeschinatour.com/china-guides/chinese-culture/yellow-emperor/
CHINESE HISTORY THROUGH CHINESE EYES — Dragons in China and the West
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The Dragon in the Book of Revelation of the Christian Bible
 The woman is pregnant and the dragon is waiting for her child to be born
so it can eat the child.
 Description in Book of Revelation: “… it was a huge red dragon, with
seven heads and ten horns, and on its heads were seven diadems.”
 Notice that the dragon appears to have human arms and legs.
 The dragon has wings, which is not unusual for Western dragons but
almost never true of Chinese dragons, even though the latter can also fly.
 The dragon has a long, snake-like tail.
 This illustration was created by English artist William Blake (1757-1827).
Source for image: File:Blakedragon2.jpeg. (2006). Wikimedia Commons. Retrieved
March 23, 2011, from http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Blakedragon2.jpeg
CHINESE HISTORY THROUGH CHINESE EYES — Dragons in China and the West
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St. George Slays the Dragon
 This dragon has wings and a snake-like tail. The body looks a bit like a
big bird.
 Note the woman dressed in white fleeing in the background. St. George
is slaying the dragon to save her from the dragon.
 This large painting (note the top of the door below) is in the Palazzo San
Giorgio (St. George Palace) in Genoa, Italy. The building was originally
constructed in the 1200s and since the early 1900s has been occupied
by the port of Genoa’s administrative offices. The date of the painting and
the name of the painter are not indicated on the port’s Web site.
Source for image: File:Genova-Palazzo San Giorgio-DSCF7719.jpeg. (2006).
Wikimedia Commons. Retrieved March 23, 2011, from
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Genova-Palazzo_San_Giorgio-DSCF7719.JPG
CHINESE HISTORY THROUGH CHINESE EYES — Dragons in China and the West
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The Dragon in the Story of the Yellow Emperor
The Yellow Emperor was a part-real, part-legendary figure thought to have founded the
Chinese nation around 6,000 years ago. Many colorful legends about him were written
down during the Warring States Period toward the end of the Zhou dynasty, about 2,500
years ago.
A
t the beginning of time the gods
were curious about earth and
came down from the heavens to see it
for themselves. The God of Heaven
was the Supreme Emperor on earth,
and he chose yellow as his imperial
color. Therefore he was known as the
Yellow Emperor. He built a magnificent palace in the center of the world
on the top of Mount Kunlun, and he
stayed there when he visited on earth.
The Yellow Emperor assigned four
other important gods to rule the
territories to the east, south, west, and
north. The god of the east was Tai
Hou, who is said to have given people
fire, fishing nets, and a system of eight
symbols that they could use to think
about the future, as explained in the
book called I Ching. The god of the
south was the Fiery Emperor. He was a
half-brother of the Yellow Emperor,
and he is said to have given people the
gifts of farming and medicine. The god
of the west was Shao Hao. The god of
the north was Zhuan Xu, a greatgrandson of the Yellow Emperor.
In those days the gods could go back
and forth between heaven and earth. A
god named Chi You visited earth and
decided to seize control of earth from
A dragon carries the Yellow Emperor
back to heaven.
the Yellow Emperor. First he drove the
Fiery Emperor out of the south and
named himself the new Fiery Emperor.
Then he convinced a group of people
called the Miao to serve as his army.
The Yellow Emperor tried to talk Chi
You and his troops out of starting a
war, but they ignored him. So the
Yellow Emperor raised his own army
of gods, ghosts, black bears, brown
bears, leopards, jackals, and tigers.
The dragon Ying Long also joined the
Yellow Emperor’s army. Ying Long
lived on a mountain in the distant
south and he could cause heavy rains.
Thus began the great war between Chi
You and the Yellow Emperor.
The two armies were equally matched.
One army won one battle and then the
other army won the next battle. Once,
CHINESE HISTORY THROUGH CHINESE EYES — Dragons in China and the West
12
to keep up the spirits of his army, the
Yellow Emperor invented the drum.
When the Yellow Emperor pounded
the drum, the dragon Ying Long flew
in the sky above, and Chi You’s army
was terrified. The Yellow Emperor’s
army won that battle easily.
Eventually the Goddess of the Ninth
Heaven helped the Yellow Emperor
learn new battle tactics. The Yellow
Emperor made himself a precious new
copper sword and began to win battle
after battle. He finally defeated Chi
You’s army and executed Chi You.
To celebrate his victory, the Yellow
Emperor held an enormous banquet.
To help with the celebration, the
Goddess of the Silkworm descended
from heaven and taught people how to
raise silkworms and spin their cocoons
into silk thread. In the period of peace
that followed the wars, the Yellow
Emperor helped people on earth learn
many new things. He taught people to
build houses to protect themselves
against the rain, he taught people to
use pots and pans to cook, and he
invented boats and carts to help people
move things around. The Yellow
Emperor also created writing. He
ordered his officials to write books
about medicine and music.
The Yellow Emperor ordered that a
great copper vessel be created to
commemorate his victory over Chi
You. On the day when the Yellow
Emperor, the other gods, and the
earthly princes gathered to view the
copper vessel, a heavenly dragon
appeared in the sky. Drawing half his
body out of the clouds above, the
dragon dropped his long head down
and brushed against the copper vessel.
The Yellow Emperor recognized the
dragon as a messenger from one of his
palaces in heaven. He climbed onto
the back of the dragon and floated into
the sky. Other gods and earthly princes
climbed onto the dragon, but as it rose
into the heavens the earthly princes all
fell off. So it was that the gods and the
people lived separately after that, with
the gods in heaven and the people on
earth. But a few of the gods stayed on
earth, including the dragon Ying Long.
Ying Long moved south and lived in
the cool mountain pools, and the
people prayed to him to bring rain
whenever there was a drought.
Source: Many different versions of the stories of the Yellow Emperor have appeared in
different parts of China during the thousands of years since they were first told. When
different translators re-tell the stories in English, they choose different words and
expressions, which adds more variety to the stories. This version is based on the book
Dragons and Dynasties: An Introduction to Chinese Mythology, which was written in
Chinese by Yuan Ke and translated into English by Kim Echlin and Nie Zhixiong. The
book was originally published in 1991 in Beijing, the capital of China, by the Foreign
Languages Press. The illustration is from the ChinaTour Web site
(http://yeschinatour.com/china-guides/chinese-culture/yellow-emperor/)
CHINESE HISTORY THROUGH CHINESE EYES — Dragons in China and the West
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Notes for teachers on the Yellow Emperor story
The introduction to the Yellow Emperor stories in Dragons and Dynasties: An
Introduction to Chinese Mythology says
The Yellow Emperor, or Huang Di, was a part-real, part-legendary figure thought
to have founded the Chinese nation around 4,000 BC. … These ancient records
probably reflect a blend of myth, legend, and history regarding the early power
struggles of tribal groups … (p. 14, 15).
The stories probably predate the Shang dynasty (p. 41), but the versions we have today
were mostly written down during the time of the Zhou dynasty called the Warring States
Period (475-221 BC) (p. 14).
Zhao (1992) suggests that the Yellow Emperor’s army of many animals that is described
in the Yellow Emperor reading above may be the source of the composite physical
appearance of the Chinese dragon. The mythology may reflect an actual situation in
which different tribes with different animal totems united under a single leader, which led
to the creation of a unified totem that included parts from each of the earlier totem
animals (p. 17-18).
Sources
Ke, Yuan. (1991). Dragons and Dynasties: An Introduction to Chinese Mythology.
Translated by Kim Echlin and Nie Zhixiong. Beijing: Foreign Language Press.
Pages 14-56.
Yellow Emperor. (n.d.). China Tour. Retrieved March 24, 2011, from
http://yeschinatour.com/china-guides/chinese-culture/yellow-emperor/
Zhao, Qiguang. (1992). A Study of Dragons, East and West. New York: Peter Lang.
CHINESE HISTORY THROUGH CHINESE EYES — Dragons in China and the West
14
Dragons in the Heaven hexagram in I Ching
I Ching (pronounced yi jing), which is sometimes called The Book of Changes, presents
an ancient Chinese system that helps people plan for future events. It was created in
the Zhou dynasty, which started more than 3,100 years ago.
