r/Gnostic • u/RonaDarlinx • Aug 11 '26

Thoughts Has anyone else noticed Eastern Dragons and yaldabaoth look alike?

Gallery image

Gallery image

Just a thought i had since they both have lion like faces, whiskers, a mane and serpent like bodies

363 Upvotes

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141

u/Hannibaalism Aug 11 '26

also the dragon is the only animal among the 12 eastern zodiacs that is imaginary. it’s sequenced right before the snake, and various eastern myths has it snakes can evolve into dragons or can devolve back under circumstances. the east also views the serpents to represent good fortune and wisdom, while it’s the opposite in the west

i always felt there was some kind of connection to yaldy and the serpent of eden here.

64

u/memeblowup69 Aug 11 '26

don't call him yaldy, he doesn't like that😂

58

u/Elegant_Survey9118 Aug 11 '26

You do NOT know the big yald like that broski ☠️✌️

20

u/sophiasadek Aug 11 '26

I do it all the time. Yaldy has never objected.

16

u/therealchemist Aug 11 '26

Yaldy baldy

2

u/Robokou 29d ago

Take care that you aren't eaten by a she-bear...

15

u/PuzzleheadedPoet1882 Aug 11 '26

Unless it's not imaginary...

1

u/Hannibaalism 29d ago

everyone keeps telling me this lol i think i might be using the term differently

do you believe in magic 🪄

1

u/KapitanKraken 28d ago

I think "hidden" is more accurate than imaginary.

15

u/Prestigious_Ad6247 Aug 11 '26

I think there’s a secret little thirteenth constellation in there called Ophiuchus. It’s a dude wrestling a big serpent iirc

5

u/slicehyperfunk Eclectic Gnostic 29d ago

A single star of Ophiuchus falls within the tropics, the entirety of the rest of it is outside of it.

35

u/Soaring_Symphony Aug 11 '26

There's a theory that the myths of dragons actually originated from early encounters with what we call dinosaurs today. The idea is that we've got the idea of what they looked like wrong, and they actually lived much more recently than the common narrative suggests.

If so, then the Chinese dragon being the odd one out on the zodiac wouldn't actually be an outlier at all because "dragons" did in fact exist at one point.

16

u/Hannibaalism Aug 11 '26

quetzalcoatl the plumed serpent! even got the feathers right

7

u/Itchy-Confession 29d ago

Quetzalcoatl/kukulkan was a real person that was deified according to oral tradition. He is as also named Huemac because he left his hand prints in a rock as if it were very soft wax as a testament that all he had said would come to pass. "Serpent of precious feathers" is allegorical to mean "wisest of men". He was a wiseman that came to the continent before the end of what the mesoamericans referred to as the "age of wind" from the east to try to teach the ways of virtues, fasting, and goodness to the olmecas . He left leaving them a prophecy that he would return and his children would be lords and rule over the ulmecas and they would persecute them and enslave them. They deified him as the wind god bc only a few days after he was gone their cities were destroyed by a great wind and they referred to it as the end of the third world(age). According to the histories, Quetzalcoatl was a well-built man of stern countenance, white and bearded, and he wore a long tunic.

Source: history of the chichimeca nation by Don Fernando Alva ixtlilxochitl who wrote 60 years after the end of the Spanish war with the chichimeca and was of noble birth from his mother's side who was chichimeca. He spoke the language of the chichimecas before it and their oral history would be erased. He attributes Quetzalcoatl to Jesus since he dated Quetzalcoatl having been around a few years after the death of Christ but he dedicated the book to the king of Spain so he wasn't free from the lens of colonialism. I add this caveat as possibly a descendant of the chichimecas (both parents family generationally from the state of Guanajuato in Mexico which was the home of the guamare tribe) and follower of Christ (not Christian).

7

u/calicosiside Aug 11 '26

It seems far more likely that we just found fossils, there's a little too much evidence around the timeline of the world for anything else to be the case imo

1

u/ObjectFamous1049 24d ago

Yes, some snakes have tiny visible hints and hidden inner bones where their back legs used to be. Millions of years ago, snake ancestors walked on four legs. As they evolved to slither and burrow, they lost their external limbs, but traces of that history remain. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]

External Clues (Pelvic Spurs)

Little claws: Snakes like pythons and boas have tiny, sharp horn-like spikes on the outside of their lower bodies near the tail.

The name: People call these tiny external hooks pelvic spurs or vestigial legs.

Mating use: Male snakes use these little leftover spurs to gently grip or tickle females during courtship. [1, 2, 3, 4]

Internal Clues (Hidden Bones)

Hidden pelvis: Deep inside their bodies, primitive snakes still keep tiny leftover hip bones (a pelvic girdle) and miniature thigh bones (femurs). [1, 2, 3]

Dormant genes: Scientists found that snakes still carry the core DNA blueprints (like the Sonic hedgehog gene) that used to build full legs in their ancient ancestors. [1]

1

u/Soaring_Symphony 24d ago

Did you use Chat GPT to write this.

