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France: Eugène Delacroix (1798 – 1863), Self-portrait, 1837. Ferdinand Victor Eugène Delacroix (26 April 1798 – 13 August 1863) was a French Romantic artist regarded from the outset of his career as the leader of the French Romantic school. Delacroix's use of expressive brushstrokes and his study of the optical effects of colour profoundly shaped the work of the Impressionists, while his passion for the exotic inspired the artists of the Symbolist movement.
The Ouroboros or Uroborus is an ancient symbol depicting a serpent or dragon eating its own tail.<br/><br/> The Ouroboros often represents self-reflexivity or cyclicality, especially in the sense of something constantly re-creating itself, the eternal return, and other things perceived as cycles that begin anew as soon as they end (compare with phoenix). It can also represent the idea of primordial unity related to something existing in or persisting from the beginning with such force or qualities it cannot be extinguished. While first emerging in Ancient Egypt, the Ouroboros has been important in religious and mythological symbolism, but has also been frequently used in alchemical illustrations, where it symbolizes the circular nature of the alchemist's opus. It is also often associated with Gnosticism, and Hermeticism.
The Ouroboros or Uroborus is an ancient symbol depicting a serpent or dragon eating its own tail.<br/><br/> The Ouroboros often represents self-reflexivity or cyclicality, especially in the sense of something constantly re-creating itself, the eternal return, and other things perceived as cycles that begin anew as soon as they end (compare with phoenix). It can also represent the idea of primordial unity related to something existing in or persisting from the beginning with such force or qualities it cannot be extinguished. While first emerging in Ancient Egypt, the Ouroboros has been important in religious and mythological symbolism, but has also been frequently used in alchemical illustrations, where it symbolizes the circular nature of the alchemist's opus. It is also often associated with Gnosticism, and Hermeticism.
In Greek mythology, Python (Greek: Πύθων, gen.: Πύθωνος) was the earth-dragon of Delphi, always represented in Greek sculpture and vase-paintings as a serpent. He presided at the Delphic oracle, which existed in the cult center for his mother, Gaia, 'Earth', Pytho being the place name that was substituted for the earlier Krisa. Hellenes considered the site to be the center of the earth, represented by a stone, the omphalos or navel, which Python guarded.
The dragon exists in Tibetan mythology either as a wood dragon or, more usually, in its more spectacular form as a thunder dragon. It is often portrayed in flight on Tibetan rugs and carpets with a depiction of stylized clouds. They are called brug or thunder dragons.
The flag of Wales (Welsh: Baner Cymru or Y Ddraig Goch, meaning 'The Red Dragon') consists of a red dragon passant on a green and white field. As with many heraldic charges, the exact representation of the dragon is not standardised and many renderings exist.<br/><br/> The flag incorporates the Red Dragon of Cadwaladr, King of Gwynedd, along with the Tudor colours of green and white. It was used by Henry VII at the Battle of Bosworth Field in 1485 after which it was carried in state to St Paul's Cathedral. The red dragon was then included as a supporter of the Tudor royal arms to signify their Welsh descent. It was officially recognised as the Welsh national flag in 1959.
Zoroaster (Old Persian: Zarathustra, in modern Persian Zardosht) is generally thought to have lived about the 11th or 10th century BCE. Zoroastrianism is a religion and philosophy based on the teachings of Zoroaster as prophet. The term Zoroastrianism is, in general usage, essentially synonymous with Mazdaism (the worship of Ahura Mazda, exalted by Zoroaster as the supreme divine authority).<br/><br/> In Zoroastrianism, the Creator Ahura Mazda is all good, and no evil originates from Him. Thus, in Zoroastrianism good and evil have distinct sources, with evil (druj) trying to destroy the creation of Mazda (asha), and good trying to sustain it. In some form, it served as the national- or state religion of a significant portion of the Iranian people for many centuries.
The earliest archaeological evidence of swastika-shaped ornaments dates back to the Indus Valley Civilization of Ancient India as well as Classical Antiquity. Swastikas have also been used in various other ancient civilizations around the world.<br/><br/> The swastika remains widely used in Indian religions, specifically in Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism, primarily as a tantric symbol to evoke shakti or the sacred symbol of auspiciousness. The word 'swastika' comes from the Sanskrit, literally meaning 'to be good'.<br/><br/> Despite the use of the name swastika for the Nazi hakenkreuz or 'hook cross', the South Asian swastika has nothing to do with National Socialism or Fascism.