T
he I Ching includes 64 symbols.
The symbols are called hexagrams
because each symbol has six lines (hex
= six). The first hexagram is called
Heaven, and it looks like this:
The second hexagram is called Earth,
and it looks like this:
The other 62 hexagrams are made up
of different combinations of solid lines
(which are called yang) and broken
lines (which are called yin).
So how did ancient Chinese people use
these hexagrams to understand how
change would come in the future?
First, the person using this system
would ask a question, such as, “Will
we have a successful hunt tomorrow?”
Next the person would create a
hexagram by doing something
random, like tossing three coins six
times and selecting the solid line when
the coins came up two “heads” and
one “tail” or the broken line when the
coins came up two “tails” and one
“head.” If all three coins came up
“heads,” the line would be a solid line
changing into a broken line (yang
changing to yin). And if all three coins
came up “tails,” the line would be
broken line changing into solid line
(yin changing into yang).
The changing lines are the important
ones. Remember that this is The Book
of Changes. It is designed to help
people figure out how to plan for
changes in the future.
But what do the lines mean? Each of
the six lines in each of the hexagrams
has a line of text that indicates its
meaning. So now the person using I
Ching would read the lines of text
associated with the changing lines of
the hexagram that the toss of the coins
created. For example, the six lines of
text associated with the lines of the
Heaven hexagram read:
Hidden dragon. Do not act.
Dragon appearing on the field. It
makes one see the great man.
A gentleman works hard all day.
And keeps alert in the evening.
Safe.
CHINESE HISTORY THROUGH CHINESE EYES — Dragons in China and the West
15
Dragon sometimes leaping in the
pool. Safe.
Dragon flying in the heaven. It
furthers one to see the great
man.
Arrogant dragon will repent.
What does that have to do with
whether the hunt will be good
tomorrow? That’s what makes the I
Ching very complicated. The lines of
text have to be interpreted. You have to
study them a lot to understand how
ancient Chinese people understood
them.
For example, to use the hexagram for
Heaven, you have to understand
something about dragons. In Chinese
mythology, a dragon is a good sign.
You always want the dragon on your
side. Also, during the winter dragons
live in lakes and rivers and in the
summer they fly up into the heavens
and control the rain. The winter is their
dormant period, when they are kind of
hibernating. The summer is their busy
season when they are making rain.
So the first line in the Heaven
hexagram (“Hidden dragon. Do not
act.”) refers to the hibernating dragon.
If this is a changing line that you
created when you tossed the coins,
then the answer to your question is
negative. Don’t go hunting, because
the dragon is hidden in the deep water
and won’t be around to help you.
The second line of text is a little more
positive. The dragon is up out of the
water and playing in the field. The
third line is kind of hard to interpret,
because it doesn’t talk about dragons
at all. Some scholars of the I Ching
aren’t sure what to make of that line.
The fourth line is positive. The dragon
is playing on top the pool instead of
hibernating deep in the water. The fifth
line is the most positive of all. The
dragon is flying in Heaven! If that line
is the one that answers your question,
it definitely encourages you to do what
you asked about.
The sixth line is negative again. The
dragon has gone too far and become
arrogant, so it’s not going to be very
helpful in whatever venture you are
asking about.
Source: Explanations of the I Ching have been written by many Chinese scholars in the
2,500 years since it first appeared. In recent centuries scholars outside of China have
written about it and translated it into other languages. The explanation here of how the
I Ching works is based on the book I Ching: The Oracle, by Kerson Huang. It was
published in 1984 by World Scientific Publishing Co. in Singapore. The interpretation of
the Heaven hexagram is based on the work of Qiguang Zhao, who wrote the book A
Study of Dragons, East and West. This book was published in 1992 by Peter Lang
Publishing in New York.
CHINESE HISTORY THROUGH CHINESE EYES — Dragons in China and the West
16
Notes for teachers on the Heaven hexagram in the I Ching
The ceramic tile Imperial dragon included elsewhere in this lesson is a good illustration
of Line 4: “Dragon sometimes leaping in the pool.”
This reading about dragons in the I Ching isn’t meant to be a comprehensive
explanation of the I Ching or of the principles of yin and yang, on which it is based. It is
meant to explain the I Ching well enough so that the nature of the dragons in the
Heaven hexagram makes sense to 6th grade students.
The I Ching is included among the dragon readings because it is an important cultural
reference for students to know and because, according to Qiguang Zhao, the I Ching is
the earliest Chinese book that uses the dragon as a symbol (1992, p. 17). Of course,
dragons existed in the imagination of Chinese people much earlier.
The English translation and notes by James Legge (1815-1897) of the I Ching and other
Chinese classics were the standards for much of the 20th century. I have relied on
Kerson Huang’s more recent translation because his language is more contemporary,
because he is able to incorporate more recent archeological and historical evidence,
and because his family and cultural history provide him an insider’s view of the work.
In recounting the legend of the I Ching (as opposed to the actual history), Huang says
that King Wen of the Zhou, father of King Wu, who overthrew the Shang and
established the Zhou dynasty, created the 64 hexagrams when he was being held
prisoner by the last Shang emperor. After King Wu established the Zhou dynasty, his
brother and prime minister, Duke Zhou, is credited with writing the text that
accompanies each line of the hexagrams that his father created. Six hundred years
later, Confucius, who considered King Wen and Duke Zhou two of the best models for
effective rulers, is credited with writing additional commentary on the hexagrams that is
titled Ten Wings. Thus, legend says that the I Ching emerged as the combination of
King Wen’s hexagrams, Duke Zhou’s initial text, and Confucius’ Ten Wings (Huang,
1992, p. 8-15).
Huang finds that the historical record confirms some of the legend but disputes
Confucius as the author of Ten Wings. Huang notes that the Shang dynasty used oracle
bones for divination, and that the oracle bones do not include any hexagrams or
references to the I Ching. The I Ching, on the other hand, refers to many events in the
Shang dynasty, which supports the idea that the I Ching developed from Zhou cultural
traditions when the Zhou kingdom was a vassal state of the Shang dynasty and then
displaced the oracle bones as the means of divination when the Zhou dynasty displaced
the Shang (Huang, p. 22). As for the Ten Wings, Huang writes: “On one thing all
scholars agree: The Ten Wings, attributed to Confucius, could not possibly have been
written by him. In both content and style, they reflect a much later era” (Huang, p. 23).
The reading for students states that “Some scholars of the I Ching aren’t sure what to
make” of the third line of text for the Heaven hexagram. Huang says the line “seems
CHINESE HISTORY THROUGH CHINESE EYES — Dragons in China and the West
17
somewhat out of context” (p. 33) and sounds more like the Analects of Confucius than
the rest of the lines in the hexagram. He concludes:
It is likely that someone sneaked this in, to make the I Ching sound more
Confucian. In the absence of more substantive proof, however, I prefer to believe
that this expressed an early morality that became the seed of Confucian ethics
(p. 33).
Huang’s introduction also includes clearly stated directions for using the I Ching (p. 2630) and useful pointers for reading the text as poetry (p. 31-38).
Sources
Huang, Kerson. (1984). I Ching: The Oracle. Singapore: World Scientific Publishing Co.
Zhao, Qiguang. (1992). A Study of Dragons, East and West. New York: Peter Lang.
CHINESE HISTORY THROUGH CHINESE EYES — Dragons in China and the West
18
The Dragon King in Journey to the West
This story appears in the well-known Chinese novel Journey to the West, which was
written by Wu Cheng’en in the 1570s. Journey to the West is based on many popular
folk tales that had been told in China for centuries before Wu put them together in their
present form.
he dragon king of Jing River near
Chang’an heard a disturbing report
from one of his agents who patrolled the
river. The agent had overheard a
fisherman say that he visited a fortuneteller in Chang’an every day, and in
exchange for one fresh fish the fortuneteller told him the best places in the Jing
River to fish. “If the fortune-teller’s
calculations are so accurate, won’t all we
water folk be wiped out?” the patrol agent
asked.
