The
dragon is a mythical creature typically depicted as a large and
powerful serpent or other reptile with magical or spiritual qualities.
Mythological creatures possessing some or most of the characteristics typically
associated with dragons are common throughout the world's cultures.
[1]
Overview
Dragons are commonly portrayed as serpentine or reptilian, hatching from eggs
and possessing extremely large, typically scaly, bodies; they are sometimes
portrayed as having large eyes, a feature that is the origin for the word for
dragon in many cultures, and are often (but not always) portrayed with wings and
a fiery breath. Some dragons do not have wings at all, but look more like long
snakes. Dragons can have a variable number of legs: none, two, four, or more
when it comes to early European literature. Modern depictions of dragons are
very large in size, but some early European depictions of dragons were only the
size of bears, or, in some cases, even smaller, around the size of a butterfly.
Although dragons (or dragon-like creatures) occur commonly in legends around
the world, different cultures have perceived them differently. Chinese dragons
(Simplified Chinese: 龙;
Traditional Chinese: 龍; Hanyu
Pinyin: lóng), and Eastern dragons
generally, are usually seen as benevolent, whereas European dragons are usually
malevolent (there are of course exceptions to these rules). Malevolent dragons
also occur in Persian mythology (see Azhi Dahaka) and other cultures. A major
difference comes from symbolism: Like real world reptiles living in water,
Eastern dragon controls water in an argicultural water-driven nation.
This is the contrast of the western dragon, which controls fire to show
its mythical power.
Dragons are particularly popular in China. Along with the phoenix, the dragon
was a symbol of the Chinese emperors. Dragon costumes manipulated by several
people are a common sight at Chinese festivals.
Dragons are often held to have major spiritual significance in various
religions and cultures around the world. In many Eastern and Native American
cultures dragons were, and in some cultures still are, revered as representative
of the primal forces of nature and the universe. They are associated with
wisdom—often said to be wiser than humans—and longevity. They are commonly said
to possess some form of magic or other supernormal power, and are often
associated with wells, rain, and rivers. In some cultures, they are said to be
capable of human speech. They are also said to be able to talk to all animals.
Dragons are very popular characters in fantasy literature, role-playing games
and video games today.
The term dragoon, for infantry that move around by horse yet still
fight as foot soldiers, is derived from their early firearm, the "dragon", a
wide-bore musket that spat flame when it fired, and was thus named for the
mythical creature.
Symbolism
In medieval symbolism, dragons were often symbolic of apostasy and treachery,
but also of anger and envy, and eventually symbolized great calamity. Several
heads were symbolic of decadence and oppression, and also of heresy. They also
served as symbols for independence, leadership and strength. Many dragons also
represent wisdom; slaying a dragon not only gave access to its treasure hoard,
but meant the hero had bested the most cunning of all creatures. In some
cultures, especially Chinese, or around the Himalayas, dragons are considered to
represent good luck. Dragons are depicted in medieval symbolism to be the size
of a bear of smaller. Most dragons posses magical abilities. Dragons also
represent envy, treachery, and anger.
Joseph Campbell in the The Power of Myth viewed the dragon as a symbol
of divinity or transcendence because it represents the unity of Heaven and Earth
by combining the serpent form (earthbound) with the bat/bird form (airborne).
Dragons embody both male and female traits, as in the example from Aboriginal
myth that raises baby humans to adulthood, training them for survival in the
world.[2] Another striking illustration
of the way dragons are portrayed is their ability to breathe fire but live in
the ocean. Dragons represent the joining of the opposing forces of the cosmos.
Yet another symbolic view of dragons is the Ouroborus, or the dragon
encircling and eating its own tail. When shaped like this the dragon becomes a
symbol of eternity, natural cycles, and completion.
|
Source |
| Chinese dragon, colour engraving on wood, Chinese school,
nineteenth Century |
In Christianity
The Latin word for a dragon, draco (genitive: draconis),
actually means snake or serpent, emphasizing the European
association of dragons with snakes, not lizards or dinosaurs as they are
commonly associated with today. The Medieval Biblical interpretation of the
Devil being associated with the serpent who tempted Adam and Eve, thus gave a
snake-like dragon connotations of evil. Generally speaking, Biblical literature
itself did not portray this association (save for the Book of Revelation, whose
treatment of dragons is detailed below). The demonic opponents of God, Christ,
or good Christians have commonly been portrayed as reptilian or chimeric.
In the Book of Job Chapter 41, there are references to a sea monster
Leviathan, which has some dragon-like characteristics.
