2012 was The Chinese Year of the Dragon – so it got me thinking as to why it is a creature of great good fortune in Chinese culture yet a monster to be feared and vanquished in the West.

In Chinese culture, the dragon represents power, authority, and is a harbinger of good luck. It demands respect. In the west, it is usually thought of as malicious and monstrous and commands fear and loathing. I know which dragon I would rather pursue!

The western dragon of myth and legend overlaps in many different cultures/countries. It is usually depicted as scaly, with a tough, armoured hide. It often has wings, though it rarely flies, and lives in rivers, caves or an underground lair. The first mention of a dragon is in The Iliad but the Greek word used, drákōn, can also mean snake. Interestingly, the Slavic words for dragon, zmey, zmiy or zmaj, are all masculine words for a snake, which is normally feminine! These dragons, with the exception of the Red Dragon of Wales, are malevolent, and in need of slaying. Some of them are even depicted with 3 heads, and these heads grow back every time one is cut off!

In stark contrast, the Chinese dragon is a beast to be honoured and revered. People born in a Dragon year are, according to the Chinese, uninhibited, non-conformist, free spirits who don’t play by the rules. They are masters of the grand gesture. They like to do everything on an epic scale. Creative, flamboyant, confident, fearless, they invariably make it to the top. They are irrepressible, energetic and hugely gifted, and they simply do not know when to stop. Generous to a fault, they are popular, but their impulsive natures can sometimes get them into trouble!

What is interesting to me is that the Year of the Snake follows the Year of the Dragon…so it is interesting that in Western parlance, the word used for it was used for both. Interesting too, that the dragon is often depicted as being quite serpentine in appearance…The Snake’s characteristics could not be less like the dragon, however. It is private, introspective, and self-composed. Where the dragon is bling, the snake is refinement. They both share the same desire to succeed, they just go about it in different ways.

The year 2012 was something of an upheaval for me, I don’t know about you, but I am looking forward to 2013 mightily, as a year of new beginnings, of good fortune, of joy.