Dragon and mythology

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Dragon and mythology

Dragon Lore and Mythology

Dragons exist in myths from many cultures.

It is interesting that the identical fictional beast exists in all of them.

DRAGONS IN GREEK MYTHS

In Greek mythology the dragon was the ultimate heroic assignment. Sooner or later every warrior had to test his mettle against this terrifying beast. Hercules, Perseus, and Jason all battle serpent-like dragons.

BIBLICAL DRAGONS

“The dragon is not only one of the oldest of all mythical beasts; it has a place in nearly every mythology, often as a symbol of evil. In the Old Testament the Dragon represented the Devil himself.”

There are numerous paintings of St. George slaying the dragon in Christian art.

PSYCHOLOGY

In psychological symbolism, the dragon represents an individual’s fears or anxieties. If you slay your dragon, you have conquered those negative thoughts.

DRAGONS FROM ARABIC HISTORY

The Babylonian empire’s creation myth contained a dragon. In the myth, Marduk establishes order by killing Tiamat, the dragon of chaos. From the monster's body he fashions the sky and the sea.

The Babylonian King Nebuchadnezzar II (604 - 562 BC) built a majestic gate at Babylon in honor of the goddess Ishtar. It was decorated from top to bottom with glazed bricks with carved lions, bulls and dragons that symbolize their major gods. There were approximately 575 reliefs: of lions (symbols of Ishtar); dragons (symbols of Marduk); and bulls (symbols of Adad, god of lightning).

MEDIEVAL DRAGONS

“The power and energy of the dragon caused its adoption in pagan times as a heraldic device. ….its unruliness represented evil, and its slaying symbolized the triumph of Christ over the powers of darkness.”

“Then Sir Lancelot drew his sword and fought with the dragon long, and at last with great pain Sir Lancelot slew that dragon.”

DRAGONS OF ASIA

“The dragon was seen as the divine figure, in which all the elements were united. Living in lakes and in the sky, symbolizing fertility and creativity, it was regarded with caution and respect.”

“The most ancient dragons of the Hawaiians are spoken of as living in pools or lakes…one dragon lived in the Ewa lagoon, now known as ‘Pearl Harbor’.”

The year 2000 is the year of the dragon in Asian astrology (2012 is the next one).

ASTRONOMY

Draco, the Dragon, is a constellation made up of about fifteen stars. It circles around the North Pole. Draco comes from the word meaning to see or watch, and the dragon is often guarding something valuable, such as golden apples in the garden of the Hesperides. To win the treasure, the monster guarding it has to be conquered. Usually the horrible dragon-monster must be slain by one of the young gods or heros.

SOUTH AND NORTH AMERICAN DRAGONS

“In the ancient civilization of America one of the most prominent deities was called the ’Feathered Serpent’, in the Maya language, it is the Kukulkan, in Quechua it is the Gukumatz, and in Aztec it is called the Quetxalcoatl. The Pueblo Indians believe in a serpent dragon that is the ‘Mother of Waters’…..it is the emblem of rain…”

National Geographic has written about how a Mayan temple and a grave line up to the Draco constellation, showing the importance of the deity in their spiritual believes.

CELTIC DRAGONS

The red dragon symbolizes the sovereignty of Britain, and is the totemic beast of the greatest line of kings, the Pen-dragons. In the Celtic religion dragons symbolized earth energies.

There is a legend that the British tyrant, King Vortigern was attempting to build a fortified tower in Wales. But the building was unstable, and the structure kept falling down. The King found a young boy to be sacrificed in an attempt to save the Tower. The young boy had powers of prophecy. He saw that two dragons, one red and one white, were fighting in an underground pool below the weak foundations. Vortigern was afraid, and listened to the boy, who some say, lived to become Merlin. The boy said that the red dragon would slay the white dragon, and the Saxons would be driven from Britain.

ROMANIA AND THE CRUSADES

Count Dracula's name was Vlad Tepes. Vlad was born in Romania in 1431. Vlad Tepes was a ruler for a state near Transylvania. The name "Dracula" was first held by his father also named Vlad. The name means "Son of a Dragon". Vlad senior received the name because he was part of the Order of the Dragon, an order created by the Holy Roman Emperor. The Order of the Dragon was designed as an alliance to fight the Turks. In current day Romanian, the word "Dracul" is synonymous with the word "Devil". As a ruler, Vlad Tepes probably had some "Devilish" habits such as drinking human blood. This was done to perhaps promote fear. It was not unusual for the victor of a war in those times to "drink the blood of his enemy". (Transylvania Legend by Andrei Tamas)

Reference: “Dragons, an Anthology of Verse and Prose”

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