In Revelation 12:3, an enormous red beast with seven heads is described,
whose tail sweeps one third of the stars from heaven down to earth (held to be
symbolic of the fall of the angels, though not commonly held among biblical
scholars). In most translations, the word "dragon" is used to describe the
beast, since in the original Greek the word used is drakon (δράκον).
In iconography, some Catholic saints are depicted in the act of killing a
dragon. This is one of the common aspects of Saint George in Egyptian Coptic
iconography,[3] on the
coat of arms of Moscow, and in English and Catalan legend. In Italy, Saint
Mercurialis, first bishop of the city of Forlì, is also depicted slaying a
dragon.[4] Saint Julian of Le Mans,
Saint Veran, Saint Crescentinus, Saint Margaret of Antioch, Saint Martha, and
Saint Leonard of Noblac were also venerated as dragon-slayers.
However, some say that dragons were good, before they fell from grace, as
humans did from the Garden of Eden after Adam and Eve's Original Sin was
committed. Also contributing to the good dragon argument in Christianity is the
fact that, if they did exist, they were created as were any other creature, as
seen in Dragons In Our Midst, a contemporary Christian book series by author
Bryan Davis.
Chinese zodiac
The years 1916, 1928, 1940, 1952, 1964, 1976, 1988, 2000, 2012, 2024, 2036,
2048, 2060 etc. (every 12 years — 8 AD) are considered the Year of the Dragon in
the Chinese zodiac.
The Chinese zodiac purports that people born in the Year of the Dragon are
healthy, energetic, excitable, short-tempered, and stubborn. They are also
supposedly honest, sensitive, brave, and inspire confidence and trust. The
Chinese zodiac purports that people whose zodiac sign is the dragon are the most
eccentric of any in the eastern zodiac. They supposedly neither borrow money nor
make flowery speeches, but tend to be soft-hearted which sometimes gives others
an advantage over them. They are purported to be compatible with people whose
zodiac sign is of the rat, snake, monkey, and rooster.
In East Asia
Dragons are commonly symbols of good luck or health in some parts of Asia,
and are also sometimes worshipped. Asian dragons are considered as mythical
rulers of weather, specifically rain and water, and are usually depicted as the
guardians of pearls.
In China, as well as in Japan and Korea, the Azure Dragon is one of the Four
Symbols of the Chinese constellation, representing spring, the element of Wood
and the east. Chinese dragons are often shown with large pearls in their grasp,
though some say that it is really the dragon's egg. The Chinese believed that
the dragons lived underwater most of the time, and would sometimes offer rice as
a gift to the dragons. The dragons were not shown with wings like the European
dragons because it was believed they could fly using magic.
A Yellow dragon (Huang long) with five claws on each foot, on the
other hand, represents the change of seasons, the element of Earth (the Chinese
'fifth element') and the center. Furthermore, it symbolizes imperial authority
in China, and indirectly the Chinese people as well. Chinese people often use
the term "Descendants of the Dragon" as a sign of ethnic identity. The
dragon is also the symbol of royalty in Bhutan (whose sovereign is known as Druk
Gyalpo, or Dragon King).
In Vietnam, the dragon (Vietnamese: rồng) is the most important and sacred
symbol. The dragon is strongly influenced by the Chinese dragon. According to
the ancient creation myth of the Kinh people, all Vietnamese people are
descended from dragons through Lạc Long Quân, who married Âu Cơ, a fairy. The
eldest of their 100 sons founded the first dynasty of Hùng Vương Emperors.
|
Source |
| Dragon waterspout on Ulm Cathedral |
In the Philippines, the Bakonawa appears as a gigantic serpent that lives in
the sea. Ancient natives believed that the Bakonawa caused the moon or the sun
to disappear during an eclipse.
The Nāga - a minor deity taking the form of a serpent - is common within both
the Hindu and Buddhist traditions. Technically, the naga is not a dragon, though
it is often taken as such; the term is ambiguous, and refers both to a tribe of
people known as 'Nāgas', as well as to elephants and ordinary snakes. Within a
mythological context, it refers to a deity assuming the form of a serpent with
either one or many heads.
Occasionally the Buddha is depicted as sitting upon the coils of a serpent,
with a fan of several serpent heads extending over his body. This is in
reference to Mucalinda, a Nāga that protected Śākyamuni Buddha from the elements
during the time of his enlightenment. Separated from the contextualising effect
of the Buddha story, people may see only the head and thus infer that Mucalinda
is a dragon, rather than a deity in serpentine form. Stairway railings on
Buddhist temples will occasionally be worked to resemble the body of a Nāga with
the head at the base of the railing. In Thailand, the head of Nāga, in a more
impressionistic form, can be seen at the corners of temple roofs, with Nāga’s
body forming the ornamentation on roofline eves up to the gables.
