The dragon figure is very old in Japan. These animals are very present in Japanese mythology even if the stories are not only Japanese but have also been influenced by China, Korea and India.
In European literature dragons were evil creatures while in Asian culture they represent a positive aspect, they are in fact a symbol of strength, wisdom and longevity.
In Japan their figure is linked to water, a deity, therefore, linked to rain. In the modern Japanese language many words are used to identify these fabulous creatures such as: tatsu from ancient Japanese, ryu or ryo from Chinese and Dragon from English.
The influence of Chinese mythology was very strong. To represent these mythological animals Japanese and Chinese elements have combined. Many words to say "dragon" are written in Chinese characters, it seems that the number of claws on the legs indicates Chinese or Japanese dragons, in Japan this animal has three claws, in Chinese mythology it has four or five.
During the Second World War the Chinese army gave the name of Chinese dragons to armaments. For example, the name Koryu was given to a submarine or Shinryu to a kamikaze plane. With the arrival of Buddhism in Japan, Asian monks also brought the tradition of these creatures, so it was that their figure was also associated with Buddhist and Hindu mythology. Dragons originating from India often passed first from China and then were absorbed by Japanese culture., For this reason in the world of Japanese mythology we often find the fusion of Chinese and Indian elements. This mythological figure is also associated with Buddhist temples, we remember the Ryoan-ji, the temple of the dragon of peace.
The Shinto was affected by the influence of this mythological animal. In 1185 there was a great earthquake in Japan and the Japanese attributed its origin to the powers of the dragon Antoku. But these mythological figures in addition to being religious symbols have also inspired architecture, art, literature and popular culture. We remember Dragon Ball, a famous manga created in 1985 by Akira Toriyama. And how not to know the dragon-shaped tattoos that are widespread in Japan and the rest of the world.
In Japanese mythology it is believed that the first emperor was a descendant of dragons. In Japan, this creature has no wings, is snake-shaped, has tiger paws, eagle claws and long whiskers. To tattoo a dragon the best places, when it comes to large dimensions, are the back and the arm while for a small figure the scapula, shoulders or calf are recommended. In the world of tattoos the male is represented with his mouth open while the female with his mouth closed. Very important is the color of the tattoos.
The Black Dragon is thus depicted when he is less than 100 years old and carries only the orders of his superiors. The Blue Dragon is the messenger of the gods, protects against diseases and natural disasters.
The Green Dragon is over 100 years old and bodes well. The Golden Dragon is 1000 years old and the wearer appears to have the power to achieve immortality.
The meaning of this mythological figure is very different from what we Westerners give. It is a benign and not a malignant figure. It is a symbol of wisdom, of power as they can ward off evil spirits and protect the innocent, of life force and, linked to the climate, of fertility and control over the rain, rivers, lakes and seas.
Together with other legendary animals, such as the Tortoise, the Unicorn and the Phoenix, the Dragon represents one of the four benevolent animals with magical powers that allow it to blend in, change shape and size. The dragon flies in the skies, lives in deep waters and in the bowels of the Earth.
The Dragon symbolizes the masculine, the Yang, while the Phoenix symbolizes the feminine, the Yin.
For the Tao the Dragon represents the Way: that is the strength, the illumination that reveals itself in a flash and then vanishes immediately, even the Dragon shows itself only in a fleeting way in a fraction of a second and only partially and, like the Way, it is never grasped in its entirety.
The nature of the Dragon is essentially aquatic and appears in the middle of clouds and if we see it writhing it is because it wants to show its strength and vitality and not aggression. In China it is perceived as a playful and good animal.
The Chinese believed that the rain was the result of the amorous fight between two dragons of the opposite sex and some Chinese refused to go out in the rain so as not to be indiscreet witnesses.
In China, dragons have various colors and depending on these changes in meaning. Color determines its seniority.
The Black Dragon is the youngest one, that is, he is less than 100 years old, and he is the one who carries the orders of his superiors. They live in the North and cause storms when they collide with each other.
The next is blue and is the messenger of the gods, along with the phoenix, the turtle and the white tiger.
The blue / green Dragon is associated with Spring, in the East. It is considered a good omen as it brings wind and rain and is more than 100 years old.
The Yellow Dragon is lonely and appears when you need him. It is the most loved and the most widespread.
Then there are the red, brown and purple dragons.
After 700 years the Dragon turns white and is considered a god and is the symbol of death.
