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dragons are for slaying
{{Original research|article|date=September 2007}}
{{otheruses}}
[[Image:Dragon chinois.jpg|thumb|right|240px|''[[Chinese dragon]]'', color engraving on wood, Chinese school, nineteenth century]]
The '''dragon''' (from [[Ancient Greek]] '''''δράκων''''' - drakōn, "a serpent of huge size, a python, a dragon") is a [[mythical creature]] typically depicted as a gigantic and powerful [[Serpent (symbolism)|serpent]] or other [[reptile]] with [[magical]] or [[Spirituality|spiritual]] qualities.

==Overview==
In Jewish religious texts, the first mention of a dragon-like creature is in the [[Tanakh|Biblical]] works of [[Job]] (26:13), and [[Isaiah]] (27:1) where it is called ''Nachash Bare'ach'', or a "[[Geographical pole|Pole]] Serpent".<ref>p.233, Kaplan</ref> This is identified in the [[Midrash Rabba]] to Genesis 1:21 as [[Leviathan]] from the word ''Taninim'' <blockquote>
and God created the great sea-monsters.<ref>p.51,Freedman</ref>
</blockquote>

In Jewish astronomy this is also identified with the [[North Pole]], the star [[Thuban]] which, around 4,500 years ago, was the star in the [[Draco (constellation)|Draco constellation's]] "tail".<ref>p.233, Kaplan</ref> However this can also have been either the [[celestial pole]] or the [[ecliptic pole]]. The ancient observers noted that Draco was at the top of the celestial pole, giving the appearance that stars were "hanging" from it, and in Hebrew it is referred to as ''Teli'', from talah - to hang.<ref>p.1670, Jastrow ref to Genesis 38:14, Y.Sot.I 16d (bot.)</ref> Hebrew writers in Arabic locations identified the ''Teli'' as ''Al Jaz'har'', which is a Persian word for a "knot" or a "node" because of the intersection of the inclination of the orbit of a planet from the elliptic that forms two such nodes. In modern astronomy these are called the [[ascending node]] and the [[descending node]], but in the [[History_of_astronomy#Western_European_Astronomy_in_the_Middle_Ages|medieval astronomy]] they were referred to as "dragon's head" and "dragon's tail".<ref>p.235, Kaplan</ref>

In [[Ancient Greece]] the first mention of a dragon is derived from the [[Iliad]] where [[Agamemnon]] is described as having a blue dragon motif on his sword belt and a three-headed dragon emblem on his breast plate. <ref>p.79, Drury, Nevill, The Dictionary of the Esoteric [http://books.google.com.au/books?id=k-tVr09oq3IC&pg=PA79&lpg=PA79&dq=earliest+mention+of+dragon&source=web&ots=fxq_n3SLTa&sig=zKfmIXx1BT3nQAZq3I0vkx9akhM&hl=en]</ref>

Like most [[mythological creatures]], dragons are perceived in different ways by different cultures. Dragons are sometimes said to breathe and spit fire or poison. They are commonly portrayed as serpentine or reptilian, hatching from [[egg (biology)|eggs]] and possessing typically feathered or scaly bodies. They are sometimes portrayed as having large yellow or red eyes, a feature that is the origin for the word for dragon in many cultures. They are sometimes portrayed with a row of dorsal spines, keeled scales, or leathery bat-like wings. Winged dragons are usually portrayed only in European dragons while Asian versions of the dragon, sometimes called the Long (Chinese pinyin) resemble large 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 tend to be larger than their original representations, which were often smaller than humans.
Although dragons occur in many legends around the world, different cultures have varying stories about monsters that have been grouped together under the dragon label. [[Chinese dragon]]s ({{zh-stp|t=龍|s=龙|p=lóng}}), and Eastern dragons generally, are usually seen as benevolent, whereas [[European dragon]]s are usually malevolent though there are exceptions (one exception being [[Y Ddraig Goch]], The Red Dragon of Wales). Malevolent dragons also occur in the mythology of [[Persian mythology|Persia]] (see [[Zahhak|Azhi Dahaka]]) and Russia, among other places.

Dragons are particularly popular in China and the 5-clawed dragon was a symbol of the Chinese emperors, with the [[phoenix (mythology)|phoenix]] or [[fenghuang]] the symbol of the Chinese empress. 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 [[East Asia|Eastern]] cultures dragons were, and in some cultures still are, revered as representative of the primal forces of [[nature]], religion and the [[universe]]. They are associated with [[wisdom]]&mdash;often said to be wiser than humans&mdash;and longevity. They are commonly said to possess some form of [[Magic (paranormal)|magic]] or other supernatural power, and are often associated with wells, rain, and rivers. In some cultures, they are also said to be capable of human speech.

