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THE BLACK & WHITE INSERT AT THE LEFT IS A GIBBON SKELETON. THE SIMILARITIES OF THESE STRANGE NEW FINDS APPEARS OBVIOUS TO US. http://www.omniology.com/BigBoys.html |
FRONTIERS OF ZOOLOGY
Dale A. Drinnon has been a researcher in the field of Cryptozoology for the past 30+ years and has corresponded with Bernard Heuvelmans and Ivan T. Sanderson. He has a degree in Anthropology from Indiana University and is a freelance artist and writer. Motto: "I would rather be right and entirely alone than wrong in the company with all the rest of the world"--Ambroise Pare', "the father of modern surgery", in his refutation of fake unicorn horns.
Showing posts with label China. Show all posts
Showing posts with label China. Show all posts
Saturday, 11 May 2013
7 Foot Tall Giant Gibbons?
A Facebook Friend sent this to me and I have yet to look into it. It could be important or it could be a hoax:
Wednesday, 17 April 2013
Followup to Meldrum article
There is a reconstruction of the Chinese Yeren included in the article and drawn after the Witness' specifications, the article's Figure 3:
I do consider this to be an exceptionally good representation but of the wrong type. This is at least partly copied fter a drawing made from reports in the Caucasus, of the Almas type. It is a pretty good representation of the Eastern Bigfoot AKA The American Almas. It is a different type than the typical Sasquatch that the footprints are attributed to in the article. Both types are present in China and especially noting also Manchuria, and this type is also reported all across Siberia and Central Asia, and traditionally into Japan also. This would include the Marked Hominid of Coleman and based on the work of Mark A. Hall, and the composite is a good match for "Mecheny"
Bones and teeth of this type have been found and they are classified as a variety or subspecies of Homo sapiens, differentiated from the rest of us mostly because they have more prominent body hair.
Bones and teeth of this type have been found and they are classified as a variety or subspecies of Homo sapiens, differentiated from the rest of us mostly because they have more prominent body hair.
Sunday, 16 September 2012
One Bigfoot for Hubei
Saturday September 15, 2012
One Big foot for Hubei
The home of Bigfoot in China seeks to boost eco-tourism.
SHENNONGJIA, a forest region and long rumoured to be home of the elusive and “mythical” Bigfoot in the central province of Hubei, China, is looking into developing its eco-tourism to boost the region’s economy.
Less than two months after the Shennongjia Nature Reserve was given a 5A-Class Scenic Spot classification, China’s highest official ranking of scenery spots, the region has teamed up with Beijing to seek its help in developing its tourism industry following an agreement signed between Shennongjia and Beijing municipal commission of tourism development, Xinhua news agency reported.
Travel agencies in Beijing will launch several tour programmes, and the Chinese capital has agreed to provide training for tourism professionals in the underdeveloped region, said Shennongjia forest region party chief Qian Yuankun.
Qian believes an eco-tourism boom is impending in the coming years with Shennongjia’s first airport expected to be completed next year.
It seems the big, mysterious, bipedal ape-man isn’t just confined to the US. China and even Malaysia seem to have them too. The sketch above is from johorhominid.org of the Malaysian variety.
Qu Hao, an official with the state-owned Shennong Tourism Company, said
Beijing may send chartered flights or trains to Shennongjia during peak seasons
as getting to the mountainous region can be challenging.
Located deep in the remote mountains in Hubei, Shennongjia Nature Reserve has long been rumoured to be home of the elusive creature known in China as Yeren or “Wildman” in English. It is often referred to as “Bigfoot” after the legendary North American ape-man.
More than 400 people have claimed sightings of Bigfoot in the Shennongjia region over the last century, but no evidence has been found to prove the creature’s existence. The region is also home to the rare golden monkeys, which are on the verge of extinction and were first spotted in Shennongjia in the 1960s.
Dubbed “Noah’s Arc”, the region provided shelter and protection for animals and plants against glacier activities some 2.5 million years ago.
Shennongjia, with its abundant rain and water resources and a middle-latitude location, is today home to more than 3,700 plant species and some 1,050 animal species. At least 40 plant species and 70 animal species are under key state protection.
Shennongjia was placed on the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)’s World Network of Biosphere Reserves list in 1990.
Source
Once Again for India, China, Tibet and Southeast Asia generally we are indicated to have a major kind of unknown primate of very large size that is quite rare, which leaves footprints of human shape but from 13 inches long to over 22 inches long, but 14 to 18 inches are typical. This is identical to the Sasquatch and is probably Gigantopithecus. The smaller mainland ape is called the Mawas in Malaysia, Xing-Xing in China and "Bigmonkey" (Olo-Bandar or Mahalangur) in India and Nepal and it is the type illustrated above as the Malaysian kind in the article above and again to the left. It is an ape related to the orangutan and possibly identical also to the Orang Pendek (Orang Padak in Malaysia)-the classification remains controversial at present. Mawas and Xing-Xing are names which are definitely used to mean orangutan also. One site gives the description which follows:
Also known as the Orang Mawa or the Malaysian Mawa, the Johor Hominid is a bipedal, ape-like cryptid that reportedly inhabits the [248 million-year-old] Johor jungle of Malaysia. Witnesses say the creature is covered in black fur, stands up to 12 feet (3.6 m) tall, and subsists on a diet of fish, fruit, and according to some reports, wild boar. The Orang Asli natives refer to the Johor Hominid as “Hantu jarang gigi”, which translates to “Snaggle-toothed Ghost.”
Reported sightings of the Johor Hominid date back as early as the late 1800s. The latter-half of the last century saw evidence of the creature’s existence in the form of large footprints, each with four toes and roughly 18 inches (45.7cm) long, found in 1995. In 2005, witnesses reported seeing a Johor Bigfoot family, including parents and a juvenile, near the Kincin River, where more footprints were later found. This description is more of the Sasquatch type. I have set the date of the jungle off by brackets because that date obviously represents the date of the bedrock and not the jungle which currently grows on top of it.
