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The term '']'', for infantry that move around by ] yet still fight as foot soldiers, is derived from their early ], the "dragon", a wide-bore musket that spat flame when it fired, and was thus named for the mythical creature. The term '']'', for infantry that move around by ] yet still fight as foot soldiers, is derived from their early ], the "dragon", a wide-bore musket that spat flame when it fired, and was thus named for the mythical creature.


James Agostino and Ryan Rizzuti are dragons.
==Symbolism==
]]]
] slaying ]'', by ]]]In ] symbolism, dragons were often symbolic of ] and treachery, but also of anger and envy, and eventually symbolized great calamity. Several heads were symbolic of decadence and oppression, and also of ]. They also served as symbols for independence, leadership and strength. Many dragons also represent wisdom; slaying a dragon not only gave access to its treasure hoard, but meant the hero had bested the most cunning of all creatures. In some cultures, especially Chinese, or around the Himalayas, dragons are considered to represent good luck. Dragons are depicted in medieval symbolism to be the size of a bear of smaller. Most dragons posses magical abilities. Dragons also represent envy, treachery, and anger.

] in the '']'' viewed the dragon as a symbol of divinity or transcendence because it represents the unity of Heaven and Earth by combining the serpent form (earthbound) with the bat/bird form (airborne).

Dragons embody both male and female traits, as in the example from Aboriginal myth that raises baby humans to adulthood, training them for survival in the world.<ref>(Littleton, 2002, p. 646)</ref> Another striking illustration of the way dragons are portrayed is their ability to breathe fire but live in the ocean. Dragons represent the joining of the opposing forces of the ].

Yet another symbolic view of dragons is the ], or the dragon encircling and eating its own tail. When shaped like this the dragon becomes a symbol of eternity, natural cycles, and completion.

===In Christianity===
The Latin word for a dragon, ''draco'' (]: ''draconis''), actually means ''snake'' or ''serpent'', emphasizing the European association of dragons with snakes, not lizards or dinosaurs as they are commonly associated with today. The Medieval Biblical interpretation of the ] being associated with the serpent who tempted ] and ], thus gave a snake-like dragon connotations of evil. Generally speaking, Biblical literature itself did not portray this association (save for the ], whose treatment of dragons is detailed below). The demonic opponents of ], ], or good Christians have commonly been portrayed as reptilian or chimeric.

In the ] Chapter 41, there are references to a sea monster ], which has some dragon-like characteristics.

In ], an enormous red beast with seven heads is described, whose tail sweeps one third of the stars from heaven down to earth (held to be symbolic of the fall of the ]s, though not commonly held among biblical scholars). In most translations, the word "dragon" is used to describe the beast, since in the original ] the word used is ''drakon'' (δράκον).

In ], some Catholic ]s are depicted in the act of killing a dragon. This is one of the common aspects of ] in ] ]ic iconography,<ref name="CatchPenny_Slay">{{cite web | url = http://www.catchpenny.org/slay.html | title = Slaying the Dragon | accessdate = 2007-03-17 | last = Orcutt | first = Larry | year = 2002 }}</ref> on the ], and in ] and ] legend. In ], ], first bishop of the city of ], is also depicted slaying a dragon.<ref>http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/06137a.htm</ref> ], ], ], Saint ], Saint ], and ] were also venerated as dragon-slayers.

However, some say that dragons were good, before they ], as humans did from the Garden of Eden after Adam and Eve's Original Sin was committed. Also contributing to the good dragon argument in Christianity is the fact that, if they did exist, they were created as were any other creature, as seen in ], a contemporary Christian book series by author ].

===Chinese zodiac===
The years ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ] etc. (every 12 years &mdash; 8 ]) are considered the ] in the ].

The Chinese zodiac purports that people born in the Year of the Dragon are healthy, energetic, excitable, short-tempered, and stubborn. They are also supposedly honest, sensitive, brave, and inspire confidence and trust. The Chinese zodiac purports that people whose zodiac sign is the dragon are the most eccentric of any in the eastern zodiac. They supposedly neither borrow money nor make flowery speeches, but tend to be soft-hearted which sometimes gives others an advantage over them. They are purported to be compatible with people whose zodiac sign is of the ], ], ], and ].

===In East Asia===
{{main|Chinese dragon|Japanese dragon}}
Dragons are commonly symbols of good luck or health in some parts of ], and are also sometimes worshipped. Asian dragons are considered as mythical rulers of weather, specifically rain and water, and are usually depicted as the guardians of ]s.

