Fury of the Dragon

I had an epiphany last week on a topic for the hottest part of the Season (blame climate change). The topic is the dragon or rather the western depiction of dragon. The Western Dragon is the better known in Western culture and the other version especially the Chinese dragons deserve their own post. So let's explore the dragon and some of its history.

What is a Dragon?

Dragons are usually thought to have wings and breathe fire. They also are said to have scales and claws. Some also have horns. Almost always they are said to be venomous. Some dragons may have two or more heads. They may also have more than one tail. They may have two, four or even more legs; however, most are known to have four legs. Dragons are said to eat things such as rats, birds, snakes, bats, or even humans, especially children.
Dragons are very intelligent creatures. They live in remote areas, far away from humans, in places that are dark, damp and secluded, such as caves. Dragons were first thought of as creatures that lived in water. Later they became associated with fire. Sea serpents may have been the first dragons, and may be the reason for this association.
Almost all Western dragon stories portray the dragon as the villain from whom the hero must protect the city or the princess. But some dragons can take on the form of the protector. You can see this biggest differences in dragons usually come from different cultures, especially the cultures of the East and the West. Each culture seems to have their idea about dragons.

Dragons cannot be put all into one group, as there are so many dragons. Each culture seems to have their own type of dragon, and each of these dragons is usually very different. Some people have said that dragons once existed, maybe during the time of the dinosaurs. Others believe that dragons began around the same time the earth began. A few people even claim to have seen a dragon in their life time. Of these people who claim to have seen one, they usually agree that it was humans who finally defeated the dragons.
But most of all, dragons are fascinating, magical creatures who have captivated our attention for thousands of years. The many different kinds of dragons and the ability for us to use our imagination to create these creatures only add to their appeal. Many stories have been told about these great beings and it seems like dragons are a part of our mythical history. Whether these creatures are or ever were real probably doesn't matter due to the fact that the imagination can create them in almost any situation.

Western Dragon

The Western dragon tends to be quite huge and heavy with sharp-claws and bat-like wings. They are typically with reptile features but may also have fur or feathers. Sometimes they are dark colored but always shinny. Some have forked tongues, others crests, fringes, or some other adornment. It always has the ability to belch forth blazing fire and fumes. They are the largest of all the serpents and all the beasts of the earth, the dragon uncoiled at the beginning of time and have multiplied in names and shapes ever since. Known by all the peoples of the world, it is the greatest of all beasts. In the West, the dragon is the drakon (“sharp-sighted”, “watchful”) of the Greeks. The Romans called it drako, and the British know it as “drake”-as in “firedrake”- and “worm.”

Western dragons have traditionally been a symbol of evil.  A typical Western dragon can fly and breathe fire. Many legends describe dragons as greedy, keeping hordes of gold and other precious treasure. In myths and folklore, dragons were monsters to be conquered. As dragons may be seen to represent the dark side of humanity, including greed, lust, and violence, the conquest of a dragon represents the confrontation and extinguishment of those evil instincts. In medieval legends the Dragons represent evil or the old pagan way that are defeated by virtue of Christianity. An example of this is the Christian knight St. George is depicted killing the Dragon of the old English pagan beliefs.

The dragon has also been used as a symbol of war. The Viking longship, also called a drakkar or dragon ship, was used to transport Viking warriors on their raids across Europe. Often, sea-going dragon ships would have a dragon head mounted at its stern to ward off sea serpents and evil spirits.

In the West, dragons are either living in caves or mountain dwellers and predators. Cave dweller dragons stay most of the time in the coldness of the dark. The caves, filled with fire and water, are easily guarded and located close to towns, where food is convenient. Mountain predators live in cave-riddled mountains that provide an invincible structure, a sort of protection.

Western Dragons like to feed upon livestock, human flesh and prefers young people and those who are weak. They also hunt large game animals such as deer, elk, and sometimes livestock. In folklore, it is depicted that they typically take a flight at night to terrorize the villagers and cause pestilence over the land. However, there are also many accounts of dragons giving assistance to weary travelers or acting as guardians or protectors over sacred forests or treasures. 

Western dragons were also very intelligent, and in many cases capable of speech. Legend has it that Western dragons held secrets, knowledge or power that may only be claimed when the dragon is slain. The one who killed the dragon must drink its blood and eat its flesh to have these secrets revealed.

