European dragons are legendary creatures in folklore and mythology among the overlapping
cultures of Europe. In Western folklore, dragons are usually portrayed
as evil, with exceptions mainly in Welsh folklore and modern fiction. This is in contrast to
Chinese dragons, which are traditionally depicted as more benevolent creatures. In the modern
period, the European dragon is typically depicted as a huge, fire-breathing, scaly, horned,
lizard-like creature; the creature also has leathery, bat-like wings, four legs, and a
long, muscular prehensile tail. Some depictions show dragons with feathered wings, crests,
fiery manes, ivory spikes running down its spine, and various exotic decorations.
In folktales, dragon's blood often contains magical properties. For example, in the opera
Siegfried, dragon's blood allows Siegfried to understand the language of the Forest Bird.
The typical dragon protects a cavern or castle filled with gold and treasure and is often
associated with a great hero who tries to slay it.
Though a winged creature, the dragon is generally to be found in its underground lair, a cave
that identifies it as an ancient creature of earth. Possibly, the dragons of European
and Mid-Eastern mythology stem from the cult of snakes found in religions throughout the
world.
Terminology The Latin word draco, as in the constellation,
Draco, comes directly from Greek δράκων,. The word for dragon in Germanic mythology
and its descendants is worm, meaning snake or serpent. In Old English, wyrm means "serpent",
and draca means "dragon". Finnish lohikäärme directly translated means "salmon-snake",
but the word lohi- was originally louhi- meaning crags or rocks, a "mountain snake". The prefix
lohi- in lohikäärme is also thought to derive from the ancient Norse word lógi, meaning
"fire", as in Finnish mythology there are also references to "tulikäärme" meaning
fire-snake, or fire-serpent. Classical antiquity
Roman dragons evolved from serpentine Greek ones, combined with the dragons of the Near
East, in the mix that characterized the hybrid Greek/Eastern Hellenistic culture. From Babylon,
the muš-ḫuššu was a classic representation of a Near Eastern dragon. John's Book of Revelation—Greek
literature, not Roman—describes Satan as "a great dragon, flaming red, with seven heads
and ten horns". Much of John's literary inspiration is late Hebrew and Greek, but John's dragon
is more likely to have come originally through the Near East. In the Roman Empire, each military
cohort had a particular identifying signum, after the Parthian and Dacian Wars of Trajan
in the east, the Dacian Draco military standard entered the Legion with the Cohors Sarmatarum
and Cohors Dacorum—a large dragon fixed to the end of a lance, with large, gaping
jaws of silver and with the rest of the body formed of colored silk. With the jaws facing
into the wind, the silken body inflated and rippled, resembling a windsock.
Several vague incarnations of evil in the Old Testament were given the translation draco
in Jerome's Vulgate, to undergo changes in meaning and become broad embodiments of evil.
Middle Ages Fire-breathing dragons
Dragons are usually shown in modern times with a body like a huge lizard, or a snake
with two pairs of lizard-type legs, and able to emit fire from their mouths. This is commonly
referred to as a Fire-Breathing Dragon. The European dragon has bat-like wings growing
from its back. A dragon-like creature with wings but only a single pair of legs is known
as a wyvern. The European dragon are most associated with fire breathing.
It has been speculated that accounts of spitting cobras may be the origin of the myths of fire-breathing
dragons. In Western folklore, dragons are usually portrayed
as evil, with the exceptions mainly in Welsh folklore and modern fiction. This is in contrast
to Asian dragons, who are traditionally depicted as more benevolent creatures. In the modern
period, the European dragon is typically depicted as a huge fire-breathing, scaly and horned
lizard-like creature, with wings, with four legs and a long muscular tail. It is sometimes
shown with feathered wings, crests, fiery manes, ivory spikes running down its spine
and various exotic colorations. Dragon's blood often has magical properties; for example,
in the opera Siegfried it let Siegfried understand the language of the Forest Bird. The typical
dragon protects a cavern or castle filled with gold and treasure and is often associated
with a great hero who tries to slay it. Though a winged creature, the dragon is generally
to be found in its underground lair, a cave that identifies it as an ancient creature
of earth. Possibly, the dragons of European and Mid-Eastern mythology stem from the cult
of snakes found in religions throughout the world.
