Drag•on\'drag-en\
1. a huge serpent 2. A mythical animal usually represented as a monsterous winged and scaly serpent or saurian with a crested head and enormous claws

OVERVIEW

For centuries, man has been fascinated with the mysterious winged lizard known throughout many cultures as the "dragon." This mythical beast has been portrayed by many different types of people in different, and yet amazingly similar, forms. For one, I've noticed that the dragon is usually scaled and winged, or looks something like a lizard. Several dragons are also composed of many different parts of different types of animals, which may portray the dragon's mastery over all species because it is of all species. There have been arguments over whether a dragon is real at all, whether it existed here on Earth at one time, or whether some people can speak to or are even reincarnations of dragon deities. People have asked me what my views on this are, and my personal belief is that though dragons certainly are not on Earth now, they may have existed here at one time or another, or similar beasts are somewhere in the universe. It would be silly to think that everything man has dreamed up could not be possible in the imagination of creation. However, what you believe is up to you; and so I have composed a short paper illustrating the similarities and differences between dragons around the world and am letting you decide for yourself.

DRAGONS AS SYMBOLS

The dragon is a very complex and nearly universal symbol. It is a combinations of the bird, the "breath of life," and the serpent, "life-giving waters." Obviously, in the dragons' earliest days, they were recognized as good and beneficial spirits which bring help and life to the mortal race in their care. Today, the Eastern cultures still believe this manifestation of life and love. Generally in the Orient, the dragon represented the sky gods and the emperors of that time, but later also encompassed the power and destruction of the storm as well. However, in the Western culture, this idea has been inverted, and the dragon symbolizes hate, evil, violence, and even death. Even the "breath of life" has been changed, as most dragons in the Western world are represented as having foul breath which smells of sulfur and rotting corpses, the water aspect turned to fire. The killing of such a dragon is oftentimes representative of winning the fight against evil. In this part of the world, a dragon can be male or female, solar or lunar, good or evil.

Usually, an oriental dragon is a beneficiary celestial spirit, which is symbolic of wisdom, supernatural power, strength, hidden knowledge, and the power of renewal through life-giving waters. It is the emblem of the emperor, and the wise and noble man. Monotheistic religions usually depict the dragon as evil, symbolic of the unmanifest, the undifferentiated, chaos, the latent, and untamed nature.

Some dragons also embody the life giving element of water. From these dragons' mouths spring lightning, the fire of the storm, and this fiery breath is symbolic of change and the formation of matter. Even these dragons can be two sided however, either the enemy of the rain god or a friend of this most celebrated deity. They are also associated with the sea, the great deeps, the mountain tops, clouds, and Eastern solar regions.

As Western monsters, dragons are masters of the ground and wealth (which is symbolic of wisdom and power) which heroes must fight desperately against to gain self respect and honor. These struggles are representative of the difficulties in obtaining this hidden knowledge. Killing the monster dragon symbolizes a man's overcoming of his own "dark side" and obtaining mastery of himself. The rescuing of a maiden from the dragon's clutches symbolizes delivering innocence from evil.



BREEDS

Amphisbaena: An African dragon with two heads, one at the end of its long tail and at the head end. It has a curiously bird like body with the feet of a rooster, and by grasping the tail head with the other is able to travel by rolling around in this hoop. Usually portrayed as having a scaly body and a pair of feathered wings. It may have been inspired by a modern day lizard of the same name which has markings on its tail that resembles a head.

Amphitere: This type of dragon can be found in Britain, the Middle East, Egypt, and several Latin American countries such as Peru. Their appearance is similar to that of a gigantic jade-colored snake with multi-colored feathered wings, and some also possess a single pair of front legs. In European and Middle Eastern countries, the Amphitere is thought to know all the secrets of the world save one, and possess such fantastic powers as hypnotic eyes, which are usually invested in guarding the treasures of the land, like myrrh trees, gold, and other assorted riches. Even the bodily parts of an Amphitere are special. If its teeth are planted, an army of battle ready warriors will spring up, eager to help, its blood, when drunk, will give one the power to understand animals, and a potion of dried Amphitere eyes mixed with honey will cure the consumer's headache. The most famous of the Latin American Amphitere is "Quetzalcoatl," whose name means "most precious serpent." This dragon is believed to be inspired by the quetzal bird, which has a beautiful multicolored tail of almost two feet long. The Latin American Amphitere has only a pair of wings and a jade, feathered serpentine body.

