Dragons
A creature stronger than any animal we know today, on
top of the food-chain with abilities we can only imagine today. These are the
dragons mankind wants to reveal if once ruled the world, and the ones we want
to describe as actual animals. How are they portrayed and described to be a
possible part of our world?
Dragons are animals found in almost every ancient mythology,
from the Mayan to the Africans and even Chinese and European. Since the animal
is so widely known it has fascinated mankind, and researchers (in zoology and
in folklore) are struggling to find proof that these majestic animals once
ruled the world beside and after dinosaurs.
BBC and Discovery Networks created “Dragon´s
World: A Fantasy Made Real” in 2004, a documentary about finding frozen, intact
dragons in the mountains of Romania. Even though the documentary is fiction it
has tickled viewers since it was first broadcasted (today you can find it on
YouTube under the name The Last Dragon a
Fantasy Made Real) and given more fuel to the discussion about dragons
existence.
Dragons appear in paintings, texts and carvings from ancient societies,
such as Babylonian and Mayan, in various forms. Researchers argue if these are
pictures of real animals during that era or if they are creatures of
imagination. Nevertheless dragons have been passed to today’s fantasy and/or
science fiction department, as an imaginary creature, since no proof has been
discovered to place them on the earth as living creatures. Even though, there
is still much research to do on how they could have looked and about the
characters of the different types of dragons.
The various shapes and colours of dragons suggest there were several
subdivisions in the family of dragons, just as there are several dog-breeds
there would have been several dragon-breeds. Each breed had their own name,
characteristics and preferred habitat. How many these subdivisions are depends
on what source you refer to or what movie you watch. But most of the sources
talks about three divisions (based on areas in the world): African, Asian and
European. Other researchers talk about serpent dragons, semi-dragons, classical
dragons, sky dragons and neo-dragons when trying to put the different dragons
into their families, but inside these division there are subdivisions (such as
Tibetian- or Chinese dragons under Asian dragons).
Today’s literature of fantasy often involves dragons in some form. The
dragons can be the enemy (as in J.R.R. Tolkien “Bilbo” or Astrid Lindgren “Bröderna
Lejonhjärta”) or they can be friends (as in Christopher Paolini “Eragon”). Some sources (in this case
fantasy-literature) suggest that they can be both (like in Harry Potter),
depending on your own heart and character or if you can trick the dragon (with
riddles) into helping you in your quest.
It is far from descriptions of dragons by ancient societies, where
mankind are portrayed in fierce battle against the dragons or the dragons
eating farmer’s animals, the most common description from medieval era and/or
in fairytales.
Some societies portrayed dragons as Gods (such as Mayan God Quetzalcóatl,
also known as Kukulcán) and they are still symbols of power, used by many
rulers in their weapons or even names (for example the Chinese ruler is said to
have been selected by the God of heaven, by some believed to have been a
sky-dragon).
Descending from reptiles, dragons were said to have scales as skin but
hard as diamonds and colours could vary from green, brown, black to silver,
yellow, white and blue (combinations and other colors are also possible
according to some sources). Depending on their habitat (water, mountain, woods
or countryside) their shapes and limbs had different qualities.
Mountain dragons are described as steady, four legged animals with wings,
living in caves that are very hard to reach for humans (for example on
mountaintops). These are often portrayed as fire breathing dragons, using this
as their most deadly weapon against intruders. These are most common in
European mythology and for instance Wales have on their shield a dragon
described as a mountain dragon (subdivision wyvern).
On the countryside speed and good eyesight were preferred to lurk high
in the sky, looking for prey and then swiftly diving down to capture it (a lot
like birds of prey). So they had slim bodies, big wings and strong claws (to
hold the prey when ascending). Where they had their nest is less portrayed but
some sources suggest it was caves on the hillsides. If they were fire breathing
dragons, or if their speed was enough to protect and hunt, is also left unsaid.
The prairies in America were perfect habitat for these dragons.
The fire breathing mechanism is vividly discussed by researchers as
impossible without damaging themselves critically. Although different suggestions
on how it could be possible is still given by, for example, BBC´s Dragon´s World and in the 2002 movie Reign of Fire. BBC suggests a gas in an
extra pair of lungs that with platina as a catalyst would create fire. To
shield themselves from the flames and the heat they have a flap inside their
throat to prevent the flames from going backwards and the skin in the mouth is
rock-solid.