Also at the same time there is the more usual Wildman type to which Ivan Sanderson allocated two categories in the region: one in Southern China and the other in Malaysia. The latter is the more humanoid "Hominid" reported in the Johor region but also in all of the other territories.
It also seems identical to both the Iceman, Vietnamese Wildman and Central Asiatic Almas by consensus of opinion of most Cryptozoologists. There is a problem that in any given region, all of these categories could very well be covered by the same name: Yeren in China, Yeti in Tibet and Orang Gugu (gigi) in Malaya. That is why Cryptozoologists have got to be more careful in the names they are choosing to throw around so casually.
SHENNONGJIA, a forest region and long rumoured to be home of the elusive and “mythical” Bigfoot in the central province of Hubei, China, is looking into developing its eco-tourism to boost the region’s economy.
Less than two months after the Shennongjia Nature Reserve was given a 5A-Class Scenic Spot classification, China’s highest official ranking of scenery spots, the region has teamed up with Beijing to seek its help in developing its tourism industry following an agreement signed between Shennongjia and Beijing municipal commission of tourism development, Xinhua news agency reported.
Travel agencies in Beijing will launch several tour programmes, and the Chinese capital has agreed to provide training for tourism professionals in the underdeveloped region, said Shennongjia forest region party chief Qian Yuankun.
Qian believes an eco-tourism boom is impending in the coming years with Shennongjia’s first airport expected to be completed next year.
It seems the big, mysterious, bipedal ape-man isn’t just confined to the US. China and even Malaysia seem to have them too. The sketch above is from johorhominid.org of the Malaysian variety.
Located deep in the remote mountains in Hubei, Shennongjia Nature Reserve has long been rumoured to be home of the elusive creature known in China as Yeren or “Wildman” in English. It is often referred to as “Bigfoot” after the legendary North American ape-man.
More than 400 people have claimed sightings of Bigfoot in the Shennongjia region over the last century, but no evidence has been found to prove the creature’s existence. The region is also home to the rare golden monkeys, which are on the verge of extinction and were first spotted in Shennongjia in the 1960s.
Dubbed “Noah’s Arc”, the region provided shelter and protection for animals and plants against glacier activities some 2.5 million years ago.
Shennongjia, with its abundant rain and water resources and a middle-latitude location, is today home to more than 3,700 plant species and some 1,050 animal species. At least 40 plant species and 70 animal species are under key state protection.
Shennongjia was placed on the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)’s World Network of Biosphere Reserves list in 1990.
Source
Once Again for India, China, Tibet and Southeast Asia generally we are indicated to have a major kind of unknown primate of very large size that is quite rare, which leaves footprints of human shape but from 13 inches long to over 22 inches long, but 14 to 18 inches are typical. This is identical to the Sasquatch and is probably Gigantopithecus. The smaller mainland ape is called the Mawas in Malaysia, Xing-Xing in China and "Bigmonkey" (Olo-Bandar or Mahalangur) in India and Nepal and it is the type illustrated above as the Malaysian kind in the article above and again to the left. It is an ape related to the orangutan and possibly identical also to the Orang Pendek (Orang Padak in Malaysia)-the classification remains controversial at present. Mawas and Xing-Xing are names which are definitely used to mean orangutan also. One site gives the description which follows: Reported sightings of the Johor Hominid date back as early as the late 1800s. The latter-half of the last century saw evidence of the creature’s existence in the form of large footprints, each with four toes and roughly 18 inches (45.7cm) long, found in 1995. In 2005, witnesses reported seeing a Johor Bigfoot family, including parents and a juvenile, near the Kincin River, where more footprints were later found. This description is more of the Sasquatch type. I have set the date of the jungle off by brackets because that date obviously represents the date of the bedrock and not the jungle which currently grows on top of it.
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| Gigantopithecus,_Museum_of_Man,_San_Diego (file name) From Wikipedia |
Thursday, 30 August 2012
Bigfoot Evidence-Chinese Yeren Research
62 Year Old Yeren Researcher Shares The Secret To Finding The Legendary Creature
Thursday, August 30, 2012
Editor’s
Note: This is a guest post by Bigfoot Chicks, Melissa Adair. As serious
researchers, the Bigfoot Chicks are commited to seeking the truth regarding the
Bigfoot mystery. You can visit their blog at bigfootchicks.blogspot.com.In a recent article by Wang Xiaodong in China Daily, 62 year old Li Guohua, Yeren researcher for over three decades, shares the secret to finding the legendary "Wild Man" of the mountains of Shennongjia. Having dedicated almost half his life to finding the creature, he was rewarded with an unforgettable encounter and several sightings
For more of the story Click Here
Chinese Yeren. This is a funny one, it is a colourized verson of an illustration I copied out of Ivan Sanderson's files in the 1970s and I put up in my Yahoo group. It is a representation of Russian sightings from the Caucasus as done for an American magazine. I sure would like to know how it came to represent a Chinese Yeren, although saying Kaptar=Almas=Yeren would help somewhat
Tuesday, 29 May 2012
Two possible late-surviving Neanderthals from China and Mongolia
Dr Jeffrey Meldrum recently published a paper advancing the idea that some of the presumed fossil types of humans other than modern man could have survived up until more modern times and could be connected to modern reports of Bigfoot and the like. His paper included two examples of what look to be Neanderthal types from Mongolia and China in the vicinity of 10000 to 20000 BC, at the end of the Ice Age and much later than the usually-accepted date for the last surviving Neanderthals (There are at least two such late-Neanderthal sites in Europe to my knowledge but Meldrum did not mention them) His description of the specimen illustrated below is as follows:
I do also have a fairly good translation for the publication on the Mongolian example, potentially to be connected to the reports of the Almas in that region
Saturday, March 15, 2008
The famous paleoanthropologist Yves Coppens and colleagues discovered skeletal remains of Homo sapiens archaic in northern Mongolia. You appear to have similarities with Neanderthals , Chinese Homo erectus and Archaic Homo sapiens.
These remains are unmatched in the region, having never had human fossil discovered in the area.