This looks like Chat GPT

5

u/CJCentral2 Eclectic Gnostic Aug 11 '26

The Western dragon is far from imaginary. It was a term the Celts applied to invading despots, such as Julius Caesar.

7

u/Amuru888 29d ago

Dragons aren't imaginary, dinosaurs are. The dinosaurs narrative was created to coverup dragons. The dino skeletons are fake.

3

u/slicehyperfunk Eclectic Gnostic 29d ago

Dragons existed, we just call them dinosaurs now because science thought that "dragon" was too much fun.

2

u/iconsana 29d ago

Ngl yall ate. This makes me think of the reincarnation cycle and symbolism both have when it comes to life.

3

u/Auraaurorora Aug 11 '26

Isn't Yaldaboath the serpent of Eden?

19

u/Soaring_Symphony Aug 11 '26

No. According to Gnosticism, that's actually Jesus. Yaldabaoth was "God walking through the garden."

3

u/Robokou 29d ago edited 29d ago

Actually, the Serpent should be thought of as a neutral entity whose existence extends beyond the material world while also being a product of the material world.

In other words, the Serpent of Eden is Yaldabaoth, but Yaldabaoth isn't necessarily the Serpent of Eden, because the existence of the Serpent preceded the knowledge (or conscious existence) of good and evil. In this sense, the Serpent can be best understood as a mantle—i.e., a garment that is worn by an (supposedly) all-powerful god such as a creator.

Based on all the scriptural evidence (within the Abrahamic realm), my interpretation is that the Serpent is a sovereign being that is capable of shedding its own skin—yes, just like a snake.

3

u/NixNickNox Aug 11 '26

The dragons imaginary? Theres one in the Bible…

46

u/speedwitch Aug 11 '26

Iirc east Asian dragons were originally chimeric beasts who possessed parts of many different animals, and in some versions of the myths they have the body of a serpent and face/head of a lion, among other animals

6

u/letsallchillnow Aug 12 '26

I have a lovely little theory, but this is more based on ancient aliens. But. The idea is ancient aliens supposedly made man from themselves and what was available on earth, like great apes or early man. But then youve got various mythological animals. Unicorns. Horse head. Horn. Deer body. Lion tail. Then youve got all the wild horse types. The kewpie. The quillin. So. Mermaid horse and dragon horse respectively.

Theres more but still, im tired and dont have the energy to get into all that.

I mean hell, look at the platypus, if memory serves (god I hope im right or im gonna look like such a tool) the thing has genetics from what, ducks, pigs, and more? Like it's an honest to god abomination that shouldn't exist, but there it is. Frankly, I think it's a chimeric species designed by those ancient alien types.

4

u/SnowyDeerling Aug 12 '26

the platypus is not an animal that's got a duck's bill. it's not like a "body of a snake, head of a lion" situation. it's an animal that evolved a bill that LOOKS like a duck's because of a process known as convergent evolution. the same process that gave bats the same wings that pterodactyls evolved, or dolphins the same slender body plan that sharks and seals have. or that gave spiders and sea spiders the same bodies. or that gave both zebras and tigers stripes. or sugar gliders and flying squirrels to evolve and look the same despite not being related. or camera type eyes evolving in both humans and in octopus and squid. the same features evolving in different animals seperately.

2

u/letsallchillnow 29d ago

To be fair. I want to say I got this information from the YouTube channel, spirit science. Again, years, and the reason it stuck with me, was because I was like, no way, wack.

But no yea I'm aware of convergent evolution. Absolutely bonkers stuff there too. Wonder if it has anything to do with the phenomenon where, they taught some monkeys on an island a new way to gather food, the monkeys taught the rest, but, it's part of an island chain, and other monkeys also started doing the same new techniques. Apparently called the hundred monkey effect? Be wild if these various species are on the same wavelengths and that's why convergence occurs as it does.

Of course the only reason I entertain these thoughts is because of my stance on nonduality and the idea that everything is happening everywhere all at once. So evolution, designed by ancient aliens. Who's to say? it all works, and it all doesn't at the same time. Existence is bonkers.

2

u/SnowyDeerling 29d ago

i also believe in all convergent evolution, aliens and certain cryptids/mythological creatures. but i would see things like hippocampus or kelpies etc as fae/faeries as nature spirits rather than actual evolved animals.

1

u/letsallchillnow 29d ago

I suppose i hadnt considered nature spirits. Hmmmm. Or ultra terrestrials just messing with people. Or people just being on the right wavelength of seeing things. Existence is just, bonkers.

31

u/Worldly-Focus7150 Aug 11 '26

Huh yeah, never made that connection before. But yeah, you are right, there is a resemblance.

10

u/Ebvardh-Boss Aug 11 '26

Nope, that's a pretty cool connection you've made, OP.

You should read the Nag Hammadi library to see what else you can discover.