Basilisk: The king of snakes and all other reptiles, and even the word Basilisk is contrived from the Greek word for king, basileus. They are represented as a lizard a little less than three feet long with a large tuft on its narrow head representative of a crown, and thick bird-like legs. This beast is incredibly venomous, savage and destructive, and even its eyes carry the incredible power of being able to kill a full grown man instantly at a glance. The only three creatures that can kill a basilisk are a cock, whose crowing sends it into an unnatural and fatal fit, the weasel, who can bite it to death, and itself if it happens to glance into a mirror or confront another basilisk.

Bunyip: An Australian dragon, the Bunyip is considered one of the largest types of dragons and may be one of the strangest looking as well. It has the body of a cow, the tail of a whale, the head of a bulldog, and horns.

Cockatrice: This creature is very similar to a basilisk as to its powers and how it acts. It also represented sin and death to the medieval Christians. The Cockatrice has a lizard- like body, bat wings and the head of a cock. They first surfaced in the first century AD in the deserts of North Africa, when merchants began to take cocks with them as protection against basilisks. Perhaps the strangest thing about this beast is how it is born; it must be hatched from a shell less egg that was lain by a seven year old cock while Sirius the dog star is within view. If the proper spherical shape, it must be then incubated on the dung heap by either a toad or a snake.

Dragonet: A very small dragon that ranges in size from about the length of one's finger to just under a foot. They bear a remarkable resemblance to the newly hatched drakelings of the western variety, but possess wings and are incredibly poisonous to the touch. They also can spit flame or breath fire if they should so choose, and some decide to take an easy life by disguising themselves as one of the children of an unwitting dragon parent.

Drake: A dragon resembling the traditional western type that possesses no wings. It looks a great deal like the wyrm except for the fact that it retains its fore and back legs. They cannot fly, and are about 4 to 40 feet in length.

Eastern Dragon: The Eastern dragon is representative of wealth and good luck, unlike its more ruthless western cousins. As to appearance, the dragon deities of China are believed to have a camel head, cow ears, demon eyes, a snake neck, clam belly, tiger feet, eagle claws, and is covered with one hundred seventeen carp scales in which eighty one are of yang essence and thirty one of ying. Males are often represented as having extra scales on the neck, a pearl under the skin and several small wings. The eastern dragon is also believed to go through seven forms in their lifetimes of three thousand years, and the most commonly seen of these forms is the sixth. Many of these dragons will freely bless the righteous person with happiness and wealth, and are represented as guardians of the water. Supposedly, there is a dragon in every bit of water, from the tiniest rain drop to the largest ocean. They are often invisible to mortal eyes, although one can sense their presence or hear their voices through gongs and the jingling of coins. They also sometimes take the shape of a newt or snake so as to visit our world without causing panic. Most fly by using the earth's magnetic current to soar, and are thought to representative of these currents much like the French Wouive. Celestial Chinese dragons have five claws on each paw, and are said to live in and guard the palaces of dead nobility and the gods. 

Elemental Dragons: These are not precisely those dragons mentioned in Earth myth, but are the types of dragons which populate my world, Raiu. (Page on this coming soon!) There are several divisions of different types of elements, namely water, fire, stone, earth, wind/air, energy, star/infinity, shadow and trinity (combination of three elements). I'll have a separate page on these soon as the divisions are quite different from each other.

Faerie Dragon: A very small dragon of only a couple inches long with a pair of multi- colored butterfly-like wings. They also have large eyes for their face, and some have a long, aardvark shaped nose with a long, straw like tongue. The faerie dragon is very rare, and some believe that the only reason this myth started at all were the large butterflies in some parts of the rainforest.

Hydra: The Hydra is usually represented as an immense dragon with thick legs and a even thicker tail with multiple heads. This dragon is a symbol of the fertilizing powers of water throughout mythology because of its ability to regenerate itself when hurt or even killed. The earliest representations of the Hydra can be seen on a Syrian seal which dates back to the fourteenth century BC, and is a clear representation of the Babylonian influence (through the earlier story of the slaying of Tiamat) on the Canaanite. According to Greek legend, the Hydra possessed nine heads atop nine snaking necks, one of which was immortal. When any of the other eight were cut off, another two grew in its place. The second labor of Hercules consisted of having to kill the Hydra of the Lerna swamp, and finally succeeded only in having his nephew Iolus searing each neck at the base with a burning stick as its head was cut off, and burying the immortal head under a rock. He then cut up the remainder of the Hydra's body to prevent regeneration, and dipped his weapons in its gall so the least wound from one of them would be fatal. The Bible speaks of probably the most infamous hydra in history, which is portrayed in The Apocrypha as a huge red dragon with seven heads with a crown topping each head, and ten horns. This dragon (a personification of the devil) fought a war with Michael and his angels, and was then cast, with his followers, out of Heaven and back onto Earth. The open mouth of this dragon is portrayed as the gateway to hell.

