dragon in religion picture proof

PICTURE TALKS MORE THAN WORDS

PROOF OF DRAGONS IN RELIGIONS

DRAGONS IN RELIGION

SNAKES, SERPENTS, DRAGONS
AND THUNDERBIRDS

The dragon evolved from the serpent as an icon of the elders and spiritual teachers of the Earth Mother religion. This was the symbol of the druids, vates and bards. In Native American traditions, clans of the Holy Men were often called the Snake clan. In Ireland, the dragon was less stylized and retained the appearance of a snake or serpent. Fire breathing dragons in particular have been source for numerous folk tales. Sadly we must report that the tales of Dragon slayers are little more than disguised stories that relate directly to the murders of Druids, priests and dedicated followers of the Earth Mother religion. Today we call this genocide, but under the authority of the time, it was an accepted practice to eliminate competetive philosophies. The direct relationship of fire and an obviously reptillian animal ties together two items of importance with an ancient origin. Fire and the ability to make fire were considered gifts to the wise. Anyone who could construct a fire was gifted with a special knowledge. Simultaneous within this era was a true and honest fascination of animals that reproduced by laying eggs. Humans have long witnessed the births of mammals and knew about impregnation, gestation and live birth from several hundred millennia of observation and notation. Mankind was well aware of its mammilian origins long before the word appeared in language.

Birds were held in very high regard because of the ability to fly which was assumed to be an ability to commune with the Sky Father, or the Creator. Birds, lizards, turtles and snakes are all egg layers with very few exceptions. All these animals were held in very special reverence. This fact has excaped notice of modern scholars and has received little or no attention.

The primary Celtic diety, Lugh, had shrines and monuments throughout Europe prior to Roman times. Little reference material is available. As a competitive religion, resource material has been culled from the records by Christian authorities. As a theocratic government, it directed the destruction of physical existence. It is reported by some Celtic scholars that his images were often accompanied by a cock, a turtle and a ram. Two of the three are egg layers and the third is an icon of the era, Aries; the Ram.

What demonstrates this line of thought clearly is examination of an image constructed to represent a dragon. More often than not, it is drawn as a large reptile with wings. We accept the wings without question, but to the ancients this was important. Wings indicated an ability to fly. The sky was understood to be the realm of the Sky Father or Creator. Any animal that could fly was deemed able to commune with this spirit. This is why Angels, Harpies, Griffons, Spinxes and Pegasus all have wings. This philosophy is also why flying carpets exist in Arab legend and mythology. All promote the idea that flight and a special communion with sky spirits, a supernatural power, coexist. An example of this fascination exists in the translation of the Phaistos Disk where the fate of an individual was determined by the behavior of a flock of flying birds.

The North American Native tradition of the Thunderbird fits into this scheme as well. Consider what event is precedent to thunder. If you came up with lightning, a brilliant flash of light you are correct. Lightning was equated into fire of the brightest kind, or true enlightenment. This in turn, worked out to be wisdom. Anyone who could speak with a "voice of Thunder" was not speaking loudly. He was speaking with the gifts of the enlightened. The Thunderbird was their substitute for the fire breathing dragon.

One rock art researcher came up with the fact that the elders referred to some snake figures as lightning snakes. He wrongly assumed this had to do with a rain dance ceremony or prayers for rain. When the icons are examined with knowledge and application of proper metaphor, they too, work out to be of the same genera as dragons.

For the most part, this discussion has dealt with items from European and North American origin. It must be noted that the Asian dragon exists with remarkably similar features to the European icon. Missing are the destructive aspects of mythology. In Asia, the dragon has not been subject to the derogatory Christian reworking of the icon and retains the feature of an item related to good rather than evil. Mexican dragons exist as well, but I lack the database to properly deal with them. Perhaps some readers will enlighten us.

Picture Juke Box

DRAGON in BLEACH:Renji Abarai

Renji Abarai

Renji Abarai (阿散井 恋次, Abarai Renji) begins his Soul Reaper career in the 5th Division, but is transferred into the 11th Division and eventually moves to the 6th to become Byakuya Kuchiki's lieutenant.

