come from the wells where he did lie.
An inner impulse rent the veil of his old husk;
from head to tail came out clear plates of sapphire mail.
He dried his wings;
like gauze they grew;
through crofts and pastures
wet with dew
a living flash of light he flew.
- "The Two Voices," Alfred, Lord Tennyson, 1833
The cool of the morning beckoned me into the mist. The mystery of a quiet morning after a soft rain the night before always calls to me.
I have always loved walking. Cool mornings in the spring or the fall are my favorite. I decided to take the dogs with me. They needed exercise as much as I did. Zeke and I went first. His arthritis slows us down, and first thing in the morning is exactly when I need the slow pace of an old dog. I need to ease into my day. Zoe and I walked next. These are my last two Chow Chows. I have had as many as six in the house with me at once. All but Zoe, rescued dogs, some abused more than others.
As we walked quietly in the morning mist, we weaved in and out of the grass of neighbor’s yards, she smelling leaves and trees and grass. All of a sudden a winged creature took flight. A dragonfly Zoe had disturbed as she walked through the grass. It fluttered up into the air, and then to my surprise, it fluttered back to earth and lit on the grass again.
I was enthralled. I love dragonflies. I love the siloette, and the coloring, and the variety. I love the mystery of this ancient creature, over 180 million years, evidence of which predates the dinosaur.
I love the myths and legends of the dragonfly, mentioned in all cultures throughout the world. Believed to be a blessing by some, and a curse by others, he flies where he pleases.
"All insects were regarded as mysterious agents of the gods and spirits, notably, butterflies, moths, crickets and dragonflies. The Dragonfly was considered the shadow of Hiro, the god of thieves. It was a god that flew and halted before and behind. It was carried by thieves in their clothes, so that when they entered the dwelling of those they wished to rob, they would let the dragonfly go, and it would daze the inhabitants so that they would not notice they were being robbed." (Teuira Henry)
It was thought in Europe, where the dragonfly was associated with children, for example, that if a child were to lie, the devil's-darning-needle, the dragonfly, would sew up his/her mouth. The devil's-darning-needle was also believed to sew the toes together of someone sleeping if they did not cover their feet.
The dragonfly of Europe also had long associations with the world of faeries. The "wee ones" of Ireland were thought to use dragonflies as their steeds. In the past, the dragonfly was called upon to cast love spells, as a representative of chance and games, it is the sign of the gambler - but like Lady Luck, dragonfly tends to be fickle.
In North American Indian lore, the dragonfly is the essence of the winds of change, representing the messages of wisdom and enlightenment; and communication from the elemental world. The dragonfly possesses the ability to see through illusion. They bring prosperity and harmony. The dragonfly totem teaches skillful action while maintaining a free and joyful sense of being. The dragonfly brings the light and color of transformation into one’s life.
The Navaho Indians believe the dragonfly to be symbolic of water purity and reflect it in many of the textiles and jewelry they design. One of most delightful stories about the dragonfly is a Zuni myth about two children who were left behind by the villagers when the corn crop failed. The little boy constructed a toy dragonfly from corn husks to cheer up his sister. The dragonfly eventually came to life and appeased the corn maidens who created a bountiful harvest of corn to welcome the villagers back. The Navaho also believe the dragonfly symbolizes renewal after a long hardship.
Dragonflies are popular symbols in Plains Indian cultures, appearing on the clothing of the Sun Dance and the Ghost Dance as decorative features. In the Southwest, dragonflies are associated with the game animals, water, fertility and curing.
The Chinese and Japanese also have long revered dragonflies as holy animals. The Japanese see the dragonfly as symbols of courage, strength, and happiness. They appear often in art and literature. In Japan, dragonflies symbolize victory in battle as well. Legend has it that the Emperor of Japan was once bitten by a horsefly that was later eaten by a dragonfly. To honor the dragonfly, he named Japan "Akitsushima," or "the Isles of the Dragonfly." Today, Japan is a global leader in the study of dragonflies. It even has a scientific journal dedicated solely to the dragonfly. In Japan and other parts of Asia and the East Indies, dragonflies are considered a delicacy.
Within Celtic culture, animal-totems of the May Tree include the dragonfly, which is traditionally linked to love and sexuality. After the 1700’s dragonflies began to appear in the carvings of church buildings and altars. Their beauty and mystery seen as a symbol of God’s mysterious creative power.
The dragonfly symbolizes going past self-created illusions that limit our growth and change. Dragonflies are a symbol of the sense of self that comes with maturity. American Indians believe to be touched by a dragonfly is to be blessed by God.
Stooping down, I studied this fantastic creature whose ancestors flew the earth before the dinosaur roamed the land. What possessed me, I still do not know. But I could not help myself from getting closer and closer. The dragonfly’s wings were closed, and I wanted to see him open his wings. I blew on him softly, and he opened his wings, then closed them again. I did this two more times, and on the third time, he suddenly flew up into the air, then seemed to loose his balance and flipped over onto his back, his feet clawing the air.
Believing he must be at the end of his life cycle, or possibly hurt, I reasoned that he would be easy prey if left in this condition. Again, with no reasonable thought, I placed my finger near his legs to see if he would grab hold so that I could turn him upright. Were there thought of a stick or a twig, I do not recall.
To my surprise he did grab hold, and crawled up my finger til he almost reached my knuckle. He just sat there staring at me, and me at him. I was mesmerized. There was a dragonfly sitting on my finger.
His neon green eyes stared up at me. His large purple-tinted black wings were open and there was an oval shaped white dot at the top of each of the larger top wings. Like large eyes they glistened up at me. His body was long and lean. I moved him closer to my face to see his structure and to admire his coloring. He sat there looking at me, me at him.
For over three minutes I sat there, with dragonfly clamped to my finger. I studied him and he me. I felt an overwhelming sense of excitement come over me. I was one of the blessed. I was being given a beautiful experience, one the American Indian, whom I so admire, declared to be a blessing from God.
I felt excited. I felt alive. I felt exhilarated. I felt blessed.
Today I was given a blessing by God. I communed with the dragonfly. I touched the “fire-breathing” creature that has stirred so many cultures throughout the centuries. I touched a dragonfly. And he touched me.
Dragonfly
Hovering above the sky
Roaming free where liars lie
The Freedom
of a fire-breathing myth
above calm pools of water.
'Dragonfly' Ben Barton © 2001