“Clouds obscure the mountain peak, mist
covers the tree tops. If there is to be rain,
it will certainly come tomorrow,” the
fortune-teller said.
The dragon king seized his sword in a
great rage, intending to go straight to
Chang’an and destroy this fortune-teller.
But his sons and grandsons, shrimp
officials, crab soldiers, shad generals,
mandarin-fish ministers, and carp premier
had another idea. “Your Majesty is
capable of making all sorts of
transformations. You should change into a
scholar for this visit to Chang’an. If you
find that it is true, you will be able to
punish the fortune-teller at your leisure.
And if it turns out to be false, you will
avoid killing an innocent man.”
“If it rains tomorrow at the time and
depth you have predicted,” said the
dragon king, “I will pay you fifty pieces
of gold. It you are wrong, I’ll smash up
your store and run you out of Chang’an
so you can’t deceive the people any
more.”
T
So the dragon king transformed himself
into a scholar and went off to Chang’an.
He quickly found the fortune-teller, who
invited him in and served him tea. “What
have you come to ask about?” asked the
fortune-teller. “Please tell me when it will
rain again,” said the dragon king.
“When will it rain tomorrow?” asked the
dragon king. “And how many inches of
rain will fall?”
“It will start to rain at noon tomorrow and
it will finish at 3 after 3.48 inches have
fallen,” replied the fortune-teller.
With that the dragon king returned to his
palace in Jing River and told everyone
about his visit. They all laughed and said,
“Your Majesty is the General
Superintendent of the Eight Rivers and
the Great Dragon God of the Rain, so
only you can know whether there will be
rain. The fortune-teller is bound to lose!”
While they were all still laughing, a
warrior in golden clothes came running in
with a decree from the Jade Emperor. The
decree instructed the dragon king to cause
rain the next day at noon and make it last
until 3.48 inches had fallen at 3!
CHINESE HISTORY THROUGH CHINESE EYES — Dragons in China and the West
19
The dragon king and all his assistants
were amazed that the fortune-teller
seemed to have connections with the
highest authorities. They decided the only
thing to do would be to begin the rain a
little later than noon and make it last
longer then 3 and amount to less than
3.48 inches.
The next day that’s what they did, and
then the dragon king transformed himself
in a scholar again, went into Chang’an,
and destroyed the fortune-teller’s shop.
The fortune-teller stood watching calmly
and then said, “You can’t fool me. I know
that you are the dragon king of Jing
River, and I know that you disobeyed a
decree from the Jade Emperor when you
changed the rain. Tomorrow at half past 1
you will beheaded by the minister of
personnel.”
The dragon king trembled with fear and
begged forgiveness, but the fortune-teller
said the only one who could forgive him
was Emperor Taizong. With tears in his
eyes the dragon king went straight to the
Imperial Palace and begged forgiveness
from the emperor.
The emperor didn’t think the dragon
king’s crime was so terrible. After all, the
dragon king got into this trouble because
he was trying to protect the river animals
from the fisherman. The emperor told the
dragon king not to worry about it. The
emperor said he would invite the minister
of personnel to the palace the next day so
the minister could not possibly carry out
the execution.
The next day the minister of personnel
showed up at the palace at noon. He and
the emperor had tea and began to play
chess. Soon the minister of personnel
became tired and fell asleep in his chair.
Since the emperor knew how hard the
minister worked, he smiled and let him
take his nap.
When the minister woke up, they
resumed their game of chess, but soon
shouting from the palace guards
interrupted them. The guards brought the
emperor a dragon’s head dripping with
blood that had fallen from the sky. “What
does this mean?” the emperor asked.
“Oh,” replied the minister, “I just
executed this dragon.” “But you’ve been
sitting here asleep,” the emperor said.
“I did it in my dream,” the minister
answered. The emperor’s feelings on
hearing this were very mixed. On the one
hand, he was happy he had such a
competent minister who could perform
his duties even while he was napping. But
on the other hand he was sorry that he
had not been able to keep his promise to
the dragon king.
Source: Many different editions of Journey to the West have appeared over the past
400 years. This summary of the dragon king story is based on W. J. F. Jenner’s English
translation that was published in 1984 in Beijing, the capital of China, by the Foreign
Language Press. The English translation is based on the Chinese edition published by
the Beijing People’s Literature Publishing House in 1955.
CHINESE HISTORY THROUGH CHINESE EYES — Dragons in China and the West
20
Notes for teachers on the Dragon King story
Jade Emperor and Emperor Taizong are two different emperors. Jade Emperor is a
legendary god who lives in the heavens and Taizong is a real historical figure, the
second emperor of the Tang dynasty (618-907 CE).
The Jing River dragon king and Emperor Taizong are two different dragons. As
mentioned in the notes on the history of Chinese and Western dragons, Zhao (1992)
explains how the mythical dragon from ancient times was appropriated by the imperial
system to serve as a symbol of the emperor himself. Thus Emperor Taizong in this story
represents the mythical Chinese dragon. The dragon king, on the other hand, belongs to
the folk religion genre of dragons that developed following the introduction of Buddhism
into China. The interactions between Emperor Taizong and the Jing River dragon king in
this story therefore illustrate some of the differences between the two types of dragons.
The emperor is clearly the more powerful of the two and the dragon king is a bit of a
bumbler who has to throw himself at the mercy of the emperor. Zhao argues that this
illustrates the authority of the state over the authority of folk religion in Chinese
sociopolitical structures. But even the emperor cannot save the dragon king from his
fate in this case. The dragon king, being a dragon from folk religion rather than a dragon
from the mythical pantheon, can be killed, although he is not slain for being evil, as are
the dragons in Western tradition (p. 107-110).
The historical context of the dragon king, from the Handbook of Chinese Mythology
(Yang and An, 2005):
Though the dragon shows up very early in Chinese history and culture, and
dragon kings have become popular gods in Chinese belief nowadays, the figures
of dragon kings actually did not appear until the Eastern Han dynasty, when
Buddhism was imported into China. … Because it was thought of as the main
god that took charge of rain, a vital resource for an agricultural society, the
dragon king emerging from Chinese Buddhism received positive feedback from
people. Inspired by this, Taoist leaders created their own dragon kings to meet
ordinary people’s needs and hence attract followers. Therefore, many dragon
kings emerged from Chinese Buddhism, Taoism, and folk beliefs. People began
to believe that in every sea, river, lake, spring, and even well there must be a
dragon king reigning, and numerous temples for dragon kings were built
throughout the country (p. 108).
Sources
Jenner, W. J. F. (Translator). (1984). Journey to the West. Beijing: Foreign Language
Press. Pages 176-188.
Yang, Lihui, and An, Deming. (2005). Handbook of Chinese Mythology. Santa Barbara,
CA: ABC Clio.
Zhao, Qiguang. (1992). A Study of Dragons, East and West. New York: Peter Lang.
CHINESE HISTORY THROUGH CHINESE EYES — Dragons in China and the West
21
The Dragon in the Book of Revelation
The story below is from Chapter 12 of the Book of Revelation in the Christian Bible. The
story was probably written in the first century C.E. The author of Revelation is named
John, and he tells people what will happen in the future.
A
great sign appeared in the sky, a
woman clothed with the sun, with
the moon under her feet, and on her
head a crown of twelve stars. She was
with child and wailed aloud in pain as
she labored to give birth. Then another
sign appeared in the sky; it was a huge
red dragon, with seven heads and ten
horns, and on its heads were seven
diadems. Its tail swept away a third of
the stars in the sky and hurled them
down to the earth.
Then the dragon stood before the
woman about to give birth, to devour
her child when she gave birth. She
gave birth to a son, a male child,
destined to rule all the nations with an
iron rod. Her child was caught up to
God and his throne. The woman
herself fled into the desert where she
had a place prepared by God, that
there she might be taken care of for
twelve hundred and sixty days.