Speculation on the origins of dragons
It has been suggested that legends of dragons are based upon ordinary
creatures coupled with common psychological tendencies amongst disparate groups
of humans.
Some believe that the dragon may have had a real-life counterpart from which
the various legends arose — typically dinosaurs or other archosaurs are
mentioned as a possibility — but there is no physical evidence to support this
claim, only alleged sightings collected by cryptozoologists. In a common
variation of this hypothesis, giant lizards such as Megalania are substituted
for the living dinosaurs. Some believe dragons are mental manifestations
representing an assembly of inherent human fears of reptiles, teeth, claws, size
and fire in combination. All of these hypotheses are widely considered to be
pseudoscience.
Dinosaur and mammalian fossils were occasionally mistaken as the bones of
dragons and other mythological creatures — a discovery in 300 BC in Wucheng,
Sichuan, China, was labeled as such by Chang Qu.[5]
It is unlikely, however, that these finds alone prompted the legends of such
monsters, but they may have served to reinforce them.
It has also been suggested by proponents of catastrophism that comets or
meteor showers gave rise to legends about fiery serpents in the sky.
In Old English, comets were sometimes called fyrene dracan or fiery dragons.
Volcanic eruptions may have also been
responsible for reinforcing the belief in dragons, although instances in Europe
and Asian countries were rare.
Dragons in world mythology
|
Asian dragons |
| Indonesian dragon |
Naga or Nogo |
Naga is a mythical animal from Indonesian mythology, and the myth
encompasses almost all of the islands of Indonesia, especially those who were
influenced heavily by Hindu culture. Like its Indian counterpart, it is
considered as divine in nature, benevolent, and often associated with sacred
mountains, forests, or certain parts of the sea.
In some parts of Indonesia, Dragon or Naga is depicted as a gigantic serpent
with a golden crown on its forehead, and there is a persistent belief among
certain peoples that Nagas are still alive in uncharted mountains, lakes and
active volcanoes. In Java and Bali, dragons represent goodness, and gods send
dragons to the earth in order to maintain the force of good and gave people
prosperity. Some natives claimed sightings of this fabled beast, and considered
as a good omen if someone happen to glimpse one of these animals, but misfortune
if the dragons talked to them.
Cambodian myth also involves nagas. Cambodian myth has it that the Cambodian
nation began with offspring of a naga and royal human. |
| Chinese dragon |
Lóng (or Lung) |
The Chinese dragon, is a mythical Chinese creature that also appears
in other East Asian cultures, and is also sometimes called the Oriental (or
Eastern) dragon. Depicted as a long, snake-like creature with four claws, in
contrast to the Western dragon which stands on two legs and which is usually
portrayed as evil, it has long been a potent symbol of auspicious power in
Chinese folklore and art. Lóng have a long, scaled serpentine form combined with
the attributes of other animals; most (but not all) are wingless, and has four
claws on each foot (five for the imperial emblem). They are rulers of the
weather and water, and a symbol of power. They also carried their eggs which
were thought to have been huge pearls in their hands. |
| Japanese dragon |
Ryū |
Similar to Chinese dragons, with three claws instead of four. They are
benevolent (with exceptions), associated with water, and may grant wishes; rare
in Japanese mythology. |
| Philippine Dragon |
Bakonawa |
The Bakonawa appears as a gigantic serpent that lives in the sea.
Ancient natives believed that the Bakonawa caused the moon or the sun to
disappear during an eclipse.
It is said that during certain times of the year, the bakonawa arises from
the ocean and proceeds to swallow the moon whole. To keep the Bakonawa from
completely eating the moon, the natives would go out of their houses with pans
and pots in hand and make a noise barrage in order to scare the Bakonawa into
spitting out the moon back into the sky.
In popular Filipino folk literature, the Bakonawa is said to have a sister in
the form of a sea turtle. The sea turtle would visit a certain island in the
Philippines in order to lay its eggs. However, locals soon discovered that every
time the sea turtle went to shore, the water seemed to follow her, thus reducing
the island's size. Worried that their island would eventually disappear, the
locals killed the sea turtle.