The remains were discovered in 2006 in northeastern Mongolia where a company was looking for gold in the cave of Salkhit. The workers found them 6 meters underground in a pit. Cranial remains are very fragmentary but well preserved: a full frontal bone and two parietal incomplete.
Could not be dated with certainty yet, but it was estimated at a Late Pleistocene date, that is between 12,6 thousand and 10 thousand years. The dating was based indirectly about rhinos associated with human remains.
Despite having many features Neanderthals , the remains were not associated with that species, but recently discovered Neanderthals in Siberia. But the authors do believe that there might be some relationship.
"The scientific community," say the authors in the study, "considers the Neanderthals as a European group rather than Asia, with relatively recent settlements in Asia. Although based on the dating of fossils, this assumption should be tempered and should take more account of the discoveries in Teshik Tash, Uzbekistan, and Okladnikov and Denisova, southeastern Siberia. "
And is that the show remains a mosaic of features. The features Neanderthals who are at residues "are located at the bottom of the frontal bone, in the nasal region and the orbital".
"Multidimensional Analysis clearly differentiate Salkhit skull fossils of [modern]Homo sapiens from the Far East, "the authors conclude. In contrast, comparisons show similarities with archaic groups composed of Neanderthals , Chinese Homo erectus and archaic Homo sapiens both the West and the Far East. Unfortunately, the incompleteness of the fossil does not allow a comparison more feaciente. For this reason, we attribute cautiously Salkhit the remains of an archaic Homo sapiens. "
References
Coppens Y, Tseveendorj D, Demeter F, Turbat T, Giscard P-H. 2008. Discovery of an archaic Homo sapiens skullcap in Northeast Mongolia. Compte Rendus Palévol (in press) doi:10.1016/j.crpv.2007.12.004
The term "Archaic Homo sapiens" can be used to include Neanderthals and the broader category of other fossils like them, including the "Rhodesian man" and "Heidelberg man." The authors of this study seem to consider Neanderthals entirely European and because of that they use the broader classification for these remains.
A remarkably complete specimen of a pre-modern hominin, displaying archaic features of the skull and skeleton, was recovered from the site of Lishu, just outside Beijing, China, with a preliminary date of 12000 to 20000 years ago.(Lu, Personal communication) It is on display at the Peking University
Saturday, March 15, 2008
Uncovering remains of archaic sapiens in Mongolia
The famous paleoanthropologist Yves Coppens and colleagues discovered skeletal remains of Homo sapiens archaic in northern Mongolia. You appear to have similarities with Neanderthals , Chinese Homo erectus and Archaic Homo sapiens.
These remains are unmatched in the region, having never had human fossil discovered in the area.
The remains were discovered in 2006 in northeastern Mongolia where a company was looking for gold in the cave of Salkhit. The workers found them 6 meters underground in a pit. Cranial remains are very fragmentary but well preserved: a full frontal bone and two parietal incomplete.
Could not be dated with certainty yet, but it was estimated at a Late Pleistocene date, that is between 12,6 thousand and 10 thousand years. The dating was based indirectly about rhinos associated with human remains.
Despite having many features Neanderthals , the remains were not associated with that species, but recently discovered Neanderthals in Siberia. But the authors do believe that there might be some relationship.
"The scientific community," say the authors in the study, "considers the Neanderthals as a European group rather than Asia, with relatively recent settlements in Asia. Although based on the dating of fossils, this assumption should be tempered and should take more account of the discoveries in Teshik Tash, Uzbekistan, and Okladnikov and Denisova, southeastern Siberia. "
And is that the show remains a mosaic of features. The features Neanderthals who are at residues "are located at the bottom of the frontal bone, in the nasal region and the orbital".
"Multidimensional Analysis clearly differentiate Salkhit skull fossils of [modern]Homo sapiens from the Far East, "the authors conclude. In contrast, comparisons show similarities with archaic groups composed of Neanderthals , Chinese Homo erectus and archaic Homo sapiens both the West and the Far East. Unfortunately, the incompleteness of the fossil does not allow a comparison more feaciente. For this reason, we attribute cautiously Salkhit the remains of an archaic Homo sapiens. "
References
Coppens Y, Tseveendorj D, Demeter F, Turbat T, Giscard P-H. 2008. Discovery of an archaic Homo sapiens skullcap in Northeast Mongolia. Compte Rendus Palévol (in press) doi:10.1016/j.crpv.2007.12.004
The term "Archaic Homo sapiens" can be used to include Neanderthals and the broader category of other fossils like them, including the "Rhodesian man" and "Heidelberg man." The authors of this study seem to consider Neanderthals entirely European and because of that they use the broader classification for these remains.
Tuesday, 24 January 2012
Welcome to the Year of the Dragon
Welcome to the new year of the Dragon by the Chinese calendar (A most auspicious year)
I have written on Oriental dragons extensively on this blog before. For a refresher, although I consider several different creatures to be involved in what could be called dragon sightings in Chinese past history, and ranging from giant salamanders to Inland Sea-Serpents, I consider the "True" Oriental dragon to be an intermediate category recognised as more or less the "Average" Oriental dragon. See the older Blog posting at:
http://frontiersofzoology.blogspot.com/2011/11/some-more-on-oriental-dragon.html
This would be the moderate-sized creature corresponding to descriptions of the Buru of Assam and otherwise to the Komodo dragon known to be living in Australia. An amphibious, saltwater and freshwater-inhabiting monitor lizard much like the Komodo dragon but up to twice the usual dimensions has been reported from various parts of Southern Asia and including even occasionally on Komodo island itself, and Bernard Heuvelmans lists several locations where it occurs as separate types of dragons because its range actually is so widespread. (Heuvelmans considers the shoreline-traveling larger dragon and the highlands dwelling Buru to be the same species but I am not so sure about that myself. It does make things easier for the Cryptozoologists to refer to only one new species of surprisingly large lizards yet to be discovered and catalogued)
Above, a Komodo dragon stretched out at length. To the left, the yellow tongue looking like a flickering flame. Another similar type of large monitor lizard could also be the origin for stories of Western dragons and the opponent of such legendary figures as St. George.
