Dragon History

Nagas of India

• Appearance
• Background
• Naga Kings
• The Naga Princess
• Footnotes

Nagas, the Nagini's male counterpart, are not so attractive. They, too, are human from the waist up and cobra from the waist down, but they have slate-colored skin.¹ In addition, they have snake-like eyes, and they are the reason why people have nightmares about snakes.¹

Regardless of sex, the Nagas and Naginis covet things, especially jewelry. In some instances, they were said to steal jewelry to decorate themselves.¹ Some are also reported to have multiple heads.²

For the most part, it is hard to say what the Naga's relationship with humans was. In some cases, they were quite evil and vicious. In others, they were helpful and benevolant.¹ Therefore, it false to say that Nagas were feared. As a matter of fact, in Indian mythology, there are no tales of the Naga being slain by heros.³ However, that's not to say that Nagas were peaceful. They had one avowed enemy, the Garuda Bird.²

Since Nagas lived underground, they would also travel underground, sometimes coming to the surface for air.¹ With their travels, they created the great underground caverns and tunnels of South-East Asia.¹

Like the Eastern dragons, the Nagas were also said to have divine pearls.⁴

In the epic Mahabharata, the Naga king Takshaka was said to aid in revenge. A hermit was insulted by Parikshit, a Raja; the monk's son sought out the Naga king and begged him to avenge the offense made to his father. The Raja was not afraid, however, as his fortress was in the middle of a lake, where he thought the Naga king could not reach him.²

Monks attended the fortress, bringing gifts of fruit for the Raja. When the very last fruit was opened, an insect rose from it. It was a strange insect, as it had red eyes. It proceeded to transform into the Naga king, who then strangled the Raja in his coils.²

The couple was quite content, but before long the Sun Prince had to return to his duties and help his father, the sun, light the world. He departed, telling his wife that he would look down and watch her every day. He also told her to send him a white crow if she ever needed him. Although the Naga Princess was saddened by his leave, she would look up at his father, the sun, and think of her handsome Sun Prince. She was sad and lonely, until she laid three fabulous, ruby-colored eggs. They were even more beautiful because of their color, which was much like her favorite jewel.⁵

Near the eggs' hatching day, the Naga Princess saw a white crow and asked him to take a message to the Sun Prince. She told the crow to go to the prince, nonstop, and tell him that his children were ready to hatch. With that, the crow flew away.⁵

The white crow then flew to the Sun Prince and gave him the message. The prince was quite busy, so he fetched the most beautiful ruby he could find and placed it in a pouch. He gave it to the crow and told the crow that he could not go down to see his wife, but he wanted the crow to tell her that he gave her a gift to show her how much he loved her. Again, the crow was ordered to fly nonstop, so he flew away.⁵

As the crow approached the home of the Naga Princess, however, he spied a group of merchants feeding their leftovers to the birds. He was quite hungry, after all, so he landed and hid his bundle under a bush so that he could join the other birds in their feast. While he was eating, the pouch caught a merchant's eye, so he opened it and found the ruby within. He took the ruby and put some dried cow dung inside the pouch instead. The white crow, having not noticed the exchange, later picked up the bundle and continued on his mission.⁵

The Naga Princess was delighted when the white crow returned but dismayed over the fact that her husband had not. After hearing the crow's message, the thought of getting a present excited her, so she quickly opened the pouch to see what the Sun Prince had given her as a sign of his love for her. When she saw the cow dung, she demanded to know if the crow had stopped. The crow said he had not, and he flew away.⁵

The Naga Princess was both hurt and enraged. She stared at the three eggs with hatred, but she did not kill them, they were her children. Still, the stare she gave them engraved her rage upon them. She swore to never walk upon the earth again, and she descended back into her father's palace in the form of a snake.⁵

The Sun Prince did not see any of this, for he did not keep his promise about watching the Naga Princess each day. However, one day he did look down, and he could not find her. He looked everywhere, and finally he saw a merchant holding the ruby that was meant for his wife. He knew what had happened: the crow had not kept his promise. Enraged, he looked for the white crow, and when he found him, he quickly zapped the bird, turning the white feathers black. Each time he saw a white crow from then on, he turned it black in the same way. This is why there are no more white crows in Burma.⁵

The three eggs were left by their mother on the earth. During a flood, they were washed down a large river. The first egg was thrown up against a rock, and rubies flew out of it. That is why, even now, rubies can be found outside of the town of Mogok. The other two eggs flowed further down, being passed into the Irrawaddy River. From the second egg, the most fierce tigers in all of Burma sprang up, and from the last the most fierce crocodiles in all of Burma were born.⁵

1. Allardice 156
2. Rose [Monsters] 261
3. The Beasts of Never by Georgess McHargue
4. Wonder Beasts by Joe Nigg
5. Mythical Birds & Beasts from Many Lands by Margaret Mayo and Jane Ray

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