When the Bakonawa found out about this, it arose from the sea and ate the
moon. The locals were so afraid that they prayed to Bathala to punish the
Bakonawa. Bathala refused but instead, told them to bang some pots and pans in
order to disturb the Bakonawa. The Bakonawa then regurgitated the moon and
disappeared, never to be seen again.
The island where the sea turtle lays its eggs is said to exist until today.
Some sources say that the island might just be one of the Turtle Islands. |
| Vietnamese dragon |
Rồng or
Long |
These dragons' bodies curve lithely, in sine shape, with 12 sections,
symbolising 12 months in the year. They are able to change the weather, and are
responsible for crops. On the dragon's back are little, uninterrupted, regular
fins. The head has a long mane, beard, prominent eyes, crest on nose, but no
horns. The jaw is large and opened, with a long, thin tongue; they always keep a
châu (gem/jewel) in their mouths (a symbol of humanity, nobility and
knowledge). |
| Siberian dragon |
Yilbegan |
Related to European Turkic and Slavic dragons |
| Indian Dragon |
Vyalee and Naga |
There is some debate as to whether or not Vyalee is considered a dragon. It
is found in temples and is correlated with the goddess Parvati. Naga is the main
dragon of Indian and Hindu mythology. Nagas are a race of magical serpents that
live below water. Their king wears a golden crown atop his head. The Nagas are
associated with Buddha and mainly with Lord Vishnu and his incarnations (Dasavataras).
When Krishna was a child, he wrestled with a Naga that was obstructing a lake. |
|
European dragons |
| Sardinian dragon |
scultone |
The dragon named "scultone" or "ascultone" was a legend in Sardinia, Italy
for many a millennium. It had the power to kill human beings with its gaze. It
was a sort of basilisk, lived in the bush and was immortal. |
| Scandinavian & Germanic dragons |
lindworm |
Or the "Draco serpentalis" is a very large wingless serpent with two legs,
the lindworm is really closer to a wyvern or to a knucker. They were believed to
eat cattle and symbolized pestilence, but seeing one was considered good luck.
The dragon Fafnir, killed by the legendary hero Sigurd, was called an ormr
('worm') in Old Norse and was in effect a giant snake; it neither flew nor
breathed fire. The dragon killed by the Old English hero Beowulf, on the other
hand, did fly and breathe fire and was actually a European dragon. |
|
Source |
|
The red dragon of Wales, Y Ddraig Goch, on the Flag of Wales
|
| Welsh dragon |
Y Ddraig Goch |
The red dragon is the traditional symbol of Wales and appears on the Welsh
national flag. |
| Hungarian dragons (Sárkányok) |
zomok |
A great snake living in a swamp, which regularly kills pigs or sheep. A
group of shepherds can easily kill them. |
| sárkánykígyó |
A giant winged snake, which in fact a full-grown zomok. It often
serves as flying mount of the garabonciások (a kind of magician). The
sárkánykígyó rules over storms and bad weather. |
| sárkány |
A dragon in human form. Most of them are giants with multiple heads. Their
strength is held in their heads. They become gradually weaker as they lose their
heads. |
| Slavic dragons |
zmey, zmiy, змей, or
zmaj |
Similar to the conventional European dragon, but multi-headed. They breathe
fire and/or leave fiery wakes as they fly. In Slavic and related tradition,
dragons symbolize evil. Specific dragons are often given Turkic names (see
Zilant, below), symbolizing the long-standing conflict between the Slavs and
Turks. |
| Romanian dragons |
balaur |
Balaur are very similar to the Slavic zmey: very large, with fins and
multiple heads. |
| Chuvash dragons |
Vere Celen |
Chuvash dragons represent the pre-Islamic mythology of the same region. |
| Asturian dragons |
Cuélebre |
In Asturian mythology the Cuélebres are giant winged serpents, which live in
caves where they guard treasures and kidnapped xanas. They can live for
centuries and, when they grow really old, they use their wings to fly. Their
breath is poisonous and they often kill cattle to eat. Asturian term Cuelebre
comes from Latin colŭbra, i.e. snake. |
| Tatar dragons |
Zilant |
Really closer to a wyvern, the Zilant is the symbol of Kazan. Zilant
itself is a Russian rendering of Tatar yılan, i.e. snake. |
| Turkish dragons |
Ejderha or Evren |
This creature is strikingly different from its fire breathing, flying
European counterpart. The Turkish Dragon secretes flames from its tail, and
there is no mention in any legends of its having wings, or even legs. In fact,
most Turkish (and later, Islamic) sources describe dragons as gigantic snakes.
