here be dragons

For Lent this year, I compromised with my boss (my precious wifey) that I would not play video games for a month if she would give up watching tv shows for the same period.

It's been great, I have rediscovered the joy of reading and found time to practice html and css coding.

Also, I've gained a new respect for Japanese Manga-kas (manga writers). The amount of detail that goes into historical research is astounding, and eventually epic mangas have life purpose driven direction. Almost relating to the impact of spiritual importance that Lent can have.

It was then I realized, in the religious vacuum in developed cities (such as Singapore, Osaka, Seoul, Kuala Lumpur, Wichita, etc...), there appears to be a drop in church attendance, the void being filled with entertainment, clubbing, anime/manga, etc... 

And it was while reading manga, that I realized how much more time I spend, but  enjoyment in manga rather than the scriptures. And I know I should spend more time on the scriptures rather than on manga, but I haven't. Hmm, this brings Romans 7:15-20 to mind.

15 I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. 16 And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. 17 As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me. 18 For I know that good itself does not dwell in me, that is, in my sinful nature.[a] For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. 19 For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing. 20 Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it.

So why do I still do it. My own personal enjoyment of anime/manga suggests that my heart prizes material and humanistic values instead of the eternal joy of looking towards contentment and striving for purity.

And it is in this depths of enjoyment, that I stumbled across one particularly notable page in a manga called "kingdoms" about the Qin dynasty of the warring era. It explored why walls are built, not so much to defend against invaders (the great wall of China is easily scaleable at the top in some parts), not so much to keep people in (as some modern interpretations of the wall would have us believe), and not so much to torture the builders(a lot of bodies are buried in and below the great wall).

Speaking of the great wall of China, some 500,000 laborers and 300,000 soldiers were involved in constructing the great wall, and many died from malnutrition and overwork. So more replacements were needed to upkeep construction. An estimated 1 million people perished in the construction of the great wall, and many are said to be buried in or below the walls. In tales handed down through the generations, some exaggerated folktales describing how harsh conditions were and how little food was provided and how people who died were buried on site rather than transported back to their home towns (Chinese people generally have wishes to be buried in their hometown, so they can rest peacefully with their ancestral mounds, having been taught to keep the family together).

However, I think the great wall had a different objective in the minds of china's Qin dyansty's political leaders. Due to the frequent changing of borders, Qin Shi Huang (the first emperor of China) wanted to make a definite demarcation of 'what' quantifies as China. In building the walls, people outside the walls are 'them' (the enemy), and people inside the walls become 'us'. Building walls (whether literal or figurative) is how enemies are made, and we decide who to attack.

In expressing a strong desire to build a wall between the US and Mexico, Donald Trump has driven a wedge between political leaders, and intimidated the Mexican leadership into putting a complaint before the head of the Roman Catholic church, the Pope.

In the dark ages, walls were effective means for defending cities from bandits, but armies with siege weapons such as siege towers, rams, siege ladders, etc.... and means of fire missiles such as trebuchets, mangonels and mangonels were able to overcome walled cities, especially if the city has an external water supply that could be cut off or poisoned.

That said, what makes a city? The buildings? the people? the culture? a city that has an escape route and retains their identity can run, and survive... but having escaped to another location, would not be known by the same name.

Suppose a siege does happen, the resulting devastation to the physical buildings of fire and stones would probably give the appearance of a hellish battlefield. Likewise, if soldiers and civilians are caught in the open (i suppose if if one has shields and an unfortified roof, it would make little difference), the damage is frequently not survivable (at least in the medieval anime and war movies, the landscape is portrayed as utter devastation).

This scene finally leads to the topic of today. What creature would cause wanton destruction; slashing and burning forests, salting fields making it inhospitable, destroying wide swaths of landscape. In medieval legends across cultures, supernatural beings capable of causing damage on the level of natural disasters are known as dragons, many said to fly and breathe fire.

Let us also examine the traditional dragon features popular in myths and legends, and their colors.

Why would such a massive creature need flight? Because it is gone without a trace by the time investigators can examine the blight left on the landscape.

Why such huge teeth as long as swords, claws as sharp as daggers and spears? To explain away the sword like woulds and mutilations, caused with such demon filled fury that no one would want to believe a human being capable of.

Therefore I think dragons have never quite gone extinct or left us. They are in fact, still among us today, with access to modern weaponry. Dragons in general have a bad connotation and are also used as a title for brutish or evil people.

Colors

1. Green dragons 

(the traditional lizard coloration you see in paintings such as St. George and the dragon)

camouflage better in forested woodlands. often associated with poison dragons or toxic types. Typically evil or neutral

2. Black dragons

Also known as evil dragons. Also associated with acid and malice. Probably nocturnal for advantages in low light conditions.

 Also, almost everyone (except for rare melanin deficient cases) indigenous to the Americas, Asia, Africa and Australia have black hair. Maybe used as a metaphor for enemy armies.

3.  Gold Dragons

Said to breathe fire. Not traditionally described. Modern day interpretation associated with bravery, nobility and all that tends towards being a 'good' dragon. Also, supposed to be rare. Interesting, the shade of gold used in artistic interpretations is closer to blonde hair that is seen in anglo-germanic tribes adapted to a lower sunlight latitude.

4. Silver Dragons

I think the artist ran out of gold paint, or the gold paint was too pricey. Also supposed to be swifter with acrobatic agility to make up for lake of fire breathe. Frost type perhaps?

5. Brass/Bronze/Copper Dragons

Arrogant. Physically stronger and stouter than it's other metallic cousins. Also supposedly good, but easily manipulated. Most common of the three metallic.

6. Red dragons

Your standard RUUUuuuun IT'S A FIRE BREATHING WYRM! -type of dragon. Traditional D&Ders use this as dungeon bosses. Evil, and physically strong.

7. White dragons

Evil, and frosty. Also known as frost wyrms. Or Ice Wyrm.

8. Blue dragons

Evil, and water/lightning mix. Like an electric eel. In eastern mythologies they are associated with hurricanes or tsunamis.

extremely rare evil types - brown orange purple yellow grey

extremely rare good align types - adamantium cobalt mercury mithral orium steel

commonly used legendary dragon names - bahamut, tiamat