In ], as well as in ] and ], the ] is one of the ] of the ], representing ], the element of ] and the ]. Chinese dragons are often shown with large pearls in their grasp, though some say that it is really the dragon's egg. The Chinese believed that the dragons lived underwater most of the time, and would sometimes offer ] as a gift to the dragons. The dragons were not shown with wings like the European dragons because it was believed they could fly using magic.

A ''Yellow dragon'' (Huang long) with five claws on each foot, on the other hand, represents the change of seasons, the element of ] (the Chinese 'fifth element') and the center. Furthermore, it symbolizes imperial authority in ], and indirectly the ] as well. Chinese people often use the term "''']'''" as a sign of ethnic identity. The dragon is also the symbol of royalty in ] (whose sovereign is known as ], or Dragon King).

] guarding the Temple of ] in ], ]]]

In ], the dragon (]: rồng) is the most important and sacred symbol. The dragon is strongly influenced by the ]. According to the ancient ] of the ] people, all Vietnamese people are descended from dragons through ], who married ], a fairy. The eldest of their 100 sons founded the first dynasty of ] Emperors.

In ], the Bakonawa appears as a gigantic serpent that lives in the sea. Ancient natives believed that the Bakonawa caused the moon or the sun to disappear during an eclipse.

The ] - a minor ] taking the form of a ] - is common within both the ] and ] traditions. Technically, the naga is not a dragon, though it is often taken as such; the term is ambiguous, and refers both to a ] of people known as 'Nāgas', as well as to ]s and ordinary snakes. Within a ] context, it refers to a deity assuming the form of a serpent with either one or many heads.

Occasionally the ] is depicted as sitting upon the coils of a serpent, with a fan of several serpent heads extending over his body. This is in reference to ], a Nāga that protected ] from the elements during the time of his enlightenment. Separated from the contextualising effect of the Buddha story, people may see only the head and thus infer that Mucalinda is a dragon, rather than a deity in serpentine form. Stairway railings on Buddhist temples will occasionally be worked to resemble the body of a Nāga with the head at the base of the railing. In ], the head of Nāga, in a more impressionistic form, can be seen at the corners of temple roofs, with Nāga’s body forming the ornamentation on roofline eves up to the ]s.


==Speculation on the origins of dragons== ==Speculation on the origins of dragons==

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For other uses, see Dragon (disambiguation).
Chinese dragon, color engraving on wood, Chinese school, nineteenth Century

The dragon is a mythical creature typically depicted as a large and powerful serpent or other reptile with magical or spiritual qualities.

Overview

Engraving of Ouroboros (a dragon swallowing its own tail) by Lucas Jennis, in alchemical tract titled De Lapide Philisophico.

Dragons are commonly portrayed as serpentine or reptilian, hatching from eggs and possessing extremely large, typically scaly, bodies; they are sometimes portrayed as having large eyes, a feature that is the origin for the word for dragon in many cultures, and are often (but not always) portrayed with wings and a fiery breath. Some dragons do not have wings at all, but look more like long 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 are very large in size, but some early European depictions of dragons were only the size of bears, or, in some cases, even smaller, around the size of a butterfly.

Although dragons (or dragon-like creatures) 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 (there are of course exceptions to these rules). Malevolent dragons also occur in Persian mythology (see Azhi Dahaka) and other cultures.

Dragons are particularly popular in China. Along with the phoenix, the 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 and the universe. 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 supernormal power, and are often associated with wells, rain, and rivers. In some cultures, they are said to be capable of human speech. They are also said to be able to talk to all animals.

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.

James Agostino and Ryan Rizzuti are dragons.

Speculation on the origins of dragons

It has been suggested that legends of dragons are based upon ordinary creatures coupled with common psychological tendencies amongst disparate groups of humans.

Some 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. In a common variation of this hypothesis, giant lizards such as Megalania are substituted for the living dinosaurs. Some believe dragons are mental manifestations representing an assembly of inherent human fears of reptiles, teeth, claws, size and fire in combination. All of these hypotheses are widely considered to be pseudoscience.

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

It has also been suggested by proponents of catastrophism that comets or meteor showers gave rise to legends about fiery serpents in the sky. In Old English, comets were sometimes called fyrene dracan or fiery dragons. Volcanic eruptions may have also been responsible for reinforcing the belief in dragons, although instances in Europe and Asian countries were rare.

Dragons in world mythology

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. 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.