The blood of the Turkish Dragon has its medical properties, becoming a panacea
if drawn from the head and a lethal poison if drawn from the tail. |
| Basque dragons |
Herensuge |
Basque for "dragon". One legend has St. Michael descending from Heaven to
kill it, but only when God agreed to accompany him, so fearful it was. |
| Sugaar |
The male god of Basque mythology, also called Maju, was often
associated to a serpent or snake, though he can adopt other forms. |
|
American dragons |
| Meso-American dragon |
Amphitere |
Feathered serpent deity responsible for giving knowledge to mankind, and
sometimes also a symbol of death and resurrection. |
| Inca dragon |
Amaru |
A dragon (sometimes called a snake) on the Inca culture. The last Inca
emperor Tupak Amaru's name means "Lord Dragon" |
| Brazilian dragon |
Boi-tata |
A dragon-like animal (sometimes like a snake) of the Brazilian Indian
cultures. |
| Chilean dragon |
Caicaivilu and Tentenvilu |
Snake-type dragons, Caicaivilu was the sea god and Tentenvilu was the earth
god, both from the Chilean island Chiloé. |
|
African dragons |
| African dragon |
Amphisbaena |
Possibly originating in northern Africa (and later moving to Greece), this
was a two-headed dragon (one at the front, and one on the end of its tail). The
front head would hold the tail (or neck as the case may be) in its mouth,
creating a circle that allowed it to roll. |
|
Dragon-like creatures |
| Basilisk |
A basilisk is hatched by a cockerel from a serpent's egg. It is a
lizard-like or snake-like creature that can supposedly kill by its gaze, its
voice, or by touching its victim. |
| Leviathan |
In Hebrew mythology, a leviathan was a large creature with fierce teeth.
Contemporary translations identify the leviathan with the crocodile, but
maintaining a strict Biblical perspective the leviathan can breathe fire (Job
41:18-21), can fly (Job 41:5), it cannot be pierced with spears or harpoons (Job
41:7), its scales are so closely fit that there is no room between them (Job
41:15-16), it walks upright (Job 41:12), its mouth is powerful and contains many
formidable teeth (Job 41:14), its underbelly has sharp scales that could cut a
person (Job 41:30), and, over all, it is a terrifying creature. Over time, the
term came to mean any large sea monster; in modern Hebrew, "leviathan" simply
means whale. A sea serpent is also closely related to the dragon, though it is
more snakelike and lives in the water. |
| Wyvern |
Much more similar to a dragon than the other creatures listed here, a wyvern
is a winged serpent with either two or no legs. The term wyvern is used in
heraldry to distinguish two-legged from four-legged dragons. Also sometimes
noted as the largest species of dragon. |
| zmeu |
Derived from the Slavic dragon, zmeu are humanoid figures that can
fly and breathe fire. |
| cockatrice |
A bird-like reptile sometimes confused with a basilisk. In Gerald Durrell's
book "The Talking Parcel", they attempt genocide against dragons by stealing the
last dragon eggs |
| Quetzalcóatl |
A Central-American or Mexican creature with both scales and feathers
worshipped by the Toltecs and Aztecs. |
|
Source |
|
Dragon from Ljubljana, Slovenia
|
Notable dragons
In myth
- Azhi Dahaka was a three-headed demon often characterized as dragon-like in
Persian Zoroastrian mythology.
- Similarly, Ugaritic myth describes a seven-headed sea serpent named Lotan.
- The Hydra of Greek mythology is a water serpent with multiple heads with
mystic powers. When one was chopped off, two would regrow in its place. This
creature was vanquished by Heracles and his cousin.
- Smok Wawelski was a Polish dragon who was supposed to have terrorized the
hills around Kraków in the Middle Ages.
- Y Ddraig Goch is now the symbol of Wales (see flag, above), originally
appearing as the red dragon from the Mabinogion story Lludd and Llevelys.
- Nidhogg, a dragon in Norse mythology, was said to live in the darkest part
of the Underworld, awaiting Ragnarok. At that time he would be released to wreak
destruction on the world.
- Orochi, the eight-headed serpent slain by Susanoo in Japanese mythology
|
Source |
| A naga dragon guarding the Temple of Wat Sisaket in Viang Chan, Laos |
In literature and fiction
The Old English epic Beowulf ends with the hero battling a dragon.
