Tianlong (; lit. "heavenly dragon") is a flying dragon in

Chinese mythology Chinese mythology () is mythology that has been passed down in oral form or recorded in literature in the geographic area now known as Greater China. Chinese mythology includes many varied myths from regional and cultural traditions. Much of ...

, a star in

Chinese astrology Chinese astrology is based on the traditional astronomy and calendars. Chinese astrology came to flourish during the Han Dynasty (2nd century BC to 2nd century AD). Chinese astrology has a close relation with Chinese philosophy (theory of the ...

, and a proper name.

Word

The term ''tianlong'' combines ''tian'' "heaven" and ''long'' "dragon". Since ''

tian ''Tiān'' () is one of the oldest Chinese terms for heaven and a key concept in Chinese mythology, philosophy, and religion. During the Shang dynasty (17th―11th century BCE), the Chinese referred to their supreme god as '' Shàngdì'' (, "L ...

'' literally means "heaven; the heavens; sky" or figuratively "Heaven; God; gods", ''tianlong'' can denote "heavenly dragon; celestial dragon" or "holy dragon; divine dragon". Tianlong is homophonous with another name in

Chinese folklore Chinese folklore encompasses the folklore of China, and includes songs, poetry, dances, puppetry, and tales. It often tells stories of human nature, historical or legendary events, love, and the supernatural. The stories often explain natural ph ...

. Tianlong "Heavenly Deaf" (with the character ''long'' "deaf" combining the "ear radical" and a ''long''

phonetic Phonetics is a branch of linguistics that studies how humans produce and perceive sounds, or in the case of sign languages, the equivalent aspects of sign. Linguists who specialize in studying the physical properties of speech are phoneticians. ...

element) and ''Diya'' "Earthly Dumb" are legendary attendants to Wenchang Wang , the patron deity of literature.

Meanings

From originally denoting "heavenly dragon", ''Tianlong'' semantically developed meanings as

Buddhist Buddhism ( , ), also known as Buddha Dharma and Dharmavinaya (), is an Indian religion or philosophical tradition based on teachings attributed to the Buddha. It originated in northern India as a -movement in the 5th century BCE, and ...

"heavenly Nāgas" or "Devas and Nāgas", "centipede", and "proper names" of stars, people, and places.

Dragons

Among