Legend Of The Four Dragons That Disobeyed The Jade Emperor And Gave China Water
Ellen Lloyd - AncientPages.com - The beautiful ancient Chinese legend about the four dragons that disobeyed the Jade Emperor describes how four rivers in the country came into existence.
The four dragons were very unhappy with the Jade Emperor, the supreme ruler of Heaven in Chinese mythology, and decided to do what they considered was right for the people. The result of their actions led to China being provided with water. The dragons simply showed unselfish concern for themselves to save the people they loved.
As the ancient legend goes, the event happened a very long time ago when there was no water in the country. People were starving and a great drought had spread across the land. The four dragons are known as Long Dragon, the Yellow Dragon, the Black Dragon, and the Pearl Dragon watched with horror how people and animals were dying.
The dragons left their sea and visited the Jade Emperor in his heavenly abode. They told him about what was happening on Earth and asked him to help people, animals, and plants to survive.
The Jade Emperor agreed and promised to send rain but being very busy he forgot and broke his promise.
The four dragons were frustrated when they noticed ten days had passed without rain. People were dying of starvation, but the Jade Emperor neglected the situation on Earth. So, the four dragons decided they couldn’t stand by and watch this misery any longer, and they used their giant bodies to capture great masses of water from the sea, taking it upon themselves to bring the rain.
People were relieved and prayed to the Jade Emperor thanking him for the rain that had saved their lives. The Sea God, on the other hand, was not happy that so much of his water had vanished, and he went to the Jade Emperor and complained. He made it very clear the four dragons had provided humans with water.
Jade Emperor idol. Credit: Public Domain
The Jade Emperor was angry when he learned that the four dragons had disobeyed him and punished them for their insubordination.
He ordered the ordered Mountain God to trap the four dragons and lock them up in four different mountains. The Mountain God used his magic to summon four mountains, and the four dragons were imprisoned, but that didn’t stop them from doing what they wanted.
Each time a dragon was trapped, a new river sprung from the mountain. The Yellow dragon created the Yellow River, the Long Dragon the Yangtze River, the Black dragon the Black River and the Pearl dragon was responsible for the creation of the Pearl River. The four rivers flowed from west to east and north to south, and the four dragons were happy knowing the people of China would never lack water again.
In China, dragons are respected and loved creatures. Credit: Public Domain
As previously discussed in Ancient Pages, we encounter dragons in almost every ancient culture of the world. Dragons played an important role in the beliefs of our ancestors and these creatures were depicted in a variety of ways.
Dragons can be placed in two groups- East and West dragons, and they were regarded as either good or very fearsome and evil creatures.
In China, the dragon is one of the most beloved creatures of all time. There are many beautiful Chinese myths, like this one describing how magnificent dragons helped humanity to survive. The Chinese dragon is believed to be a benign creature that is said to bring wisdom, power, and luck.
The dragons are famous for their goodness, warding off evil, protecting the innocent, and bringing safety to all.
Written by Ellen Lloyd – AncientPages.com
Copyright © AncientPages.com All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed in whole or part without the express written permission of AncientPages.com
Expand for referencesMore From Ancient Pages
-
Largest Collection Of Ancient “Cup-Marked” Rocks Ever Found In Scotland
Civilizations | Nov 23, 2018
-
Why Didn’t Pythagoras And His Followers Eat Beans?
Ancient History Facts | Jan 18, 2019
-
On This Day In History: Canute Lavard Was Murdered By His Cousin, Magnus I Of Sweden – On Jan 7, 1131
Historical Figures | Jan 7, 2017
-
Recently Found ‘Neanderthal Footprints’ In the South Of Spain Could Be 275,000 Years Old
Featured Stories | Dec 1, 2022
-
Ingvar Vittfarne: Viking Chieftain And His Tragic Expedition To The East
Featured Stories | Jul 21, 2022
-
Magnificent Hochdorf Chieftain’s Grave – Resting Place Of The Celtic Tutankhamun
Featured Stories | Aug 19, 2019
-
Tír na nÓg – Mythical Land Where Time Floats Slower Than In Mortal Lands
Celtic Mythology | Mar 2, 2020
-
Magnetic Compass Was Invented In Ancient China
Ancient History Facts | Mar 18, 2016
-
Island Archaeology Could Be A Model For Space Exploration
Archaeology | Nov 14, 2022
-
Serket: Scorpion Goddess Who Could Heal Poisonous Bites And Sting Evildoers
Egyptian Mythology | May 17, 2019
-
Maize-Based Diet Of Ancient Maya, Vulnerability To Drought And Collapse Of Society
Archaeology | Jul 8, 2019
-
Ancient Tools Used In Religious Rituals In Honor Of Goddess Hathor Discovered In Egypt
Archaeology | Sep 27, 2021
-
Face Of Queen Lady Cao Reconstructed – Unique Look At The First Known Female Ruler In Peru
Archaeology | Jul 10, 2017
-
Trapped 70,000-Year-Old Artifact Reveals Hidden Information About Early Humans
Archaeology | Dec 5, 2022
-
Burial Of Queen Of Emma Of Normandy Discovered In Winchester Castle
Archaeology | Nov 2, 2021
-
Egypt Recovers Ancient Wooden Coffin From Houston Museum In The US
Archaeology | Oct 4, 2022
-
The Word Salary Has Roots In Ancient Rome And History Of Salt
Ancient History Facts | Jun 29, 2016
-
Impressive Huge Ancient Lamassu Statue Unearthed In Nineveh, Iraq
Archaeology | Oct 28, 2023
-
Bulgarian Archaeologists Find Nearly 3000 Coins In Clay Pot At Sofia Dig
News | Sep 8, 2015
-
Oldest Yo-Yo Dates Back To 400-500 B.C
Ancient History Facts | May 13, 2019