The elaborate conception of the dragon which we find to-day in Chinese
art and literature is undoubtedly a very different animal from the one
which was responsible for the origin of the dragon idea. The fabled sea
serpent, the alligator, the salamander, and the boa constrictor have
each been regarded as the prototype of this unique creature. It is far
more likely, however, that some antediluvian saurian was the true
source from which the dragon idea has sprung. Back in the dawn of
history some early member of the human race may have met with one of
these monstrous creatures which paleontologists tell us were, in some
period of their development, equally at home on land and in the sea,
and because of its gigantic size and marvelous powers attributed to it
a supernatural origin. In later ages, even the unearthed skeleton of
one of these monsters might have been sufficient to have led to the
inception of the story. If this theory is correct it is easy to
understand how through succeeding ages the belief could have grown and
how superstition and coincidence would have done their share to
elaborate from the early monster the marvelous creature of the present
day.
According to the theory advanced above, the writer believes that the
most probable prototype of the dragon is the Brontosaurus of the
Mesozoic age, although the present conception of the dragon may easily
have sprung from such other prehistoric animals, as the plesiosaurus of
the same period or the Iguanodon of the Cenozoic age. Skeletons of
these giants of the saurian family and pictures of the reconstructed
animals indicate a striking resemblance to the graceful creatures that
dominate the art of China.
The first appearance of the true dragon, according to the records of
what is considered to be authentic Chinese history, occurred some
forty-six centuries ago during the reign of Huang Ti, or Hsuan Yuan,
the third of the five great rulers. We are told that after this
personage had reigned one hundred and eleven years a large dragon
appeared and took him to heaven upon his back. Since that day dragons
have been seen in every dynasty and by hundreds of witnesses, as
Chinese history abundantly attests. Dragon appearances were considered
auspicious, and augured well for the affairs of state. In support of
this belief, it is interesting to note that when the late President
Yuan Shih-kai was trying to make himself emperor his friends made at
least one attempt to unearth what were supposed to be the bones of a
dragon. This was done in order that the superstitious among his
countrymen might be led to feel that his desire to reëstablish the
empire was according to the law of heaven.
For centuries it was the custom for anyone who saw a dragon, either
himself or through the magistrate of the district in which he lived,
immediately to announce the fact to the emperor. In early days history
was often counted from the appearance of a particular dragon.
A popular fable relates that Yü Wang was able to end the great flood
2297 B.C. only after he had succeeded in capturing the dragon, who was
said to be responsible for the deluge. The animal was chained in heavy
irons and imprisoned, after which the flood subsided. Ever since that
time all dragons, we are told, have trembled at the memory of the only
man who ever conquered their kind.