Tradition: Chinese mythology
Alternative Names: Daryū, Daryu, Dajilong, Dōnglóng, Amadatsu, Crocodile Dragon, 鼉龍
Category: Dragon, Crocodile
The Myth
The Daryū is a type of dragon resembling a gigantic crocodile or other heavily scaled reptile. It is about one to two zhang long and has a sturdy body covered in hard scales. Its shape has been compared to a gecko or pangolin. Despite its great strength, it is said to be fond of sleeping and spends much of its time with its eyes closed.
The Daryū lives around the rivers and lakes of China, particularly the Yangtze River and Dongting Lake. Its burrows are said to extend extremely deep into the earth, making it difficult for fishermen to capture. They lure the creature from its burrow with bait before dragging it out with hooks.
At night the Daryū produces a terrifying cry that frightens sailors. This sound was known as the “Daryū drum” and was regarded as a sign by which rain could be predicted. The creature itself was also believed to possess the power to exhale air that formed clouds and brought rain.
Its hard scales or shell were believed to possess supernatural powers. They could be used to cure women’s diseases and were also considered effective against various evil spirits.
The Daryū was not merely a creature of Chinese books. In the southern Japanese islands, crocodile-like animals were sometimes reported under the name Daryū. On Amami Ōshima they were known locally as Amadatsu. On one occasion, people from Sumiyo village succeeded in capturing one. Although they feared that the creature was poisonous, they boiled and ate its flesh and found it remarkably delicious.
Another account describes a gigantic crocodile captured on Amami Ōshima in 1800, measuring around six metres in length. It was caught in a net and beaten by the islanders, and was depicted as a huge, hornless dragon.
Stories from the Satsunan Islands also tell of a fierce dragon appearing in the waters around Iwo Jima. Unlike the sleepy Daryū of Chinese descriptions, this creature was dangerous and would attack anyone it encountered, making it a source of fear among the islanders.
The Daryū was sometimes treated alongside other hornless rain dragons such as the Chiryū. Both were associated with rainfall and could be represented as enormous crocodile-like creatures.
Sources
Takahashi, Toshihiro. “地竜 [ちりゅう] (Chiryū).” 新版TYZ 妖怪図鑑 (New TYZ Yokai Encyclopedia). October 21, 2024. https://tyz-yokai.blog.jp/archives/1082955065.html