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.

==Speculation on the origin of dragons==
Dragons may be mental representations of natural human fears of snakes, wildcats, birds of prey, as well as teeth, claws, size, and even venom blending with fear of wildfire.<ref>{{cite book |last=Jones |first=David E. |title=[[An Instinct for Dragons]] |origdate=2002-06-21 |publisher=[[Routledge]] |language=English |isbn=0415937299}}</ref>

Others believe that the dragon may have had a real-life counterpart from which the various legends arose &mdash; typically [[dinosaurs]] or other [[archosaurs]] are mentioned as a possibility &mdash; but there is no physical evidence to support this claim, only alleged sightings collected by [[cryptozoology|cryptozoologists]]. [[Loren Coleman]] argues that [[monitor lizard]]s were the basis of some dragon tales and that the breath of the dragon is the fantastic imagery of the steam from the warm Montane Valley monitors emerging from a body of water into the cold air of some Asian locations.

Dinosaur and mammalian fossils were occasionally mistaken for the bones of dragons and other mythological creatures &mdash; for example, a discovery in 300 BC in [[Wucheng]], [[Sichuan]], [[China]], was labeled as such by [[Chang Qu]].<ref>[http://www.abc.net.au/science/k2/moments/s1334145.htm Great Moments in Science - Dinosaurs And Cave People<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>
Other famous dragons have been:

1. Puff The Magic Dragon
3. Komodo Dragons

==Dragons in world mythology==
<div align="center">
<gallery>
Image:Zmei Gorinich (colour fixed).jpg|[[Zmey Gorynych]], the dragon of the [[Slavic mythology]]. Its name is translated as "Snake son-of-mountain", it has three heads, wings, and it spits fire (20th century painting).
Image:Marduk and pet.jpg|The ancient [[Mesopotamia]]n god [[Marduk]] and his dragon, from a [[Babylonia]]n cylinder seal
Image:Paolo Uccello 050.jpg|[[Saint George]] slaying the dragon, as depicted by [[Paolo Uccello]], c. 1470
Image:Ljubljana dragon.JPG|The Ljubljana dragon, the protector dragon of [[Ljubljana]], capital of [[Slovenia]]
Image:Armoirie.dragon.png| An illustration of a dragon on an early [[France|French]] [[Coat of arms|armorial shield]]
Image:Hopperstad dragon.jpg| Dragon at the [[Hopperstad stave church]] near Vikøyri in [[Vik]] municipality, [[Sogn og Fjordane]] county, [[Norway]].
Image:Viking-ship-head-dragon-dog-closeup.jpg| Closeup section of an unpainted, carved head of a [[Viking ship]], in the Oslo Viking museum, showing dragon with dog nostrils, canine teeth, rounded ears, and circular blank eyes (unpainted)
</gallery>
</div>

{| class="wikitable"
|-
| colspan="4" style="background-color: #ffa; text-align: center; font-weight: bold;" | [[Chinese dragon|Asian dragon]]s
|-
| Indonesian dragon
| '''Naga or Nogo''' [[Image:Linteau Musée Guimet 25973.jpg|left|80px]]
| 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(including Malaya. in fact, the word 'Naga' is a common noun for dragon in Malay). 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.
|-
| [[Chinese dragon]]
| '''Lóng''' (or '''Loong'''. "'''Lung'''" being an inaccurate, but commonly used, romanization.)[[Image:Dragon pillbox.jpg|left|80px]]
| The '''Chinese dragon''', is a [[Mythology|mythical]] [[China|Chinese]] creature that also appears in other [[East Asia]]n cultures, and is also sometimes called the ''Oriental (or Eastern) dragon''. Depicted as a long, snake-like creature with four claws, it has long been a potent symbol of auspicious power in [[Chinese folklore]] and [[Chinese art|art]].
|-
| [[Japanese dragon]]
| '''Ryū''' [[Image:Okyo Dragon.jpg|left|80px]]
| Similar to [[Chinese dragon]]s, with three claws instead of four. They are benevolent (with exceptions), associated with water, and may grant wishes.
|-
| [[Philippine Dragon]]
| '''Bakunawa'''
| The Bakunawa appears as a gigantic serpent that lives in the sea.

