Dragons: A short history of the mythical beasts that breathe fire

pixabay.com

Where do dragons come from? This question has been asked in countless fantasy works, from The Hobbit to Game of Thrones.

Dragon tales are known in many cultures, from the Americas to Europe, India to China. Wide varieties have been around for a long time in novels, films, and television shows. Brave heroes combat the animals regularly.

Dragon myths have been around for a long time, but no one knows exactly when or where they originated. However, descriptions of gigantic flying serpents dating back to the ancient Greeks and Sumerians exist. This book's preface by Scott G. Bruce states that "In the ancient world, they took the form of huge serpents, ready to crush with their coils and kill with their deadly breath." For a long time, people treated dragons as if they were just other mythical creatures, capable of both good deeds and bad ones.

When Christianity expanded worldwide, dragons took on a negative meaning and started to represent Satan. It's possible that most Christians at the time believed in the existence of dragons as literal creatures in the Bible in medieval times. Leviathan, the monstrous creature described in great detail in Job's Book, chapter 41, has a name that sounds like a dragon.

"Its back is covered in rows of shields so close together that no air can enter them. They're firmly attached; they won't let go. Its snorting emits light beams, and its eyes reflect the rising sun's rays. Sparks of fire burst out of its lips as it spouts flames. A thick cloud of smoke bursts out of its nostrils when it inhales. Flames shoot out of its mouth as its breath ignites coals."

According to mythology and empirical evidence, dragons were real, or at least that's what people believed long ago. Dragons were an obvious choice for those with no prior knowledge of dinosaurs because of the large bones that were uncovered from time to time.

Dragons of many sorts

According to Grunge, people's ideas and descriptions of dragons differ greatly, even though most people can easily imagine a dragon. Certain dragons can have wings, while others do not. While some dragons can talk and expel fire, others are unable to. A few feet is all that separates the tiniest from the largest. As in JRR Tolkein's novel "The Hobbit," some dragons reside in underwater palaces while others are confined to rocky tunnels and cliff faces, such as Smaug from "The Hobbit."

Carol Rose, a folklorist, has written a book on the subject "A dragon's head can be likened to many other animals' heads, such as an elephant's in Indian folklore or a lion's or a falcon's in Middle Eastern legend, or a slithering snake's in myth, according to Giants, Monsters, and Dragons (Norton, 2001). Dragons can come in various colors, including green, red, black, and strangely yellow, blue, and white."

In his book "Dragons: A Natural History" (Simon & Schuster, 1995), zoologist Karl Shuker discusses a wide range of dragons, including enormous snakes, hydras, gargoyles, and dragon-gods, as well as more rare species like basilisks, wyverns, and cockatrices. To put it another way, it is an adaptable creature that changes appearance depending on the cultural and literary context.

Dragons have appeared in everything from the kid-friendly 2010 film "How to Train Your Dragon" to the more adult-oriented "Game of Thrones" books and TV series and "The Hobbit" books and movies. Each dragon has its personality, powers, and other qualities in the popular role-playing game Advanced Dungeons and Dragons (opens in a new tab). It's interesting to note that some dragons, such as black dragons, enjoy eating eels.

The origins of dragons can be traced back to ancient times.

As Dean Miller points out in his "Legendary Creatures and Monsters" book, the ancient Greek word "draconta," meaning "to watch," suggests that the beast protects valuables, such as mountains of gold coins or pearls (Cavendish Square Publishing, 2014). As far as I can tell, a powerful monster like a dragon doesn't have to pay for anything. It's probably more of a reward for the brave soldiers like the Knights of Camelot who would defeat the terrible beast than a treasure for the greedy dragon.

Few monsters have been depicted in mythology solely as formidable and dangerous adversaries to be defeated. They don't exist solely for their own sake; they exist primarily as a counterbalance to daring adventurers' efforts. As for other mythical creatures like trolls and elves, their primary job isn't to fight but rather to engage with humans (sometimes mischievously, but occasionally helpfully).

Legends of righteous and pious saints and slaying dragons created by the Christian church abound. By English Heritage's estimation, St. George the Dragon Slayer is the most well-known of these, as depicted in mythology. He saves a pretty girl, makes a cross for himself, and then kills the beast. The town's people are promptly converted to Christianity after witnessing St. George's heroic act of faith and courage.

Any aspiring saint, knight, or hobbit could create an army by defeating the dragon, and legend has it that this was not merely an important career opportunity. In their book, Michael Page and Robert Ingpen write, " "The use of dragon's teeth gives an easy technique of growing a country's armed forces," according to the Encyclopedia of Things That Never Were (Viking Penguin, 1987). Cadmus, King of Thebes, was the first to use it. To begin, prepare a plot of land as if you were going to sow grain there. Next, find a dragon and kill it. Then, draw all of the dragon's fangs. Sow them in the designated furrows, softly cover them, and keep a safe distance from them." Isn't it a piece of cake?

When they emerge from the Earth, "seasoned warriors clad in bronze armor, with swords and shields" form lines according to the direction in which "the Dragon" planted its teeth." This group of Draconis dentata warriors is known to fight between themselves and turn on each other if you don't have an opponent nearby.

It has been suggested that medieval images of the mouth of Hell, such as those by the Dutch artist Hieronymus Bosch, may have inspired the fire-breathing dragons we see in popular culture today. When depicting Hell's entrance, it's common to show it as the gaping mouth of a monstrous beast spewing forth the smoke and flames of Hades. The connection is obvious if one believes in the literal presence of Hell and the literal existence of dragons as Satanic.

What do you think?

Many people still believe in dragons, although it isn't as common as people who believe in Bigfoot or the Loch Ness monster, away from medieval theology. Because of its size and spectacular nature, the dragon (at least the one we are familiar with in the West) is unsuitable for taking seriously or literally. A massive, winged fire-breather is unlikely to exist on Earth in the present era of satellite imagery and smartphone photographs and videos.

When sailors returned from Indonesia a few centuries ago, they claimed to have come face-to-face with the Komodo dragons. This aggressive and dangerous monitor lizard can grow to 10 feet (3 meters) in length.

Researchers from the University of Queensland dispelled a myth about Komodo dragon bites being particularly lethal due to toxic bacteria in their mouths in 2013, finding that their lips are no dirtier than the mouths of other carnivores. Even though Western scientists only confirmed the presence of the Komodo dragons in 1910, legends and stories about these fearsome monsters had been around for a long time before that, according to The Guardian.

Dragons have existed in one form or another for millennia, and they've never gone away. Dragons have long captivated our collective imaginations in works of epic fantasy fiction, including those by J.R.R. Tolkien and others.

Additional tools

Researchers at the University of Queensland have written an interesting essay regarding Komodo Dragons' jaws, which they describe in great detail. Visit the Catholic Encyclopedia to learn more about the life of St. George.

Reference: https://www.livescience.com/25559-dragons.html

Image source: https://pixabay.com/id/vectors/satwa-binatang-buas-makhluk-naga-2027043/

Are fire-breathing dragons real?

Do dragons still exist?

When did dragons first appear in history?

How did dragons come about?

Has a dragon been found?

Who killed a dragon in the Bible?

Where can I find a real dragon?

Are there real dragons?

What is a dragon with two legs called?