Then war broke out in heaven;
Michael and his angels battled against
the dragon. The dragon and its angels
fought back, but they did not prevail
and there was no longer any place for
them in heaven. The huge dragon, the
ancient serpent, who is called the
Devil and Satan, who deceived the
whole world, was thrown down to
earth, and its angels were thrown
The dragon waits for the woman
“clothed with the sun” to give birth to
her baby so he can eat it.
down with it. ...
When the dragon saw that it had been
thrown down to the earth, it pursued
the woman who had given birth to the
male child. But the woman was given
the two wings of the great eagle, so
that she could fly to her place in the
desert, where, far from the serpent, she
was taken care of for a year, two years,
and a half-year.
The serpent, however, spewed a
torrent of water out of his mouth after
CHINESE HISTORY THROUGH CHINESE EYES — Dragons in China and the West
22
the woman to sweep her away with the
current. But the earth helped the
woman and opened its mouth and
swallowed the flood that the dragon
spewed out of its mouth. Then the
dragon became angry with the woman
and went off to wage war against the
rest of her offspring, those who keep
God’s commandments and bear
witness to Jesus. It took its position on
the sand of the sea.
Sources: Many different translations of the Bible into English have appeared over the
centuries. This story is from a translation first published in 1970 and called The New
American Bible, which appears on the Web site of the United States Conference of
Catholic Bishops (http://www.usccb.org/nab/bible/index.shtml#revelation). The
illustration was created by English artist William Blake, who lived from 1757 to 1827. It
comes from Wikimedia Commons
(http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Blakedragon2.jpg).
CHINESE HISTORY THROUGH CHINESE EYES — Dragons in China and the West
23
Notes for teachers on the dragon in the Book of Revelation
Choice of the version of the Book of Revelation – I have chosen this translation from
the many available because it is written in contemporary English, it is authorized by a
major Christian organization (the Catholic Church), and it is available on the Web.
Author of the Book of Revelation – Most Biblical scholars do not consider the author
named John to be the same John who wrote the Gospel of John. Apparently little is
known of the author of the Book of Revelation.
Sources
File:Blakedragon2.jpeg. (2006). Wikimedia Commons. Retrieved March 23, 2011, from
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Blakedragon2.jpeg
United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. (1991). Revelation. The New American
Bible. Retrieved March 2, 2011, from
http://www.usccb.org/nab/bible/revelation/revelation12.htm
CHINESE HISTORY THROUGH CHINESE EYES — Dragons in China and the West
24
The Dragon in the Story of Beowulf
Beowulf is the hero of a long fictional poem that was written in England 1,300 to 1,400
years ago. The author’s name is lost in history. The Beowulf epic takes place in what is
now southern Sweden and Denmark. The story below is a summary of the last section
of the poem. Earlier sections tell about Beowulf’s exploits as a young warrior and about
his killing of the monster Grendel and Grendel’s mother.
B
eowulf had been king of the Geats
for 50 years when suddenly a firespewing dragon attacked his people.
The dragon had been living for 300
years in a cave in the cliffs high above
the ocean, guarding a huge treasure of
gold and other precious objects. One
day while the dragon was sleeping, a
slave came across the cave and,
noticing the riches inside, crept in, and
stole a goblet. When the dragon awoke
he was furious, and that night he
vented his anger on the surrounding
countryside. He even destroyed
Beowulf’s great meeting hall.
Although Beowulf was an old man, he
knew it was his responsibility to the
people of Geat to destroy the dragon.
Beowulf ordered his smith to make a
special shield of iron to protect him
from the dragon’s fire and set out for
the dragon’s cave with a group of
eleven warriors.
Arriving at the cave, Beowulf
approached it alone. The dragon
slithered out. His fierce hot breath
seared Beowulf, but Beowulf raised
his sword and struck with all his
might.
His sword failed him. It struck bone
The first page of the oldest surviving
manuscript of the Beowulf story.
but did not destroy the dragon, who
spewed fierce flames again.
Beowulf’s warriors were terrified to
see their king suffering under the
dragon’s attack. All but one fled into
the forest. Only young Wiglaf obeyed
his conscience and stayed by his lord.
CHINESE HISTORY THROUGH CHINESE EYES — Dragons in China and the West
25
As Wiglaf went to Beowulf’s aid, the
dragon attacked a second time. The
dragon’s flames consumed Wiglaf’s
shield as Beowulf struck another blow,
driving his sword into the dragon’s
skull.
himself that he could die knowing he
had served his people well and long.
Then Beowulf asked Wiglaf to hurry
to the dragon’s cave and bring the gold
horde the dragon had protected for him
to see before he died.
But Beowulf’s blow was so strong that
his sword snapped in two and the
dragon charged him for a third time.
The dragon grabbed Beowolf’s neck
with his teeth. Wiglaf plunged his
sword into the dragon’s belly, and the
dragon’s heat began to cool. Then
Beowulf pulled out his knife and
finished off the dragon. Together the
old king and the young warrior saved
their people from the fiery dragon.
Wiglaf followed Beowulf’s command,
and when he returned with the
treasures for Beowulf to see, Beowulf
spoke his last words. He ordered that
his ashes be buried in a mound there
on the cliff for all to see from the sea
below, and he gave Wiglaf his golden
collar and his battle armor for Wiglaf
to use throughout his life.
But Beowulf had suffered a fatal blow
himself. As he collapsed in pain,
Wiglaf washed his bloody wounds
with water. Knowing his life was
ending, Beowulf reminded Wiglaf and
And so the great warrior and king
Beowulf died. His people burned his
body and buried his ashes in a mound
above the sea, as he requested, and
they buried the dragon’s treasure there
with him, too.
Sources: This summary of the last section of the Beowulf epic is based on a translation
from Old English to modern English by Kevin Crossley-Holland. The translation was
published in 1987 by The Boydell Press, Woodbridge, Suffolk, United Kingdom. The
illustration of the first page of the Beowulf story comes from Wikimedia Commons
(http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Beowulf.firstpage.jpeg).
CHINESE HISTORY THROUGH CHINESE EYES — Dragons in China and the West
26
Notes for teachers on the Beowulf story
Connecting to students’ prior knowledge – Determine whether students have
previously studied the Beowulf story. Some may have seen the 2007 film.
The Beowulf dragon story as a caution against greed – Evans writes, “... in Beowulf
and the Sigurd legend, dragons symbolize the destructive effects of excessive wealth
and power” (p. 15). Elaborating further, he says,
The dragons fought by Sigurd, Beowulf, Frotho, and many others symbolize
greed. In societies without elaborate economic systems of capital and currency,
where whole dynasties and tribal cultures depended upon the free exchange of
heirlooms, weapons, and other valued objects, the social harm caused by
withholding these things from circulation could be catastrophic (p. 72-3).
Sources
Crossley-Holland, Kevin (Translator). (1987). Beowulf. Woodbridge, Suffolk, UK: The
Boydell Press.
Evans, Jonathan. (2008). Dragons: Myth and Legend. London: Apple Press.
File:Beowulf.firstpage.jpeg. (2004). Wikimedia Commons. Retrieved March 23, 2011,
from http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Beowulf.firstpage.jpeg
CHINESE HISTORY THROUGH CHINESE EYES — Dragons in China and the West
27
St. George Slays the Dragon
The story of St. George slaying the dragon was told for several centuries before the
English author Richard Johnson wrote this version about 400 years ago.
St. George slays the
dragon to save the
woman who is fleeing
in the background.
A
fter many months of travel by
land and sea, the English knight
St. George happily arrived in Egypt.
Since night was falling, he approached
a small cottage and asked the old man
inside if he could spend the night.
The old man agreed readily and then
told St. George, “It’s really bad luck
that you arrive in our country now,
when a dangerous dragon has been
terrorizing our country for twenty-four
years. Every day he demands the body
of a real virgin, whom he swallows
down his poisonous throat. If we don’t
give him a virgin, he spews such awful
breath across the countryside that he
causes a plague. And now we are to
the point where the only virgin left in
the country is the king’s daughter. She
is going to be given to the dragon
tomorrow.”
