潇湘凌空 编写于2019年11月10日 温尼伯
龙，作为动物，只是传说。中国龙，代表祥瑞，是一种具有多种动物特征的神话动物。东汉学者王符就认为：龙是一种集九种动物于一身的九不象：兔眼，鹿角，牛嘴，驼头，蜃腹，虎掌，鹰爪，鱼鳞，蛇身。这与近代中国龙的形象十分相似。
回朔至中国上古时期，距今约 6000 至 4000 年前，中华文明正处于萌芽发展期。由于实物资料稀少，历史仅靠流传，关于龙的传说总与神话牵扯在一起。如《山海经.大荒北经》中， “蚩龙作兵伐黄帝，黄帝乃令应龙攻之冀州之野。应龙畜水”，如此描述了黄帝大战蚩尤的故事。但真正的中国龙文化起源更早。据在内蒙古自治区兴隆洼镇考古发现的兴隆洼遗址为保存完好的新石器时代聚落遗址，即兴隆洼文化，并出土了石头堆塑巨龙，距今约 8200 至 7400 年。后又在辽河流域发现了红山文化，其C型玉器与同期的中原黄河流域新石器时代的仰韶文化玉器类似，距今约 5500 年至 4000 年。那以后，龙文化远播至珠江流域，甚至东南亚，日本以及北美的印地安人地区。龙不仅仅是传说中的神兽，其起源也是中华文明起源问题。不过，那时龙的形象简单，无角、长身、曲尾、有鱗。
在远古时代，具有龙特征的动物纹饰(原龙纹)含有宗教含义，常被作为原始社会部落或氏族的图腾。象黄帝，炎帝，共工氏，尧，舜，禹等氏族，都会将龙作为族徽，赋予了神的意义。直到商代，龙没有了原始样，变成了真正的龙纹，出现在青铜器和玉器等工艺品上，其作为勾通天地的礼器，也是王权的象征。
舞龙，又称玩龙灯。在百度上解释得十分详细。这里转贴如下：
“舞龙又称耍龙灯、 龙灯舞。龙是古老的图腾，传说龙能行云布雨、消灾降福，象征祥瑞，所以以舞龙的方式来祈求平安和丰收就成为全国各地的一种习俗。从春节到元宵灯节，许多地方都有舞龙的习俗。龙在中华民族代表了吉祥、尊贵、勇猛，更是权力的象征。”
“舞龙的主要道具是龙。龙用草、竹、布等扎制而成，龙的节数以单数为吉利，多见九节龙、十一节龙、十三节龙，多者可达二十九节。十五节以上的龙就比较笨重，不宜舞动，主要是用来观赏，这种龙特别讲究装潢，具有很高的工艺价值。还有一种火龙，用竹篾编成圆筒，形成笼子，糊上透明、漂亮的龙衣，内燃蜡烛或油灯，夜间表演十分壮观。时至今日，舞龙经过不断发展和改进，经常成为一种具有观赏性的竞赛运动。”
“舞龙者在龙珠的引导下，手持龙具，随鼓乐伴奏，通过人体的运动和姿势的变化完成龙的游戏、穿、腾、跃、 翻、滚、戏、缠，组图造型等动作和套路，充分展示龙的精、气、神、韵等内容的一项传统体育项目。”
“舞龙的动作千变万化，九节以内的侧重于花样技巧，较常见的动作有：蛟龙漫游、龙头钻档子、头尾齐钻、龙摆尾和蛇蜕皮等。十一节、十三节的龙，侧重于动作表演，金龙追逐宝珠，飞腾跳跃，时而飞；中云端，时而入海破浪。再配合龙珠及鼓乐衬托，成为一种集武术、鼓乐、戏曲与龙艺于一身的艺术样式。”
“中华民族是世界上人口最多的国家，世界上凡是有华人居住的地方都把 ‘龙’ 作为吉祥之物，在节庆、贺喜、祝福、驱邪、祭神、庙会等期间，都有舞龙的习俗。这是因为，龙是中国华夏民族世世代代所崇拜的图腾。在古代，中国人就把龙看成能行云布雨、消灾降福的神奇之物。数千年来，炎黄子孙都把自己称作是龙的传人。”
《The Legend of the Dragon, Dragon Culture and Dragon Dance》
The dragon, as an animal, is only a legend. Chinese dragon, representing auspicious, is a mythical animal with many animal characteristics. Fu Wang, a scholar in the Eastern Han Dynasty, believed that the dragon was a kind of creature, looking like nine kinds of animals into one: the rabbit eye, the antler, the cow mouth, the camel head, the belly, the tiger’s paw, the eagle claw, the fish scale, the snake body, which is very similar to the image of the modern Chinese dragon.