Lindworm: The Lindworm seems to be a variation on the classic wyrm. This is one of the few dragons native to the Americas, supposedly discovered by Marco Polo, who wrote of them in great detail in his journals. They have powerful forelegs which they use to push themselves across the soil, and a long, muscular tail that can be used like a whip as a weapon. One of the dangers of the Lindworm is they enjoy eating horses immensely, and will often kill a rider in the simple attempt to make the horse buckle to its knees. These often reside in streams and under the earth, and have very sharp eyes which can see in the dark like a cat's. Some believe that the Lindworm is a semi-dragon whose ancestors consist of both lizards and wyrms.

Naga: These are thought to be snakes with human faces which live in Patala, an under water region beneath the earth. This type of dragon originates from Pakistan, from the legend of the Naga Apala, a god who was able to keep evil dragons away in exchange for offerings from the locals. However, when they gradually forgot to do this, he changed himself into a poisonous dragon and became the plague of the countryside himself.

Peluda: A wingless neo-dragon with a back like a porcupine.

Pernese Dragons: Inhabitants of the legendary world of Pern created by Anne McCaffery in her famous Pern series. These dragons were created by the planet's inhabitants through genetics, and possess thick leathery skin instead of scales. They were created so as to carry a rider, which they bond with at their hatching and stay with until death. They have the power to go between worlds and thus travel very quickly that way.

Salamander: In medieval times, the Salamander was believed to be part dragon and therefore immune to fire. Some believed that the hissing and popping of the fire was a Salamander singing to them, or perhaps even casting a spell over their house. Through this, the Salamander soon became associated with witches, and a true witch was believed to be able to escape the fire by turning into a Salamander and escaping to hell where she/he was given a new form.

Serpent Whale: A water dwelling dragon that is similar to the legendary Loch Ness monster, but does not possess a neck. They range from dolphin to whale sized.

Tatzelworm: This dragon has the appearance of a snake with the forearms of a cat. Many Sicilian farmers say they have seen it, and a few even claim to have killed it. They consider it a threat to both themselves and the over-all well being of their farms. It has not yet been formally discovered by science.

Western Dragon: When most people think of dragons, this is what comes to mind. The traditional western dragon is a four-legged, winged, gigantic fire-breathing lizard with a nasty temper and an affinity for chaos and gold. Some the scourges of the country side, demanding tribute for their protection, but others are fair and just. Some kings, such as the legendary Uther Pendragon, has chosen to make these dragons their symbols. The western dragon is thought to symbolize sovereignty, the power of evil, and sin.

Wyrm: Supposedly the most ancient of dragons, the wyrm looks basically like a huge snake with no legs or wings. They originate in England, and perhaps the most famous of these is the Lambton Wyrm.

Wyvern: The Wyvern is a dragon with a single pair of wings which sometimes act as arms, a tail, and a pair of forelegs. The word "Wyvern" originated from the French word wyvere which means both serpent and life. The French Wyvern was known as Vouivre or Wouive, is portrayed as a serpent with the head and body of a beautiful woman with a ruby or garnet set between her eyes. This jewel was used to guide her through the mortal underworld. She was the protector of the earth and all living things, and as one author poetically put it, she is ‘the spirit that breathes or inspires.' The Wouive was a personification of the magnetic currents that, which even then the ancients knew, spanned the earth. However, once brought west, the Wyvern was inverted as so many dragons in western culture are. It becomes a ruthless, lithe killer whose only joy is to destroy young maidens and other wyverns. Even its looks differ, as it is given a mean, pointed head, small beady eyes and bat's wings. In this form it represents war, pestilence, envy and viciousness.

INDIVIDUALS

Azhl Dahaki: According to Persian mythology, Angra Mainyu, the father of lies, created this fearsome dragon to rid the world of truth and righteousness. He possesses three jaws, three heads and six eyes, and his body is filled with venomous beasts so that none could cut him open without infecting the world. This dragon supposedly tried to extinguish the sacred flame known as The Divine Glory, but was stopped by the fire god Atar. As punishment, Azhl was then bound by the hero Thraetaona and set on Mount Demavend by the Caspian sea. Legend dictates that when Azhl is set free from this imprisonment, the world will end as he devours a third of all living things until stopped and killed by the youth Keresaspa.

