Dragon Colors

Black Dragons

First, this article will explore the symbolism of black in world cultures, then specifically relate that symbolism to dragons and serpents.

• The Symbolism of the Color Black
• Summary of Symbolism of the Color Black
• Black Dragons
• Footnotes
• Dragon Colors

The claim that black is universally associated with death, evil, and sickness seems correct when exploring the symbolism associated with black,¹ but black has many other associations. Black has also been associated with fertility⁶ and with the newly fertilized lands.³

In some parts of the Arab world, black is considered an unlucky color,² yet black became a symbol of power and authority, and it became an emblem of the Caliphate, which was the first system of government established in Islam.²

As a color that seems indifferent, it has become equally the mark of humility as well as respectability.⁵

In Ancient Egypt, black is the color of resurrection and eternal life,² and black is also associated with the mother goddess and fertility, especially in conjunction with red, or blood.²

In China, black represents the passive element Yin, while its opposite element, Yang, being bright yellow.² Though black is considered a color for young boys,⁹ it remains a color of darkness and is generally not worn as a primary color.⁷ In the four primary directions of Chinese popular folklore, black is the color of the Dark Warrior, one of the animals of the four directions.⁸ The Dark Warrior is often depicted as a tortoise with a serpent wrapped around it.⁴ The Dark Warrior symbolized the north direction, and its element was water, the element associated with black in the five elements of China.⁸ Unlike the other directions, the north was never worshipped in early times; instead, people feared it for being the home of the destructive ocean god.⁴

To the Apache, who are an indigenous people of North America, black symbolizes the West, where the sun sets.⁹ Throughout parts of Western Europe, black symbolizes periods of mourning, funerals, and Halloween.⁹

In Feng Shui, black is associated with the element water and the passive yin. It also represents money or income, career, emotional protection, power, stability, and bruises.⁹

In Jungian psychology, black represents the shadow aspect of the unconscious psyche,¹ and in other schools of psychology, black has been linked with self-confidence, strength, and power.⁹

Wearing a black garment might be an indication of position or authority, or it may be a sign of mourning, loss, or even illness.

Because black symbolizes the primordial void before creation, it appears in each person as the shadow personality in Jungian psychology. While the term shadow might be associated with negative things, it would be wrong to assume that the shadow is necessarily a negative aspect of the psyche. Much like the physical body's shadow, the shadow of the psyche is present in each conscious person, apparent only in contrast to the conscious mind. The germinal state of creation, too, exists within each person as part of the shadow aspect, from which new synthesis and new creations often arise spontaneously.

The various associations with the color black are undoubtedly layered upon one another. This explains the view of black as a chaotic color; it represents the shadow, the unknown, and the unpredictable as well as the cyclical processes of life, death, and rebirth, including fertility. Since fertility of the land, and fertility of human beings, has never been an exact science, the chaotic and unpredictable nature of it coordinates nicely with the other associations of black.

In the West, black dragons represent incarnated evil and have deceptive methods to collect their hoard and meat. The additional camouflage of the color black for a creature that is active at night would undoubtedly make it far more dangerous to humans, who cannot see well at night.

In China, black is a chaotic color. Black Chinese Dragons cause lightning storms when they fight in the sky.

A black dragon would have numerous advantages in the physical world, such as disappearing into a cave or being able to hide in areas of shadow. A black dragon, then, would represent the lurking shadow of the psyche; an immensely powerful and creative creature, although equally destructive, that can remain unseen until ready to make its move.

All of the dragon graphics on this page were created by Donna Quinn.

1. Stevens [Ariadne's Clue] 147
2. O'Connell and Airey 115
3. Cirlot 53
4. Christie 82
5. Lanse 5
6. Lanse 6
7. Roberts [Chinese] 17
8. Roberts [Chinese] 25
9. Visual Color Symbolism Chart by Culture

For more information about footnotes and references, please see the bibliography.