tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2019724693487670016.post8626278518065808984..comments2024-03-28T15:55:33.435-07:00Comments on The Big Study: "DRAGON": A Morass of Confusion (at least to me).The Professorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07811807639219365621noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2019724693487670016.post-44118958473634651952014-09-25T14:06:48.130-07:002014-09-25T14:06:48.130-07:00If the dragon is the pervading form, assigned by t...If the dragon is the pervading form, assigned by the group-mind, to something beyond comprehension and powerful, which amounts to a huge dose of that "unknown-ness" people fear so, then perhaps it is a metaphorical device (only). However, etymologically the word dragon had an original meaning of "from Greek drakon (genitive drakontos) "serpent, giant seafish," apparently from drak-, strong aorist stem of derkesthai "to see clearly," from PIE *derk- "to see." Perhaps the literal sense is "the one with the (deadly) glance." <br />One with the deadly glance is my clue. It is the eye that sees through. That is (one of) the power of the dragon - to know. The association of dragons as wise bears relevance. <br />However, alanborky's reference indicates a much more primal being, a force of universal-size nature. These were creators (or destroyers) and hence had to possess immense power (and knowledge). <br />With such dragons constantly popping up in creation myths, this seems to bear out the primal or god-like nature of the dragons. But if what a dragon stands for -its metaphor is at stake, perhaps saint George, or any of the other heroes were killing belief systems. Here the emphasis is on system, or set of rules that guide behaviour. If a dragon religion or its priests demand human sacrifice, I can see how the 'primitive' mind can make of the god such priests worship as dragonic. <br />Ran out of steam here, thanks for the prompt to philosophise. And BTW, Lujan Matus wrote another book called “Whisperings of the Dragon” –in a Oriental sense of the dragon, which has had a profound impact on my way of seeing reality.<br />Hhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12291215888275697666noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2019724693487670016.post-4750672613882133322012-05-24T16:24:15.291-07:002012-05-24T16:24:15.291-07:00Prof've you noticed how very Marduk-like you y...Prof've you noticed how very Marduk-like you yourself are?<br /><br />I too understand those two terms Tiamat and Abzu as technical terms of their day with multiple levels and applications of meaning.<br /><br />Abzu to me then represents (amongst other things) the creative abyss/void or realm of infinite POSSIBILITIES out of which anything and everything has the ultimate possibility of eventually emerging: meaning anything can happen - which is good.<br /><br />Tiamat on the other hand represents the realm of infinite ACTUALITIES or the chimaeric chaos which'd result if EVERY possibility tried to manifest at the same time (AKA Eternity [of eternities] amongst other names): meaning because EVERYTHING's happening NOTHING can happen - which is bad.<br /><br />So when you do your categories of 'dragons' smiting you're actually symbolically recapitulating the act of bringing existence into actuality.<br /><br />...seems the Sumerians weren't the only brilliantly intuitive ones.<br /><br />(Always assuming I'm not talkin' a load of b*ll*cks meself!).alanborkyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15333017272673090593noreply@blogger.com