Germanic Europe The most famous dragons in Norse and Germanic
mythology are: Níðhöggr, who gnaws at the roots of Yggdrasil,
the World tree; Jörmungandr, Miðgarðsormurinn, Midgårdsormen,
Midgardsormen, the giant sea serpent which surrounds Miðgarð, the world of mortal men;
Fafnir, which had turned into a dragon because of his greed, and was killed by Sigurd;
Lindworms, monstrous serpents of Germanic myth and lore, often interchangeable with
dragons; Landvættur, the benevolent dragon with whom
King Harald Bluetooth's servant met in Vopnafjörður according to Heimskringla, and also depicted
on the Icelandic Coat of Arms; The dragon encountered by Beowulf.
Of these, J.R.R. Tolkien wrote: And dragons, real dragons, essential both
to the machinery and the ideas of a poem or tale, are actually rare. In northern literature
there are only two that are significant. If we omit from consideration the vast and vague
Encircler of the World, Miðgarðsormr, the doom of the great gods and no matter for heroes,
we have but the dragon of the Völsungs, Fáfnir, and Beowulf's bane.
Many European stories of dragons have them guarding a treasure hoard. Both Fafnir and
Beowulf's dragon guarded earthen mounds full of ancient treasure. The treasure was cursed
and brought ill to those who later possessed it.
English "dragon" derives from Dacian dracon, "serpent, dragon"; the Greek word derives
from Indo-European *derk-, "to see", and may originally have meant something like "monster
with the evil eye." Notwithstanding their folkloric associations, there is no etymological
connection between dragons and the ghoulish figures known as draugar in Old Norse, who
haunt rich burial mounds. The poem Beowulf describes a draca also as
wyrm and its movements by the Anglo-Saxon verb bugan, "to bend", and says that it has
a venomous bite; all of these indicate a snake-like form and movement rather than with a lizard-like
or dinosaur-like body as in later belief. Celtic Europe
Though Somerset has traditionally had a red dragon as an emblem, the red dragon is more
commonly associated with Wales, as its national flag features a red dragon. This may originate
in Arthurian Legend where Myrddin, employed by Gwrtheyrn, had a vision of the red dragon
and the white dragon fighting beneath Dinas Emrys. This particular legend also features
in the Mabinogion in the story of Lludd and Llefelys. The legendary house of Pendragon
and Celtic Britain in general have become associated with the Welsh dragon standard
after the fact. Slavic Europe
Dragons of Slavic mythology hold mixed temperaments towards humans. For example, dragonsала)
in Bulgarian mythology are either male or female, each gender having a different view
of mankind. The female dragon and male dragon, often seen as sister and brother, represent
different forces of agriculture. The female dragon represents harsh weather and is the
destroyer of crops, the hater of mankind, and is locked in a never-ending battle with
her brother. The male dragon protects the humans' crops from destruction and is generally
benevolent to humanity. Fire and water play major roles in Bulgarian dragon lore: the
female has water characteristics, while the male is usually a fiery creature. In Bulgarian
legend, dragons are three-headed, winged beings with snake's bodies.
In Bulgarian, Russian, Belarusian, Ukrainian, Bosnian, Serbian, and Macedonian lore, a dragon,
or "змей", zmey, smok, zmiy,,, zmej, is generally an evil, four-legged beast with
few, if any, redeeming qualities. Zmeys are intelligent, but not greatly so, often demanding
tribute from villages or small towns in the form of maidens, or gold. Their number of
heads ranges from one to seven or sometimes even more, with three- and seven-headed dragons
being most common. The heads also regrow if cut off, unless the neck is "treated" with
fire. Dragon blood is so poisonous that Earth itself will refuse to absorb it. In Bulgarian
mythology these dragons are sometimes good, opposing the evil Lamya , a beast that shares
a likeness with the zmey. The most famous Polish dragon is the Wawel Dragon or Smok
Wawelski, the Dragon of Wawel Hill. It supposedly terrorized ancient Kraków and lived in caves
on the Vistula river bank below the Wawel castle. According to lore based on the Book
of Daniel, it was killed by a boy who offered it a sheepskin filled with sulphur and tar.
