Dragons

INTRODUCTION
Dragons are of the most endearing and popular mythical creatures. They are a fixture of any fantasy story. Dragons, from the Latin, Draco, is a large reptilian-like creature with scales and wings. The serpent is a fire-breather with claws.

A HISTORY OF DRAGONS
The origins of the dragon is obscured, and by all indications, it is a cross-cultural legends, as it can be found in folklore from Scandinavia, Greece, China and Japan(where it's stil popular) and in Africa. Some of the earliest references can be found in the stories of Heracles and Beowulf, the dragon slayer.

European Dragons

In popular medieval legends like Beowulf, dragons are creatures that live, often alone, in remote caves where they guard treasures.The first mention of dragons in Europe came from the Homer's the Iliad, where Argamenon is described as wearing a dragon symbol on his robes.

Asian Dragons

In Asia, the dragon is portrayed similarly to European dragons. However, in Asia, the Dragon is a water-dwelling creature who has the ability to transform into human form. In Asia, the dragon is benevolent. Scholars have speculated that the dragon myth in China originated from ancient tribal totems that depicted crocodiles and snakes interwoven together. The dragon is Asia goes back to the Chinese Han Dynasty in the third century BCE.

DRAGONS In POPULAR CULTURE
Dragons are a common fixture in medieval tales, where the play the roles of villains to brave knights and princes.

Perhaps taking a cure from the Asian dragons, modern culture rarely portray dragons as evil creatures now. They are often sidekicks of the heroes, or enslaved and forced weapons of the villian thta must be freed.

Some dragon lores say they are magical or powerful creatures. In many myth, the dragon's treasure often comes with a curse. Dragons can have the power to control destiny, but reluctantly use it. In modern Chinese practice, people dress up in dragon costumes and dance through the streets during the Chinese new year. This is a sign of a good luck to ward off evil spirits. To the Chinese, the dragon is a figure of cultural epxression, and it is disrespectful to mark on dragon art or image, or be portrayed harming one.

DRAGONS IN REAL LIFE
Draconology, or the science of dragons is a legitimate discipline for many.

Many people believe that dragons were once real and this explains the phenonomen of the creatures appearance in folkkore across all cultures. Indeed, the dragon bears a strong resemblance to dinosaur species of old. However, the dragon, as it is often envisioned in popular myth has never been proven to have existed. The closest species to dragons, currently alive, are the komono dragons, found in East Asia and lizard species the worlds.

THERE WILL BE DRAGONS
Dragon Slayer,1981

Dragon Heart,1996

Dungeons and Dragons, 2000

Reign of Fire,2002

Eragon,2006

Beowulf,2007