“The king has promised,” the old man
continued, “to give his daughter in
marriage to whatever brave knight has
the courage to encounter the dragon
and kill it.” The king’s offer so excited
St. George that he immediately
decided to kill the dragon or lose his
own life instead.
The next morning at dawn, St. George
got up, buckled on his armor, and rode
off for the valley where the dragon
lived. As he came within sight of the
valley he saw the most charming and
beautiful virgin that he had ever laid
eyes on. Approaching her, he assured
her that he would kill the dragon and
CHINESE HISTORY THROUGH CHINESE EYES — Dragons in China and the West
28
sent her home to her father’s court.
Then St. George entered the dragon’s
valley, where he soon encountered the
dragon. The dragon was 50 feet long
from his shoulders to his tail. His
scales were as bright as silver and
harder than brass. His belly was the
color of gold.
The dragon attacked immediately,
flapping his burning wings so strongly
that he almost knocked St. George off
his horse. St. George thrust at the
dragon with his spear, but his spear
shattered into a thousand pieces. Next
the dragon struck St. George with his
venomous tail so hard that both St.
George and his horse were knocked to
the ground, bruising two of St.
George’s ribs.
Fortunately, St. George saw an orange
tree nearby and took shelter under it.
An orange tree has the rare virtue that
no poisonous creature dares to get near
it. St. George rested under the orange
tree until he regained his strength.
As soon as his spirits were revived, St.
George charged the dragon again and
stabbed it under its belly with his
trusty sword Ascalon. A black venom
spewed from the dragon’s wound with
such force that it broke St. George’s
armor and knocked him to the ground.
Again St. George crawled back under
the orange tree to recover in safety.
St. George ate an orange from the tree,
which fully restored him. Then he
prayed to heaven to make him strong
enough to slay the monster. Pulling out
his sword Ascalon, he smote the
dragon under its wing, where it was
tender and had no scales. Ascalon
went in to the hilt, reaching deep
inside the dragon and piercing its heart
and liver. Such an abundance of gore
sprang from the wound that all the
grass in the valley turned crimson red
and the dragon dropped dead.
St. George gave thanks to God
Almighty and then cut off the dragon’s
head, which he mounted on the spear
that had broken into a thousand pieces
at the beginning of the battle. With the
juice of an orange, he revived his
horse, which was still laying inert on
the ground after the dragon’s first
blow. Then St. George rode off to the
court of the Egyptian king to claim the
king’s daughter as his bride.
Sources: This account of the St. George slaying the dragon comes from the book The
Seven Champions of Christendom, which was written by Richard Johnson in the 1590s.
The edition consulted for this summary was reprinted in 1824 by J. F. Dove Printer in
London, England. It is available free from www.books.google.com. The painting is
located in the St. George Palace in Genoa, Italy. This copy of the painting comes from
Wikimedia Commons (http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:GenovaPalazzo_San_Giorgio-DSCF7719.JPG).
CHINESE HISTORY THROUGH CHINESE EYES — Dragons in China and the West
29
Notes for teachers on the St. George story
“The most recognized dragonslayer in the Christian tradition …” Evans on the St.
George story:
The most recognized dragonslayer in the Christian tradition is St. George of
Cappadocia (modern Turkey). The earliest versions of the life of St. George make
no mention of an encounter with a dragon, focusing instead on his sufferings,
miracles, and martyrdom. But as his popularity soared in the later Middle Ages, it
was natural to attribute to him the conquest of a dragon – in the Christian
tradition, the dragon had long been regarded as a manifestation of demonic
power and an embodiment of Satan himself (p. 116).
Wikipedia has well-sourced articles both on St. George and on the particular legend of
his slaying the dragon.
Connecting to students’ prior knowledge – Students may be familiar with the 2004
film George and the Dragon. A new film version of the legend is due for release in 2011.
Sources
Johnson, Richard. (1824). The Seven Champions of Christendom. London: J. F. Dove
Printer. Retrieved March 12, 2011, from
http://books.google.com.sg/books?id=3KYFAAAAMAAJ&printsec=frontcover&dq
=Seven+Champions+of+Christendom,&hl=en&ei=leSKTZ_yAsnmrAfPzoDaDg&s
a=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=5&ved=0CDwQ6AEwBDgK#v=onepage
&q&f=false
Evans, Jonathan. (2008). Dragons: Myth and Legend. London: Apple Press.
File:Genova-Palazzo_San_Giorgio-DSCF7719.jpeg. (2006). Wikimedia Commons.
Retrieved March 24, 2011, from (http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:GenovaPalazzo_San_Giorgio-DSCF7719.JPG).
CHINESE HISTORY THROUGH CHINESE EYES — Dragons in China and the West
30
Dragon Character Analysis
Name ________________________________________
Name of the dragon story you read _________________________________________
Step 1: SOURCING – “Sourcing” = understanding who wrote the source, when they
wrote it, why they wrote it, etc. Before you read the story, answer these questions using
the notes provided before and after the story.
(1) Is your story a Chinese story or a “Western” story? (“Western” = European and the
ancient cultures in the Middle East and Egypt from which European culture grew.)
______________________________________________________________________
(2) When and where did the events in your story supposedly happen? ______________
______________________________________________________________________
(3) When was the story first written down? ____________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
(4) What do we know about who wrote the story? ______________________________
______________________________________________________________________
(5) Was the story you read first written in a language other than English? If yes, when
was the version you read translated into English?
______________________________________________________________________
STEP 2: CLOSE READING – “Close reading” = reading the story carefully several
times to understand the details.
(1) Your goal is to describe the character of the dragon in your story. We usually
understand someone’s character based on the things they say and do. Use the table on
the next page to help you analyze the dragon’s character. (“analyze” = break something
into pieces so you understand it better.)
CHINESE HISTORY THROUGH CHINESE EYES — Dragons in China and the West
31
In each cell below, write one important
thing that the dragon says or does in
your story.
What does the comment or action in the
previous column tell us about the
dragon’s character?
(2) Based on your ideas in the right column above, write a paragraph describing the
character of the dragon in your story.
(3) Is the dragon a mean and dangerous creature? Explain your answer using evidence
(examples, information) from your story.
CHINESE HISTORY THROUGH CHINESE EYES — Dragons in China and the West
32
Looking for Patterns: Is the dragon a mean and dangerous creature?
Name ________________________________________
As students in your group tell their dragon stories, take notes on the following information for each story.
Name of story
Chinese or
Western story?
Is the dragon
a mean and
dangerous
creature?
Evidence for why you think the dragon was a mean
and dangerous creature or not
Story of the Yellow Emperor
Hexagram for “Heaven” in
I Ching
Journey to the West
Book of Revelation
Beowulf
St. George Slays the Dragon
After your group has heard all the dragon stories, discuss these two questions. Write your answers on the back of this paper.
(1) How does the place where the dragon story comes from affect whether the dragon is mean and dangerous or not?
(2) Should we use the same word ‘dragon’ for all these different creatures, or should they have two different names?
CHINESE HISTORY THROUGH CHINESE EYES — Dragons in China and the West
33
Dragon Character Analysis / Answer Key: Yellow Emperor
Name ________________________________________
Name of the dragon story you read
Dragon in the Story of the Yellow Emperor
Step 1: SOURCING – “Sourcing” = understanding who wrote the source, when they
wrote it, why they wrote it, etc. Before you read the story, answer these questions using
the notes provided before and after the story.
(1) Is your story a Chinese story or a “Western” story? (“Western” = European and the
ancient cultures in the Middle East and Egypt from which European culture grew.)
Chinese story
(2) When and where did the events in your story supposedly happen?
In China about 6,000 years ago.
(3) When was the story first written down?
About 2,500 years ago.
(4) What do we know about who wrote the story?
No information provided.
(5) Was the story you read first written in a language other than English? If yes, when
was the version you read translated into English?
The story was first written in Chinese. This version was translated into English
for publication in 1991.
STEP 2: CLOSE READING – “Close reading” = reading the story carefully several
times to understand the details.
(1) Your goal is to describe the character of the dragon in your story. Use the table on
the next page to help you analyze the dragon’s character. (“analyze” = break something
into pieces so you understand it better.) We usually understand someone’s character
based on the things they say and do.
