Serpentine Giants of Early Civilizations: Chinese Dragons and Vedic Nāgas in the Pre-Religious Era

This article explores the shared symbolism of “Serpentine Giants” in early Chinese and Indian mythologies prior to the formation of organized religions. It compares legendary creatures such as Xiangliu and Shenlong from pre-dynastic China with Nāga and Vṛtra from the Vedic tradition. These serpents represented elemental forces water, storm, and destruction requiring control by cultural heroes like Emperor Yu of China and Indra of India. The study reveals a proto-religious pattern in riverine civilizations, where giant serpents symbolized both natural threats and sacred power. Over time, these creatures were transformed into imperial or spiritual icons: dragons in Chinese culture and nāgas in Hindu-Buddhist cosmology. The concept of nāga in mainland Southeast Asia, particularly Suvarnabhumi, was developed later under Indic religious influence.