Chinese dragons are legendary creatures in Chinese mythology and folklore, with mythic counterparts among Japanese, Korean, Vietnamese, Bhutanese, Western and Turkic mythology.<br/><br/> In Chinese art, dragons are typically portrayed as long, scaled, serpentine creatures with four legs. In yin and yang terminology, a dragon is yang (male element) and complements a yin (female element) fenghuang or phoenix.<br/><br/> In contrast to European dragons, which are considered evil, Chinese dragons traditionally symbolize potent and auspicious powers, particularly control over water, rainfall, hurricane, and floods. The dragon is also a symbol of power, strength, and good luck. The emperors of China usually used the dragon as a symbol of imperial power.
In Greek mythology, Python (Greek: Πύθων, gen.: Πύθωνος) was the earth-dragon of Delphi, always represented in Greek sculpture and vase-paintings as a serpent. He presided at the Delphic oracle, which existed in the cult center for his mother, Gaia, 'Earth', Pytho being the place name that was substituted for the earlier Krisa. Hellenes considered the site to be the center of the earth, represented by a stone, the omphalos or navel, which Python guarded.
Typhon was the most deadly monster of Greek mythology. The last son of Gaia, fathered by Tartarus, he was known as the 'Father of All Monsters'; his wife Echidna was likewise the 'Mother of All Monsters'.<br/><br/> Typhon was described in pseudo-Apollodorus, Bibliotheke, as the largest and most fearsome of all creatures. His human upper half reached as high as the stars, and his hands reached east and west. Instead of a human head, a hundred dragon heads erupted from his neck and shoulders (some, however, depict him as having a human head, with the dragon heads replacing the fingers on his hands). His bottom half consisted of gigantic viper coils that could reach the top of his head when stretched out and constantly made a hissing noise. His whole body was covered in wings, and fire flashed from his eyes, striking fear even into the Olympians.<br/><br/> Typhon attempts to destroy Zeus at the will of Gaia, because Zeus had imprisoned the Titans. Typhon overcomes Zeus in their first battle, and tears out Zeus' sinews. However, Hermes recovers the sinews and restores them to Zeus. Typhon is finally defeated by Zeus, who traps him underneath Mount Etna.
The earliest archaeological evidence of swastika-shaped ornaments dates back to the Indus Valley Civilization of Ancient India as well as Classical Antiquity. Swastikas have also been used in various other ancient civilizations around the world.<br/><br/> The swastika remains widely used in Indian religions, specifically in Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism, primarily as a tantric symbol to evoke shakti or the sacred symbol of auspiciousness. The word 'swastika' comes from the Sanskrit, literally meaning 'to be good'.<br/><br/> Despite the use of the name swastika for the Nazi hakenkreuz or 'hook cross', the South Asian swastika has nothing to do with National Socialism or Fascism.<br/><br/> Taoyuan's old name was Taoziyuan (Chinese: 桃仔園; pinyin: Táozǐyuán; Pe̍h-ōe-jī: Thô-á-hn̂g; literally: 'peach orchard'), since there used to be many peach blossoms in the area. In 1920 under Japanese rule, the area was renamed Taoyuan Town (Chinese: 桃園街; pinyin: Táoyuán Jiē; literally: 'peach garden town'), and incorporated into the Hsinchu state as a county jurisdiction. Since 1971, the name has remained Taoyuan City (桃園市).
Ulisse Aldrovandi (11 September 1522 – 4 May 1605) was an Italian naturalist, the moving force behind Bologna's botanical garden, one of the first in Europe. Carolus Linnaeus and the comte de Buffon reckoned him the father of natural history studies. He is usually referred to, especially in older literature, as Aldrovandus; his name in Italian is equally given as Aldroandi.<br/><br/> In the course of his life he would assemble one of the most spectacular cabinets of curiosities, his 'theatre' illuminating natural history comprising some 7000 specimens of the diversità di cose naturali, of which he wrote a description in 1595. Between 1551 and 1554 he organised several expeditions to collect plants for a herbarium, among the first botanical expeditions.
In Greek mythology, the Lernaean Hydra was an ancient serpent-like chthonic water beast, with reptilian traits (as its name evinces), that possessed many heads — the poets mention more heads than the vase-painters could paint, and for each head cut off it grew two more — and poisonous breath and blood so virulent even its tracks were deadly. The Hydra of Lerna was killed by Heracles as the second of his Twelve Labours. Its lair was the lake of Lerna in the Argolid, though archaeology has borne out the myth that the sacred site was older even than the Mycenaean city of Argos since Lerna was the site of the myth of the Danaids. Beneath the waters was an entrance to the Underworld, and the Hydra was its guardian.<br/><br/> The Hydra was the offspring of Typhon and Echidna, both of whom were noisome offspring of the earth goddess Gaia.