Reign of Fire on the other hand suggests two bladders in their
mouths, filled with two different chemical fluids that when combined ignites.
So the dragons described in Reign of Fire
spits fire instead of breathing, and the fire is therefore created outside
the mouth and do therefor not harm the dragon. The description in Reign of Fire is vividly discussed on Internet´s
platforms and many readers argue this sounds truer than BBC´s description.
Although both sources agree it must have been some kind of chemical reaction by
dragon’s natural bacteria or fluids. The idea of which ones and how they were
combined differs widely.
Writers often give dragons a characteristic more known to belong to a
magpie: a love for shimmery things (treasures). Therefor dragons are often
portrayed as guardians of a huge treasure (consisting of gold, silver and
jewels) and by slaying the dragon you can keep the treasure for yourself. Fairytales
do also describe dragons hungry for female virgins, especially if they are
royal (princesses). In these fairytales a knight (or a common farmer’s son)
wins the kingdom, the treasure and the princess by slaying the dragon.
Also, if they are friends with humans, they have or they can give
magical features to the humans. This is best described in Paolinis “Eragon” where the riders can share their
mind with the dragon (mindreading and seeing through the dragons eyes). Also
can they perform magical rituals and spells together to enforce the magic (the
dragons power enforce the spell more than the human could alone). The same goes
for potions with ingredients from dragons (dragons scales, claws or ashes burnt
by their fire for example); they are stronger than potions made from “common”
ingredients (such as roots and small animals). As enemies the humans often need
some kind of magical weapon or help from other magical creatures (such as
swords by rare metals, angels helping or giving strong armor) to be able to
slay it. Only exception is when the knight tricks the dragon to reveal how it
is slayed (often a soft spot somewhere on their body).
Even Christianity have their stories about saints that would have slayed
a dragon, although some researchers mean that in Christianity a dragon is a
symbol of the devil and by this metaphor slaying the dragon would have meant
slaying the devil (such as Sankt Mikael and Sankt Göran). Further discussion
and research is to be made to reveal if it was a devil inside them or another
mythological creature (such as demons) that are relevant in these stories.
Today many researchers, and common men, think that dragons could have existed
in prehistoric times, but not as the fantasy literature describes them. It is
more likely that dragons (in every form) are some undiscovered dinosaur without
the fire-breathing capabilities. But if they were dinosaurs, mankind in ancient
cultures should not have been able to describe them in their carvings and
drawings, nor should they have been so detailed in 15th century
stories (as in story about John Lambton, in 1420, slaying a dragon close to his
castle).
So maybe it is an undiscovered animal, related to both dinosaurs and
birds (such as the phoenix)? And what about animals that we today call dragons
(such as salamander and Komodo dragon)? Are these remains of an older, larger
and stronger animal breed?
Maybe, maybe not, but dragons are still tickling mankind’s imagination
and interest, getting new believers (in their existence) and drawing readers
and/or watchers to books and movies portraying dragons. Only time will tell if
any real fossils will be found to shed more light on dragons existence in the
prehistoric (and medieval) eras.
References:
BBC & Discovery Network (2004). Dragon´s
World: Fantasy Made Real https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8FIDeOOL52Q
Dr. Karl Shuker (2006). Dragons: A
Natural History.
Red. Dugald A. Steer, B.A. (BRIST), H.U.D.S. Drakologi. Damms stora bok om drakar.
Gustafsson, Kristoffer (2014). Monster
och vidunder: lexikon över världens väsen.
Red. Cotterell, Arthur (2005). Mytologi:
Gudar, hjältar, myter. p. 108
Colbert, David (2002). Harry Potter’s
magiska värld. P. 49-54.
Red. Willis, Roy (1993). Prismas
stora bok om mytologi.
Svahn, Clas (2008, 2007, 2009). Berättelser
om det okända. p. 112-130. Det
okända. p. 209-217. Möten med det okända. p. 233-246.
Red. Persson, Åke (1999). Gåtfullt:
Mysterier, Monster, Legender. p. 8-26, 33-38.
Ehnmark, Erland (1958). Världens
stora religioner. p. 66-67.
PS. Jag fick vitsord 2. Så inget bra vitsord men godkänt!
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