A thousand years it becomes golden as it has reached power.
I bear the dark, day and night. Bear the hole, I repeat: when too bad things happen we take a while to accept them, so much so that at first they don’t even seem real. And, while the head takes time to understand them, the heart becomes a piece of hell. So don’t hate your hole, stroke it every now and then, but don’t get too attached to it. Otherwise it will never pass. The weight of the dark will hold, I look after it like a dragon skeleton. The world outside is in flames and I have to endure the burning of the fire without becoming ashes. Every pulverized thing I had to make it alive and every darkness I had to make Light.
Once upon a time, in a far away country, there was a dragon. A dragon like many others at first glance but you will soon understand that something about him was different.
Like any self-respecting dragon, it spit flames and like other dragons, it was covered with scales to armor it and "armed" with claws to attack and defend itself. But he wasn't as fierce and aggressive as he seemed to see him. Unpredictable perhaps.
It had almost a human soul, along with an animal one.
One day, an evil witch, for lack of more talented dragons, had to rely on him to guard a beautiful princess kidnapped in a nearby kingdom. The witch imprisoned the beautiful princess and put the dragon to guard the tower prison so that no one could approach her.
The dragon swore to the evil witch that no knight or prince would ever take that princess away with him, at the cost of his own life. And it didn't seem true to the dragon that he had a beautiful princess to defend and take care of. "Just me, thought the dragon, as unpredictable and out of the ordinary as I am!" His mind immediately began to dream of the battles he would have fought against untamed knights.
The first morning, upon awakening, the princess turned to him sweetly: "Good morning dragon, will you be watching over me then?"The dragon, hearing those words and for the first time that enchanting sound of the voice, was silent. Almost petrified. He was unable to utter a single word. He felt for the first time something between his throat and stomach, a melancholy he had never felt up to that moment. She was beautiful! Her sweetness was something she didn't believe could have existed. There was nothing so beautiful.
Thus began a beautiful story between the dragon and the princess. Time passed and a harmony was created between them that at times seemed inexplicable, also due to the nature of their being.
Weeks and months went by. Dragon and princess became friends. No, much more than friends. They felt it themselves, but neither of them had the courage to confide it to the other. On the other hand, it was a fairy tale and dragon and princess cannot live together. They both didn't quite understand this feeling and where it might lead them.
The dragon waited anxiously for the morning, only to see the princess open her eyes and hear that sweet "Good morning dragon ..."
They joked, laughed, played and talked. Yes, they talked a lot and about everything. Of what their past had been and how they imagined their future. But while the princess dreamed of a life with a prince, because the fairy tale wanted that, the dragon dreamed of it with her. Poor dragon, he had fallen madly in love ...
"Certainly not, thought the dragon, otherwise why in her dreams, am I not there?" It certainly did not take a witch, who read in a crystal ball, to know that this princess could not be his. She was destined for a prince.
But he dreamed and his dreams kept him alive. He knew it was a matter of time and that one day, someone would come and try to take her away!
Unfortunately, this was the reality. Or rather, fairytales and society are this and the poor dragon knew it. He knew he was determined, ready for anything, but perhaps not so strong to stop the knight he would have to face sooner or later in a duel. He was afraid of losing her. Fear that that day would come. Let him come who would snatch it from him.He had mentioned this to the princess, because he did not want to see her suffer and did not want to lose her: “Look, not all knights turn out to be princes. Especially in the soul and heart. Many assume only their appearance. They wear masks and shining armor, they prove themselves good, they write letters with trite phrases, thoughts felt and copied from the minds of other knights. And are you sure that a prince will be able to make you really happy? "
The princess looked down, but she felt she wanted her knight, her prince. She was convinced that this would be her great love, despite the fact that the dragon gave her all the security and happiness she needed. But which she evidently believed was not enough.
And that day came. That knight arrived in front of the princess's tower, that knight he had feared so much. That knight ready to challenge him and take away the princess, who, looking out of the tower window, was finally happy. He noticed it. And he saw his eyes full of joy greet that knight!
Why, thought the dragon, why is he so happy to run away with a stranger? Why didn't her eyes look at me the same way? Why didn't he believe in my love? " A series of questions that he could not answer and now there was not even time to think. He had to fight and enforce the oath made to the witch! He realized that he was ready to die in order not to see her go away with someone else. Also because his heart would have died anyway.
