Dragon

For other uses, see Dragon (disambiguation).

Chinese dragon, color engraving on wood, Chinese school, nineteenth century

The dragon (from Ancient Greek δράκων - drakōn, "a serpent of huge size, a python, a dragon") is a mythical creature typically depicted as a gigantic and powerful serpent or other reptile with magical or spiritual qualities.

Overview

Like most mythological creatures, dragons are perceived in different ways by different cultures. Dragons are sometimes said to breathe and spit fire, poison, even acid or ice (depending on the type). They are commonly portrayed as serpentine or reptilian, hatching from eggs and possessing typically feathered or scaly bodies. They are sometimes portrayed as having large yellow or red eyes, a feature that is the origin for the word for dragon in many cultures. They are sometimes portrayed with a row of dorsal spines, keeled scales, or leathery bat-like wings. Winged dragons are usually portrayed only in European dragons while Asian versions of the dragon, sometimes called the Long (Chinese pinyin) resemble large 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 tend to be larger than their original representations, which were often smaller than humans. Although dragons occur in many legends around the world, different cultures have varying stories about monsters that have been grouped together under the dragon label. Chinese dragons (simplified Chinese: 龙; traditional Chinese: 龍; pinyin: lóng), and Eastern dragons generally, are usually seen as benevolent, whereas European dragons are usually malevolent though there are exceptions. Malevolent dragons also occur in the mythology of Persia (see Azhi Dahaka) and Russia, among other places.

Dragons are particularly popular in China, and along with the phoenix, the 5-clawed 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, religion and the universe. Many pre-Columbian cultures were fascinated by the power of dragons. The Moche people depicted dragons frequently in their ceramics. 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 supernatural power, and are often associated with wells, rain, and rivers. In some cultures, they are also said to be capable of human speech.

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.

Speculation on the origin of dragons

Most experts on mythology and folklore argue that legends of dragons are based upon ordinary snakes and similar creatures coupled with common psychological fears amongst disparate groups of humans.

Dragons may be mental representations of natural human fears of snakes, wildcats, birds of prey, as well as teeth, claws, size, and even venom blending with fear of wildfire.

Others 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. Loren Coleman argues that monitor lizards were the basis of some dragon tales and that the breath of the dragon is the fantastic imagery of the steam from the warm Montane Valley monitors emerging from a body of water into the cold air of some Asian locations.

Dinosaur and mammalian fossils were occasionally mistaken as the bones of dragons and other mythological creatures — for example, a discovery in 300 BC in Wucheng, Sichuan, China, was labeled as such by Chang Qu. However, it is unlikely these finds alone prompted the legends of such monsters, but they may have served to reinforce them.

Dragons in world mythology

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  Zmey Gorynych, the dragon of the Slavic mythology. Its name is translated as "Snake son-of-mountain", it has three heads, wings, and it spits fire.
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  Dragon carving on Hopperstad stave church, Norway
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  The ancient Mesopotamian god Marduk and his dragon, from a Babylonian cylinder seal
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  Saint George slaying the dragon, as depicted by Paolo Uccello, c. 1470
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  The red dragon of Wales, Y Ddraig Goch, on the Flag of Wales
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  The Ljubljana dragon, the protector dragon of Ljubljana, capital of Slovenia

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(including Malaya. in fact, the word 'Naga' is a common noun for dragon in Malay). 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.
Chinese dragon	Lóng (or Loong. "Lung" being an inaccurate, but commonly used, romanization.)	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, it has long been a potent symbol of auspicious power in Chinese folklore and art.
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.
Philippine Dragon	Bakunawa	The Bakunawa appears as a gigantic serpent that lives in the sea. Ancient natives believed that the Bakunawa caused the moon or the sun to disappear during an eclipse. It is said that during certain times of the year, the bakunawa arises from the ocean and proceeds to swallow the moon whole. To keep the Bakunawa 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 Bakunawa into spitting out the moon back into the sky.
Korean dragon	Yong (Mireu)	A sky dragon, essentially the same as the Chinese lóng. Like the lóng, yong and the other Korean dragons are associated with water and weather. In pure Korean, it is also known as 'mireu'.
	Imoogi	A hornless ocean dragon, sometimes equated with a sea serpent.
	Gyo	A mountain dragon. In fact, the Chinese character for this word is also used for the imoogi.
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
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	Lindworms are serpent-like dragons with either two or no legs. In Nordic and Germanic heraldry, the lindworm looks the same as a wyvern. The dragon Fafnir was a lindworm.
English dragons	Wyrm	Wyrms are dragons with serpentine or lizard-like bodies, four legs and bat-like wings, and usually have horns and can breath fire. They are generally evil, and hoard treasure captured from raids on castles. The dragon that Beowulf fought has been depicted as a wyrm. In modern fantasy, Smaug, the dragon from J.R.R. Tolkien's The Hobbit, was called a wyrm.
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 is in fact a full-grown zomok. It often serves as flying mount of the garabonciás (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, żmij, змей, or zmaj, or drak, or smok	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. However, in Serbian and Bulgarian folklore, dragons are defenders of the crops in their home regions, fighting against a destructive demon Ala, whom they shoot with lightnings.
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.
Portuguese dragons	Coca	In Portuguese mythology coca is a female dragon that fights with Saint George. She loses her strength when Saint George cuts off one of her ears.
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	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.
American dragons
Meso-American dragon	Feathered Serpent or Quetzalcoatl	Feathered serpent deity responsible for giving knowledge to mankind, and sometimes also a symbol of death and resurrection. Also depicted in human-like form. Predicted by the ancient Aztecs to descent from the heavens and destroy/recreate the world in the year 2012.
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-tatá	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.