The newly-hatched Komodo dragon has a pattern of smallish red and yellow eyespots or Ocelli. In my reconstruction of the larger Water-Monitor of Southern Asia and Indonesia, I include a representation of about the same colour scheme in contrast to the regular New Guinean "Crocodile monitor" although all three large monitor lizards must be very closely related.
It turns out that both Crocodile monitors and the Komodo Dragons originated on Australia and are related to the even bigger "Megalania" (actually Varanus) prisca ,but all are one clade within the genus Varanus (Monitor lizards)
The Komodo dragons are the only lizards known to be living today that are thought to be actually dangerous to unarmed human beings.Tourists have been eaten by the dragons and it is best to keep out of their way.
Karl Shuker once voiced his objection that some accounts of the Buru say that the creature hasn't any legs, only "Flanges" at the sides (in a conversation that was admittedly difficult to translate.) Here is a photo of a Komodo dragon digging itself into the ground, and indeed the legs are not noticeable as anything that would ordinarily be described as legs.In wet mud the effect is more pronounced.
Best Wishes, Dale D.
I have written on Oriental dragons extensively on this blog before. For a refresher, although I consider several different creatures to be involved in what could be called dragon sightings in Chinese past history, and ranging from giant salamanders to Inland Sea-Serpents, I consider the "True" Oriental dragon to be an intermediate category recognised as more or less the "Average" Oriental dragon. See the older Blog posting at:
http://frontiersofzoology.blogspot.com/2011/11/some-more-on-oriental-dragon.html
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| Neolithic Chinese Royal Grave with dragon figure laid out in shells, cmparable in size to similar representation of a tiger and the human skeleton between the two, cultural context radiocarbon dated to approx. 6000 BC. |
This would be the moderate-sized creature corresponding to descriptions of the Buru of Assam and otherwise to the Komodo dragon known to be living in Australia. An amphibious, saltwater and freshwater-inhabiting monitor lizard much like the Komodo dragon but up to twice the usual dimensions has been reported from various parts of Southern Asia and including even occasionally on Komodo island itself, and Bernard Heuvelmans lists several locations where it occurs as separate types of dragons because its range actually is so widespread. (Heuvelmans considers the shoreline-traveling larger dragon and the highlands dwelling Buru to be the same species but I am not so sure about that myself. It does make things easier for the Cryptozoologists to refer to only one new species of surprisingly large lizards yet to be discovered and catalogued)
It turns out that both Crocodile monitors and the Komodo Dragons originated on Australia and are related to the even bigger "Megalania" (actually Varanus) prisca ,but all are one clade within the genus Varanus (Monitor lizards)The Komodo dragons are the only lizards known to be living today that are thought to be actually dangerous to unarmed human beings.Tourists have been eaten by the dragons and it is best to keep out of their way.
Karl Shuker once voiced his objection that some accounts of the Buru say that the creature hasn't any legs, only "Flanges" at the sides (in a conversation that was admittedly difficult to translate.) Here is a photo of a Komodo dragon digging itself into the ground, and indeed the legs are not noticeable as anything that would ordinarily be described as legs.In wet mud the effect is more pronounced.Best Wishes, Dale D.
Tuesday, 29 November 2011
Crossover Posting on Giant Tortoises
Posting on Giant Tortoises just made at the Frontiers of Athropology. This problem has two aspects: a cultural one and a Cryptozoological one. Because of the cultural aspect I added it on the Anthropology blog, but people interested in the Cryptozoological aspect should also check it out. It contains a CFZ Reprint on the bottom with an updated comment to tie it in.
http://frontiers-of-anthropology.blogspot.com/2011/11/giant-turtle-that-bears-world-on-its.html
Best Wishes, Dale D.
http://frontiers-of-anthropology.blogspot.com/2011/11/giant-turtle-that-bears-world-on-its.html
Best Wishes, Dale D.
Tuesday, 1 November 2011
Some More On Oriental Dragon Development
To begin, a Chinese dragon does not even hatch from its gem-like egg (1) until 1,000 years after it has been laid. The hatchling dragon looks like a water snake (2) and 500 years will pass before it develops the head of a carp. (3) Then over another 1,000 years the carp scales will cover its body and four short limbs will grow. During this time the tail will grow long, the face will become elongated, a beard will develop, and sharp claws will emerge from the feet.(4)
Antlers will grow over the next 500 years, and strangely the Chinese dragon hears through its antlers. (this legend arose because some reports specify "ears" and others say "Horns" for evidently the same protrusions on the head) Despite the presence of ears, it has been deaf until the growth of antlers.(5) Not until the passing of another 1,000 years will the dragon grow wings and achieve the ultimate state of a mature and glorious Chinese dragon. (6)
[Source: "Dragons: A Natural History." 1995. Dr. Karl Shuker.Simon & Schuster , New York
Despite the description, Chinese dragons are almost universally wingless. Stage 6 does not ordinarily apply.
The story of eggs lying dormant for a thousand years is part of a separate tradition which has nothing to do with dragons. That the eggs are "Jewel-like" or "Pearl-like" is due to a confusion of the dragon's egg with the disc or "Pearl" that is often shown near the dragon's head in some representations. Peter Costello made the suggestion (unusual for him) that perhaps Plesiosaurs were ovoviviparous but occasionally dropped the bad eggs, similar in size and shape to an ostrich's eggs, which then in turn gave rise to the legend of dragon's eggs (In Search of Lake Monsters) This may be true but I think there is an actual reptile involved at the base of dragon stories and that is where the legend came from (Oddly enough, the lizard has also been suggested to be ovoviviparous, which is to say, laying eggs but reetaining them in the body until they hatch, and then giving birth to fully-developed young)
However stage 3 is the part which I'd like to point out first. It seems obvious to me that this is nothing more nor less than a depiction of the Chinese giant salamander. the earlier stages 1) and 2) therefore only represent its tadpole stages (Lasting a few months instead of many years)
Stage 4 is the Kao-Lung or the "Deaf" (Hornless) dragon. it has fully-developed and clawed digits and lives mostly in the water although it is also amphibious. Its measurements are identical to those given for the Buru and it seems certain that this is a large aquatic lizard akin to the Buru (as mentioned in one of my early CFZ Blogs) http://forteanzoology.blogspot.com/2009/09/dale-drinnon-buru.html
Shi Chan, quoting from the Kwan Cheu Ki, says: “The Iguanodon (?) is more than twelve feet long; it resembles a snake, it has four feet, and is broad like a shield. It has a small head and a slender neck, the latter being covered with numerous protuberances. The front of its breast is of a red colour, its back is variegated with green, and its sides as if embroidered. Its tail is composed of fleshy rings; the larger ones are several. Its eggs are also large. It can induce fish to fly, but if a turtle is present they will not do so.