In some parts of Indonesia, Dragon or Naga is depicted as a gigantic serpent with a golden crown on its forehead, and there is a persistent belief among certain peoples that Nagas are still alive in uncharted mountains, lakes and active volcanoes. In Java and Bali, dragons represent goodness, and gods send dragons to the earth in order to maintain the force of good and gave people prosperity. Some natives claimed sightings of this fabled beast, and considered as a good omen if someone happen to glimpse one of these animals, but misfortune if the dragons talked to them.

Cambodian myth also involves nagas. Cambodian myth has it that the Cambodian nation began with offspring of a naga and royal human.

Chinese dragon Lóng (or Lung) 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, in contrast to the Western dragon which stands on two legs and which is usually portrayed as evil, it has long been a potent symbol of auspicious power in Chinese folklore and art. Lóng have a long, scaled serpentine form combined with the attributes of other animals; most (but not all) are wingless, and has four claws on each foot (five for the imperial emblem). They are rulers of the weather and water, and a symbol of power. They also carried their eggs which were thought to have been huge pearls in their hands.
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; rare in Japanese mythology.
Philippine Dragon Bakonawa The Bakonawa appears as a gigantic serpent that lives in the sea.

Ancient natives believed that the Bakonawa caused the moon or the sun to disappear during an eclipse.

It is said that during certain times of the year, the bakonawa arises from the ocean and proceeds to swallow the moon whole. To keep the Bakonawa 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 Bakonawa into spitting out the moon back into the sky.

In popular Filipino folk literature, the Bakonawa is said to have a sister in the form of a sea turtle. The sea turtle would visit a certain island in the Philippines in order to lay its eggs. However, locals soon discovered that every time the sea turtle went to shore, the water seemed to follow her, thus reducing the island's size. Worried that their island would eventually disappear, the locals killed the sea turtle.

When the Bakonawa found out about this, it arose from the sea and ate the moon. The locals were so afraid that they prayed to Bathala to punish the Bakonawa. Bathala refused but instead, told them to bang some pots and pans in order to disturb the Bakonawa. The Bakonawa then regurgitated the moon and disappeared, never to be seen again.

The island where the sea turtle lays its eggs is said to exist until today. Some sources say that the island might just be one of the Turtle Islands.

Korean dragon Yong 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.
yo A hornless ocean dragon, sometimes equated with a sea serpent.
kyo A mountain dragon.
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
Indian Dragon Vyalee and Naga There is some debate as to whether or not Vyalee is considered a dragon. It is found in temples and is correlated with the goddess Parvati. Naga is the main dragon of Indian and Hindu mythology. Nagas are a race of magical serpents that live below water. Their king wears a golden crown atop his head. The Nagas are associated with Buddha and mainly with Lord Vishnu and his incarnations (Dasavataras). When Krishna was a child, he wrestled with a Naga that was obstructing a lake.
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 Or the "Draco serpentalis" is a very large wingless serpent with two legs, the lindworm is really closer to a wyvern or to a knucker. They were believed to eat cattle and symbolized pestilence, but seeing one was considered good luck. The dragon Fafnir, killed by the legendary hero Sigurd, was called an ormr ('worm') in Old Norse and was in effect a giant snake; it neither flew nor breathed fire. The dragon killed by the Old English hero Beowulf, on the other hand, did fly and breathe fire and was actually a European dragon.
Welsh dragon Y Ddraig Goch The red dragon is the traditional symbol of Wales and appears on the Welsh national flag.
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 in fact a full-grown zomok. It often serves as flying mount of the garabonciások (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, змей, or zmaj 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.
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.
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 This creature is strikingly different from its fire breathing, flying European counterpart. 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. The blood of the Turkish Dragon has its medical properties, becoming a panacea if drawn from the head and a lethal poison if drawn from the tail.
Basque dragons Herensuge Basque for "dragon". One legend has St. Michael descending from Heaven to kill it, but only when God agreed to accompany him, so fearful it was.
Sugaar The male god of Basque mythology, also called Maju, was often associated to a serpent or snake, though he can adopt other forms.
American dragons
Meso-American dragon Amphitere Feathered serpent deity responsible for giving knowledge to mankind, and sometimes also a symbol of death and resurrection.
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-tata 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.
African dragons
North African dragon Amphisbaena Possibly originating in northern Africa (and later moving to Greece), this was a two-headed dragon (one at the front, and one on the end of its tail). The front head would hold the tail (or neck as the case may be) in its mouth, creating a circle that allowed it to roll.
Egyptian dragon Apep The ancient Egyptians believed that the deity Ra battled this cobra-like dragon whenever he (as the sun) sank below the horizon. Apep was a symbol of evil and chaos.
Dragon-like creatures
Basilisk A basilisk is hatched by a cockerel from a serpent's egg. It is a lizard-like or snake-like creature that can supposedly kill by its gaze, its voice, or by touching its victim.
Leviathan In Hebrew mythology, a leviathan was a large creature with fierce teeth. Contemporary translations identify the leviathan with the crocodile, but maintaining a strict Biblical perspective the leviathan can breathe fire (Job 41:18-21), can fly (Job 41:5), it cannot be pierced with spears or harpoons (Job 41:7), its scales are so closely fit that there is no room between them (Job 41:15-16), it walks upright (Job 41:12), its mouth is powerful and contains many formidable teeth (Job 41:14), its underbelly has sharp scales that could cut a person (Job 41:30), and, over all, it is a terrifying creature. Over time, the term came to mean any large sea monster; in modern Hebrew, "leviathan" simply means whale. A sea serpent is also closely related to the dragon, though it is more snakelike and lives in the water.
Wyvern Much more similar to a dragon than the other creatures listed here, a wyvern is a winged serpent with either two or no legs. The term wyvern is used in heraldry to distinguish two-legged from four-legged dragons. Also sometimes noted as the largest species of dragon.
zmeu Derived from the Slavic dragon, zmeu are humanoid figures that can fly and breathe fire.
cockatrice A bird-like reptile sometimes confused with a basilisk. In Gerald Durrell's book "The Talking Parcel", they attempt genocide against dragons by stealing the last dragon eggs
Quetzalcóatl A Central-American or Mexican creature with both scales and feathers worshipped by the Toltecs and Aztecs.