CHINESE HISTORY THROUGH CHINESE EYES — Dragons in China and the West
34
In each cell below, write one important
thing that the dragon says or does in
your story.
What does the comment or action in the
previous column tell us about the
dragon’s character?
Ying Long joins the Yellow Emperor’s
army to fight against Chi You.
Ying Long was loyal to the emperor. He
was brave to fight.
Ying Long “lived on a mountain in the
Ying Long was powerful. Rain can be
distant south and he could cause heavy good or bad, so it’s not clear if Ying
rains.”
Long did good things or bad things.
When Ying Long flew above Chi You’s
army his soldiers were terrified and
they lost the battle.
Ying Long must be scary.
After the Yellow Emperor moved back
Ying Long helped people when there
to heaven, Ying Long “lived in the cool was a drought, so he was kind and
mountain pools, and the people prayed generous.
to him to bring rain whenever there was
a drought.”
(2) Based on your ideas in the right column above, write a paragraph describing the
character of the dragon in your story.
(3) Is the dragon a mean and dangerous creature? Explain your answer.
The only potential negative about Ying Long is that he scared Chi You’s army. But
since they are the bad guys in the story, scaring them is not a mean and
dangerous thing to do. Generally, students should get a positive opinion of Ying
Long from the story.
CHINESE HISTORY THROUGH CHINESE EYES — Dragons in China and the West
35
Dragon Character Analysis / Answer Key: I Ching
Name ________________________________________
Name of the dragon story you read Dragon in the I Ching hexagram for “Heaven”
Step 1: SOURCING – “Sourcing” = understanding who wrote the source, when they
wrote it, why they wrote it, etc. Before you read the story, answer these questions using
the notes provided before and after the story.
(1) Is your story a Chinese story or a “Western” story? (“Western” = European and the
ancient cultures in the Middle East and Egypt from which European culture grew.)
Chinese story
(2) When and where did the events in your story supposedly happen?
In China during the Zhou dynasty
(3) When was the story first written down?
In the Zhou dynasty, about 3,100 years ago
(4) What do we know about who wrote the story?
No information provided
(5) Was the story you read first written in a language other than English? If yes, when
was the version you read translated into English?
Originally written in Chinese. This version translated into English in 1984.
STEP 2: CLOSE READING – “Close reading” = reading the story carefully several
times to understand the details.
(1) Your goal is to describe the character of the dragon in your story. We usually
understand someone’s character based on the things they say and do. Use the table on
the next page to help you analyze the dragon’s character. (“analyze” = break something
into pieces so you understand it better.)
CHINESE HISTORY THROUGH CHINESE EYES — Dragons in China and the West
36
In each cell below, write one important
thing that the dragon says or does in
your story.
What does the comment or action in the
previous column tell us about the
dragon’s character?
Dragons hibernate in the bottom of the
lake during winter and fly in the sky in
the summer to make rain.
Since the dragon makes rain, he’s a
good provider for people. He’s
generous.
The dragon is playing in the field.
The dragon is playful.
The dragon is leaping in the pool.
Again, the dragon is playful.
The dragon is flying in heaven.
The dragon is majestic, like the clouds
or a rainbow.
The dragon is arrogant.
The dragon can be too proud or
boastful; it thinks too much of itself.
(2) Based on your ideas in the right column above, write a paragraph describing the
character of the dragon in your story.
(3) Is the dragon a mean and dangerous creature? Explain your answer.
The dragon seems like a normal, happy animal. It hibernates in the winter and
plays in the summer. It provides rain for people, which is generous of it. The
dragon can be arrogant sometimes, but this is true of most people at one time or
another. The dragon does not seem like a mean or dangerous creature.
CHINESE HISTORY THROUGH CHINESE EYES — Dragons in China and the West
37
Dragon Character Analysis / Answer Key: Dragon King
Name ________________________________________
Name of the dragon story you read Dragon King in Journey to the West
Step 1: SOURCING – “Sourcing” = understanding who wrote the source, when they
wrote it, why they wrote it, etc. Before you read the story, answer these questions using
the notes provided before and after the story.
(1) Is your story a Chinese story or a “Western” story? (“Western” = European and the
ancient cultures in the Middle East and Egypt from which European culture grew.)
Chinese dragon
(2) When and where did the events in your story supposedly happen?
According to the notes, in China sometime before the 1570s. In the story itself we
learn that the setting is Chang’an (modern-day Xi’an), the capital of China during
the reign of Emperor Taizong, the 2nd emperor of the Tang dynasty, who ruled
from 626 to 649.
(3) When was the story first written down? 1570s
(4) What do we know about who wrote the story?
Author’s name is Wu Cheng’en.
(5) Was the story you read first written in a language other than English? If yes, when
was the version you read translated into English?
First written in Chinese. This version was translated into English in 1984.
STEP 2: CLOSE READING – “Close reading” = reading the story carefully several
times to understand the details.
(1) Your goal is to describe the character of the dragon in your story. We usually
understand someone’s character based on the things they say and do. Use the table on
the next page to help you analyze the dragon’s character. (“analyze” = break something
into pieces so you understand it better.)
CHINESE HISTORY THROUGH CHINESE EYES — Dragons in China and the West
38
In each cell below, write one important
thing that the dragon says or does in
your story.
What does the comment or action in the
previous column tell us about the
dragon’s character?
Gets mad when the fisherman is taking The dragon king is kind and protective
unfair advantage of the creatures in the of the creatures in his kingdom.
river.
Transforms into a scholar and tries to
trick the fortune-teller.
The dragon king has magical powers
and he’s willing to use them to trick
people in order to protect creatures in
his kingdom.
Disobeys the Jade Emperor’s order
about the rain.
He is creative but maybe also foolish,
since he assumes he won’t get caught
when everyone should know you can’t
fool the Jade Emperor.
Smashes up the fortune-teller’s shop.
He has a bad temper, although he is
trying to protect the animals in his river.
Asks Emperor Taizong to forgive him.
He is not too proud to seek
forgiveness.
(2) Based on your ideas in the right column above, write a paragraph describing the
character of the dragon in your story.
(3) Is the dragon a mean and dangerous creature? Explain your answer.
The dragon king breaks up the fortune-teller’s shop, which makes him a little
dangerous, but he was trying to defend the creatures in the river. The dragon king
doesn’t do anything really mean, and he does a number of things that we could
admire, such as defending the river creatures, listening to the advice of his family
and colleagues, and seeking forgiveness for his bad judgment. All in all, the
dragon king is a pretty likeable character.
CHINESE HISTORY THROUGH CHINESE EYES — Dragons in China and the West
39
Dragon Character Analysis / Answer Key: Book of Revelation
Name ________________________________________
Name of the dragon story you read the Dragon in the Book of Revelation
Step 1: SOURCING – “Sourcing” = understanding who wrote the source, when they
wrote it, why they wrote it, etc. Before you read the story, answer these questions using
the notes provided before and after the story.
(1) Is your story a Chinese story or a “Western” story? (“Western” = European and the
ancient cultures in the Middle East and Egypt from which European culture grew.)
Western story.
(2) When and where did the events in your story supposedly happen?
Some time in the future, in heaven and on earth.
(3) When was the story first written down?
In the first century C.E.
(4) What do we know about who wrote the story?
His name was John.
(5) Was the story you read first written in a language other than English? If yes, when
was the version you read translated into English?
Translated into English in 1970.
STEP 2: CLOSE READING – “Close reading” = reading the story carefully several
times to understand the details.
(1) Your goal is to describe the character of the dragon in your story. We usually
understand someone’s character based on the things they say and do. Use the table on
the next page to help you analyze the dragon’s character. (“analyze” = break something
into pieces so you understand it better.)
CHINESE HISTORY THROUGH CHINESE EYES — Dragons in China and the West
40
In each cell below, write one important
thing that the dragon says or does in
your story.
What does the comment or action in the
previous column tell us about the
dragon’s character?
“Its tail swept away a third of the stars This dragon sounds powerful and a
in the sky and hurled them down to the little scary.
earth.”