“The Emperor Chao, of the Han, when fishing in the river Wéi, caught a white Iguanodon. It resembled a snake, but was without scales. Its head was composed of soft flesh, and tusks issued from the mouth. The Emperor ordered his ministers to get it preserved. its flesh is delicious; bones green, flesh red.”
From the above it may be seen the Iguanodon is edible.
Which appears to show a creature at least comparable to a Komodo dragon in size, although probably the tail would be longer in life. This is no doubt an early representation of the hornless Kiao-Lung
By the Zhou (Chou) dynasty, which follows the Chang, the larger-end of "Developed Dragons" are depicted a little more clearly. Here the lower extended dragon is another Kiao-Lung and it corresponds to some of the longbodied jade "dragon-pigs" of the Hongshan period. I would suggest that these be relabelled as "Water-Tigers" instead, and some of them could indeed be mant to represent giant otters (Megalenhydris?) But in this case the larger and more elongated dragon at the top has a definite long snaky neck and four flippers indicated on the sides of the
body at approximately the correct places where Plesiosaurs would have flippers. The more convoluted jade dragon shown below it starts to have the traditional problem with the traditional dragon, depicting a long and winding body and yet getting the perspective of the different limbs right. The body shape is still pretty well Plesiosaurian with the body being the more or less horizontal section in the middle with limbs on both ends, and the shorter tail shown as a fishtail. note that the four limbs are once again shown as winglike flippers. The head once again has thatcurlicue behind the eye to indicate a Euryapsid skull.
In fact the Hongshan Neolithic might well include the oldest forerunner of the Taotie mask if this goat head is meant to represent a dragon's head: we have plenty of Long-necked Water Monster reports that say it has a head like a goat, and in which case we can see where the traditional beard got stuck on the Oriental Dragon (The mane is evidently meaning the maned "Merhorse" males of the LongNeck, which can otherwise be called a lion's mane in other traditions) In this case the correspondance to a Euryapsid skull is once again striking but for the fact the nostrils are in the wrong place (A common enough mistake) The spot in the forehead where the pineal "Eye" would be located also might be indicated here.
Please also see the earlier blog on Taotie masks as representing Euryapsid Chinese Dragons:
http://frontiersofzoology.blogspot.com/2011/08/taotie-tao-tieh-dragon-faces.html
Here are another couple of Zhou white jade dragons indicating somehat more clearly the breakdown of the body length into head and neck, body and tail, and the four flipperlike limbs at the front and rear end of the body section. I also assume that the heads are once again indicating the Euryapsid condition:
And if the dimensions given by the dragon statue at the start of this article (Which is from Wikipedia) are anywhere near accurate, the standard Chinese dragon has about the same linear proportions (Length of neck, body and tail) as Tim Dinsdale's reconstruction for the Loch Ness Monster, and the difference is of course that the statue does not have the same extreme variation in diameters of the body parts that Dinsdale's reconstruction shows. The dragon (Lung) statue might be construed as indicating two shallow humps along the back, also.
And this last one is an oddity but seems to indicate once again that the Babylonian "Sirrush" dragon design had been imported Eastward into China during about Roman times, something which was suspected already and mentioned in the earlier blog posting on the matter.
Best Wishes, Dale D.
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| "Lifesized" dragon state in a Chinese park, from Wikipedia. |
Characteristics of Chinese Dragons and Their Developmental Stages
Chinese art and cultural beliefs have been dominated by dragons for thousands of years. A mix of animal features are seen in Chinese dragons, and thanks to the scholarship of Wang Fu some time between 206 B.C. and A.D. 220 during the Han Dynasty, the features and complex stages of dragon growth and maturity were described.From Hatchling to Maturity – The Fantastic Stages of Chinese Dragon Development
The profound influence the dragon has had on Chinese culture can be seen in the complexity and detail with which their mythical character has been envisioned. Chinese dragons go through a lengthy series of metamorphic stages before becoming the rare wonder of a winged Chinese dragon.To begin, a Chinese dragon does not even hatch from its gem-like egg (1) until 1,000 years after it has been laid. The hatchling dragon looks like a water snake (2) and 500 years will pass before it develops the head of a carp. (3) Then over another 1,000 years the carp scales will cover its body and four short limbs will grow. During this time the tail will grow long, the face will become elongated, a beard will develop, and sharp claws will emerge from the feet.(4)
Antlers will grow over the next 500 years, and strangely the Chinese dragon hears through its antlers. (this legend arose because some reports specify "ears" and others say "Horns" for evidently the same protrusions on the head) Despite the presence of ears, it has been deaf until the growth of antlers.(5) Not until the passing of another 1,000 years will the dragon grow wings and achieve the ultimate state of a mature and glorious Chinese dragon. (6)
[Source: "Dragons: A Natural History." 1995. Dr. Karl Shuker.
Despite the description, Chinese dragons are almost universally wingless. Stage 6 does not ordinarily apply.