For the first time, the dragon found himself in a fight. It really should be said that he fought like a dragon, with fire, claws and tail swings! But nothing to do, the knight's sword and shield made the difference and, in the end, the dragon had to succumb to his opponent. But it was not the wounds inflicted by the knight that hurt him so much, but seeing the princess running towards him, hugging and kissing the stranger.
Nothing was comparable to the pain he would never want to feel again. No physical suffering could have come close to that experienced at that moment.
But fairytales are like that. He was the dragon destined to perish and she, the princess destined for her brave knight. And he, poor dragon, was certainly no exception.
Now the days followed one another, sad, and the poor dragon was now defending a tower without a princess. There was no moment when he didn't think about her and how she was spending her time. He hoped he would come back. At least once in a while, to alleviate his absence, even if it was "just" a simple dragon. She would have liked to better explain all her love to him. Those words that he had never been able to say completely. Until the end. It would have been enough for him to hear even his "Good morning" in the morning. And to see those beautiful eyes open to be a happy dragon. But she wanted more. The company and love of a dragon would not have been enough for her.
He had lost all hope of seeing her when one day, from a distance, he saw her on the path that led to the tower. It was her!!! He couldn't hold back the joy. She had come back to him !! Little did he care that she was gone, he was too happy to think about it. He had already forgiven her even before he saw her! He took off and reached her making her climb gently on her back, laying down on the ground.She walked over to him, and hugged him tightly. Nothing could be like that embrace and nothing could be more powerful. He didn't understand what was happening to him, but he felt a strange liquid leaking from his eyes. He had heard of "tears", but he wasn't sure they were those, because they said they only came out of his eyes when he was sick. And he was happy instead! He was the happiest dragon in the world !! Of one thing he was sure, those tears would be able to put out even the mightiest flames of any dragon in the Shire.
She hugged him again. For many more times after that day.
The princess told the dragon what happened and how different that knight had been. The dragon held her tight and over time trained to become even stronger and to protect her from other knights who would come in front of the tower to take her away. The next day, he saw her still a little sad, he hugged her and said:
“I will never be a knight or a prince, but I swear that I will give you all of myself, and I swear that I will always be there for you and that you will always have a place in this tower to feel at home. Yes, of course, this tower will never be a palace or a castle and I will never be a prince, but what I will give you, no one else, will ever be able to give you. This is the only thing I can promise you my princess! "
She hugged him tightly and again that liquid substance came out of the dragon's eyes. And for a moment, he was pretty sure the princess had wet eyes too. The princess was different now, she seemed to worry about "her" dragon and with every winged reconnaissance turn, she would tell him: "Be careful, come back soon." And he was happy with those words. Happy that "his" princess cared about him.Their life flowed together, joking, laughing and talking about everything. The dragon knew that he was not in the princess's dreams and that perhaps there never would be. But he was happy anyway. Glad she was there with him.
It all lasted until another knight arrived.
And everything was repeated as the previous time. The fight, the pain of the dragon, she who goes away with him, he who was not what he seemed to be and ... She who returns to him again and hugs him.
And so it happened for other times. She slowly began to realize that no knight was as beautiful as her dragon and that no one would ever love her so much. He believed he was finally happy. But not completely. Until, he came ... Well, he was different from the other knights. He had a white horse, he was handsome, blond hair and blue eyes, just like his suit. Yes, it was him. It was prince charming. The one feared by all the dragons in the world.
The princess saw him from the window of her tower and was immediately struck, fascinated. He was not like the others, and this the dragon immediately warned him.
The dragon was afraid of losing her, just like the first time. He knew that if he was defeated, he certainly would never see her again. This was a prince, he was not like the other knights.And then, he turned that fear of hers into anger. He fought with all his strength and, the prince, never would have believed in his life to fight against a dragon so strong and fearsome. It almost seemed like she had something personal with him. The dragon pleaded with him: “Go away !! She is my princess! Don't take it away from me! Get out!! You won't love her half of what I love her and you won't give her half the attention I will! "
The prince could see the anger in the dragon's eyes, his fear of losing the princess. It was an incredible duel. Both arrived exhausted, but as in all respected fairy tales, even in this one, the prince was victorious and the dragon defeated. The beautiful princess went away with her prince, this time not before looking one last time at that dragon lying on the ground, exhausted from the fight. The dragon felt as though his heart had been ripped out. And this time, looking into her eyes again, he was sure he saw a tear streak down the princess's face as she looked at him for the last time. The dragon, with the last strength he had left, took and flew away, to hide his tears.