Fafnir: The Norse Völsunga Saga tells of a greedy, evil man who killed his father to gain control of the older man's vast hoard of gold treasure. He then transformed himself into a monstrous dragon and retreated to a lonely cave so as to better guard his wealth. The only person who Fafnir feared would try to steal from him was his brother Regin, the tutor to the young man Sigurd. With the help and insistence of Regin, Sigurd killed Fafnir by digging a pit in the dragon's path, hiding in it with a sword upraised, and stabbing it into the dragon's heart when he went down near the hole for a drink. As he died, Fafnir told Sigurd that Regin was also planning his young charges death, but Sigurd would not believe him and brought the heart to Regin as proof of the kill. Regin demanded Sigurd to cook it for him, and he complied. As the heart was almost done, Sigurd touched it just to make sure it was hot enough, and burned his finger. Putting it to his lips, the young man found he could understand a pair of birds who were talking about how wise whoever ate Fafnir's heart would be, and how Regin was planning to kill Sigurd. Deciding he had enough warnings, Sigurd turned on Regin and then ate the heart himself.

Lambton Worm: The legend of the Lambton worm tells of the ancient family of the Lambtons. One of the sons was wild and cared nothing for religion, to the disappointment of his parents. One Sabbath, he sneaked out of church to go fishing and caught the Lambton Worm as a drakeling. Finding it too ugly to eat, he threw it in a well. That night, he had terrible dreams about his life as a sinner and the next morning went to the priest to repent. The priest advised the young lad to join the crusades, which he did. When the young Lambton had returned, the same worm he had caught as a boy had grown to its full size and was a menace to the country side. Worse yet, if it was cut in half, the two parts joined together again as if nothing ever happened. Horrified, Lambton went to the village witch who advised him on how to kill the dragon, but demanded that he kill the first creature he saw after the worm's death as her fee. Otherwise, she would curse the family so that nine generations of Lambtons would die away from home. He agreed, and went out to kill the worm, first telling his father to let the old and sickly hunting hound to go ahead when he came to greet his son after the labor. Lambton succeeded, and the happy father, quite forgetting Lambton's instruction, ran ahead of the hound. Lambton refused to kill his father, and so for nine generations every Lambton died alone and far from home.

Leviathan: According to Christian legend, when God created life, he also created the great dragon Leviathan and counter parted it against the desert dwelling Behemoth. On Doomsday, God will destroy them both and therefore end the earth.

Midgard's Worm: Also known as Jornungand's worm, this dragon, according to Norse legend, lays under the sea with its tail in its mouth, regurgitating the ocean even as it swallows it. If its tail was to ever be removed, calamity would befall the world. The thunder god Thor and this worm eventually killed each other at Ragnarok (the doom of gods).

Nidhogg: According to Norse legend, there is a giant ash tree known as the Yggdrasil, or the Cosmic tree of Life, which supports the entire universe. Its three major roots descend into the three-part Norse underworld, one going towards the frost giants and is under their protection, the other to Aesir where the Gods hold their judgment seat, and the last to Hel, Queen of the Underworld. Under this root sits Nidhogg, the dread biter, who constantly is gnawing at this root in an effort to unearth the Yggdrasil and therefore destroy the universe.

Sirrush of Babylon: The Sirrush was first found painted on the walls in buildings of the ancient city Babylon. Unlike many mythological animals, the Sirrush was not represented differently over time, but kept its same form over the ages. Many believe that it could of been a representation of a living dinosaur which may have lived in the nearby swamps at this time. It is called the mokele-mbembe by the natives, and is thought to resemble a double human-sized Apatosaurus with claws.

Tiamat: In the ancient Babylonian creation epic known as Enuma Elish the story of the dragoness Tiamat first unfolded. According to this epic poem, in the beginning there was nothing but two elements — Aspu, the male spirit of fresh water and the abyss, and Tiamat, the female dragon spirit of salt water and chaos. The two had an uncountable number of children which became gods and goddesses, and upon looking at their numbers and boisterous ways, Aspu resolved to kill them all. The Gods ended up killing him after inadvertently learning of his plot. Tiamat, upset at the death of her husband, laid low for a time and plotted to take revenge against her children with the help of twelve monsters (the viper, the shark, the scorpion man, the storm demon, the great lion, the dragon, the mad dog and four nameless ones) she had spawned. The company was truly a fearsome sight and none would stand up against her but Marduk, who was armed with a bow and arrows, a mace, lightning, and net woven out of the four winds. He eventually managed to catch her in this net, and as she opened her mouth to devour him, he drove an evil wind down her throat so she could not close her mouth. Marduk then killed her by driving arrows down her throat until she bled to death. Deciding to create a new world for his siblings to live on in peace.

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