The story of eggs lying dormant for a thousand years is part of a separate tradition which has nothing to do with dragons. That the eggs are "Jewel-like" or "Pearl-like" is due to a confusion of the dragon's egg with the disc or "Pearl" that is often shown near the dragon's head in some representations. Peter Costello made the suggestion (unusual for him) that perhaps Plesiosaurs were ovoviviparous but occasionally dropped the bad eggs, similar in size and shape to an ostrich's eggs, which then in turn gave rise to the legend of dragon's eggs (In Search of Lake Monsters) This may be true but I think there is an actual reptile involved at the base of dragon stories and that is where the legend came from (Oddly enough, the lizard has also been suggested to be ovoviviparous, which is to say, laying eggs but reetaining them in the body until they hatch, and then giving birth to fully-developed young)
However stage 3 is the part which I'd like to point out first. It seems obvious to me that this is nothing more nor less than a depiction of the Chinese giant salamander. the earlier stages 1) and 2) therefore only represent its tadpole stages (Lasting a few months instead of many years)
Saturday, September 05, 2009
DALE DRINNON: The Buru
On August 6th Richard Freeman posted an article about Chinese lake monsters, and I'm going to say the dreaded word again: some of those Lake Monster reports from Richard sound like Burus and especially the mention of the forelimbs with five distinct digits....
The reason I say "Buru" is because it seems that the Tibetan reports are from off the Bramaputra River and just north of the region of the regular Buru reports. And when I went through my home files for Lake Monster reports in Tibet, Yunnan and Sichuan, I got a distinctive pattern: lizard-shaped creatures; usually about 10-12 feet long, with a head the size of a horse's; long neck about that long again; body as long as head and neck together; and tail about as long as head, neck and body together; with four regularly-shaped legs, with five distinct clawed toes on the feet. All of this is in agreement with the Buru and Meikong River Monster (One of the Yunnan reports is on the upper Meikong River) and those Chinese reports from Charles Gould's Mythical Monsters quoted here before (records allgedly from 200 BC to 1500 AD at the very least).
And once again, there is a sightings mockup of the types on file in this group, which has a photo of a Komodo dragon representing the Buru: that photo has the lizard in mud up to its elbows and knees, if an explanation for the one report of "Flanges not legs" still needs to be accounted for. That file is named 'Scale Mockup for Unknown Monitor Lizards.'
Not only are there adequate local fossils for Komodo-dragon-sized monitor lizards in India, their ancestors were in the Himalayan region at the same time as the highlands were building. Populations of them could conceivably have stayed put and adapted to the highland conditions. Viviparous lizards in Northern Scandinavia live under a similar climate and hibernate a long time, and the Burus could have become viviparous in parallel to them. I imagine the creatures ordinarily derive much of their diet from grubbing up crustaceans and molluscs out of the muddy bottoms, but that the will take fishes when possible and the old Chinese records speak of such creatures greedily eating birds and eggs when they can be had. They may only swallow solid food under water. I don't think that they are ambush predators like crocs, although that has been alleged, but that they would gladly eat carrion of drowned corpses. In other words, I doubt if they would drag a yak into the water but if there was the body of a drowned yak in the water, surely then they would be seen eating it.
Chinese Buru Dragon, from
And once again, there is a sightings mockup of the types on file in this group, which has a photo of a Komodo dragon representing the Buru: that photo has the lizard in mud up to its elbows and knees, if an explanation for the one report of "Flanges not legs" still needs to be accounted for. That file is named 'Scale Mockup for Unknown Monitor Lizards.'
Not only are there adequate local fossils for Komodo-dragon-sized monitor lizards in India, their ancestors were in the Himalayan region at the same time as the highlands were building. Populations of them could conceivably have stayed put and adapted to the highland conditions. Viviparous lizards in Northern Scandinavia live under a similar climate and hibernate a long time, and the Burus could have become viviparous in parallel to them. I imagine the creatures ordinarily derive much of their diet from grubbing up crustaceans and molluscs out of the muddy bottoms, but that the will take fishes when possible and the old Chinese records speak of such creatures greedily eating birds and eggs when they can be had. They may only swallow solid food under water. I don't think that they are ambush predators like crocs, although that has been alleged, but that they would gladly eat carrion of drowned corpses. In other words, I doubt if they would drag a yak into the water but if there was the body of a drowned yak in the water, surely then they would be seen eating it.
Chinese Buru Dragon, from
Charles Gould's Mythical Monsters
APPENDIX VII.
EXTRACTS FROM THE "PAN TSAOU KANG MU."
THE KIAO-LUNG. (The four-footed coiled Dragon. The Iguanodon.
—Eitel.)
This animal, according to Shi Chan, belongs to the dragon family. Its eye-brows are crossed, hence its name signifies "the crossed reptile." The scaled variety is called the Kiao-Lung, the winged the Ying-Lung. The horned kind are called K‘iu, the hornless kind Li. In Indian books it is called Kwan-P‘i-Lo.[=Buru]—Eitel.)
Shi Chan, quoting from the Kwan Cheu Ki, says: “The Iguanodon (?) is more than twelve feet long; it resembles a snake, it has four feet, and is broad like a shield. It has a small head and a slender neck, the latter being covered with numerous protuberances. The front of its breast is of a red colour, its back is variegated with green, and its sides as if embroidered. Its tail is composed of fleshy rings; the larger ones are several. Its eggs are also large. It can induce fish to fly, but if a turtle is present they will not do so.
“The Emperor Chao, of the Han, when fishing in the river Wéi, caught a white Iguanodon. It resembled a snake, but was without scales. Its head was composed of soft flesh, and tusks issued from the mouth. The Emperor ordered his ministers to get it preserved. its flesh is delicious; bones green, flesh red.”
From the above it may be seen the Iguanodon is edible.
On this blog the pertinent posting is "The Real Dragons" from 11th February of the current year:
And it can be easily understood that it has no horns or external ears (nor yet mane or beard imparted onto the dragon's image from other sources) but that it would be deaf because it had no horns would be a needless superstiotion. The real reason is that its ears are not noticeable and some people assumed that since it had no ears it must be deaf: a lizard's ears are flat to the head in any species anyway.
Now the point I wanted to impart especially is that the pig-dragon jade amulets are not the earliest representations of dragons in Chinese archaeology. There are lizardlike representations of dragons in the same Neolithic culture. A most important one is illustrated by the arrangement of shells in a royal grave.