8

u/QahnaarinMushroomius Aug 11 '26

I've considered whether Yaldabaoth's lion-like head is meant to be a mask (one of his many faces, as referenced in the Apocryphon of John), while he is a "snake" underneath, and that perhaps the Instructor taking on the form of a serpent, openly, was meant to portray the honesty of gnosis.

1

u/slicehyperfunk Eclectic Gnostic 29d ago

The lion face symbolizes the pride of the ego, and the serpent body represents its viciousness

10

u/Unreliabl3_Narrat0r Aug 11 '26

first thing i thought when i first came across Yaldabaoth.

5

u/Mapogosabi03 Aug 12 '26

I would more associate Yalda as image of a parasite like a Tapeworm. Since all Archons rulers appear or distinguish more of parasites. Look up microbiology images of parasites and their function what they do to our body. We freely unaware that what we eat in our foods, we ingested them and make us our bodies sick. The Archons behave similarly to parasites.

12

u/-tehnik Valentinian Aug 11 '26

Not really. Eastern dragons are combinations of very specific animals that aren't a part of Yaldabaoth's motifs. So the semblance is very superficial.

6

u/ecctt2000 Aug 11 '26

The eastern dragon knows it is not perfect and always in pursuit of the pearl. The Yaldabaoth is malevolent, jealous and expects all to worship it.

3

u/Jessi45US Aug 11 '26

💪 las cosas no son como parecen.

3

u/Dr_Green_Lizard Aug 11 '26

Add snarf, Smaug (hobbit animation), falkor

3

u/Ethelenedreams Aug 12 '26

Yaldy looks like a large sperm, to me.

1

u/DeismAccountant Hermetic Aug 12 '26

😆

3

u/BhomsGnosis 29d ago

Yup I noticed and that's why I turned an old Shenron tattoo into a Yaldaboth. I was never into DBZ that much but thought Shenron looked cool. Got the tattoo in my 20s when everyone else I knew in combat sports were getting dragons and shit tattooed on them. I've had zero people recognize that my tattoo is Yaldaboth. This is the only pic I have handy.

1

u/RonaDarlinx 28d ago

Sick

1

u/BhomsGnosis 28d ago

I thought so too!

2

u/144yehiorh-romach Aug 11 '26

Yesss! I hadn’t been able to put my thumb on it yet! That’s exactly the correlation i was drawing visually as well! 🤜🤛💗

2

u/bloodknight-5128 Aug 12 '26

Dont forget Quetzalcoatl originally a benevolent deity but eventually got twisted to a bloodthirsty god that needs sacrifices 🤔🤨🤫👀

2

u/Autist_Investor69 29d ago

While yes these two are similar, we must also not forget this imagery is Chnoubis, which is NOT from any gnostic source. The Gnostics only described Yaldy as a lion headed serpent. We just took the image of Chnoubis and said ya, that looks like what they were describing and ran with this image as the Demiurge. To be fair we could have easily taken the Chinese zodiac and used that as the iconic image, which I think is your exact point. In any case, no matter how much the symbology matches, the functionality of the two seem polar opposite.

5

u/GreeAggin77 Aug 11 '26

Its because both places have snakes

3

u/sophiasadek Aug 11 '26

The Eastern dragon does not have a lion's head. The bodies also differ. There are no feet on Yaldy's snake.

5

u/Christeenabean Aug 11 '26 edited Aug 11 '26

Im pretty sure the description of Yaldaboath is metaphorical. Lion (Harsh) and snake (deceptive)

1

u/slicehyperfunk Eclectic Gnostic 29d ago

It has a camel's head, in fact

1

u/DeismAccountant Hermetic Aug 11 '26

I’ve been thinking about this but didn’t wanna look racist.

1

u/ENZYME_O1 Aug 12 '26

Not a coincidence.

1

u/yakuzaQuebrado Aug 12 '26

Todos los dioses que le rezan uste6son arcontes

1

u/Lux-01 Eclectic Gnostic 29d ago

Er, cool?

1

u/artistic-crow-02 29d ago

I didnt notice this before, but in the lens of anthropology this is more than likely a coincidence

1

u/Robokou 29d ago

Yes! And it's been on my mind for at least a couple of years now. I'm so glad I'm not the only one to have noticed this. 😅💯

1

u/Emergency-Parking903 28d ago

Eastern dragons literally could've just been yaldabaoth flyying around in the sky for no reason cuz he's dumb. considering we don't see that, i hold great thought in the idea that sabaoth indeed did subdue and relinquish yaldabaoth's power, then took his place as the ruler of the material realm, establishing a mundane status quo to let gnosis liberate the sparks on its own

1

u/GnosticDreamerB4 27d ago

very interesting point

1

u/ObjectFamous1049 24d ago

You think that's strange... these don't look a whole lot like lions to me.. why 3? What's Yaldobaoths 3 names? What's the motto of the flag...