Where does the dragon symbol come from?
Dragons are central to Chinese culture, where they have long stood for imperial power, control of water and weather, and good fortune. The dragon is one of the twelve animals of the Chinese zodiac, and some Chinese people call themselves descendants of the dragon as a sign of shared identity.
Japanese dragon lore grew from Chinese dragon mythology, and many Japanese dragon names are borrowed from Chinese. Japanese dragons are usually shown with three claws, compared with four or five in China, and they became favorite subjects of woodblock prints by artists such as Hokusai and Kuniyoshi.
Western sailors brought dragons into their own tattoo tradition. A dragon could show that a man had served on the China station, and a golden dragon marked crossing the International Date Line. In European legend, though, the dragon is usually a fire-breathing beast, which gives many Western dragon tattoos their tougher edge.
What should you know before getting a dragon tattoo?
- Eastern and Western dragons look and mean different things. Decide which tradition you want before booking, because an artist will draw them very differently.
- If you want a dragon in the Japanese tradition, go to an artist who works in it. Claw count, scale direction, clouds and waves follow conventions that are easy to get wrong.
- Dragons often come with Chinese or Japanese characters. Have any text checked by a fluent reader before it goes on your skin.