ALL ABOUT DRAGONS

Do you breathe fire? Do you fly? Do you have any scales? any horns? any claws? any magical abilities? If you said to yourself just now, “no, I don’t think I do,” that’s too bad. You’re probably not a dragon. The dragon, see, is one of the most amazing mythical creatures ever imagined. It exists in the mythologies of cultures across the globe and dominates the fantasy media of pop culture today. Ever since my dad let me play Ultima Online when I was six, I’ve had this uncanny fascination with dragons. I’ve seen a lot of different dragons and snuck into a lot of different dragon-lairs to present to you this knowledge. Let me educate you about some dragons. First we’ll discuss what a dragon is; second we’ll discuss what the dragon means; finally we’ll discuss where you can find yourself some dragons.

Let me ask you now: what is a dragon?

I’m going to go over with you what a dragon is. We’ll cover the dragon in general, the dragon in myth, and the dragon in pop culture.

Generally the dragon is a mythical creature resembling a serpent. From culture to culture it is represented differently. Typically in the west it is portrayed as evil—like a demon—whereas in the east it is revered like a deity. Upon its hide there may lay scales, feathers, or leathery skin; and sometimes it is winged. Snakes, lizards and birds inspire its physical features. But creatures of all kinds, like lions, tigers, and monkeys can influence its form. Some we associate with an element, like fire, wind, or water. Many are wise and live on for millenia. That’s fitting—because Joyce Hargreaves writes in A Little History of Dragons that tales of dragons have, for millennia, appeared in all cultures in all of history.

Dragons of myth aren’t quite dragons as we know them today. The word “dragon”, you see, evolved from the Greek word draco. That means “large snake”. Much of myth interchanges the word “dragon” with the word “large snake”, thus; so we in modern times may perceive them differently than men of 1,000 years ago. A dragon can be anything from a naga, a Southeast Asian serpent spirit, to a cockatrice, basically a chicken with draconic features.

You may be more familiar with the dragon of pop culture. They’re the ones that breathe fire and fly, have scales, claws, horns, and occasionally magical abilities. Think of Smaug from The Hobbit by J. R. R. Tolkien. Think of Daenerys's dragons from Game of Thrones series by George R. R. Martin. The board-game “Dungeons and Dragons” features dragons metallic and chromatic: good and evil.

Now you might know how to spot a dragon in general, a dragon in myth, and a dragon in pop culture. But we haven’t yet talked about what the dragon means!

The dragon has different meanings in different cultures; so we’ll discuss separately the dragon in western myth, eastern myth, and pop culture.

The western dragon is stereotypically evil. Greek myth tells of a serpentine monster—with more heads than Greek vase-painters could paint—that spews poisonous breath: the hydra. A hero named Heracles slays the hydra to vanquish this “evil”. Some are said to be cave-dwellers and hoarders-of-treasure, like Fafnir of Norse myth. Though he’s originally a dwarf, his greed transforms him into a dragon; and ultimately he’s slain by the magical sword of Sigurd the hero. Christian saints like St. George and St. Martha are said to have slain dragons. Oft they are titled “devils” that heroes must vanquish.

The eastern dragon, in contrast to the the western, is idolized. Eastern dragons are sometimes helpers—befrienders, even—of humankind. Some are said to be deities. Shen-lung of Chinese mythology are spiritual dragons capable of controlling wind and rain. Korean dragons are friendly, revered for their wisdom. The naga, which is—yes—a Buddhist dragon, is a symbol of wisdom and power.

Dragons in pop culture are a big buffet of variety. But oft they represent magic and fantasy. Smaug of The Hobbit by J. R. R. Tolkien is the cherry on top for his world of Middle-earth. Dragons in Eragon by Christopher Paolini possess magic. There are themes of connection between human and dragon: between Eragon and Saphira; between Daenerys and her dragons in Game of Thrones; between the humans and dragons of Pern in Anne McCaffrey’s series. By connecting with dragons, humans are symbolically connecting with magic and fantasy. It’s a temporary escape from the real world, where we have to work and write informative speeches.

You now know what dragons are and what dragons mean. You’re probably thinking, “Gee! Where can I find myself some dragons?”

We’ll get to that next. Dragons inhabit western myth, eastern myth, and pop culture. But first we’ll discuss those of western myth.

When I say “western myth”, I mean Europe and the Americas. In Greek mythology you’ll find Typhon and the hydra; Fafnir and Nidhogg in Norse; Satan, who’s a dragon in Revelation, in Christian. Scandinavian tale tells of The Midgard Serpent. Mexican myth tells of Quetzalcoatl the Feathered Dragon; and Native American myth tells of Awanyu a Guardian of Water.

When I say “eastern myth,” I mean East Asia, South Asia, and India. In China there roam the lands dragons celestial, spiritual, earthly, and otherworldly. In Japan there swims the sea Ryujin, God of the Sea. In Korea there live in bodies of water Korean dragons. Southeast Asia is writhing with naga legends. They’re told in Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam, Malaysia, and Indonesia.

Dragons of pop culture can be found in games, in visual media, and in literature. Popular games like “Dragon’s Dogma”, “Dragon Age”, and “Dark Souls” feature them. Award-winning fantasy novels like Harry Potter by J. K. Rowling and Dragonriders of Pern by Anne McCaffrey feature them. You can find them in movies like Dragonheart and the documentary Dragons: A Fantasy Made Real that theorizes dragons may have, in fact, existed during the age of dinosaurs. Who knows. Maybe some day you’ll dig up a dragon fossil from your backyard.

We’ve discussed what a dragon is, what the dragon means, and where you can find yourself some dragons. With this knowledge I hope that you’ll leave today knowing more about dragons and have a deeper appreciation for them. Why is the dragon one of the most amazing mythical creatures ever imagined, you might still ask. You might not breathe fire; you might not fly, have horns, scales, claws, or any magical abilities. But you know what does?

A dragon.

Sources Cited

Hargreaves, J. (2009). A Little History of Dragons. New York, NY: Walker Publishing Company.
Niles, D., & Weis, M. (2013) Dragons: The Myths, Legends, & Lore. Avon, MA: Adams Media.
Layton, Robert. (2004). Draconika - Dragons, Dragon Information, and Dragon Pictures. Retrieved November 10, 2015, from http://www.draconika.com/
Eason, C. (2008). Fabulous Creatures, Mythical Monsters, and Animal Power Symbols: A Handbook.
Foley, C. (Producer), & Barnes, C. (Director). (2004). Dragons: A Fantasy Made Real [Motion Picture]. Britain: Darlow Smithson Productions.