Dragons remain fixtures in fantasy books, though portrayals of their nature
differ. For example, Smaug, from The Hobbit by J. R. R. Tolkien, who is a
classic, European-type dragon; deeply magical, he hoards treasure and burns
innocent towns. Contrary to most old folklore and literature J. R. R. Tolkien's
dragons are very intelligent and can cast spells over mortals.
A common theme in literature concerning dragons is the partnership between
humans and dragons. This is evident in Dragon Rider and the
Inheritance Trilogy. Most notably it is featured in Anne McCaffrey's
Dragonriders of Pern series.
Dragons have been portrayed in several movies of the past few decades, and in
many different forms. In Dragonslayer (1981), a "sword and sorcerer"-type
film set in medieval Britain, a dragon terrorizes a town's population. In
contrast, Dragonheart (1996), though also given a medieval context, was a
much lighter action/adventure movie that spoofed the "terrorizing dragon"
stereotype, and depicts dragons as usually good beings, who in fact often save
the lives of humans. Dragons can also be passionate protectors, just like the
dragon in Shrek and Shrek 2, who displays her affection for a
donkey. Reign of Fire (2002), also dark and gritty, dealt with the
consequences of dormant dragons reawakened in the modern world.
|
Source |
|
Dragon carving on Hopperstad stave church, Norway
|
Dragons are common (especially as non-player characters) in Dungeons &
Dragons and in some computer fantasy role-playing games. They, like many
other dragons in modern culture, run the full range of good, evil, and
everything in between. See Dragon (Dungeons & Dragons) for additional
information.
On the lighter side, Puff the Magic Dragon was first a poem, later a
song made famous by Peter, Paul and Mary, that has become a pop-culture
mainstay.
As emblems
The dragon is the emblem of Ljubljana, Slovenia. The city has a dragon bridge
which is embellished with four dragon depictions. The city's basketball club is
nicknamed the "Green Dragons". License plates on cars from the city also feature
a dragon depiction.
Y Ddraig Goch (IPA: [ə ðraig gox]) (Welsh for the red dragon) appears on the
national Flag of Wales (the flag itself is also called the "Draig Goch"), and is
the most famous dragon in Britain. There are many legends about y Ddraig Goch.
The dragon is also in the emblem of FC Porto, a sports club from Portugal,
which is nicknamed "Dragões" (Dragons). Their football stadium is also nicknamed
"Estádio do Dragão" (Dragon Stadium) and has a large bronze Dragon logo at the
entrance.
Dragon slaying
| Slayer |
Dragon |
Method/weapon |
Origin |
|
Mythology |
| Saint George |
unnamed dragon |
lance (or sword) named Ascalon |
Christianity |
| Heracles |
Lernaean Hydra, Ladon |
Hydra (assisted by his nephew Iolaus): flaming arrows, harvesting sickle,
firebrand to scorch the neck stumps. |
Greek |
| Apollo |
Python |
arrows |
Greek |
| Beowulf (assisted by Wiglaf) |
unnamed dragon |
sword and shield |
Old English |
| Sigurd |
Fafnir |
sword named Gram |
Norse |
| Dobrynya Nikitich |
Zmey Gorynych |
a lance (at least in the illustration by Ivan Bilibin) |
Russian |
| Susanoo |
Yamata no Orochi |
cutting it into pieces with his sword |
Japanese |
| John Lambton |
the Lambton Worm |
spearhead-studded armor |
English |
| the Prince |
unnamed dragon |
wrestling, throwing the dragon into the air, greyhounds, a hawk |
Serbian fairy tale The Dragon and the Prince |
|
Fantasy literature |
| Bard the Bowman |
Smaug |
the Black Arrow |
J. R. R. Tolkien |
| Túrin Turambar |
Glaurung |
his Black Sword |
J. R. R. Tolkien |
| Éowyn |
the dragon-like fell beast |
sword and shield |
J. R. R. Tolkien |
|
Comments |
|
Ever heard of a Leviathan?
(A
leviathan is a large sea monster or
creature, e.g.
Whale.) |
|
i have the book on the
dragons |
|
i heard that in Krakow
Poland, a dragon use to rule Krakow!!! WOW!! |
|
Dragons are mythical
creatures |
|
Dragons are real in myth,
it doesn't' really matter if they actually
exist in reality. But what a creature
! |
|
If dragons were real,
they'd only have hind legs and a pair of
wings; no vertebrae can have more than four
limbs. Unless you prove me wrong. If you
can, go ahead; I'd love to have a reason to
believe |
|
DRAGONS FAIL |
|
Yay dragons |
|
Source |
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Carved imperial dragon in Beijing
|