Notable dragons

In myth

Main article: List of dragons in mythology and folklore

• 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 nephew Iolaus.
• Smok Wawelski was a Polish dragon who was supposed to have terrorized the hills around Kraków in the early 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
• Fafnir, the dragon slain by Sigurd in the saga of the Volsunga Saga
• Zmey Gorynych - The dragon of the Slavic mythology. Its name is translated as "Snake son-of-mountain" (due to the fact it lives in a mountain), it has three heads, wings, and it spits fire.

In literature and fiction

Main articles: Dragons in literature and fiction and List of fictional dragons

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.These books greatly show the mind of a Dragon as well as their capabilties.

A common theme in modern western fantasy and science fiction literature concerning dragons is a partnership between humans and dragons, as featured in Anne McCaffrey's Dragonriders of Pern science fiction series and in Christopher Paolini's Eragon and Eldest," and also in Cornelia Funke's "Dragon Rider".

In Naomi Novik's Temeraire (series), set in an alternate history, dragons are an important part of napoleonic era warfare. The titular character, Temeraire, is a Dragon.

Dragons are common (especially as non-player characters) in fantasy role-playing games and in some computer fantasy role-playing games.

The poem Puff the Magic Dragon was made into a song by Peter, Paul and Mary, and has since become a pop-culture mainstay. In 1977, Walt Disney Productions produced Pete's Dragon, featuring an animated dragon named Elliott as the title character.

Bowser (Nintendo), Mario's usual nemesis in the Super Mario Series, is somewhat a cross between a turtle (Koopas, in the series), and a dragon, with spiked shell, fiery breath and claws. True to the European tradition, Bowser's schemes often involve kidnapping Princess Peach. Nintendo's Dragon them can also be seen in its Pokemon and Zelda series.

In Jason Hightman's The Saint of Dragons and its sequel, Samurai, Dragons are an evil race dedicated to eliminating humans and conquering the world.

Dragons are also featured in the Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling. There are many different types of dragons in these fantasy novels, some of which have a more aggressive demeanor than others, but all of which can breath fire, fly, and pose a serious threat to even accomplished wizards. Hagrid attempts to raise Norbert, a Norwegian Ridgeback, in Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone. Harry must steal a magical egg from a Hungarian Horntail dragon as one of the Triwizard Tournament challenges in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. A blind dragon guards the lower levels of Gringotts Bank in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows before it is freed by Harry, Ron, and Hermione.

As emblems and mascots

A flaming Dragon on the coat of arms of Münster, Lower Saxony

The Dragon is the mascot of Drexel University. Named "Mario the Magnificent," there are depictions of the Drexel Dragon across the Philadelphia campus, including a large statue, banners, and a physical mascot appearing at various Drexel events.

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.

In Catholic mythology, dragon is the symbol of Saint Margaret the Virgin. According to her legend, she was sentenced to die by eaten by a dragon.

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 white dragon is reputedly a symbol of Anglo-Saxon England.

The Welsh football club Wrexham F.C. have two dragons holding a football on their emblem. The club's nickname is the Red Dragons, and their mascot is a dragon known as Wrex.

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.

The Chunichi Dragons are a Japanese pro-baseball team that play out of Nagoya, in Aichi Prefecture, Japan.

The Arena Football League has the New York Dragons, whose mascot's name is Sparky. [1]

The University of Alabama at Birmingham's athletic teams are known as the 'UAB Blazers', incorporating a green dragon logo.

References

• Rosanna M. Giammanco Frongia; Giorgi, Rosa; Giammanco Frongia, Rosanna M.; Zuffi, Stefano (2005). Angels and demons in art. Los Angeles: J. Paul Getty Museum. ISBN 0892368306.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
• Littleton, C. Scott. Mythology: The Illustrated Anthology of World Myth and Storytelling. Thunder Bay Press (CA). ISBN 1571458271.

Further reading

• Knight, Peter. "Sacred Dorset - On the Path of the Dragon", 1998.
• Shuker, Karl (1995). Dragons: a natural history. New York: Simon & Schuster. ISBN 0684814439.
• Manning-Sanders, Ruth (1977). A Book of Dragons. London: Methuen. ISBN 0416581102.

External links

• Chinese Dragons in the news