What does the legendary dragon look like?

According to historical records, as early as four or five thousand years ago, when human beings were in a clan society, each clan worshipped an animal, such as cattle, horses, tigers, deer and snakes, as a symbol of its clan. Later, a powerful clan annexed all other clans, crowded together the animal signs of each clan, and created the fiercest animal image. This is the origin of the so-called "dragon". The record of "dragon" in China's ancient books has always been called "dragon, scale, phoenix and turtle" in the Book of Rites and Liu Yun, which are collectively called the Four Spirits. In Shuowen, it is said that "dragon" is the length of scale worm, which can be fine or huge, long or short. "The Great Northern Wilderness Classic": "Zhang Weishan has a god, and people are red and have a snake face. Their eyes are straight, and they are gloomy. They regard it as light, they don't eat or sleep, and the rain never stops. It's called dragon. " It can be seen that the dragon has long been regarded as a sacred object of aura. Li Shizhen said in Compendium of Materia Medica: "The dragon has nine characteristics: the head is like a snake, the horn is like a deer, the eyes are like rabbits, and the ears are like cows ..." The dragon was imagined to have the advantages of various animals and became a magical thing. "Yin Shu Justice" said: "The dragon is an old star, and the old star is also a wood, and the wood is a dragon"; He also said: "The Eastern Star of the Heavenly Palace is Black Dragon Night." . It is said that the dragon king is the king of the dragon genus, also known as the king of the family. Therefore, the Great Cloud invites rain sutra says, "The Dragon King is 185, the god who makes wind and asks for rain." The four dragon kings mentioned in the novel The Journey to the West are Ao Guang in the East China Sea, Aoqin in the South China Sea, Aoshun in the North China Sea and Aorun in the West China Sea. It is also said that the Dragon King has nine sons. According to "Tang Yuzhi Bi Hui", "Nine sons were born in dragons, but they will not become Jackie Chan, and each has its own interests." This is a very interesting myth. The names and hobbies of his nine sons are: the eldest son is a captive of cattle and has been good at music all his life. Today, the beast carved on Hu Qin's head is his portrait; The second son, Yazi, has been a killer all his life. Today, the dragon swallowing mouth on the golden hilt is his portrait; The third son mocked the phoenix, and it was a close call in his life. The beast in the corner of this temple is his portrait; Four sons, not old, have a good life, and the animal button on this clock is his portrait; Under the hegemony of abiko, he carried a lot of weight all his life. This monument beast is his portrait; Liuzi is an armadillo, who has been litigating all his life. The lion head on the prison gate is their portrait. Bazi's kiss is quite malicious, and it's easy to swallow all his life. The animal head on the roof of this temple is his portrait (the original record of a missing son). However, this episode of Mountaineering Temple also contains the fact that the dragon has nine sons. Besides being the same as the three names Bran, Armadillo and Yazi in Tang Yuzhi's book, it also said, "It looks like a turtle, so it's heavy. It is also right to jump under the monument today; Kissing, like an animal, looks good, and today the head of the roof animal is also; Gluttony, food, so stand in the tripod cover; Lying down, standing, just standing on the bridge, golden, like a lion, good fireworks, just standing on the incense burner; Pepper map, shaped like a snail, is very closed, so it stands at the door. " According to the records in the collection outside Sheng 'an Temple, it happened to be the nine sons of the Dragon King. Duan Long was also described in the 20th Romance of the Three Kingdoms. Cao Cao and Liu Bei talked about the changes of dragons. Cao Cao said: "dragons can be big or small, can be raised or hidden;" The big ones are smoking, the small ones are hidden, the rising ones are soaring in the universe, and the hidden ones are lurking in the waves ... "These words are nothing more than saying that the dragon is an alien thing that does not exist in the world and is invisible to people. What does a dragon look like? Anyone who has visited the colored glass brick screen wall to the west of Tianwang Temple on the north shore of Beijing Beihai can see that there are nine dragons in different shapes in front of and behind the screen wall. They are vigorous, lifelike, lifelike, as if rushing in the clouds. This is the famous "Nine Dragons Wall". After seeing the Nine Dragon Wall, I have a little concept of "dragon" in my heart. In the Oracle Bone Inscriptions of Yin Ruins in China, there is the word "dragon". There are four forms of Chinese characters, complex and simple. Traditionally, the dragon's role is like an animal with horns, a big mouth, tattoos and graceful bends. There are also three kinds of simplified characters, which also show the image of big mouth and curved body. In Zuo Zhuan, there is a saying that "osawa in the deep mountain gave birth to dragons and snakes". "Going to Sea" records: "The snake looks like a human face, and its hair is like a lock, living under Zhongshan." It seems that the dragon referred to in ancient times is a snake-like animal. According to Shennong's Herbal Classic, the lizard is called Shilong, and the snake slough is called Dragon Clothes. It can be seen that the imaginary dragon snake or clear tin belong to the same reptile. Longwang is the general manager of the aquarium. Folk believe that rivers, lakes and seas, where there is water, there is the Dragon King. Dragons can produce wind, rain and lightning. People worship the Dragon King as the god of sex. If it doesn't rain for a long time, a villager will go to Longwang Temple to offer sacrifices and pray for rain. If the Dragon King has not appeared, he will carry out his idol and expose it to the sun until it rains heavily. The ancients believed that the four seas were under the jurisdiction of the Dragon King, which was called the Four Seas Dragon King. There are also five dragon kings, the heavenly dragon king and the river dragon king. There is a story about the dragon king, which is like this, in the early Tang Dynasty. In Baishe Village, Yingshang County, Anhui Province, there is a man named Shi, his wife, and he has nine sons. He used to work for Zhao in Nanyang, Henan. After coming back from the office, I often go to a small place called Jiaoshitai and fish in the shade of a river. One day, he was fishing when a palace suddenly appeared. He went in curiously and became the Dragon King. Later, he went to the Dragon Palace early every morning and didn't go home until dark. When he got home, his body was still cold and his clothes were wet. When his wife asked him why, Zhang Lusi said, "I am already the Dragon King. There is also a foreigner named Zheng Xiang, who is also the Dragon King. He wants to compete with me for territory. We have an appointment for a decisive battle tomorrow. Whoever wins will be the master of this territory. To this end, please tell your nine sons to call for me tomorrow. I am wearing a red scarf and Zheng Xiang is wearing a green scarf. Remember, don't get the mark wrong. " Zhang Lusi's nine sons listen to their father. The next day, they took bows and arrows to help their father and shot at Zheng Xiang tied with a green towel. As a result, Zheng Xiang was shot. After Zheng Xiang was injured, he fled Shi Jiao Station angrily. Zhang Lusi and his son followed closely, catching up with the Huaihe River. Zheng Xiang fled to Hefei Xishan and died. In the Tang Dynasty (894-898 AD), Wang also built a Dragon King Temple in Yingzhou, and Zhang Lusi was the Dragon King.