Renji has long flowing crimson hair, usually kept in a high ponytail, and his entire upper body is covered in tribal tattoo work. As far as his personality goes, Renji is about as eccentric as any other Soul Reaper. He varies from smug and cocky in his first appearances to downright angsty and depressed after his major defeats, but shows himself to be an incredibly serious and determined fighter when confronted with an actual challenge. Willing to fight, kill, and die for whatever he believes in, Renji is a dangerous man to those who stand in his way. He's also the only Vice Captain who has achieved bankai. Many Bleach fans speculated that he's the most powerful Vice Captain and non-captain position in the Soul Society. He is similar to Ichigo Kurosaki in many aspects, and the two are mistaken for brothers in the anime's Bount arc. Ichigo claims they are cousins to keep things simple, allowing many hilarious situations to occur later, including comments over their unusually colored hair. A continuing gag in the series is Renji's nick name, red pineapple, referring to his crimson hair kept in a pineapple top-like ponytail. During a filler arc before the invasion of Las Noches, Renji wears a shirt with 'Red Pineapple' printed on the front, supposedly bought by Ichigo Kurosaki as a joke. He's even referred as "Aka Pine" during the Shinigami Cup segments.
Abilities

Renji with Zabimaru's spirit, and his shikai.

Renji's zanpakutō is Zabimaru (蛇尾丸, roughly "snake tail"). Zabimaru is a nue (a baboon with a snake tail), hence his name. Zabimaru's spirit is portrayed as battle-loving and proud, similar in personality to Renji. Both the snake and baboon are capable of speaking, though the baboon is usually the more dominant one. They also have a type of human form, where the baboon is a large breasted woman, and the snake is a young kid. Both are connected by a chain from the child's collar to the woman's waist, though their relation is shaky at best.
Zabimaru's shikai command is "Roar" (咆えろ, hoero), or "howl" in other English translations. In such state, it transforms into a segmented blade with a pick-like protrusion on each segment. The segments are connected by a stretchable thread, making Zabimaru more useful as a whip than an actual sword. While Zabimaru can be stretched to incredible lengths in its whip form, Renji has a limit of three consecutive attacks before having to bring the segments of Zabimaru back together for recovery. Renji can also use his spiritual power to separate the segments and surround an opponent with them, allowing him to execute a one-shot omnidirectional attack called higa zekkō (狒牙絶咬, "bite of a baboon's broken fang").

Hihiō Zabimaru.

Zabimaru's bankai is Hihiō Zabimaru (狒狒王蛇尾丸, "baboon king snake tail") and transforms Zabimaru into a massive version of its shikai form resembling a skeletal snake. Unlike its shikai, Zabimaru's segments are held together by Renji's spiritual power, allowing him to separate and reattach them at will. Even if a segment is damaged, Renji can simply detach it and reform Zabimaru. Zabimaru itself, in bankai form, does not literally "cut", Renji usually catches his opponent with the snake-head of his weapon and smashes his opponent into the ground with it. Zabimaru also gains a special technique known as hikōtsu taihō (狒骨大砲, "baboon bone cannon") after Renji becomes more adept with using his bankai. The technique fires a dense blast of spiritual energy from Zabimaru's mouth. He can also use a much more powerful higa zekkō, where all the segments detach and sharpen using spiritual energy.

Dragon in Bleach-HISUGAYA EOUSHIRO bonkai

Tōshirō Hitsugaya

Main article: Tōshirō Hitsugaya

Tōshirō Hitsugaya (日番谷 冬獅郎, Hitsugaya Tōshirō) is the captain of the 10th Division and the youngest captain in the history of Soul Society.

 

A child prodigy, Hitsugaya is the youngest death god to become a captain in a very long time. While the youngest by a considerable amount, he is actually one of the more mature captains. His youthful appearance belie his intellect and perception. Unfortunately, he does not always receive the respect fitting of his position. This is most obvious in Hinamori Momo, his childhood friend and closest companion. She is his only weakness and as such, is usually targeted by his enemies, such as Ichimaru Gin and Aizen Sousuke.

He does not have as much experience as the other captains and as such, is not as composed as some. Most of the time he is able to think clearly and control his emotions, but in certain situations (if Hinamori is injured), he will lose control. Since he is not fully developed, his power is still not at its peak. One of his opponents, Shawlong Qu Fong (an arrancar), stated that, due to his youth, Hitsugaya'sBankai is incomplete.