The Druk (Dzongkha: འབྲུག་) is the 'Thunder Dragon' of Bhutanese mythology and a Bhutanese national symbol. A druk appears on the Bhutanese Flag, holding jewels to represent wealth.<br/><br/> In the Dzongkha language, Bhutan is called Druk Yul, or Land of Druk, and Bhutanese leaders are called Druk Gyalpo, Dragon Kings. The national anthem of Bhutan, Druk tsendhen, translates into English as 'The Kingdom of the Thunder Dragon'.
An unusual and early map of Japan encircled by a dragon indicating eatrthquake-prone regions.<br/><br/> Compare the similar but later 'dragon map' of Jishin Noben, also encircled by a dragon and indicating earthquake and tsunami zones, dating from 1855 (CPA0020806 ).
Cecrops (Ancient Greek: Κέκροψ, Kékrops; gen.: Κέκροπος) was a mythical king of Athens who is said to have reigned for fifty-six years. The name is not of Greek origin according to Strabo, or it might mean 'face with a tail': it is said that, born from the earth itself, he had his top half shaped like a man and the bottom half in serpent or fish-tail form. He was the founder and the first king of Athens itself, though preceded in the region by the earth-born king Actaeus of Attica.
The Holy See of the Cao Dai is in the Vietnamese province of Tay Ninh, close to the Cambodian frontier, and this syncretic religion – which counts Victor Hugo, Laozi and Jesus among its saints – has also made some Khmer converts.<br/><br/>Vietnam has two indigenous religious sects, both of which were established in the 20th century, and both of which are based firmly in the south of the country. Cao Dai or ‘Supreme Altar’ is a syncretic faith combining aspects of the tam giao with Catholicism and is the larger of the two, with an estimated 2 million followers. Cao Dai is an eclectic amalgam of Confucianism, Taoism, Buddhism and Catholicism. The second sect, called Hoa Hao or ‘Peace and Happiness’, is centred on Chau Doc in the Mekong Delta. Its followers practise an ascetic and austere form of Buddhism.<br/><br/>The Cao Dai religion was founded in 1919 by a Vietnamese civil servant, Ngo Van Chieu and by the mid-1920s Tay Ninh had developed as the ‘Holy See’ of the new religion, with a hierarchy organised under a Cao Dai pope. Initially persecuted by the communists, Cao Dai is now tolerated, and has an estimated two million followers, mainly in the south.
The dragon exists in Tibetan mythology either as a wood dragon or, more usually, in its more spectacular form as a thunder dragon. It is often portrayed in flight on Tibetan rugs and carpets with a depiction of stylized clouds. They are called brug or thunder dragons.
The Tarasque is a fearsome legendary dragon from Provence, in southern France, tamed in a story about Saint Martha.<br/><br/> Legend reported among others by the Golden Legend has it that the creature inhabited the area of Nerluc in Provence, France, and devastated the landscape far and wide. The Tarasque was a sort of dragon with six short legs like a bear's, an ox-like body covered with a turtle shell, and a scaly tail that ended in a scorpion's sting. It had a lion's head.<br/><br/> The Tarasque was said to have come from Galatia which was the home of the legendary Onachus, a scaly, bison-like beast which burned everything it touched. Some speculate that the story of the Onachus may be related to either that of the Unicorn or the Phoenix. The Tarasque was the offspring of the Onachus and the Leviathan of biblical account; disputably a giant sea serpent.<br/><br/> The king of Nerluc had attacked the Tarasque with knights and catapults to no avail. But Saint Martha found the beast and charmed it with hymns and prayers, and led back the tamed Tarasque to the city. The people, terrified by the monster, attacked it when it drew nigh. The monster offered no resistance and died there. Martha then preached to the people and converted many of them to Christianity. Sorry for what they had done to the tamed monster, the newly-Christianized townspeople changed the town's name to Tarascon.
In ancient geography, Colchis or Kolkhis was an ancient Georgian kingdom and region in Western Georgia, which played an important role in the ethnic and cultural formation of the Georgian nation.<br/><br/> The Kingdom of Colchis contributed significantly to the development of medieval Georgian statehood after its unification with the eastern Georgian Kingdom of Iberia. The term Colchians is used as the collective term for early Georgian tribes which populated the eastern coast of the Black Sea.<br/><br/> In Greek mythology, Colchis was the home of Aeëtes and Medea and the destination of the Argonauts; Colchis is also thought to be the possible homeland of the Amazons. Its geography is mostly assigned to what is now the western part of Georgia and encompasses the present-day Georgian provinces of Samegrelo, Imereti, Guria, Adjara, Abkhazeti, Svaneti, Racha; modern Turkey’s Rize, Trabzon and Artvin provinces (Lazistan, Tao-Klarjeti); and modern Russia’s Sochi and Tuapse districts. The Colchians were probably established on the Black Sea coast by the Middle Bronze Age.