Back to the ancient times of China, around 6,000 to 4,000 years ago, the Chinese civilization was in its infancy of development. The part of Chinese history was spread only by humanity writings, but there is scarceness of material evidence, and the legend on the dragon is always related to the myth. For example, in the book of <<Shan Hai Jing.The Great Northern Wilderness>>, the story of the Yellow Emperor’s battle against Chiyou is “When Chiyou had a war against the Yellow Emperor, the Yellow Emperor commanded Ying dragons as soldiers to attack the wilderness of the Yi state. Ying dragons sucked much water to attack.”
However, the true Chinese dragon culture was originated much earlier. The Xinglongwa culture was found in the village of Xinglongwa, where is located in the Inner Mongolia-Liaoning border, of sites which were preserved very well today. That was the Neolithic civilization, about 8200 to 7400 years ago. A huge dragon, discovered and unearthed in 20th century, was made from stones. Later, the Hongshan culture, about 5500 to 4000 years from now, was discovered in the Liaohe River Basin, of the C-shaped jade which is similar to the ones unearthed in the Yangshao culture in the Neolithic Age in the Central Plain of Yellow River Basin. After around 4000 years ago, the dragon culture has spread far to the Zhujiang River Basin, and even to Southeast Asia, Japan and the Indian region of North America. The dragon is not only a legendary beast, but its origin is also related to the origin of Chinese civilization. However, the image of the dragon was simple, without horns, long body, curved tail, and scales before the Shang Dynasty (2100 BC). In ancient times, the dragon characteristics were of religious meanings, and of main features called formerly dragon patterns. The dragon such as a horn was often used as totems of primitive social tribes or clan. The clans of the Yellow Emperor, Yan Emperor, GongGong, Yao, Shuun and Yu and others regarded the dragon as a family emblem, giving meaning to a God. Until the Shang Dynasty, the dragon was changed original look, and evolved into a real dragon pattern, appeared in bronzes and jade and other crafts, as a ritual to communicate with the heaven, is also a symbol of the King.
Dragon Dance are also known as a dragon lantern and dragon lantern dance. The dragon is an ancient totem, and carries clouds and rain, and disasters and blessings, and symbolizes auspiciousness as well. Therefore, the way of dragon dance to pray for peace and harvest has become a part of the national culture and Customs. From the Spring Festival to the Lantern Festival, there have been the custom of dancing dragons in many places. The dragon represents auspiciousness, dignity and bravery in the Chinese nation, and is a symbol of power.
The main prop of the dragon is the dragon. The dragon is made of grass, bamboo, cloth, etc, and chained each other. The number of dragon knots is always singular, and means auspicious. A dragon is commonly of nine, eleven or thirteen dragon knots, even up to twenty-nine knots. The dragons above fifteen knots are more cumbersome and should not be danced, and mainly used for viewing. This kind of dragon is particularly decorative, and of a high craft value. A firing dragon, which is circled with bamboo poles into a tube, and formed to a cage, and coated transparently and beautifully, and burns candles or an oil lamp inside, performs spectacularly at night. Today, the dragon has been developed and improved, and often becomes an ornamental sport.
Dragon Dancers are guided by a Dragon Ball, holding legs of a dragon, accompanied by drum music, through moving their body and changing their posture to complete series of dragon’s moves like spin, jump, turn, roll, wrap etc. and fully demonstrate the dragon’s essence, spirit, spirit, and rhyme.
The action of the dragon is ever-changing. The dragon with nine knots moves through tricks more commonly. The common movements are: dragon roaming, dragon head drilling, head and tail drilling, dragon tail moving, and snake skin shedding. The dragon with 11 and 13 knots usually moves on actions such as chasing a ball, flying, jumping, mimicking juming into clouds and sea and breaking waves. The dragon dance becomes an art style that combines martial arts, drum music, drama and dragon art, guided bythe dragon ball and drum music set off.
The Chinese nation is the most populous country in the world. Wherever Chinese people live in the world, the Dragon is always an auspicious thing. During festivals, congratulations, blessings, exorcism, sacrifices, temple fairs, etc., there are customs of dragon dances because the dragon is a totem worshipped by the Chinese people for generations. In ancient times, the Chinese regarded the dragon as a magical thing that can carry clouds and rain, and eliminate disasters and blessings. For thousands of years, they all call themselves the descendants of the Yellow and Yan Emperors, and the descendants of the dragon.