His zanpaku-to, Hyourinmaru, is the strongest ice/water type in all of Soul Society. Its shikai is a large ice dragon, capable of controlling the weather and freezing any surrounding water, including the water in the air. HisBankai grants him large wings of ice that allow him to fly. There is what appears to be a dragon tail attached to them. An ice dragon surrounds the arm gripping the blade, whose guard has changed into an eight pointed star. Behind him are what appear to be three four pointed "flowers." It is rumored that these symbolize the time limit hisbankai has. Supposedly, when the all disappear, he becomes vulnerable and is no longer able to suppress all the injuries he has sustained with ice.

Hyōrinmaru's shikai.

Hitsugaya's zanpakutō is Hyōrinmaru (氷輪丸, literally "ice wheel", idiomatically "full moon"). Hyōrinmaru's shikai command is "sit upon the frosted heavens" (霜天に坐せ, sōten ni zase, literally "reign over the frozen heavens"). Hyōrinmaru is the strongest of all ice element zanpakutō in Soul Society. Hyōrinmaru's spirit is a winged Chinese dragon made of ice, while in the Zanpakutō Unknown Tales anime arc it takes the form of a amnesic man with long green hair and a blue x-shaped scar on his face, being calm and quiet most of the time. Hyōrinmaru allows Hitsugaya to control water and ice. The slashes created by Hyōrinmaru gives off an immense amount of spirit power which overflows from the tip of the blade, creating a flow of ice vaguely shaped like Hyōrinmaru's dragon spirit. The dragon flies at opponents and instantly freezes anything it touches. The chain-blade also freezes anything Hitsugaya traps with it.

Hyōrinmaru's bankai.

Hyōrinmaru's bankai, named Daiguren Hyōrinmaru (大紅蓮氷輪丸, literally "great crimson lotus ice wheel"), causes ice to flow from Hyōrinmaru onto Hitsugaya, forming into two large wings, a tail, guards over his feet in the shape of dragon claws, and twelve large flower petals. During one of Hitsugaya's earlier battles, the arrancar Shawlong speculates that Hitsugaya's bankai will fade when all twelve petals disappear and that Hitsugaya's bankai is incomplete due to his young age. Later during his fight with Luppi, Hitsugaya states that "even if [Hyōrinmaru is] shattered, it will reform as long as there is water present.

Hyōrinmaru's bankai has four known special techniques. The first is Ryūsenka (竜霰花, literally "dragon hail flower"), which freezes any enemy Hitsugaya stabs, locking them into a cocoon of ice and freezing them to the core. Once frozen, Hitsugaya can shatter his opponent.The second is Sennen Hyōrō (千年氷牢, literally "thousand-year ice prison"), which forms a multitude of ice pillars using the moisture in the atmosphere. These pillars hold the enemy prisoner for a thousand years, also freezing them. His third technique, Guncho Tsurara (literally "icicle flock"), he launches a multitude of ice shards in an attempt to impale his opponent. His fourth, and implied most powerful move is called Hyoten Hyakkaso (literally "frozen sky-hundred flowers funeral"). This attack causes 100 snow flakes to fall from the sky, freezing anything they touch in a flower like shape. When all 100 flakes fall, the life of the one trapped by the attack is over.

DRAGON in BLEACH: Ikkaku Bankal Killer

Ikkaku Madarame

• Voiced by: Nobuyuki Hiyama (Japanese), Vic Mignogna (English)

Ikkaku Madarame (斑目 一角, Madarame Ikkaku) is the 3rd Seat of the 11th Division. He is a battle-loving man with a shaven head. He fought and was defeated by Kenpachi Zaraki sometime in the past, though was strong enough to survive the battle. Once Zaraki became captain of the 11th Division, Ikkaku and his friend Yumichika Ayasegawa joined the Soul Reapers so that they could fight and die under Zaraki's command. He shares a number of similarities with his captain such as seeking enjoyment in battles by risking his life. He is purportedly the second strongest man in the division. Though strong enough to take a position as a captain, Ikkaku insists his one mission in life is to die under the command of Zaraki.