After devouring it, the dragon became so thirsty that it finally exploded after drinking too
much water. A metal sculpture of the Wawel Dragon is a well-known tourist sight in Kraków.
It is very stylised, but, to the amusement of children, noisily breathes fire every few
minutes. The Wawel dragon is also featured in many items of Kraków tourist merchandise.
Dragon is the coat of arms of the Polish princes, Piasts of Czersk.
Other dragon-like creatures in Polish folklore include the basilisk, living in cellars of
Warsaw, and the Snake King from folk legends. Iberian peninsula
The Cuélebre, or Culebre, is a giant winged serpent in the mythology of Asturias and Cantabria
in the north of Spain. It usually lives in a cave, guards treasures and keeps nymph-like
beings called xanas or anjanas as prisoners. They are immortal; however, they still are
subject to aging. There is a legend that a dragon dwelled in
the Peña Uruel mountain near Jaca saying that it could mesmerise people with its glance,
so the young man who decided to kill the beast equipped himself with a shiny shield, such
that the dragon's glance would be reflected. When the young man arrived at the cave where
the dragon lived, he could kill it easily because the dragon mesmerised itself. This
legend is very similar to the Greek myth of Medusa.
Herensuge is the name given to the dragon in Basque mythology, meaning "last serpent".
The most famous legend has St. Michael descend from Heaven to kill it, but only once did
God agree to accompany him in person. Sugaar, the Basque male god, is often associated with
the serpent or dragon but able to take other forms as well. His name can be read as "male
serpent". Dragons are well known in Catalan myths and
legends, in no small part because St. George is the patron saint of Catalonia. Like most
dragons, the Catalan dragon is an enormous serpent with two or, rarely, four legs and
sometimes a pair of wings. As in many other parts of the world, the dragon's face may
be like that of some other animal, such as a lion or bull. As is common elsewhere, Catalan
dragons are fire-breathers, and the dragon-fire is all-consuming. Catalan dragons also can
emit a fetid odor, which can rot away anything it touches.
The Catalans also distinguish a víbria or vibra, a female dragon with two prominent
breasts, two claws and an eagle's beak. Dracs, Víbries and other mythological figures used
to participate in correfocs during popular celebrations.
In Portuguese mythology, coca is a female dragon that battles Saint George on the Corpus
Christi holiday. The fighting has a symbolic meaning: when the coca defeats Saint George
the crops will be bad and there will be famine and death; when Saint George defeats the coca
he cuts off her tongue and ears, the crops will have a good year and it announces prosperity.
Still, she is called "saint" coca just as George is called saint, and the people cheer
for her. Another dragon called drago is also represented in Portuguese mythology and used
to take part in celebrations during the Middle Ages.
Italy
The legend of Saint George and the dragon is well known in Italy, but other saints are
also depicted fighting dragons. For instance, the first bishop of the city of Forlì, Saint
Mercurialis, was said to have killed a dragon and saved Forlì, so he is often depicted
killing a dragon. Likewise, the first patron saint of Venice, Saint Theodore of Tyro, was
a dragon-slayer, and a statue representing his slaying of the dragon still tops one of
the two columns in St. Mark's square. St. Michael, the patron saint of paratroopers,
is also frequently depicted slaying a dragon. Many dragons of the European Middle Ages were
thought to be demonic or of evil status. According to the Golden Legend, compiled by
the Italian Jacobus de Voragine, Saint Margaret the Virgin was swallowed by Satan in the shape
of a dragon, from whence she escaped alive when the cross she carried irritated the dragon's
innards. The Golden Legend, in an atypical moment of scepticism, describes this last
incident as "apocryphal and not to be taken seriously", which did not prevent the legend
from being popular and getting artistic treatments.
