The Water Dragon

2012

The Year of the Water Dragon

The name Dragon is Greek and derives from the Greek word Dakry, which means tear of the Earth.

Tear of the Earth, Da ekreousa, gushing Da, sourcing Earth.

In Greek Mythology, Dragons were considered divine Beings.

Dragons are Offspring of Mother Earth and her husband Poseidon, whose symbol is the Water, which is also according to the Greek Culture, the Element representing and symbolizing the Male Quality in Nature.

The Dragons appear as Guardians of several Water springs.

The Greek word for Water spring is Pigi or, the more ancient form, Paga and derives from the Greek word, pignimy, which means, becoming solid, becoming Icy, solid Water.

Refers to that stage of Earth, some million years ago, the τime Earth, nothing but a Fire ball, met Water, in Form of continuous Rainfalls. The burning, liquid, metallic Surface of the Globe, became solid and a very thin layer of Earth appeared, her Surface, on which Life started a little bit later. This first Layer of Earth was forming only one Continent, called by the Greeks Pangaia or Panga and by the Chinese, Pangu the Goddess.

The Priests, in the Sanctuaries of Mother Earth during the Pre-historical Time, were called Dragons and were considered Sons of Mother Earth.

The Worshiping of Mother Earth, demanded for the Dragons, the high Priests, also called Kings, to appearing, even now and then, with their faces covered under Masks of Bulls, Dragons or Snakes. All of them symbols of Water. In Greek Language the word Dragon is synonymous with the word Snake.

Dragon Python, one of the most famous, was the Guardian of the sacred Spring, in the Sanctuary of Delphi and Mother Earth's high Priest.

The name Python derives from the Greek word pythomai, which means, I get advised or able to advise.

From the same word derives also the name of the Priestess of the same Sanctuary, Pythia.

Pythia, the Wise Woman, who is able to consulting, the one, who is able to advise.

The Water springs were considered of great value and were often and because of that, the cause of hostility between communities who existed closed by and tried to controlling and exploiting the Water for their own benefit.

Kadmos the King of Thebes, had to fighting against the Dragon, the Guardian of the Water spring of the area, for him to becoming the Master of the Water.

A Dragon was guarding the Golden Fleece, which is symbolizing the Ancient Wisdom. Only Medea, who’s Name means the Wise one, the Princess of Iolkos, the Dragon Lady, was aloud to having access to the Golden Fleece.

We have depictions of Dragons in the Ancient Greek Art and one of the most famous, the Dragon in Mosaic, decorating the threshold of an Ancient Greek house on Lesvos, one Island of the Aegean Sea. The symbol of Dragon on that Mosaic, suppose to protecting the house and the family against any kind of Invasion and threat.

We also have depictions of Dragons in the Christian Art in Greece and the most famous is the wall painting in the Monastery of Saint Nicolas of Anapafsas, in Meteora, painted by the most renouned, among the Iconographers of the so called Cretan School in the Byzantine Art of the 14th c. A.D, Theophanous of Crete.

This Wallpainting is decorating the Narthex of the main Church in that Monastery and it's title is “ Adam naming the Animals”. Among the many animals easily recognizable, we admire the beautiful Dragon, proceeding full of Grace to receive his or her Name. It must have been a “He” though, because, for the Christian M.D's of the Medieval Period, Women were considered, nothing more than “Wombs with Dog heads”.

Dragons, the Tears of Da of Ga of Gaia.

Dragon, Dagron, Da ekreousa, gushing Da, Spring of Life.

Chinese Culture has preserved the Symbol and its original meaning throughout all the centuries, without the unfair interpretations of the Christian Church, which tried to defaming all Symbols related with the Ancient Religion and Philosophy.

According to the 5 Elements Theory, Dragons, symbols of Wisdom and good Luck, can relate to one of the 5 Elements and not only to Water, depending the Year, the Time of the Year…

The 5 Elements Theory was, once, also the Core of the Ancient Greek Science and ,unofficially, the one practiced during the Byzantine period, and taught, also to the Christians, in the still existing Greek Philosophical Schools, at least till the 6 th c. A.D.

The Dragon Year of 2012, is related with the Water Element, therefore more close to what the Ancient Greek Culture thought about Dragons in general.

Symbol of male quality in Nature, can appear, like in the Chinese Tradition, related with anyone of the 5 Elements of Nature, Medal (Gold), Water, Air, Fire and Earth.

So may this Year, the Year of the Dragon, to having the Clarity of a fresh Water spring, not to becoming a Swamp, on the contrary, to clearing out any Swamp obstructing Life, to allow flexibility, perseverance, deepening and progressing, Serene Power, Clarity, vital Energy, Abundance( the opposite of which, in Greek Language, is Lack of Envy, wherever we have lack of Envy, we have Abundance and visa versa), to solving my Country’s difficult problems, as well as those of all good People in Greece.

May also Dragon Year prevent the Loss of worth living, creative Children of my Country, beautiful Souls, like our Theothoros Agelopoulos, we have recently lost.

 

Athina Georgiadou