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A Chinese Dragon Tattoo Is Perfect For Men

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Written by James Beckett

Thursday, 27 March 2008

by JamesBeckett

If you go to any tattoo parlor to get ideas for the kind of tattoo you might get, its easy to notice the prevalence of dragons in the designs. But if you did some research or inquired a bit more, you would find out that the dragon tattoo designs you are most commonly seeing date back centuries into Chinese culture and come to us from that very old Asian country.

To us in western cultures, we see dragons as what King Arthur and his knights fought and there are lots of popular dragons like Puff the Magic Dragon that are happy and silly creatures from childhood stories. Dragons have a much more serious and mystical role to play in Chinese culture, however, and we can learn a lot about the rich cultural interpretations of dragons and about how dragons have been regarded as figures of authority in the many traditions of the Chinese people's long history.

The fascination with Chinese imagery in tattoos may come from the fact that western countries deny the myth in their own history. And that explains why we all seem to enjoy taking part in the fun and the mysticism that are symbolized in the dragon figure from Chinese traditions. So by getting a Chinese dragon tattoo, in a way you are participating in that tradition. And another benefit of getting this particular tattoo design is that it gives you a lot of history and myth that you can share with people who want to know more about that fascinating dragon tattoo you have.

Interestingly enough, while in our culture dragons are generally enemies for our wizards and knights to slay, in Chinese culture, the opposite is true. In that society, dragons are the protectors of children and those in need of a strong spiritual guardian similarly to how we see guardian angels in our culture. The role of the dragon in Chinese history goes as far back as the very first emperor or China, Huang Di. It is said that when he passed away, he actually became a dragon himself and flew into the heavens to become part of Chinese spiritual life forever. So it's easy to see why the dragon has become so special to the Chinese people and that they love to celebrate that image in many ways in their art and festivals.

There are many different types of Chinese dragons to choose from when you decide to incorporate this powerful image into a tattoo. If the dragon figure has horns, that means it is powerful. A heavenly dragon is a protector where the spiritual dragon controls the rain and weather and the yellow dragon brings knowledge and wisdom. So you can incorporate a value you wish to enshrine in your tattoo with the appropriate Chinese dragon who rules that area of life.

Like the "gods" of a lot of ancient religions, Chinese dragons bring blessings or deny them to people through their control over the weather or the forces of nature. Water has always been a mystical symbol in a lot of cultures so in Chinese legend, dragons are often credited with controlling the behavior of the oceans and seas and the smaller rivers and streams as well. There is a dragon controlling most waterfalls as Chinese lore tells us and water spouts are often said to be caused by dragons when they come out of their rest to go out and create their magic for mankind.

You can see that you will have no trouble getting conversations going about your Chinese dragon tattoo and you will get plenty of compliments on your tat because these patterns are so often elegant, classy and beautiful. When you browse the tattoo parlors, you will notice that there are dozens of Chinese dragon patterns in every imaginable situation and position. So you could chose a benevolent dragon enjoying a festival with the people, an angry dragon snarling at an enemy, a playful dragon crouched and ready or a sleeping dragon blessing us with his peace. Whatever design you pick, the chances are it will be a tat that has a special personality of its own and not one you will see duplicated very often if ever.

Because the dragon tattoo is so artistic, expressive and classy, many people love to make this tattoo the one to have a place of honor such as the upper chest, across the back or the arm. A large Chinese dragon tattoo can quietly communicate power and strength which is why it is a very popular tattoo for men. But you can also find beautiful dragon tattoos for the ladies that even become delightful fashion statements because they incorporate so well with clothing and jewelry. The many kinds of designs, the wonderful colors and the many deeper meanings that dragons bring with them is one of the reasons that the Chinese dragon is one of the most popular tattoo designs available.

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With so many designs to choose from it can be a bit overwhelming, but it is well worth it in the end, for more help check out this article on the Chinese dragon tattoo.