In the stage of totem worship, some ancient tribes in China regarded dragons as totems, ancestors and symbols. According to historical documents and related legends, the dragon (originally a snake) was originally the totem of Fuxi clan, and later became the totem of Taijue (Tai Hao) tribe. Taiyi tribe is one of the most important origins of dragon totem worship.
In the stage of worship of gods, agriculture and animal husbandry gradually formed, and religious beliefs also developed, from simple totem worship to polytheism. Dragon totem worship has also developed into dragon god worship. People deify dragons as water gods and rainbow gods.
After the dragon was deified, it was combined with emperor worship. In the Shang and Zhou Dynasties, the dragon pattern was officially regarded as the emperor's coat of arms and a symbol of power. At this time, the Shang and Zhou emperors hung nine dragon flags and wore dragon robes to sacrifice to the first king. During the Qin and Han Dynasties, the unification of China needed a corresponding great god to integrate the beliefs of all ethnic groups, and dragon worship was further combined with emperor worship. Ancient emperors in China described themselves as incarnations or sons of the Dragon God, or people protected by the Dragon God. With the help of dragons, they established their authority and gained people's universal trust and support. In this way, the dragon gained a more prominent position and played a very important role in the development of dragon culture.
Five-color dragon worship and dragon god belief were formed during the Warring States period. In the Spring and Autumn Period, there were five gods, which were matched with dragon, tiger, phoenix, turtle and unicorn. Dragon is just one of them, which matches the wooden god Gou Mang, but the concept of five dragons has not yet formed. By the Warring States period, the concept of Five Dragons had begun to take shape.
Finally, it is the stage of combining the worship of Naga dragon and dragon in Buddhism. During the Sui and Tang Dynasties, Buddhism spread rapidly in China, and the worship of the Dragon King in Buddhism was also introduced to China. In the local dragon worship in China, only the dragon god worship, not the dragon king worship. The worship of the Dragon King was introduced after the introduction of Buddhism. With the spread of Buddhism, the Dragon King, Dragon Palace and Dragon Lady also spread rapidly.
However, there have been five-color dragons and four-seas dragons in China since ancient times, which were often called dragon gods before the Song Dynasty. It was not until Song Huizong established five dragon kings that the dragon king belief became popular. It can be said that the present Four Seas Dragon King and Five Emperors Dragon King are all local dragon gods sealed by the imperial court, while the Taoist Dragon King evolved from the local dragon gods in China, and is the direct patriarch of the Four Seas Dragon King in later ghost novels. Both the Four Seas Dragon King and the Five Emperors Dragon King evolved from the Five Dragon Gods in China.
197 1 year, a c-shaped jade dragon was unearthed in sanxingtala village, wengniute banner, Chifeng city, inner Mongolia. After archaeological investigation, it is confirmed that Yulong belongs to the remains of Hongshan Culture about 7000 years ago. Jade Dragon is carved from dark green xiuyan jade. Its whole body is bright and clean, its head is kissed, its eyes are trimmed, its mane is flying and its body is curled up. Vivid image, exquisite carving, has the reputation of "China's first art dragon".
1995, archaeologists found a 19.7-meter-long red stone carving dragon at the Chahai site in Xinglongwa Culture, Fuxin, Liaoning. This dragon has a head, a tail and limbs, which is relatively complete. Chahai site is a Neolithic cultural site dating back 8000 years, which proves that the dragon culture has a history of at least 8000 years. This is the earliest dragon remains recognized by the archaeological community so far.
Yulong Pai, Lingjiatan, Anhui. About five thousand years ago. The head and tail are connected into a flat ring, and the chicken bones are white and green. In addition to the clear ridges around the back ring, this dragon is particularly vivid in that its head is in the shape of a bull's head, and the two slightly tilted horns on its head are intuitively double horns on the local buffalo head. Liangzhu culture.
According to the chronicles of bamboo slips, Fu Xishi has clans such as Qianlong, Dragon, Dragon General, Longtu, Shuilong, Qinglong, Chilong, Bailong, Black Dragon and Huanglong.
According to ancient records, both Shun Di and Xia Dynasty had the activity of raising dragons, and dragons were used as clan names. "The History of Taoism and the Later Ages" Volume XI: "When Shun was in power, people came to offer (offer) dragons as food. After Levin, there is an eastern mansion, where he can get what he wants and let him marry him. Give it to the white dragon. It was sealed in Luanchuan, so there is an official of the dragon. " In the twenty-ninth year of Zuo Zhuan, Zhao Gong said, "Shun Di's family has an animal dragon, and Xia Kong Jia disturbs the emperor. The emperor gave it to the two rivers and the Han Dynasty, each with its own gender. Kong Jia couldn't eat, but he didn't get the name of the dragon. After the family declined, Liu Lei followed the example of Zhao Long's family to serve Kong's family. He could eat and drink, and Jia Zhi gave his surname (surname) Yu Long, in order to make it more important to recruit dragons. When the female dragon dies, she will dive into the water to feed on Xia Hou. Xia Hou gave it to him, and then he took it. He moved to the county in fear, and Fan followed. "
Jade ring dragon ornaments in Shang dynasty
In the Shang and Zhou Dynasties, the dragon pattern has officially become the emperor's coat of arms and a symbol of power. In addition to carving dragon patterns on bronzes, Shang and Zhou rulers also painted dragon patterns on flags and clothes as a symbol of status.
Dragon Patterns in Qin and Han Dynasties
"Historical Records of Amenorrhea" said: "Yesterday Qin Wengong hunted and won the Black Dragon".
The dragon was originally the object of worship of Chinese ancestors, but with the deepening of autocracy and the increasing expansion of monarchical power, the royal family took the dragon as its own by virtue of its political advantages. It is recorded in Lu's Spring and Autumn Annals, and it is called the dragon. Later, Qin Shihuang called it "Zulong". After the Qin and Han Dynasties, the dragon has been shaped into the incarnation of the emperor and granted a patent by the royal family. The emperor is the "real dragon emperor", born as "the real dragon descended from the sky" and died as "the dragon royal guest"; People living in Long Ting, people lying on dragon beds, people sitting on dragon chairs and people wearing dragon robes.