A Study of Dragons, East and West / Edition 1

by Qiguang Zhao

Overview

Few symbols saturate human civilization so broadly and thoroughly as those of the ubiquitous and enigmatic dragon. This compelling book examines, compares, and analyzes the appearance and symbolization of the Eastern and Western dragons and treats them as the crystallization of human cultures. It shows that Chinese dragons resemble one another but suggest different ideas in different contexts, while Western dragons have different appearances but often denote a single concept. As one of the most notable achievements of dragonology, this book offers astonishing new insights into dragons as zoological «fact», psychological archetypes, and ideological symbols.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780820417585
Publisher:	Lang, Peter Publishing, Incorporated
Publication date:	03/01/1993
Series:	Asian Thought and Culture Series , #11
Pages:	237
Product dimensions:	6.20(w) x 8.90(h) x 0.80(d)

About the Author

The Author: Professor Qiguang Zhao initiated the Chinese language and literature program at Carleton College, Northfield MN, where he teaches Chinese language, Chinese literature and Comparative Literature. He received his M.A. and Ph.D. in Comparative Literature from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst. He received an M.A. in English and American Literature from the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences in Beijing and a B.A. in English from Tianjin Teacher's College. Professor Zhao's publications include Strangers in Strange Lands: Criticism and Translation of Modern English and American Literature, Selected Fiction of Joseph Conrad and numerous articles and translations in Chinese and Western journals.

Table of Contents

Contents: This study focuses on the «origin,» development, symbolic meanings, and appearances of Eastern and Western dragons. It also examines dragon slayers and the structure of dragon slayer tales.

Editorial Reviews

«By integrating folkloric studies with analysis of literary texts, Professor Zhao's study of dragonology promises to be a landmark in East/West Comparative Literature. With his vast referential range, Zhao breathes new fire into that rarest of beings: a truly global symbol.» (David Lenson University of Massachusetts at Amherst)
«Qiguang Zhao's stimulating book on dragons East and West is a thoroughly researched work of scholarship, but is much more than just a collection of facts and data. This is also a work of ideas and conceptions. By opening wide the scope of his inquiry and dismissing all arbitrary constraints, the author has demonstrated in a most edifying fashion the relatedness of human cultures. Above all, he has given us a fresh, new way to look at ancient Chinese mythology. This 'is' a book about dragons, but it is also a collection of valuable insights about the nature and development of Chinese civilization in the context of world history and culture.» (Victor H. Mair, University of Pennsylvania)

From the Publisher