The four
Dragon Kings are, in
Chinese mythologyChinese mythology is a collection of cultural history, folktales, and religions that have been passed down in oral or written tradition. These include creation myths and legends and myths concerning the founding of Chinese culture and the Chinese state...
, the divine rulers of the four
seaA sea generally refers to a large body of salt water, but the term is used in other contexts as well. Most commonly, it means a large expanse of saline water connected with an ocean, and is commonly used as a synonym for ocean...
s (each sea corresponding to one of the cardinal directions). Although Dragon Kings appear in their true forms as
dragonsChinese dragons are legendary creatures in Chinese mythology and folklore, with mythic counterparts among Japanese, Korean, Vietnamese, Bhutanese, Western and Turkic dragons. In Chinese art, dragons are typically portrayed as long, scaled, serpentine creatures with four legs...
, they have the ability to shapeshift into
humanHumans are the only living species in the Homo genus...
form. The Dragon Kings live in
crystalA crystal or crystalline solid is a solid material whose constituent atoms, molecules, or ions are arranged in an orderly repeating pattern extending in all three spatial dimensions. The scientific study of crystals and crystal formation is known as crystallography...
palaceA palace is a grand residence, especially a royal residence or the home of a head of state or some other high-ranking dignitary, such as a bishop or archbishop. The word itself is derived from the Latin name Palātium, for Palatine Hill, one of the seven hills in Rome. In many parts of Europe, the...
s, guarded by
shrimpShrimp are swimming, decapod crustaceans classified in the infraorder Caridea, found widely around the world in both fresh and salt water. Adult shrimp are filter feeding benthic animals living close to the bottom. They can live in schools and can swim rapidly backwards. Shrimp are an important...
soldiers and
crabTrue crabs are decapod crustaceans of the infraorder Brachyura, which typically have a very short projecting "tail" , or where the reduced abdomen is entirely hidden under the thorax...
generals.
The Dragon Kings are:
- Dragon of the East: Ao Guang (敖廣)
- Dragon of the South: Ao Qin (敖欽)
- Dragon of the West: Ao Run (敖閏)
- Dragon of the North: Ao Shun (敖順)
Besides ruling over the aquatic life, the Dragon Kings also manipulate
cloudA cloud is a visible mass of liquid droplets or frozen crystals made of water and/or various chemicals suspended in the atmosphere above the surface of a planetary body. They are also known as aerosols. Clouds in Earth's atmosphere are studied in the cloud physics branch of meteorology...
s and
rainRain is liquid precipitation, as opposed to non-liquid kinds of precipitation such as snow, hail and sleet. Rain requires the presence of a thick layer of the atmosphere to have temperatures above the melting point of water near and above the Earth's surface...
. When enraged, they can
floodA flood is an overflow of an expanse of water that submerges land. The EU Floods directive defines a flood as a temporary covering by water of land not normally covered by water...
cities. According to
The Short Stories on the TangThe Tang Dynasty was an imperial dynasty of China preceded by the Sui Dynasty and followed by the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period. It was founded by the Li family, who seized power during the decline and collapse of the Sui Empire...
People (唐人傳奇
Tangren Chuanqi), the Qian Tang Dragon King did just that when he found out his niece had been abused by her husband.
The Dragon King of the Eastern Sea (
DonghaiEast Sea is identified as the body of water east of the mainland, according to ancient Chinese geography. It contains modern day East China Sea as well as the Yellow Sea and Bohai Sea....
) is said to have the largest territory.
Dragon Kings often appeared in literature. Detailed descriptions were given of the finery of their crystal palaces. In the Chinese classical novel
Journey to the WestJourney to the West is one of the Four Great Classical Novels of Chinese literature. It was written by Wu Cheng'en in the 16th century. In English-speaking countries, the tale is also often known simply as Monkey. This was one title used for a popular, abridged translation by Arthur Waley...
, a Dragon King is one of the main characters in the tenth chapter. The four Dragon Kings also appeared in
Fengshen YanyiFengshen Bang, also known as Fengshen Yanyi in Chinese, and translated as The Investiture of the Gods or The Creation of the Gods, is one of the major vernacular Chinese epic novels written during the Ming Dynasty...
, but their names are different from those in
Journey to the West.
Temples
There are numerous temples dedicated to Dragon Kings in China and one in Oregon. One temple in
BeijingBeijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's...
was built during the
Yuan DynastyThe Yuan Dynasty , or Great Yuan Empire was a ruling dynasty founded by the Mongol leader Kublai Khan, who ruled most of present-day China, all of modern Mongolia and its surrounding areas, lasting officially from 1271 to 1368. It is considered both as a division of the Mongol Empire and as an...
and renovated in the early 21st century. Chao-Tian Palace (朝天宮) of
BeigangBeigang is a township in Yunlin County, Taiwan. The Beigang River is surrounding the East and South borders of the town.-Sights:...
Township (北港鎮), Yunlin, devoted to the goddess Mazu, also has human-shaped statues for the four Dragon Kings, each riding on a dragon. In contrast to the Dragon Kings, Mazu, although also a deity of sea, is a
motherA mother, mum, mom, momma, or mama is a woman who has raised a child, given birth to a child, and/or supplied the ovum that grew into a child. Because of the complexity and differences of a mother's social, cultural, and religious definitions and roles, it is challenging to specify a universally...
ly figure who never wreaks havoc.
See also
- Bhutan
Bhutan , officially the Kingdom of Bhutan, is a landlocked state in South Asia, located at the eastern end of the Himalayas and bordered to the south, east and west by the Republic of India and to the north by the People's Republic of China...
- Chow Yam-nam
Chow Yam-nam is an Overseas Chinese born and living in Thailand, better known publicly as Bak Lung-wong , literally the White dragon king. His ancestry is from Chaozhou, Guangdong...
- Huang Long
Huang Long or 黄竜 is a hornless dragon who once emerged from the River Luo and presented the legendary Emperor Fu Xi with the elements of writing. According to legend, when it appeared before Fu Xi, it filled a hole in the sky made by the monster Gong Gong...
- Nagaraja
Nagaraja is a Sanskrit word from naga and raj meaning King of Snakes. It is applied to three main deities, Anantha , Takshak, and Vasuki. Anantha, Vasuki and Takshak are brothers, children of Kashyap and Kadru, who are the parents of all snakes...
- Prince Nezha's Triumph Against Dragon King
Prince Nezha's Triumph Against Dragon King is a 1979 Chinese animated film. It was screened out of competition at the 1980 Cannes Film Festival.-Plot:...