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

It is said that during certain times of the year, the bakunawa arises from the ocean and proceeds to swallow the moon whole. To keep the Bakunawa 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 Bakunawa into spitting out the moon back into the sky.
|-
| rowspan="3" | [[Korean dragon]]
| '''Yong (Mireu)'''
| 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. In pure Korean, it is also known as 'mireu'.
|-
| '''Imoogi'''
| A hornless ocean dragon, sometimes equated with a [[sea serpent]].
|-
| '''Gyo'''
| A mountain dragon. In fact, the Chinese character for this word is also used for the imoogi.
|-
| [[Vietnamese dragon]]
| '''Rồng''' or '''Long''' [[Image:Dragonvietnam.gif|left|160px]]<br /><br /><br /><br /><br />(Ly dynasty, Daiviet X)
| 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).
|-
| Champ dragon
| '''[[makara]]''' [[Image:Cham dragon makara.JPG|left|80px]]
| A mythical sea monster with the body of a serpent, the trunk of an elephant, and a head that can have features reminiscent of a lion, a crocodile, or a dragon.
|-
|Siberian dragon
| '''[[Yilbegan]]'''
| Related to European Turkic and Slavic dragons
|-
| colspan="4" style="background-color: #ffa; text-align: center; font-weight: bold;" | [[European dragon]]s
|-
| Catalan dragon
| '''[[European_dragon#Dragons_in_Catalan_mythology|drac]]'''
| Catalan dragons are serpent-like creatures with two legs (rarely four) and, sometimes, a pair of wings. Their faces can resemble that of other animals, like lions or cattle. They have a burning breath. Their breath is also poisonous, the reason by which ''dracs'' are able to rot everything with their stench. A ''víbria'' is a female dragon.
|-
| French dragons
| '''[[Dragon]]''' [[Image:Meddragon Liber Floridus Lambert of sint Omaars 1460.jpg|left|80px]]
| The french representation of dragons spans much of European history, and has even given its name to the [[dragoon]]s, a type of [[cavalry]].
|-
| 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 [[immortality|immortal]].
|-
| Scandinavian & Germanic dragons
| '''[[Lindworm]]''' [[Image:Dragon héraldique.png|left|80px]] (early [[Vandals|Vandal]])
| Lindworms are serpent-like dragons with either two or no legs. In Nordic and Germanic heraldry, the lindworm looks the same as a [[wyvern]]. The dragon [[Fafnir]] was a lindworm.
|-
| English dragons
| '''[[Wyrm]]'''[[Image:London Dragon.svg|left|80px]]
| Wyrms are dragons with serpentine or lizard-like bodies, four legs and bat-like wings, and usually have horns and can breathe fire. They are generally evil, and hoard treasure captured from raids on castles. The dragon that Beowulf fought has been depicted as a wyrm. In modern fantasy, Smaug, the dragon from J.R.R. Tolkien's ''The Hobbit'', was called a wyrm.
|-
| Welsh dragons
| '''[[y ddraig goch]]''' [[Image:Welsh dragon.svg|left|100px]]
| In Welsh mythology, after a long battle (which the Welsh King Vortigern witnesses) a red dragon defeats a white dragon; Merlin explains to the Vortigern that the red dragon symbolizes the Welsh, and the white dragon symbolizes the Saxons - thus foretelling the ultimate defeat of the English by the Welsh.
|-
| rowspan="3" | Hungarian dragons (''Sárkányok'')
| '''zomok'''
| A great snake living in a swamp, which regularly kills [[pig]]s or [[sheep]]. A group of shepherds can easily kill them.
|-
| '''sárkánykígyó'''
| A giant winged snake, which is in fact a full-grown ''zomok''. It often serves as flying mount of the ''garabonciás'' (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.
In contemporary Hungarian the word ''sárkány'' is used to mean all kinds of dragons.
|-
| [[Slavic dragon]]s
| '''zmey''', '''zmiy''', '''żmij''', '''змей''', or '''zmaj''', or '''drak''', or '''smok''' [[Image:Dragon Crop.svg|left|80px]]
| 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 languages|Turkic]] names (see Zilant, below), symbolizing the long-standing conflict between the Slavs and Turks. However, in Serbian and Bulgarian folklore, dragons are defenders of the [[Crop (agriculture)|crops]] in their home regions, fighting against a destructive demon [[Ala (Hala)|Ala]], whom they shoot with lightning.<ref>{{cite book
| last = Зечевић
| first = Слободан
| title = Митска бића српских предања
| publisher = "Вук Караџић" : Етнографски музеј
| date = 1981
| location = [[Belgrade]]}} (A book in [[Serbian language|Serbian]] about mythical creatures of Serbian traditions)</ref><ref>{{cite web
|last = Беновска-Събкова
|first = Милена
|title = Змей
|publisher = Родово Наследство
|url = http://bgrod.org/Vjara/index.php?p=bogove&page=zmej
|accessdate = [[13 August]] [[2007]]}} (An extract from the book ''Змеят в българския фолклор'' (The Dragon in Bulgarian Folklore), in [[Bulgarian language|Bulgarian]])</ref>
|-
| 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 [[Asturias|Asturian]] mythology the [[Cuélebre]]s are giant winged serpents, which live in caves where they guard treasures and kidnapped [[xana]]s. 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.
|-
| [[Portugal|Portuguese]] dragons
| '''Coca'''
| In Portuguese mythology coca is a female dragon that fights with [[Saint George]]. She loses her strength when Saint George cuts off one of her ears.
|-
| [[Greece|Greek]] dragons
| '''Drakōn''' - ''δράκων'' [[Image:Kadmos dragon Louvre E707.jpg|left|80px]]
| Cadmus fighting the dragon is a legendary story from the Greek lore dating to before ca. 560–550 BC.
|-
| Tatar dragons
| '''[[Zilant]]''' [[Image:Flag Kaz.jpg|left|120px]]
| 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]]'''
| 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.
|-
| colspan="4" style="background-color: #ffa; text-align: center; font-weight: bold;" | American dragons
|-
| Dragons in the [[United States of America]]
| '''Mascots''' [[Image:Mariothedragon.jpg|left|80px]]
| Mario the Magnificent, the Drexel Dragon, mascot of [[Drexel University]] standing on the corner of 33rd and Market Street, [[Philadelphia]], [[Pennsylvania]].
|}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==Sources==
* {{cite book |author=Rosanna M. Giammanco Frongia; Giorgi, Rosa; Giammanco Frongia, Rosanna M.; Zuffi, Stefano |title=Angels and demons in art |publisher=J. Paul Getty Museum |location=Los Angeles |year=2005 |pages= |isbn=0892368306 |oclc= |doi=}}
* {{cite book |author=Littleton, C. Scott |title=Mythology: The Illustrated Anthology of World Myth and Storytelling |publisher=Thunder Bay Press (CA) |location= |year= |pages= |isbn=1571458271 |oclc= |doi=}}
* Drury, Nevill, The Dictionary of the Esoteric, Motilal Banarsidass Publ., 2003 ISBN 8120819896
* Freedman, Rabbi Dr. H. (translation), Simon M., editor, Midrash Rabbah: Genesis, Volume one, The Soncino Press, London, 1983

