A dragon turtle (Chinese : 龍龜, pinyin : Lóngguī) is a legendary Chinese creature that combines two of the four celestial animals of Chinese mythology: the shell of a turtle with a dragon's body is promoted as a positive ornament in Feng Shui,[1][2] symbolizing courage, determination, fertility, longevity, power, success, and support. Decorative carvings or statuettes of the creature are traditionally placed facing the window.
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/58/Dragon_Turtle.jpg/250px-Dragon_Turtle.jpg)
Mapmakers sometimes drew dragon turtles along with other fantastical creatures in unexplored areas.[citation needed]
Dragon turtles appear in some editions of the tabletop roleplaying game Dungeons & Dragons. A dragon turtle appears in the 1983 Dungeons & Dragons cartoon episode, "The Garden of Zinn", its poisonous bite setting up the events of the episode. These creatures have a dragon body and turtle shell, with some types having flippers. Bowser, a primary character in the Super Mario franchise by Nintendo, is based on a dragon turtle.
See also
edit- Bixi - one of the 9 sons of the Dragon King
- Chinese mythology in popular culture
- Black Tortoise
References
edit- ^ William O'Connor (2013). Dracopedia The Bestiary: An Artist's Guide to Creating Mythical Creatures. Penguin. Page [1]
- ^ Tchi, Rodika (2 November 2019). "The Dragon Turtle in Feng Shui Practice". The Spruce. Dotdash. Retrieved 9 October 2019.