Which appears to show a creature at least comparable to a Komodo dragon in size, although probably the tail would be longer in life. This is no doubt an early representation of the hornless Kiao-Lung
By the Zhou (Chou) dynasty, which follows the Chang, the larger-end of "Developed Dragons" are depicted a little more clearly. Here the lower extended dragon is another Kiao-Lung and it corresponds to some of the longbodied jade "dragon-pigs" of the Hongshan period. I would suggest that these be relabelled as "Water-Tigers" instead, and some of them could indeed be mant to represent giant otters (Megalenhydris?) But in this case the larger and more elongated dragon at the top has a definite long snaky neck and four flippers indicated on the sides of the
body at approximately the correct places where Plesiosaurs would have flippers. The more convoluted jade dragon shown below it starts to have the traditional problem with the traditional dragon, depicting a long and winding body and yet getting the perspective of the different limbs right. The body shape is still pretty well Plesiosaurian with the body being the more or less horizontal section in the middle with limbs on both ends, and the shorter tail shown as a fishtail. note that the four limbs are once again shown as winglike flippers. The head once again has thatcurlicue behind the eye to indicate a Euryapsid skull.
Please also see the earlier blog on Taotie masks as representing Euryapsid Chinese Dragons:
http://frontiersofzoology.blogspot.com/2011/08/taotie-tao-tieh-dragon-faces.html
Here are another couple of Zhou white jade dragons indicating somehat more clearly the breakdown of the body length into head and neck, body and tail, and the four flipperlike limbs at the front and rear end of the body section. I also assume that the heads are once again indicating the Euryapsid condition:
 |
| white jade dragons, tomb marquis of zeng, Zhou (Chou)dynasty |
 |
| Odd late "Serpopard" as Astrological figure, presumably imported from Babylon, Han Dynasty (approx. equal to the Classical age Mediterranean) |
Best Wishes, Dale D.
Tuesday, 25 October 2011
Another Chinese Neolithic "APE"
This is from ebay but supposedly the same culture that the "Little Jade Yeti" came from. This representation looks more like the standard Yeren or Wildman (Almas) type of creature:
: http://www.ebay.com/itm/Neolithic-Hongshan-Nephrite-Jade-APE-Deer-Warring-AXE-/280704917297
All of these items are really made out of the mineral nephrite which is the commoner type of stone called jade. I have been told that many of the jade items coming out of China and on to the open market are fakes: but if that is the case then the image counts as a recent folk-art depiction rather than a millenia-old piece of primitive art. From the standpoint of a possible illustration of a possible Cryptid, that much makes little difference. The longer photos show front and back of the object, a ceremonial carved stone ax. It is interesting that the one side shows what looks like writing because that would be Neolithic script and one of the oldest forms of writing yet uncovered. Again, the Hongshan culture is located in North China and abuting Inner Mongolia, in an area where some teeth have been found that could be Neanderthaloid and could be recent.
: http://www.ebay.com/itm/Neolithic-Hongshan-Nephrite-Jade-APE-Deer-Warring-AXE-/280704917297
All of these items are really made out of the mineral nephrite which is the commoner type of stone called jade. I have been told that many of the jade items coming out of China and on to the open market are fakes: but if that is the case then the image counts as a recent folk-art depiction rather than a millenia-old piece of primitive art. From the standpoint of a possible illustration of a possible Cryptid, that much makes little difference. The longer photos show front and back of the object, a ceremonial carved stone ax. It is interesting that the one side shows what looks like writing because that would be Neolithic script and one of the oldest forms of writing yet uncovered. Again, the Hongshan culture is located in North China and abuting Inner Mongolia, in an area where some teeth have been found that could be Neanderthaloid and could be recent.
Best Wishes, Dale D.
Tuesday, 18 October 2011
Little Jade Yeti
The culture is identified as Hongshan Neolithic and the Jade was found at a site near Inner Mongolia. The Hongshan Neolithic ran from 4700 to 2900 BC and it is the same culture that produced odd semicircular stylized "Dragon" figures which I suggested could indicate a Long-Necked or possibly an Eel-like water monster. Some of the 'dragons" are called "Pig-Dragons", a sort of a local Makara, and they might be meant to depict fat seals. Some of the carvings actually do represent a large eagle-like bird, possibly a Thunderbird, but this carving does not resemble those "Thunderbird" carvings except in a general way.
The jade carvings also DO include sculpted skulls, so it is no good to say nobody was carving rock-crystal skulls thousands of years BC.
http://www.friendsofjade.org/current-article/2008/4/6/from-pig-to-dragon-neolithic-hongshan-jades.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hongshan_culture
My opinion is that that this jade depicts a Chinese "Wildman" and possibly the same creature that Ivan Sanderson called a "Gin-Sing" (Jen-Hsiung). There are other jade carvings I had seen in illustrations which also have that overall "Gorilla" look to them, and other such examples also from Olmec Mexico.
Best Wishes, Dale D.
PS, you also DO sometimes see depictions of ordinary monkeys with enormous saucer-eyes in later Chinese art: in this case, it isn't so sure that was the idea.
Monday, 15 August 2011
Taotie (Tao T'ieh) Dragon Faces
[Taotie on a ding bronze vessel from late Shang era]
Taotie
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Taotie (Chinese: 饕餮; pinyin: tāotiè; Japanese: tōtetsu, sometimes translated as a gluttonous ogre mask) is a motif commonly found on ritual bronze vessels from the Shang and Zhou Dynasty. The design typically consists of a zoomorphic mask, described as being frontal, bilaterally symmetrical, with a pair of raised eyes and typically no lower jaw area. Some argue that the design can be traced back to Neolithic jades of the ancient Yangtze River Liangzhu culture (3310–2250 BCE).
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taotie
Taotie (Or Tao-T'ieh as it used to be commonly spelled) was an important symbol back at the beginning of Chinese civilisation but as time went by the opriginal meaning got lost. different interpretations of the mask were done artistically and different stories were attached to it It was said to be a glutton and to try to eat people, to do them great harm by trying to eat them but afterwards the bodies were passed through intact. Some versions of the Dragon or Ogre face are shown holding a human head in the mouth. The Taotie is said to be one of the "Children of the Dragon" and to have an affinity to water (All mentioned in the Wikipedia entry)
Taotie jug with Dragon handle.
