DRAGON. This mythological monster is often confused with the eqa lly fabulous grif fin. A distinguishing feature is the character istic bat wings (with ribs and web) of the former while the griffin has feathered bird wings. With its supposed terrible fighting powers —having scaled armor and breathing flames it is not surprising that the ancient Greeks and Romans utilized its figure as ex pressive of power. The Roman armies termed their standard bearers droconarius, because they carried this animal as an ensign. But Meyrick says Trajan adopted it from the Dacians, after their defeat. The Grecian dragon (termed hydra) was specially formida ble from its having seven ferocious heads. The dragon was a Celtic symbol of sovereignty and figured in the English standard from pagan times to the reign of Henry VII. It is found as a device on some of the knights' shields in the Bayeux tapestry. In the early days of fire arms (17th century) a certain short musket which was hooked to a swivel attached to the soldier's belt was so termed, because a dragon's head formed the muzzle. Such soldiers were termed dragoons. In mediaeval alchemy the dragon was the emblem of Mercury, hence this beast figured among the signs found on the chemist's and apothecary's drug-pots. A stuffed crocodile is seen hanging from the ceiling of the drug shops in old pictures ; it did service for the fictitious reptile. In astronomy this animal (as Draco) figures in the northern constellation.
In Byzantine art the dragon was the per sonification of evil — public calamity, such as pest, famine, etc. In Christian archaeology the dragon has a very active presence. The great dragon, Gargouille, lived in the Seine and ravaged Rouen. It was slain by Saint Romulus in the 7th century. The French word gargouille means waterspout, hence the spouts draining off the water from the walls of churches and large edifices were usually in the decorative form of an open-mouthed dragon. Various races and countries have their special dragon and dragon-slayer legends. The French dragon of Languedoc, Tarasque-gargouille, was slain by Saint Martha, and the city of Tarascon is said to have derived its name from the event. The most favored dragon-slaying legend of the artists, past and present, is that of Saint George (the English patron saint) slaying the dragon. Memling, Tintoretto, Pisanello, Domenichino, depicted this subject (paintings are in the London National Gallery), and it is found carved and in stained glass in a great number of the old churches. Another similar
picture frequently seen is that of the conflict between Saint Michael and the dragon..
The fact of the ancient origination of this subject is shown in the discovery of the picture of conflict on stone slabs in Persepolis and Nineveh, and the Greek mythology had its Perseus and Andromeda.
In Chinese legend the dragon (lung) figures very prominently. The Celestials say there are three dragons, one (lung) in the sky, one (10 in the sea, one (kiau) in the marshes. Lung is the most important of these, and is described as having the head of a camel, the horns of a deer, the eyes of a rabbit, ears of a cow, neck of a snake, belly of a frog, scales of a carp, claws of a hawk and palm of a tiger. This marvelous creation has whiskers on each side of its mouth, also a beard (in which is often pitted a bright pearl). The sea-dragon appears in waterspouts and the Chinese fishermen wor ship him in fear (Williams). Mayer accounts for four Chinese dragons. °(1) The Celestial dragon, which guards the mansions of the gods and supports them so they do not fall. (2) The Spiritual Dragon, which causes the winds to blow and produces rain for the benefit of mankind. (3) The Dragon of the Earth, that marks out the courses of rivers and streams. (4) The Dragon of the Hidden Treasures, which watches over the wealth concealed from mortals.° A dragon is the emblem of the Emperor of China, and has five claws (others four), and is forbidden to be represented ex cept on imperial goods. As the dragon is one of the chief decorative features of Chinese arts, this latter fact is of value to connoisseurs, since the presence of the five-clawed dragon on bronzes, pottery, tapestry, etc., is proof of the article having been made for the Imperial court In the Chinese zodiac the dragon is sign for the month of March.
The Japanese dragon (rio or tatsu) while, probably, derived from the Chinese, differs from it. It has but three claws, one of which usually grasps the °perfect crystal ball,° or a pearl. The Japanese dragon is supposed to have the power of rendering itself invisible; it may shrink to silkworm dimensions or increase its size till the universe is covered with its resence. Pictorially illustrated in multitudes of Japanese decorative work the tatsu is seen floating among the clouds or rising from stormy waves on the ocean. The Persian dragon has cloven hoofs.