Water Dragons in Mongolian Mythology

Water is considered especially sacred for Mongolians. This was especially true in Mongolia’s ancient history, where water was considered so precious that during the time of Genghis Khan if you bathed or dirtied water in a stream somehow you could be executed for your transgression!

The dragon is consered the king of the water, and if we disrespect the spirit and king of the water we can then get what in Mongolian we call “dragon illnesses,” which are a consequence of disresprecting the sacredness of water.

This is why in Mongolian shamanic symbolism you see a lot of snakes, because in most Asian cultures snakes are considered little dragons, and by recognizing snakes in our symbolism we are thereby also honoring the Water Dragon, the king of that realm.

The Water Dragon Ceremony is an important one because shamans welcome back the water dragon, who we say is peeking its head out into the world again after the frozen winter—it is our way of recognizing that spring is finally here!

—Naren

Photo by Jamie MacPherson on Unsplash