Much folklore about dragons was believed throughout time. In Egyptian mythology, the god of the underworld, Osiris, is sometimes represented by a dragon. In Greek mythology, dragons are always guarding something or eating someone. In European mythology, a dragon is a serpent-like legendary creature. In both Eastern and Western mythology, the dragon is believed to be responsible for eclipses.
In Bulgarian legend, dragons are three headed, winged beings with snake’s bodies. There is also a white dragon, which according to legend can transform into a bird called O-Goncho. The dragon also plays a vital role in Arthurian legend.
In Romanian folklore, even the snake, which in certain conditions, has the ability to turn into a dragon, has a strong malefic meaning. The ancient Greeks and Romans, who revered dragons for their wisdom but feared them for their tremendous powers, shared this belief. Similarly, in the Babylonian creation myth, Tiamat the embodiment of chaos is portrayed as a terrible dragon. This myth is almost as hard to kill as the dragon itself was. For this reason, the dragon symbol is the sign of authority, often being worn on the robes of the Imperial family and nobility.
Dragons have long been considered evil, maiden-stealing, village destroying, fire-breathing beasts. This lead to many brave knights attempting to hunt down and slay dragons, as recounted in many medieval writings. When knights began inventing stories about them defeating such dragons, the dragon and knighthood peak was reached.
Almost every country in the world as some sort of dragon story. Legends and myths are filled with stories of dragons. In European mythology, a dragon is a serpent-like legendary creature. In many legends dragons personify evil, and are vicious beasts who live to wreak havoc and must be pacified by human sacrifice. One of the most feared monsters of the Greeks and Romans was the Hydra, a dragon with multiple heads and poisonous breath.
In fairy tales and in medieval poetry in the Western world dragons are dangerous, untrustworthy creatures. Medieval people liked to scare each other with dragons. All people are drawn by the dragon’s aura of mystery, its ancient magic, its nobility; its awesome might and power.
The Japanese dragon is one of the most popular mythological creatures picked for inking and a classic choice for a tattoo design. It is usually depicted as a wingless, heavily-scaled snake-like creature with small clawed legs and a horned or antlered camel head, and is associated with sea, clouds or the heavens. Japanese dragons tend to be much more slender and fly less frequently than the Chinese counterparts. The breath of the Japanese Dragon changes into clouds from which come either rain or fire. It is able to expand or contract its body, and in addition it has the power of transformation and invisibility. This is merely a general description and does not apply to all Japanese dragons, some of which have heads of so extraordinary a kind that they cannot be compared with anything in the animal kingdom.
According to most sources, the Japanese dragon is closely related to the Chinese counterparts, with the exception that the Japanese dragon has only three claws, while that of the Celestial Kingdom (China) has five.
Tattoo artists have taken the art of the Japanese dragon to amazing new levels. Whether you want a full back design or a half sleeve design, you will find an incredible gallery of amazing designs to choose from. They can be in color, or black & white. The dragon tattoo may appear with sea wave or clouds or pearls. If the dragon claw holds an enormous magical pearl, which has the power to multiply whatever it touches, the “pearl” symbolized the most precious treasure: Wisdom. Ancient Dragon lore and illustrations have inspired many of us to select a dragon tattoo because that design represents how we feel about ourselves — strength, wisdom and freedom…
The popular locations for inking Japanese dragon tattoos.
Japanese dragon tattoos can wrap around the body and flatter the contours of the body, full body and full back dragon tattoos are quite common, and the most popular location is half sleeve, the body of the dragon wrap around the upper arm and the dragon head extend out the upper front, just above the heart. Because of the long shape of the dragon, it also suited for inking on arms and legs.
Where to Find Perfect Japanese dragon tattoo designs for Inking?
After all, getting an awesome Japanese dragon tattoo that perfectly flows with your body is what makes you feel proud. Am I right? There are many good reasons to get an awesome Japanese tattoo and there are many ways to screw it up. The most important thing to find a perfect Japanese tattoo is to take your time browsing through numerous tattoo collections before you settle the one for inking.