Ikkaku's zanpakutō is Hōzukimaru (鬼灯丸, referring to the Japanese name for the winter cherry, meaning "demon light"). Though ordinary in appearance, he stores a blood-clotting ointment in its hilt. When released, it transforms into a yari with a wax wood shaft.While he usually treats it as such, he can also turn its shaft into a three section staff to surprise the opponent. Ikkaku has achieved bankai, though he keeps this a secret to most characters so that he is not pressured to become a captain. Hōzukimaru's bankai, named Ryūmon Hōzukimaru (龍紋鬼灯丸, literally "dragon-crest demon light"), takes the form of three oversized weapons connected by a thick chain: two blades in each of his hands and a fan-shaped blade, adorned with a carving of a Chinese dragon, which floats behind him. Aside from the increase in power, his bankai offers no special abilities, and is noted to be unusual for a bankai in this respect. As a fight progresses, the dragon crest will slowly begin to glow crimson, greatly increasing its power as it does so.This is so because the dragon of the bankai does not wake up on being called upon. It wakes up slowly from its sweet sleep only after attacking the enemy or being attacked upon Ikaku himself by the opponent. The dragon is fully awake and full powered when the red chinese dragon in it is fully red.  Hozukimaru appears as a free zanpakutō in the Zanpakutō Unknown Tales anime arc, resembling a large muscular oni.

Eragon Review: Only Part One of Fantasy Disaster

Eragon Review: Only Part One of Fantasy Disaster

• US Release Date: December 15, 2006
• Genre: Action, Adventure, Fantasy
• MPAA: Rated PG (for fantasy violence, intense battle sequences and some frightening images)
• Running Time: 104 minutes
• Directed by: Stefen Fangmeier
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“I'm the rider and I say we go!”

- Edward Speleers as Eragon

Eragon, the latest dragon film to be seen in recent years (last with Reign of Fire in 2002), is the greatly anticipated adaptation of a highly acclaimed fantasy book series. Fox put about as much care and effort into making Eragon as they did with the terrible The Marine, and in turn first-time director Stefen Fangmeier (previously best known as an ILM visual effects man) has introduced us to a shameful world of only marginal entertainment and otherwise poor storytelling. It's a PG film with PG-required editing cuts and is an experience that is pretty grueling to withstand.

The story introduces us to a 17-year-old farm boy named Eragon (Edward Speleers) in a medieval fantasy land where the dragons who used to defend the inhabitants have been killed by the deranged King Galbatorix (John Malkovich), who now controls the only dragon left. A dragon egg is stolen from the King's control and ends up in Eragon's hands. A dragon egg only hatches when it has found its rider, a person who was chosen by fate, so only when Eragon receives this egg does it finally open. The newborn dragon named Saphira (voiced by Rachel Weisz) and her rider Eragon get thrown into the treacherous world of the mad King who has already sent his magical and villainous "Shade" named Durza (Robert Carlyle) to bring back the egg.

The young Eragon (Ed Speleers) and his mentor Brom (Jeremy Irons) in Eragon.

 

Eragon truly tries to be epic, and I mean it tries hard: the locations are grand, the battles are massive, and even the character names sound great when spoken in dramatic baritone voices, but it is clear that this is a film led by a better visual effects specialist than a director. It's a combination of Lord of the Rings, Dragonheart, and an unfortunate mix of Dungeons and Dragons, all packed into a part-one-of-three film. There is fairly well-done CGI throughout and teen actor Ed Speleers, in his first professional acting role, performs quite well in the role of Eragon. As the "times of past" guide Brom (Jeremy Irons) tells the titular character about himself, Eragon's producers are also one-part brave, for attempting to make such an epic film, and three-parts fool, for simply forgetting to care about making a good movie.

The visual side, including the dragon, was a much "grungier" back-to-basics CGI look that doesn't have a shining plastic-coated blockbuster feel, but still isn't anything outstanding. The other mythical characters and landscapes are nothing special in the fantasy genre that now more than ever cries out for Peter Jackson's guiding hand. It's obvious every bit of care and concern went into the look of the dragon, and that nearly none went into anything else. The sound effects only seemed partially complete as well. Without epic sound, you don't have an epic movie.