After several years, the dragon is no longer the witch's slave and watches over her princess, prince and their son from afar. He will always watch over them and especially her. About that woman who could not live and who, like in fairy tales, was destined for another life.Now I could conclude this story with the prince and princess who "... and lived happily ever after". No, because this is not a fairy tale like any other. And happiness is not enclosed in a "happily ever after". Happiness is something else.
And the princess noticed it too, every day that passed and every evening at sunset, when she left her castle for a moment. She looked at the horizon, while a tear streaked her beautiful face, always hoping to be able to see that dragon to which she had given her heart and with that dream of being kidnapped by her only love. The Dragon! She who is now sure that she has always loved him, but that all the fairy tales of this world have always prevented her from doing.
Dragonflies do not fly with the hopping and frenzied gait of butterflies, but they fly straight on their own trajectory like gliders and very often keep still in midair as hummingbirds and many other insects do, so it was easy to observe them and they were not afraid. to land near us. For me they have always represented beauty, lightness, freedom and rebirth: yes, I discovered that the life of dragonflies has several phases, the first of which is spent underwater. When the insect has developed, it comes out and begins its second life out of the water. I have always seen it as a sign of new life and rebirth.
According to others, the name dragonfly comes from the Latin 'libellum', diminishing of liber or free. Dragonfly has always been considered a magical insect thanks to its changing wings, slender shape and the speed with which it is able to fly and escape from its predators. It is born from a larva at the bottom of a pond and then changes naturally, like the caterpillar into a butterfly. The dragonfly is often associated with transformation due to a legend. It is said, in fact, that the dragonfly was actually once a very wise dragon that, during the night, spread the light with its breath of fire.
His very breath had created the art of magic and illusion. One day, however, the dragon ended up a prisoner of his own magic: to deceive the coyote he transformed into a dragonfly, but in doing so he was trapped in the new body, losing all powers. According to some traditions, the dragonfly is the symbol of transformation and daily changes, but also of introspection that teaches us to go beyond appearances to seek our own identity. In European culture, the dragonfly is seen as a symbol of freedom, peace and the search for truth.
With its transformation from larva to dragonfly, the insect also represents the transition from childhood to adulthood and therefore in a certain sense the overcoming of illusions and the acquisition of awareness and balance.
According to the natives of America, the dragonfly was the symbol of a hidden truth and the insect itself represented the souls of the dead, in the East it is a lucky charm full of harmony and prosperity.
The samurai engraved the dragonfly on their helmets as a good omen of victory over the enemy, as a symbol of strength and courage. Same thing for the Japanese people.
In Australia, the dragonfly free from earthly illusions, in Europe it is often associated with witches sent by Satan to create confusion, and for this reason it is often referred to as "ear cutter" or "devil's hook". In some Italian areas, the dragonfly is called the 'devil's needle', due to its thin and long body.
Very often, wearing a dragonfly-shaped pendant can mean that a change is underway in your life or that you are looking for your balance and mental control.
So the symbolism linked to the dragonfly is varied and ranges from positive meanings such as: transformation, victory, the strength of balance and creativity, to negative ones such as doubts, confusion and ambiguous friendships.
WHEN THE PEOPLE TAKES INTO THE STREETS AND CRIES YOU SHOULD LISTEN TO HIM.
BUT WHO GOVERNS A DICTATURE DOES NOT LISTEN. ITALY WILL SOON HAVE ALL PORTS BLOCKED TO PROTEST AGAINST THE GREEN PASS.
The well-known Italian television director, Colabona, creator of successful programs for both Rai and Mediaset, in an interview-complaint in April 2009, released to the television station Napoli TV, highlighted the above phenomenon. In fact, he stated:
“Pay attention to all those messages that we television directors give you because they are almost never reality. We want you to believe that reality is what we tell you through our programs but it is not quite so. Behind the scenes of the programs, a television is being made that is objectively leading us all to cultural degradation (…). We all accept to be inside a system which we do not have the courage to oppose and which suits us. However, let's face it, they give us the money to keep you from thinking ”.
