In this new article, we will tell you everything you need to know about the Chinese mythology about Dragon and Tiger meaning. 🐉🐅
In particular, we will explain the origin of the historical conflict that exists between these two protagonists. All this comes from Asia and dates back several thousand years. 🀄
The Origin of the Conflict Between Dragon and Tiger
You have certainly heard about the eternal conflict between the dragon and the tiger story. Remember, there was even a movie about it.
You may be a little young to remember it, but at the time this martial arts film was very popular. It was directed by Ang Lee, and was released in 2000. 🥋
We could see warriors perched several meters away, in a bamboo forest, fighting in fights of anthology! Well it happens that this film takes up all the Asian symbolism of the thousand-year-old confrontation between the dragon and the tiger.
Throughout the ages, different peoples such as the Chinese or the Vietnamese have been rocked by this imaginary. People used to reproduce these symbols on a lot of objects such as drapes, embroidery or paintings.
The story would come from the province of Hai-Duong, and more particularly from a mountain where a cave is located, in a dry and hostile environment.
In this cave, a hermit would have lived far away from the world for many, many years, feeding only on a few things found here and there, close to his makeshift shelter. 🛖
The tiger and the dragon story
The hermit being very lonely, and having all the useful and necessary time for that, spent his time in nature.
One day, by the greatest of chances, he saw a large yellow dragon playing with a pearl in the sky. As if this first experience was not already extraordinary, a little later he saw a white tiger. The tiger looked at the dragon and, frightened by the dragon’s claws, came out.
The dragon, with his piercing eyesight, saw the tiger. But he simply preferred to ignore it with disdain. The tiger, angry and outraged by such ignorance, opened its mouth to tell the dragon that it was the king of animals.
Waiting for a reaction that did not come from the dragon, he summoned him to acknowledge his superiority. He waited… but still no answer came out of the dragon’s mouth. 🐲
It was then that the tiger began to threaten the dragon with words that we do not wish to relay here as they were so vulgar! Enraged by the tiger’s words, the dragon replied that if the tiger was the king of the furry animals, he was the king of the scaly animals…
But also the king of the symbolic animals! The frightened tiger thought it would be better to avoid fighting. 🐯
However, he did not stop there, and began an oratory duel.
The Duel of Words of the Dragon and Tiger
The duel began between the tiger and the Chinese dragon. The tiger opened the hostilities with its magnificent roar, while the dragon spoke with its breath.
The tiger spoke up by evoking its power. The dragon recalled that he can bring peace to earth and that he has done so many times before.
So afterwards, the tiger and the dragon took turns being the bravest, the bravest, the most terrifying, the most powerful etc…
A verbal joust that lasted a very long time and made it possible to appreciate the qualities of each mythical animal in the Asian culture.
Tiger and dragon then talked about the dynasties, their respective importance to kings and emperors, but also what they bring to certain bangs of society such as students or soldiers. 🧐
However, unlike the latter which are much more abstract, it should be noted that the exchange between the tiger and the dragon is based more on the history of China, its names of rivers, provinces and places of all kinds.
Dragon and Tiger Meaning
About the dragon and tiger meaning, following this verbal jousting match, the hermit who attended this muscular exchange, to say the least, asks himself a few questions. This has aroused such perplexity in him that he has to talk about it in turn with another scholar.
To do so, he decides to leave his cave, go down from his mountain, and discuss it with a philosopher. Along the way, and certainly like you, he wonders what could be the meaning of this struggle?
So he arrives at the philosopher’s house and asks him what is the meaning of all this? Why such a struggle? Why such a verbal joust between the dragon and the tiger? 🤔
At first glance, and without really thinking about it, the philosopher believes that it is only a sterile rivalry with simple childish insults.
But upon further reflection, the philosopher sees something else. He then explains to the hermit that two fundamental principles produce extraordinary animals.
Dragon and Tiger Yin Yang
This requires a combination of heaven and earth. He calls this the Am as well as the Du’o’ng. The Am principle represents the tiger, while the Du’o’ng principle represents the dragon. 🐲
As with the Dragon and Tiger Yin and Yang principle, Am and Du’o’ng are complementary. Indeed, everywhere in the cosmos there is a part of tiger and a part of dragon inseparable from each other.
Therefore, any search for perfection implies the participation of both parts, of these two beings, and not of an isolated element. In short, it is necessary to unite not only the strength of the tiger, but also the spirit of the dragon. One without the other is worthless.
If you perceive a duality, you must understand that it is a complementarity. After these long explanations, I hope that you will be motivated to discover or rediscover the fabulous tiger and dragon movie! 🎥