The dragon wanted to eat the newborn
baby.
This sounds mean.
The dragon fought with St. Michael and The dragon is evil to fight against the
his angels and when the dragon lost he angels.
and his companions were thrown out of
heaven and down to earth.
After he was thrown down to earth, the
dragon pursued the woman who had
the baby.
The dragon is mean and evil to
continue pursuing the woman.
The dragon continued to “wage war”
against people who believe in God and
Jesus.
The dragon is very evil when he wages
war against people who believe in God
and Jesus.
(2) Based on your ideas in the right column above, write a paragraph describing the
character of the dragon in your story.
(3) Is the dragon a mean and dangerous creature? Explain your answer.
This dragon is clearly mean and dangerous. He tries to eat the baby, he pursues
the baby’s mother, and he wages war against people who believe in God and
Jesus.
CHINESE HISTORY THROUGH CHINESE EYES — Dragons in China and the West
41
Dragon Character Analysis / Answer Key: Beowulf
Name ________________________________________
Name of the dragon story you read Beowulf
Step 1: SOURCING – “Sourcing” = understanding who wrote the source, when they
wrote it, why they wrote it, etc. Before you read the story, answer these questions using
the notes provided before and after the story.
(1) Is your story a Chinese story or a “Western” story? (“Western” = European and the
ancient cultures in the Middle East and Egypt from which European culture grew.)
Western story
(2) When and where did the events in your story supposedly happen?
More than 1,400 years ago in Denmark and southern Sweden.
(3) When was the story first written down?
1,300 to 1,400 years ago
(4) What do we know about who wrote the story?
We don’t know the author’s name.
(5) Was the story you read first written in a language other than English? If yes, when
was the version you read translated into English?
First written in Old English. This version translated into modern English in 1987.
STEP 2: CLOSE READING – “Close reading” = reading the story carefully several
times to understand the details.
(1) Your goal is to describe the character of the dragon in your story. We usually
understand someone’s character based on the things they say and do. Use the table on
the next page to help you analyze the dragon’s character. (“analyze” = break something
into pieces so you understand it better.)
CHINESE HISTORY THROUGH CHINESE EYES — Dragons in China and the West
42
In each cell below, write one important
thing that the dragon says or does in
your story.
What does the comment or action in the
previous column tell us about the
dragon’s character?
The dragon attacked the Geats.
Dragon must be pretty mean to attack a
whole country.
The dragon was mad because someone Dragon was selfish and materialistic to
stole a goblet from his treasure horde. be so upset about one goblet when he
had so much other treasure.
The dragon killed Beowulf
The dragon is evil.
(2) Based on your ideas in the right column above, write a paragraph describing the
character of the dragon in your story.
(3) Is the dragon a mean and dangerous creature? Explain your answer.
The dragon is definitely mean and dangerous. It attacked the Geats and it killed
Beowulf just to protect its horde of treasures.
CHINESE HISTORY THROUGH CHINESE EYES — Dragons in China and the West
43
Dragon Character Analysis / Answer Key: St. George
Name ________________________________________
Name of the dragon story you read St. George Slays the Dragon
Step 1: SOURCING – “Sourcing” = understanding who wrote the source, when they
wrote it, why they wrote it, etc. Before you read the story, answer these questions using
the notes provided before and after the story.
(1) Is your story a Chinese story or a “Western” story? (“Western” = European and the
ancient cultures in the Middle East and Egypt from which European culture grew.)
Western story
(2) When and where did the events in your story supposedly happen?
Many centuries ago
(3) When was the story first written down?
This version was written down about 400 years ago
(4) What do we know about who wrote the story?
He was an English author named Richard Johnson who wrote The Seven
Champions of Christendom
(5) Was the story you read first written in a language other than English? If yes, when
was the version you read translated into English?
Version was written in English in the 1590s.
STEP 2: CLOSE READING – “Close reading” = reading the story carefully several
times to understand the details.
(1) Your goal is to describe the character of the dragon in your story. We usually
understand someone’s character based on the things they say and do. Use the table on
the next page to help you analyze the dragon’s character. (“analyze” = break something
into pieces so you understand it better.)
CHINESE HISTORY THROUGH CHINESE EYES — Dragons in China and the West
44
In each cell below, write one important
thing that the dragon says or does in
your story.
What does the comment or action in the
previous column tell us about the
dragon’s character?
The dragon eats a girl virgin every day.
The dragon is indeed mean and evil.
The dragon attacked St. George.
Another example of how mean and evil
the dragon is.
(2) Based on your ideas in the right column above, write a paragraph describing the
character of the dragon in your story.
(3) Is the dragon a mean and dangerous creature? Explain your answer.
This was clearly a mean and dangerous dragon. It demanded a virgin girl each
day to eat and it attacked St. George.
CHINESE HISTORY THROUGH CHINESE EYES — Dragons in China and the West
45
Looking for Patterns: Is the dragon a mean and dangerous creature? / Answer key
Name ________________________________________
As students in your group tell their dragon stories, take notes on the following information for each story.
Name of story
Chinese or
Western story?
Is the dragon
a mean and
dangerous
creature?
Evidence for why you think the dragon was a mean
and dangerous creature or not
Story of the Yellow Emperor
Chinese
No
Helped the Yellow Emperor defeat Chi You.
Hexagram for “Heaven” in
I Ching
Chinese
No
Dragon is associated with good fortune.
Journey to the West
Chinese
No
Dragon tries to defend the animals who live in the
river; even the emperor was sad when the dragon
was executed
Book of Revelation
Western
Yes
Wants to eat the newborn child.
Beowulf
Western
Yes
Hoards gold, terrorizes the Geats, and kills Beowulf
St. George Slays the Dragon
Western
Yes
Demands a virgin girl to eat each day.
(1) How does the place where the dragon story comes from affect whether the dragon is mean and dangerous or not?
Chinese dragons not mean and dangers; Western dragons are.
(2) Should we use the same word ‘dragon’ for these different creatures, or should they have two different names?
CHINESE HISTORY THROUGH CHINESE EYES — Dragons in China and the West
46
Background notes for teachers on the history of Chinese and
Western dragons
I chose dragons as the topic for this lesson because of my concern that students in
Eurocentric cultures, for whom the dragon is something to be slain, will find their
assumptions about dragons to impede their understanding Chinese dragons, which are
often honored celestial beings. Becoming aware of these contradictory sensibilities is an
excellent way for 6th grade students to begin to understand the importance of not
transferring their own cultural experiences to the study of other cultures without careful
reflection.
My research quickly revealed, however, that there is another important reason for
6th graders to know more about dragons than most history and literature curricula teach
them. Jonathan Evans notes that dragons and dragon-slayers provide “the fundamental
mythic plot of Western civilization” (Evans, 2008, p. 71). Citing Joseph Fontenrose’s
study of Delphic myth, Evans says:
Fontenrose sees the Western dragon myth as the expression of an essential
cosmic dualism, an eternal struggle between the forces of Eros and Thantos –
life and death (p. 10).
Although this lesson does not attempt to teach that interesting idea, the idea supports
increased exposure for students to the history of dragons in both European and
Chinese cultures.
Evans’ retelling of a number of dragon stories from the East and the West clearly
illustrates the fundamental difference between them.
In the Chinese version of the dragon myth, the dragon appears as a protective
force associated with the life-giving natural world, particularly water. By contrast,
Western traditions emphasize the destructive implications of its power, and in
Classic and medieval European mythologies, dragons appear as cosmic
enemies of heroic warriors and saintly defenders against evil (p. 10).
In A Study of Dragons, East and West, Qiguang Zhao (1992) elaborates on this
difference in traditions from a Chinese perspective. Zhao was born in Beijing, he was a
CHINESE HISTORY THROUGH CHINESE EYES — Dragons in China and the West
47
teenager in China during the Cultural Revolution, and he received undergraduate and
master’s degrees in China before completing a Ph.D. in comparative literature at the
University of Massachusetts (Amherst). He has taught Chinese literature at Carlton
College in Minnesota since 1987 (Senn, 2011). Zhao explores the differences between
Chinese and European dragons in terms of both the physical forms that dragons take
and their symbolic meanings.