==Further reading==
* Knight, Peter. "Sacred Dorset - On the Path of the Dragon", 1998.
*{{cite book |authorlink = Karl Shuker | last = Shuker | first = Karl |title=Dragons: a natural history |publisher=Simon & Schuster |location=New York |year=1995 |pages= |isbn=0684814439 |oclc= |doi=}}
*{{cite book |authorlink =Ruth Manning-Sanders | last = Manning-Sanders | first = Ruth |title=[[A Book of Dragons]] |publisher=Methuen |location=London |year=1977 |pages= |isbn=0416581102 |oclc= |doi=}}

==External links==
{{wiktionarypar|dragon}}
{{commons|Dragon}}
*[http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/6171963.stm Chinese Dragons in the news]

{{Heraldic creatures}}

[[Category:Dragons| ]]
[[Category:Cryptids]]
[[Category:Heraldic beasts]]
[[Category:Mythological hybrids]]
[[Category:Public domain characters]]

{{Link FA|lv}}

[[ar:تنين]]
[[an:Dragón]]
[[bs:Zmaj (mitologija)]]
[[bg:Дракон]]
[[ca:Drac]]
[[cs:Drak]]
[[cy:Draig]]
[[da:Drage (fabeldyr)]]
[[de:Drache (Mythologie)]]
[[el:Δράκοντας]]
[[es:Dragón]]
[[eo:Drako (mitologio)]]
[[fa:اژدها]]
[[fr:Dragon (mythologie)]]
[[hr:Zmaj]]
[[id:Naga]]
[[is:Dreki (goðsagnavera)]]
[[it:Drago]]
[[he:דרקון]]
[[kw:Dragon]]
[[ku:Ejdiya]]
[[la:Draco]]
[[lv:Pūķis]]
[[lb:Draach (Mythologie)]]
[[hu:Sárkány]]
[[ms:Naga]]
[[nl:Draak (fabeldier)]]
[[ja:ドラゴン]]
[[no:Drage]]
[[nrm:Dragon]]
[[oc:Dragon]]
[[om:Dragon]]
[[pl:Smok]]
[[pt:Dragão]]
[[ro:Dragon]]
[[ru:Дракон]]
[[sco:Draigon]]
[[simple:Dragon]]
[[sh:Zmaj]]
[[fi:Lohikäärme]]
[[sv:Drake]]
[[tl:Dragon]]
[[th:มังกร]]
[[vi:Rồng]]
[[tr:Ejderha]]
[[uk:Змій]]
[[zh:龙 (西方)]]

Revision as of 15:22, 29 April 2008

dragons are for slaying

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