Example:

In fairy tales, dragons are often guarding a princess or maiden and must be slain by a heroic rescuer, serving as a testament slayer’s bravery. 

Beowulf's Dragon (Beowulf)

The third and final enemy in the epic poem Beowulf, one of the earliest known works of fiction. The dragon is also the first example of a fire-breathing dragon in literature. The dragon is awoken after a slave steals a jewel-encrusted cup from its layer, driving the dragon into a frenzy. The monster attacks Beowulf's homeland, forcing Beowulf to act by going into its lair with his thanes. In the end, all of Beowulf's thanes run away except Wiguf. Beowulf dies in battle with the beast, but he does allow Wiguf to deliver the killing blow.

JORMUNGAND, THE MIDGARD SERPENT

Jormungand is the son of Loki, Aesir God of Mischief and Angerboda. This serpent was expelled by Odin and forced to encircle the earth and hold its tail in its mouth under the depth of the seas. Thor and the giant Hymir were fishing using an ox head as bait when something very powerful grabbed the hook. The gigantic head rose up out of the water, and Thor was ready with his hammer, but Hymir lost his nerve and cut the line. the serpent disappeared beyond the waves.

Many ages past, then the Day Of The Last Battle (Ragnarok) came. This was a war with god against giant, deity against demon, and man against monster. The Midgard Serpent let go of its tail and uncoiled itself to go ashore to fight Thor, the only being that would be worthy challenge. They met on the beach, and Thor immediately slammed bolts of lightning at the monster. Jormungand snapped its jaws at Thor trying to bite him fatally, with no luck. Thor raised his War Hammer and slammed it on the skull of the dragon. With a massive roar the dragon died. Thor also died that day, suffocated from the dragon's venomous breath.

Saint George and the Dragon

A bloodthirsty monster that appears in an episode to the hagiography of Saint George called Saint George and the Dragon. The dragon lives by a spring that provides all the water for the city of Cyrene. The dragon demands human sacrifices and the princess of Cyrene is chosen as the next victim. The princess is tied to a wooden stake near the spring. Saint George, a soldier of the Roman Empire, discovers the distressed princess and untied her. Saint George charges the dragon on horseback. His sturdy lance penetrates deep enough only to wound the dragon. Using the princess's sash as a leash, Saint George and the princess lead the injured creature into town. Saint George announces he will finish off the dragon if the citizens convert to Christianity. They agree to convert, and Saint George draws his sword and kills the dragon.

Smaug

One of the most iconic villain dragons is Smaug from J.R.R Tolkien’s The Hobbit. During his reign, Smaug claimed mountains of stolen gold and demolished cities. The last of the great dragons of Middle Earth and the primary antagonist in J. R. R. Tolkien's The Hobbit. He lives within the Lonely Mountain and has a huge pile of treasure that he stole from the dwarves. Bilbo Baggins tries to steal a two-handled cup from the treasure hoard, but Smaug later discovers the theft and circles the sky above the mountain in a rage, bellowing and shooting flames. Later, Bilbo makes himself invisible and sneaks into the dragon's cave again. Although Smaug cannot see Bilbo, he can smell him, and he mocks the invisible hobbit. Bilbo flatters the vain Smaug into rolling over onto his back. Bilbo spots an open patch in Smaug's jeweled armor. Knowledge of his weak spot is passed on to Bard the Bowman, who kills Smaug with a single, black, dwarf-made arrow.

Charizard

Charizard is a draconic, bipedal Pokémon. It is primarily orange with a cream underside from the chest to the tip of its tail, which burns with a sizable flame. Charizard has a long neck, small blue eyes, raised nostrils, and two horn-like structures protruding from the back of its rectangular head. There are two fangs visible in the upper jaw when its mouth is closed. Two large wings with blue-green undersides sprout from its back, and a horn-like appendage juts out from the third joint of each wing. Charizard's arms are short and skinny compared to its robust belly, and each limb has three white claws. It has stocky legs and cream-colored soles under its feet. Charizard resembles stereotypical European dragons, which are heavily associated with the element of fire in Western folklore; this would later be reflected in the Fire/Dragon typing of Mega Charizard X. Considering the lizard basis of its pre-evolutions and Japanese and English nomenclature, Charizard's draconic design may be a reference to how various types of lizards are named after dragons, most notably Komodo dragons and flying dragons -- two categories of lizards with which Charizard shares loose physical similarities.