The physical forms of Chinese and Western dragons
When comparing the physical forms of Chinese and Western dragons, Zhao argues that
almost all Chinese dragons have the same appearance while European dragons appear
in many different forms. He quotes Luo Yuan of the Southern Song dynasty (1127-1279
C.E.), who in turn quotes Wang Fu (ca. 85-162 C.E.) on the consistent form of Chinese
dragons:
The nine resemblances are the following: the dragon has the horns of a deer, the
head of a camel, the eyes of a devil, the neck of a snake, the abdomen of a clam,
the scales of a carp, the claws of an eagle, the paws of a tiger, and the ears of a
cow. Upon its head it has a lump in the shape of a boshan burner, called chi mu.
If a dragon has no chi mu, it cannot ascend the sky (p. 18).
Zhao states unequivocally, “In Chinese culture, any dragon that does not possess this
unique appearance … cannot be called a dragon” (p. 18), although he acknowledges
that there was more variety among dragon images before the above standard was
settled on in ancient times and that there are many “quasi-dragon” creatures that have
some features of the dragon. Zhao suggests that the amalgamation that comprises the
dragon may have derived from the Yellow Emperor’s army of many animals that is
described in the Yellow Emperor reading included in this lesson. The mythology may
reflect an actual situation in which different tribes with different animal totems united
under a single leader, which led to the creation of a unified totem that included parts
from each of the earlier totem animals (p. 17-18). Students can see most of the body
parts of the dragon described above in the illustration of the imperial dragon from the
Nine-Dragon Wall in Beihai Park in Beijing that is included in this lesson.
On the contrary, “... one is often dazzled by the great variety of Western dragon
CHINESE HISTORY THROUGH CHINESE EYES — Dragons in China and the West
48
shapes” (Zhao, p. 36). Zhao categorizes them into four groups and gives many
examples of each (p. 37-40): (1) reptilian monsters, such as the Egyptian Set, whose
form was derived from a crocodile; (2) terrestrial mammals, whose “jaws are quite small,
their huge powerful tails are instruments of destruction, and they feed upon the blood of
the animals they kill” (p. 38); (3) winged monsters, including the two illustrations of
Western dragons provided earlier in this lesson; and (4) dragons with many heads,
including the dragon in the Book of Revelation in the Christian Bible, which is described
in the student reading in this lesson as “a huge red dragon, with seven heads and ten
horns, and on its heads were seven diadems.” (The seven heads are not clear in the
Blake illustration included in this lesson.)
Symbolic meaning
Contrary to the pattern that Chinese dragons are homogenous in appearance while
Western dragons are heterogeneous, Zhou finds that in terms of symbolic meaning, it is
the Western dragons that are homogenous and the Chinese dragons that are
heterogeneous.
Tracing the development of Western dragons from the ancient Middle East to
Medieval Europe, Zhou says they are “eternally malevolent” and “demonic” (p. 49):
The demonic image of Western dragons goes back to the Sumerian, Akkadian,
and Egyptian mythologies of the third millennia B.C. The dragon of these ancient
mythologies represented elements that interfered with the correct order or
functioning of the world and were vanquished by gods who shaped and
organized the cosmos, and who through their victory acquired authority and
power over the newly ordered world. Before they could bless the world, all
heavenly figures seemed eager to throw the dragon out (p. 50).
Both the Hebrews and Greeks further developed the demonic nature of the dragon.
Zhao lists various references in the Old Testament to evil dragons, including the story of
Leviathan in the Book of Job and in the story of Hebrew enslavement by the Egyptian
Pharaoh in the Book of Ezekiel. In the New Testament the dragon reappears as a standin for Satan in the culminating Book of Revelation, as seen in one of the student
readings in this lesson. Greek mythology includes the battle between Zeus and the
CHINESE HISTORY THROUGH CHINESE EYES — Dragons in China and the West
49
dragon Typhon. From these sources dragons entered European legends and folk tales,
such as the stories of the dragon-slayers Beowulf and St. George (p. 33-36, 50-56).
Throughout this long history, the Western dragon remains an exoteric force, an evil from
the outside whose defeat unites members of a community or a kingdom.
On the other hand, Zhao says that Chinese dragons manifest various symbolic
meanings depending on whether they are associated with mythological, legendary, or
folk traditions. By mythology Zhao means stories “considered to be truthful accounts of
what happened in the remote past” (p. 6). Examples would be the Yellow Emperor story,
which is the founding myth of the Chinese people and culture, and the stories included
in the I Ching, excerpts from both of which are student readings in this lesson. In this
manifestation, the symbolic meaning of the dragon is “spiritual nobility.” The imperial
system “needed a unified and continuous image to represent its absolute authority …
The authoritative image of the Chinese mythological dragon was in keeping with such a
social and ideological structure” (p. 72). The emperor appropriated the dragon as a
symbol of imperial power:
The Emperor of China was actually called zhenlong tianzi, “the True Dragon and
Son of Heaven.” It was believed that the emperor possessed dragon blood, and
that he had dragons in his service. His affinity with dragons was shown in the
names of things he used: The Emperor sat on a “dragon throne,” wore a “dragon
robe,” rode in a “dragon cart,” and slept on a “dragon bed.” (p. 84)
The imperial, mythological dragon thus provided a positive image that people could rally
around, an esoteric relationship, rather than the demonic force that must be expelled,
the exoteric symbolic role played by Western dragons. The mythological dragon could
never be slain in Chinese culture as it was in Western culture.
The arrival of Buddhism in China during the Later Han dynasty (the first centuries
C.E.) gave rise to other types of dragons with different symbolic meanings. Buddhist
texts included stories of Indian nagas, “the mysterious dragon-like cobra” (p. 31), that
were associated with water and rain, as was the existing Chinese mythological dragon.
But the nagas were not purely benevolent. Their ability to withhold rain gave a negative
as well as a positive nature to their characters. As the naga stories were integrated into
Chinese culture, two new kinds of dragons, the dragon king and the evil dragon,
CHINESE HISTORY THROUGH CHINESE EYES — Dragons in China and the West
50
emerged in Chinese legends and folk tales. Although the dragon king looked exactly like
the mythological Chinese dragon of high culture, its role was limited to that of a rain god
and it had a mischievous personality, as seen in the dragon king story from Journey to
the West that is included in this lesson. And even though the Jing River dragon king was
not particularly evil, he did end up being killed. The evil dragons that began to appear in
folk tales were also slain, much like evil Western dragons. (Because evil dragons play a
relatively minor role in Chinese culture, and to keep the issues from becoming too
complex, no stories of evil Chinese dragons are included in this lesson.) Thus Chinese
dragons came to represent a greater range of symbolic meaning than Western dragons
(p. 103-110).
Evans makes another comparison between dragons in Chinese and Western
cultures that is supported by the illustrations and stories included in this lesson:
Asian dragon myths are without a doubt the most interesting visually, providing
the world with some of the most beautiful paintings, sculpture, enamel work, and
architectural representations of the monster, while the myths, legends, and
folktales of the Western tradition generally make more interesting stories (Evans,
2008, p. 10).
Evan’s use of the word “monster” in reference to Asian dragons suggests that perhaps
he needs to learn the concept that is the ultimate goal of this lesson on dragons: the
importance of not transferring our cultural experiences to the study of other cultures
without careful reflection.
Sources
Evans, Jonathan. (2008). Dragons: Myth and Legend. London: Apple Press.
Fontenrose, Joseph. (1959). Python: A Study of Delphic Myth and its Origins. Berkeley,
CA: University of California Press.
Senn, Jan. (2011, February 15). Between Two Worlds. Academic Life at Carlton.
Retrieved March 5, 2011, from
http://apps.carleton.edu/academics/news/?story_id=709909
Zhao, Qiguang. (1992). A Study of Dragons, East and West. New York: Peter Lang.
CHINESE HISTORY THROUGH CHINESE EYES — Dragons in China and the West
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