My friend all this word is dedicated to you, it is a good omen If I had continued to be a magician, perhaps I would have removed you from all spells And if it had been too late, I swear that with subterfuge I would have avenged you With a noose around my neck now I sing this because you must not be forgotten Now I am singing to the whole realm that they have slain a dragon that is not real But an enemy created by those who dress well on a large but poorly fed horse Which with a deception has already taken power because few know what magic is Because few know that at the end of the story it will be a tyrant to take her away.Why a mentor says “You will become a man” And trust a wizard who dreams that day To stand next to that throne Compete with other principles For the defense of the princess Only the prince who can win the dragon Which will then keep the promise And if a very powerful mentor in his spells Make a serum To be made to drink by the greatest enemies of the prince In order to make him proud He was not a great warrior on horseback It wasn’t he who gave the hay The other prince who thwarted his plan He is also believed to be a real princeHe is a hero, a hero with a warrior heart Listen, listen is the Dragonborn The sound of his voice makes him a proud North Hear, hear it’s the Dragonborn The fate of Skyrim’s enemies is sealed Watch out, watch out it’s the Dragonborn Broken the darkness the legend is strong Because the Dragonborn does not fear death.How many times have we said it would be better to go back and not make a certain mistake? I think everyone in their life has thought that at least once. People try to change their past without thinking about a very important thing … We are made of mistakes, mistakes, actions that we have done in our past. If I now know that doing a certain thing leads to a wrong action, that doing an action will not bring me anything good is only thanks to my experience, because I have discovered that it is so. If I go back and fix a mistake I made by changing my action, I will never know if that was right or not. So I’ll definitely make the same mistake again sooner or later. For this reason instead of canceling our actions we should change our way of thinking, our way of acting now, in the present … Because it is only in this way that we will really change our future, we will change our way of acting in the face of difficulties. Only by knowing when something is right and when it is wrong can we actually take actions that lead us to do the right thing. So we shouldn’t think about going back every time we make a mistake but we should think about doing the right way in the future and in the present to get better now and later. Swallow the dragon fire and keep blowing ash.
Some of you will know that I don't like romantic films (in fact I prefer thrillers and horror) and that the only love films I like to watch are period films, based on novels, in the original English language. So when they recommended this film to me, I was amazed. However, I decided to see him and in the end I was very excited and even moved. He is truly magnificent and I really recommend you to see him. Because it can happen to you too to feel something dormant emerge from your heart and you will have a big surprise.
For some people, fooled into becoming adults, dragons died out millions of dreams ago, but the worst is that for many other people, deluded by rationality, dragons never existed, while I have one right here, by my side.
He thought that there were no more dragons, because loneliness had extinguished them. He thought that one cannot live century after century, harboring one’s own magnificence and solitude. He thought that the important thing is not things, but the meaning we give to things. Sooner or later death awaits everyone. More important than postponing death is to make sense of itYou know when you are in the water, you try to dive and touch the bottom? At some point you feel you have to go back up, because there is no more air. And you push yourself higher and higher, but you don’t move. And then you close your eyes and you say to yourself “come on now I resurface, resurface, just a little while .. god how much I miss the air” and instead you never reach the surface? When you are there to let yourself go to the force of the waves, but suddenly you come up. Breathe. Feel life again. Here, you are this. I resurfaced, with you, I breathe.
Many, many years ago a dragon named Dyris. Since he was a child his father had kept him breathing fire, but he, despite all his efforts, only gave a few coughs and hot air, but not even the shadow of the fire was visible. The father did not give up: it was impossible to see a figure who could not breathe fire and so he encouraged him:
- Dyris, breathe hard and then let out all the air! Courage, try! -
Dyris concentrated, took a deep breath and then… nothing, nothing happened.
Thus the years passed and little by little from Dyris's mouth some small sparks began to come out, then some flames and finally some flames. Delighted DYris spent his days going around firing left and right, but without realizing he was causing so much trouble: one day he set fire to a nest, another a squirrel's den, yet another a flower garden; in short, he had now become famous for the fires it caused.
Once he did a really big one: he set fire to King Federik's castle. Everyone had to run away. When DYris realized the great trouble he had done, he immediately set about putting out the fire: he went to the river and drank as much water as possible. When he arrived at the castle, he spat it out on the flames and in a short time the fire was extinguished.
From that day on, DYris understood that perhaps it was better to stop playing with fire and became a very good fireman whom everyone also called to water their garden.
THE PRODIGY OF IDEAS 