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Qfacnell UtttDcratty SIthratg Jlll;aca, UStm Snrk CHARLES WILLIAM WASON COLLECTION CHINA AND THE CHINESE THE GIFT OF CHARLES WILLIAM WASON CLASS OF 1876 1918 Digitized by Microsoft® Library Cornell University GR 830 .D7V83 China and Jaoanv Digitized by Microsoft® This book was digitized by Microsoft Corporation in cooperation witli Cornell University Libraries, 2007. You may use and print this copy in limited quantity for your personal purposes, but may not distribute or provide access to it (or modified or partial versions of it) for revenue-generating or other commercial purposes. Digitized by Microsoft® ^\ Cornell University y m Library The original of this book is in the Cornell University Library. There are no known copyright restrictions in the United States on the use of the text. http://www.archive.org/details/cu31924021444728 Digitized by Microsoft® Digitized by Microsoft® THE DRAGON IN CHINA AND JAPAN Digitized by Microsoft® Digitized by Microsoft® PREFACE. The student of Chinese and Japanese religion and folklore soon discovers the mighty influence of Indian thought upon the Far-Eastern mind. Buddhism introduced a great number of Indian, not especially Buddhist, conceptions and legends, clad in a Bud- dhist garb, into the eastern countries. In China Taoism was ready to gratefully take up these foreign elements which in many respects resembled its own ideas or were of the same nature; In this way the store of ancient Chinese legends was not only largely enriched, but they were also mixed up with the Indian fables. The same process took place in Japan, when Buddhism, after having conquered Korea, in the sixth century of our era reached Dai Nippon's shores. Before a hundred years had elapsed the Japanese mind got imbued with foreign ideas, partly Chinese, partly Indian. To the mixture of these two elements a third one, consisting of the original Japanese concep- tions, was added, and a very intricate complex was formed. Whoever studies the Japanese legends has the difficult task of analysing this complex into its parts.- — No mythical creature is more familiar to Far-Eastern art and literature than the dragon. It is interesting to observe how in Japan three different kinds of dragons, originating from India, China and Japan, are to be found side by side.' To the super- ficial observer they all belong to one and the same" class of rain bestowing, thunder and storm arousing gods of the water, but a careful examination teaches us that they are different from each other. The Indian serpent- shaped Naga was identified in China with the four-legged Chinese dragon, because both were divine inhabi- tants^ of seas^and rivers, afld givers- ef rain.J_tJa_n o--woflder that the Japanese- in thi^ blBnding"^XlMneserairdrlndian ideas recog- nized their own serpent or dragon-shaped gods of rivers and mountains, to whom they used to pray for rain in times of drought. Thus the ancient legends of three countries were com- bined, and" features of the one were used to adorn the other. In order to throw light upon these facts we must examine the Digitized by Microsoft® VI PR K F A C E. Buddhist ideas concerning the Nagas which came from India to the East. Being not acquainted with the Sanscrit language, we have to refer to the works of European scholars and to trans- lations, in order to explain the western elenaents found in Chinese and Japanese dragon legends. This being our only aim with regard to the Nagas, we will deal with them only by waj of introduction. ____^-- —iTT^thFTlret^ Book we have systematically arranged the most interesting quotations concerning the dragon in China, selected from the enormous number of passages on this divine animal found in Chinese literature from the remotest ages down to modern times. In order to give the original conceptions we did not quote the numerous poems on the dragon, because the latter, although based upon those conceptions, enlarged them in their own poetical way. The Second Book treats of the dragon in Japan, considered in the light of the facts given by the Introduc- tion and Book I. I avail myself of this opportunity to express my hearty thanks to Professor De Groot, whose kind assistance enabled me to largely extend the Chinese part of this paper. Not only was his very rich and interesting library at my disposal, but he himself was an invaluable guide to me through the labyrinth of many a difficult Chinese passage. Moreover, from the very beginning his splendid works, especially the Religious System of China, formed the basis of my studies in Chinese and Japanese religion and folklore. I also tender my best thanks to Professor Speyer, who with great kindness gave me most valuable information concerning the Nagas, and to Miss E. Schmidt, who kindly put her know- ledge and time at my disposal in undertaking the weary labour of perusing the manuscript and correcting its language. Leiden. M. W. de Visser. Digitized by Microsoft® CONTENTS. INTRODUCTION. THE NAGA IN BUDDHISM, WITH REGARD TO HIS IDENTIFICATION WITH THE CHINESE DRAGON. § 1. The Naga according to European scholars 1 § 2. The Naga according to some translated texts 6 § 3. The Naga as a giver of rain . 