Notable dragons

In myth

Main article: List of dragons in mythology and folklore

In literature and fiction

Main article: 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.

A common theme in literature concerning dragons is the partnership between humans and dragons. This is evident in Dragon Rider and the Inheritance Trilogy. Most notably it is featured in Anne McCaffrey's Dragonriders of Pern series.

Dragons have been portrayed in several movies of the past few decades, and in many different forms. In Dragonslayer (1981), a "sword and sorcerer"-type film set in medieval Britain, a dragon terrorizes a town's population. In contrast, Dragonheart (1996), though also given a medieval context, was a much lighter action/adventure movie that spoofed the "terrorizing dragon" stereotype, and depicts dragons as usually good beings, who in fact often save the lives of humans. Dragons can also be passionate protectors, just like the dragon in Shrek and Shrek 2, who displays her affection for a donkey. Reign of Fire (2002), also dark and gritty, dealt with the consequences of dormant dragons reawakened in the modern world.

Dragons are common (especially as non-player characters) in Dungeons & Dragons and in some computer fantasy role-playing games. They, like many other dragons in modern culture, run the full range of good, evil, and everything in between. See Dragon (Dungeons & Dragons) for additional information.

On the lighter side, Puff the Magic Dragon was first a poem, later a song made famous by Peter, Paul and Mary, that has become a pop-culture mainstay.

As emblems

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.

Y Ddraig Goch (IPA: ) (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 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.

Dragon slaying

Slayer Dragon Method/weapon Origin
Mythology
Saint George unnamed dragon lance (or sword) named Ascalon Christianity
Heracles Lernaean Hydra, Ladon Hydra (assisted by his nephew Iolaus): flaming arrows, harvesting sickle, firebrand to scorch the neck stumps. Greek
Apollo Python arrows Greek
Beowulf (assisted by Wiglaf) unnamed dragon sword and shield Old English
Sigurd Fafnir sword named Gram Norse
Dobrynya Nikitich Zmey Gorynych a lance (at least in the illustration by Ivan Bilibin) Russian
Susanoo Yamata no Orochi cutting it into pieces with his sword Japanese
John Lambton the Lambton Worm spearhead-studded armor English
the Prince unnamed dragon wrestling, throwing the dragon into the air, greyhounds, a hawk Serbian fairy tale The Dragon and the Prince
Fantasy literature
Bard the Bowman Smaug the Black Arrow J. R. R. Tolkien
Túrin Turambar Glaurung his Black Sword J. R. R. Tolkien
Éowyn the dragon-like fell beast sword and shield J. R. R. Tolkien

See also Princess and dragon.

See also

Further reading

Notes

  1. http://www.abc.net.au/science/k2/moments/s1334145.htm

References

  • Littleton, C. Scott. (2002). Mythology. The Illustrated Anthology of World Myth and Storytelling. London: Duncan Baird.

External links

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