Even the costumes were ridiculous and overly lavish. It was another not so subtle attempt at achieving the same level of brilliance that Lord of the Rings did, but with half as much care and half as much expertise. Yes, it's a trilogy, and yes, Fox expects fans to wait several years for another few movies just to finally see the end. All Fox did was slap a big "to be continued" (not literally, thankfully) on the end of a mediocre film, and then they release Eragon. The only fans I would expect to return for Eragon's sequels would be those who idolize the hunky young Mr. Speleers, who already graces dozens of MySpace pages with just one film credit.

Eragon (Ed Speleers) and his dragon Saphira prepare to battle off the evil forces of King Galbatorix in Eragon.

As much as I can speak negatively on Eragon, it wasn't the worst movie of the year (that award has been taken). Although not amazing, it does have beautiful imagery and scenery, and the CGI is complete enough, although far from incredible, not to detract from the film. Ed Speleers deserves to be given some credit for achieving the most enduring role above such well-known other actors as Jeremy Irons, John Malkovich, and Djimon Hounsou, who all deliver flaccid and laugh-out-loud bad performances.

Last Word:
Along with already many negatives, Eragon is chopped up so much to get a PG rating, that half or more of the story, and anything entertaining, is left out. The film is far too poorly conceived to gain any more hope than being viewed quickly by those interested and then never again. It has its level of entertainment, above some other far worse films of 2006, but really seems like nothing more than one long video game cinematic with just a tiny bit of extra effort added. After this film, how will the second and third films even get a release in theaters - I definitely do not know.

Dragon Age: Origins

"Dragon Age: Origins" thus far has produced Kate Mulgrew as a witch, music from Jared Leto's band 30 Seconds to Mars and some ill-tasting darkspawn juice. As of March 16, 2010, you can add an expansion pack to that list when "Dragon Age: Origins -- Awakening" launches.

"'Dragon Age: Origins – Awakening' shows BioWare’s commitment to our fans by delivering new story-driven experiences which enrich the dark heroic fantasy universe our fans have come to know and love," BioWare co-founder Dr. Ray Muzyka said in a press release. "The vibrant worldwide community of 'Dragon Age' fans will relish uncovering the secret motivations of the darkspawn, revealing how the darkspawn continue to infest the world despite the defeat of the Archdemon."

The game, which will require a copy of "Dragon Age: Origins" to play, is supposed to run about 15 hours and will allow for players to import and edit characters they've broken in from the core game. "Awakening" will place in the in the role of a Grey Warden Commander who's been tasked with rebuilding the order of Grey Wardens and finding out how the darkspawn survived following the death of the Archdemon dragon.

In other news, these triple-tiered game titles are starting to make me wonder. When the inevitable day comes that we do see an expansion pack or DLC for an expansion pack, what punctuation will publishers use to set apart the fourth subtitle? Commas? Semicolons? Or has this happened already?

Summon Your Inner Dragon

This spell allows you to summon a dragon spirit. remember the dragon is a part of you not from somewhere in space.

Items you will need

concentration meditation Casting Instructions for ' Summon Your Inner Dragon' While meditating recite the following: ''thy dragon is calm, thy dragon is free, rage the dragon inside of me.'' when you feel the dragons presence ask it some questions, dont be shy it is a part of you. Ask for his/her name, what type of dragon they are: water, fire, earth, air, lightning, ice, light/sun, dark/night, space, time. ask what abilities they have to their element. and ask what they look like and they will get in your mind and show you. this is good for magical abilities.

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SUMMON THE DRAGON

SUMMON THE DRAGON

Featuring the trumpet and trombone sections. Summon the Dragon was written for the national Youth Brass Band of Wales (Director James Watson) in the style of movie composer John Williams. From the opening brass fanfares, through lyrical woodwind passages to the majestic finale, Summon the Dragon is sure to delight audiences.

LYRICS

The sky opens up,

My eyes light up,

This moment has risen up,

Great beast of myth,

This mission has been sent,

Sent by the watchers,

Patiently waiting,

Timing means everything,

No loss at cost,

Not one moment wasted,

Spoken in tongues,

The ancient language,

The dragon has come.