21 § 4. Sutras recited in rain ceremonies 25 BOOK I. THE DRAGON IN CHINA. CHAPTEE I. THE DRAGON IN THE CHINESE CLASSICS. 35 § 1. Yih king 39 I 2. Shu king 39 I i. Li ki 40 § 4. Cheu li 41 % b. I li CHAPTER IT. DIVINATION AND GEOMANCY. § 1. Lucky omens 43 Digitized by Microsoft® VIII CONTENTS. Pago 45 § 2. Bad omens , A. Fighting dragons . .45 B. Dead dragons . ... 49 C. Dragons appearing at wrong times 50 D. Dragons appearing in wrong places . 54 § 3. Dragon-horses 56 § 4. Geomancy 59 CHAPTER III. GENERAL INFORMATION. § 1. Enormous light-giving mountain gods 62 § 2. Nature of the dragons 63_ § 3. "What dragons like and dislike 67 § 4. Shape of the dragons 70 § 5.- Male and female dragon? 11 § ^6- Different kinds of dragons 72 76 § 7. Kiao lung (!^ f|) § 8. Rearing and taming dragons 82 § 9. Dragons ridden by s«m, or drawing the cars of gods and holy men. 83 § 10. Dragon-boats 83 § 11. "Dragon-tail-road" and other words connected with the dragon. 85 § 12. Dragon-gate 86 § 13. Dragon's dens 87 § 15. Dragon herds 87 § 15. Dragon's pearls 88 § 16. Dragon's eggs 88 § 17. Dragon's bones, skins, teeth, horns, brains, livers, placentae and foetus, used as medicines 90 § 18. Dragon's blood, fat and saliva 96 CHAPTER IV. ORNAMENTS. § ]. Symbols of Imperial dignity and fertilizing rain, represented on garments, honorary gates, coffins etc 99 (§ 2. ' Nine different kinds of dragons, used as ornaments .... 101 § 3. Ornaments used by Wu-ist priests and mediums 102 § 4. The dragons and the ball 103 CHAPTER V. CAUSING RAIN, THUNDER AND STORM. § 1. The gods of thunder, clouds and rain 109 § 2. Violent rains accompanied by heavy winds and thunderstorms. Ill § 3. Rain magic and prayers 113 Digitized by Microsoft® CONTENTS. IX CHAPTER VI. EMPERORS CONNECTED WITH DRAGONS. Page § 1. Hwang Ti rode on a dragon 122 § 2. Yao and Kao Tsu were sons of dragons 123 § 3. Shun was visited by a yellow dragon 123 § 4. Yii drove in a carriage drawn by dragons, and was assisted by a ying lung 123 § 5. Ming Hwang's vessel was moved forward by a dragon . 124 § 6. Two yellow dragons threatened to upset Yii's vessel .... 124 § 7. Shi Hwang died on account of having killed a dragon . 124 CHAPTER VII. TRANSFORMATIONS. § 1. The dragon's transformations are unlimited 126 § 2. Appearing as old men or beautiful women 126 § 3. Appearing as fishes 127 § 4. Appearing as snakes, dogs or rats 129 § 5. A cow transformed into a dragon 129 § 6. Appearing as objects 130 CHAPTER VIII. THE INDIAN NAGA IN CHINA. § 1. Reborn as a dragon Cl32_^) § 2. Ponds inhabited by Dragon-kings 132 § 3. Temples of Dragon-kings 133~; 4. Palaces of Dragon-kings ^^'^ § ) BOOK II. THE DRAGON IN JAPAN. CHAPTER I. THE ORIGINAL JAPANESE DRAGON-GODS OF RIVERS, SEAS AND MOUNTAINS. § 1. Ohami 135 § 2. Yamatsu7m and Mitsuha 136 § 3. Watatsumi 137 Digitized by Microsoft® X CONTENTS. Page § 4. Mizuchi, the rivergods 137 § 5. Oho-tvatatsumij the sea-god 139 § 6. Wani 139 § 7. The jewels of flood and ebb 142 § 8. Tahe-iwa Tatsu no Mikoto, the dragon-god of a sacred pond in Higo province 143 § 9. An Emperor's dragon-tail 145 CHAPTER II. THE CHINESE DRAGON AND THE DRAGON-HORSE AS OMENS IN JAPAN. § 1. Flying dragon as the horse of a ghost or a sien 146 § 2. Dragon-horses 147 § 3. Carriage of a ghost drawn through the air by eight dragons. 150 § 4. A dragon appears as a good omen 150 CHAPTER III. CAUSING RAIN. § 1. Shinto gods : . 152 § 2. Horses offered to Shinto gods 156 § 3. Buddhism wins field 158 § 4. The Sacred Spring Park 159 § 5. The "Dragon-hole" on Mount Murobu 168 § 6. Reborn as a rain-giving dragon 170 § 7. Buddhist priests dominating the dragons 171 § 8. Dragon-women in ponds 172 § 9. Stirring up the dragons by throwing iron or filth into their ponds. 174 § 10. A dragon engraved on an incense pot believed to cause rain. Pine trees cause clouds to rise and rain to fall .... 175 § 11. The eight Dragon-kings , . 176 § 12. A Buddhist dragon's suicide 177 § 13. Conclusions 177 CHAPTER IV. THE INDIAN NAGA IN JAPAN. § 1. The Dragon-kings revere Buddha's Law 179 § 2. Dragons appear at the dedication of Buddhist, temples .