More prevalent are the legends about dragons in Italy, particularly in Umbria. One of the
most famous dragons of Italian folklore is Thyrus, a wyvern that besieged Terni in the
Middle Ages. One day, a young and brave knight, tired of witnessing the death of his fellow
citizens and depopulation of Terni, faced the dragon and killed him. From that day,
the town assumed the creature in its coat of arms, accompanied by a Latin inscription:
"Thyrus et amnis dederunt signa Teramnis", that stands under the banner of the town of
Terni, honoring this legend.
Another poem tells of another dragon that lived near the village of Fornole, near Terni
in the south of Umbria. Pope Sylvester I arrived in Umbria and freed the population of Fornole
from the ferocity of the dragon, pacifying the dragon. Grateful for his deed, the population
built a small church dedicated to the saint on the top of the mountain near the dragon's
lair in the 13th century. In the apse of the church there is a fresco representing the
iconography of the saint. Heraldry
In England, to this day, a rampant red dragon is the heraldic symbol of the county of Somerset.
The county once formed part of the early-medieval Anglo-Saxon kingdom of Wessex in western England,
which too bore a dragon, or wyvern, as a symbol. The Wessex beast is usually colored gold in
illustrations. According to the writer on heraldry Arthur
Charles Fox-Davies, the red dragon of Wales originated with the standard of the 7th century
king, Cadwaladr, and was used as a supporter by the Tudor dynasty. Queen Elizabeth, however,
preferring gold, changed the royal mantle and the dragon supporter from red to gold,
and some Welsh scholars still hold that the dragon of Wales is properly ruddy gold rather
than gules. There may be some doubt of the Welsh origin of the dragon supporter of the
Royal arms, but it certainly was used by King Henry III.
The Welsh flag reads parti per fess Argent and Vert; a dragon Gules passant. Welsh rugby
teams include the Newport Gwent Dragons and the Cardiff City Blue Dragons.
King Peter IV of Aragon used a dragon on his helmet to show that he was the king of Aragon,
as a heraldic pun. A dragon was used as the crest of the Greater
Royal Coat of Arms of Portugal since at least the 14th century. Later, two dragons were
used as supporters of the shield of the Arms of Portugal. In the 19th century, King Peter
IV of Portugal granted the city of Porto the incorporation of the dragon crest of the Royal
Coat of arms in its municipal coat of arms, in gratitude for the support given to him
by the city during the Liberal Wars. The badge of the F.C. Porto incorporates the old Porto
municipal coat of arms with the dragon crest and this is why the dragon was adopted as
the animal mascot of the club. Beta Theta Pi uses the dragon as part of its
crest. Early modern period
The emblem books popular from late medieval times through the 17th century often represent
the dragon as an emblem of greed. The prevalence of dragons in European heraldry demonstrates
that there is more to the dragon than greed. Modern fiction
Romanticism A. Xaho, a romantic myth creator of the 19th
century, fused these myths in his own creation of Leherensuge, the first and last serpent,
that, in his newly coined legend, would arise again some time in the future bringing the
rebirth of the Basque nation. Fantasy literature and modern pop culture
In the fantasy genre, there has been a trend of depicting dragons in a positive light:
as allies instead of adversaries. Dragons are increasingly viewed as friends of humans
and as highly intelligent and noble creatures, while still remaining the fearsome beasts
of legend. They are frequently shown as guardians and close friends of individual humans. Many
of these ideas were first popularised by Anne McCaffrey with her Dragonriders of Pern series,
with later authors such as Christopher Paolini also depicting sympathetic dragon characters
in Eragon. Ursula K. Le Guin created a meaningful image of dragons in her books about Earthsea.
In George R. R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire, the character Daenerys Targaryen hatches
three dragon eggs and raises the creatures as both her "children" and as the means with
which she plans to regain the throne of her father. Dragons continue to be a popular subject
for movies, such as the film How To Train Your Dragon, adapted from the book by Cressida
Cowell, as well as the film series Shrek, and are particularly popular in multimedia
fantasy franchises, most famously that of Warcraft, Demon's Souls and The Elder Scrolls
V: Skyrim. Various characters in the Transformers franchise have been portrayed as having a
dragon as their alternate mode, most commonly Megatron.
See also
References
External links Theoi Project website: Dragons of Ancient
Greek Mythology excerpts from Greek sources, illustrations, lists and links.