He dragon can be found in the mythology of hundreds of cultures and featured on ancient drawings and carvings from every corner of the globe. Because of the diversity of each culture’s beliefs, there’s lots of meanings behind this beautiful tattoo.
Depending on the cultural history of the dragon tattoo you are going to have inked on your body, you could be wearing a symbol of gentle wisdom and kindness or a fire-eating enemy ready to do battle. Legend has always depicted a hero slaying the dragon and saving the castle or the village from total destruction and winning the heart of a fair maiden.
In Chinese cultures, the dragon symbolizes lightning, thunder and rain, which, in their ancient understanding, represented the uniting of the earth and water elements or fertility. Traditional Japanese tattooing is often about balance and the various characteristics of yin and yang. The dragon, in Japanese tattooing, is often portrayed with other symbols that represent both the balance and duality found in yin and yang.Another aspect of dragons, in the Far East, is their representation of either the four points of the compass or the nature symbols of water, earth, the underworld and the sky.
The Gnostics, who started a philosophical and religious movement in pre-Christian times, believed in the spiritual nature that lives in all of us and relied on their understanding and knowledge of God. Their belief about dragons revolved around the chaos of nature and the Spirit of God. Their fiery dragon could conquer all things.