Muraenosaurus, a well-preserved long-necked Plesiosaur, from a Chinese-language site (Pasteup with views of its skull as arranged by me)
Jade Taotie rubbed with red cinnabar for colouring. My interpretation is that the Taotie mask basically shows the top of a short-snouted longnecked Plesiosaur's skull, with the eye sockets in the appropriate place and the Euryapsid openings in the back of the skull behind the eyes.
Muraenosaurus skull in a different orientation for a better comparison. The Taoties also sometimes exaggerate "Horns" at the back of the skull and some later versions can look like tigers with water buffalo horns. I am fairly certain after looking over several of the older designs that the back of the head means ONLY to show the Euryapsid openings. Some Taoties do also seem to indicate the "Third eye" opening as well (between the eye sockets and the Euryapsid openings on the diagram)
And of course the lower jaw is not seen in this position and can rightly be left off: some of the older designs also show the sides of the head "Unrolled" to the sides and thus making a broader mask area, including the sides and two views of the lower jaw in that way. The illustration which begins this entry is of such a type. The design is similar to several Northwest-coast American designs and particularly to depictions of the Sea-serpent Sisutl (suspected separately as representing a Plesiosaur-shaped creature) Some rather basic "Dragon" designs are associated with Taoties (as an example in the bronze jug handle above, top images on this page from Wikipedia) and sometimes incorporated into the design.
The later Chinese dragons are basically composite creatures based on a typically lizardlike design (see "The Real Dragons", one of the first entries on the Frontiers of Zoology blog) However, one recognisable component has always been a Longnecked lake (River) monster with a mane and a jagged crest all the way down the middle of its back. The Dragon's face still retains features of a Taotie mask and the representations are probably related (see at bottom)
As it is, there is probably still too strong an influence of swimming moose (red deer stag) in the depiction of the head, probably from Chinese chroniclers including those "Water Horse" reports in with the others in the database (Most Cryptozoologists are still doing that with most Water Monster reports worldwide) However in this Lung depiction, the body proportions can be seen as head and neck, body, and tail assumed to be about equal thirds of the long "Sea-serpent" body (There should actually be a central thickened part to the body and some "Dragon turtle" reports provide that) The limbs at first look nothing like Plesiosaur flippers but the description provides the detail that there are "Tiger Paws" in the middle (red here) before going on to the long "Claws" [=digits or fingers] of the limb skeleton. Astonishingly, this matches the description of a Plesiosaur's limb bones although the artists could never figure out what this meant. See the earlier FOZ Blog entry from April:
http://frontiersofzoology.blogspot.com/2011/04/cfz-blog-on-plesiosaurian-taniwhas.html
Sunday, 14 August 2011
Oriental Dragon Boats
[Dragon Boat Racing By Yolks on Deviant Art]
After producing a blog on the Viking Dragon longboats, it only seemed reasonable that should also do a posting for the also well-known Dragon boats of the Orient. These practically also include the similar Naga boats of South Asia and Indonesia. In many parts of the Orient, Dragon-boat races are the high point of annual celebrations. There are also Naga (Snakeship) races in South India.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dragon_boat
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dragon_Boat_Festival
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Snake_boat_race
A plan for making a Dragon boat model for a small boat of ten paddlers or so. This drawing is better for showing the figurehead end of the assembly. Traditionally such craft are steered by an oar in the back end. The drum is shown most prominently here.
Dragon boats are usually canoes that are paddled and not rowed, with the major distinction being that paddlers face front and can see where they are going while oarsmen face to the stern of their ships. Dragon boats are typically from 50 to 100 feet long and can be as much as six feet wide, and they typically have about twenty paddlers per boat in a boat race. Modern competetive Dragon rboat races can have 40 to 50 paddlers. They can also have the same sort of high figureheads but these can be removed, but more usually the dragon figurehead is held low and pointed straight ahead. This is perhaps more natural because the Water-dragons themselves must travel at speed with the head and neck down and pointed straight ahead. Dragon boats also usually have a drum with a drummer strategically placed to provide motivation and rhythm.
The traditional Dragon-Figurehead on a Dragon boat would be about the same size as the dragon's head on a Viking longship, about two to three feet, but most competetive racing boats any more have much reduced heads, at a minimum size to streamline the craft. the forward portion holding the figurehead could easily be 6 to 12 feet traditionally, so the absolute size of the figurehead is close to the absolute size of the Viking longboat figurehead, but only just the last end part of it. A Longneck with a head and forepart of the neck (foreward of the heavier base) could be in the range of fifty feet long and six feet wide, and so the idea seems to have been that the size of the canoe was indeed traditionally meant to indicate the approximate dimension of the Dragon itself (A statement to this effect is made in Burma at least.)
One feature of the figureheads for both the Dragon boat and Naga boat figureheads is that often there is an indication of foreflippers (or wings) at the base of the neck in the representation.
[Dragon Boat Racing, photo from Wikipedia]
Child riding a Naga as a boat from Indonesia, traditional artwork on sale over the internet, and a Naga Boat (comparable to a Chinese Dragon boat) below it.
These Nagaboats also tend to have the figurehead about the same dimensions as a Viking Longboat but with the neck lying down
As mentioned, this is likely the Longneck's ordinary position when swimming and especially when swimming at speed. So that part makes sense. Also from compiling statistics about the necks of Longnecks and figuring out how they must work, there are basically three sections to a Longneck's neck: the front part is thinnest and most flexible, the rear part is thickest and least flexible and used to back up the forepart of the neck when swimming, in reaction to the water pressure; while the middle part is intermediate between the front and the back. The Dragon boats and Naga boats do not only show the three sections properly in right relationships to one another, they very frequently scale out at the right absolute size to match the reports. Once again, this does not necessarily extend to modern competetive racing boats, where the Dragon head may be reduced to the minimum possible size.
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