The Sacred and Terrible Serpent in Mythology

Dragon: The Sacred and Terrible Serpent

Terrifying beasts, dragons. They eat maidens, burn villages to cinders and sleep atop piles of gold. Or maybe they don’t. Depending on how and where you were raised, you may feel differently about dragons.

Dragon myths are among the first bits of recorded history we have. The creatures feature as bad guys in many ancient Middle Eastern religions, including those of the Sumerians and Babylonians. It was believed in Sumer that a dragon had stolen a set of tablets belonging to the god Enlil, upon which were recorded the laws of the universe. The dragon, Zu, was later slain by the sun-god Ninurta. In the Babylonian epic of Enuma Elish, the goddess Tiamat led an army of dragons against the gods. The Egyptians associated dragons with the primal conflict between light and darkness.

Dragons also appear numerous times in Greco-Roman mythology. A dragon guarded the sacred grove of Juno, and the goddess Ceres was sometimes depicted as being drawn in a chariot by dragons.

                           
Dragons

Despite its entirely fictional status, the dragon is one of the world’s best-known mythic creatures, and will likely remain so. Various nations, civic organizations, military groups and sports teams have adopted it based on its ferocious, fearful aspects. The creature also features in contemporary fantasy literature and games.

Some psychologists believe that the dragon in mythology and dreams represents the guardian of the treasure of self-knowledge, and the sacred unity of the world above and the world below. Dare you face the dragon within yourself...More at Here There Be Dragons: The Sacred and Terrible Serpent in Myth

The Unknown Dragon

Rare Dragons

Most of Us grew up with stories of dragons, their names and their mystical behaviors, here is a depiction of those "rare dragons" never heard of before.                       

Dragons have always left us fascinated. Subjected to rigorous debates and even more rigorous beliefs of dragons being gods, they have survived years of studies and scrutiny through innumerable tales and stories in our hearts. Read on to know more about the most obscure dragons known to mankind.

Rare Dragons Around the World

Rare Dragon – The Indian Naga

Indian myths and folklore have introduced us to the polysepalous reptile that drinks only milk and feasts on frogs, known as the Naga. They are the king of the serpentine fraternity though they can morph themselves into humans if need be. Unlike the other fictitious dragons, the rare Naga dragon doesn’t have wings and is depicted similar to Chinese dragons, as guardians of enormous wealth and transforming into water-spirits. Because the word ‘Naga’ in Sanskrit denotes slithery reptiles, the real incarnation of the dragon ‘Nagas’ is not known to many.

Rare Dragon – The Philippine Bakunawa

This rare breed of dragon is gigantic and known to be the cause of eclipses in Philippine mythology and folk tales. With a mouth as big as a lake, Bakunawas have two sets of wings, much like the fins of fishes. Filipinos have always associated the moon and its eclipses with the rare species of dragon. Bakunawa had a sister in the form of a turtle who was killed by villagers of the island where it laid its eggs. An enraged Bakunawa woke up from its slumber to swallow the moon, resulting in the first ever lunar eclipse. After repeated prayers and rituals to appease the native god Bathala, he advised the villagers to beat drums and vessels to ward off the serpentine beast. It regurgitated the moon only not to return again.

Rare Dragon – The Siberian Yilbegan

Yilbegan, the dragon known for riding an ox with 99 horns, possesses more European than Eastern traits and is portrayed like an ogre-looking man-eating behemoth rather than a friend to humanity. We find references to the Yilbegan in Siberian and Turkish mythology as a multi-headed reptile. Popular Turkish and Siberian folklores consider the rare dragon to be the offspring of Altan Sibaldai, “the golden witch”, an accomplice of the underworld lord.

Rare Dragon – The Norse or Scandinavian Nidhogg

According to Norse mythology, the Nidhogg is that mammoth serpentine who gnaws at one of the roots of the Yggdrasill – the giant central tree of Norse cosmology or the World Tree which strings the nine worlds of Norse mythology together. The poem Völuspá describes the Nidhogg as one who ‘sucks on the corpses of the dead’. Ursula Dronke, the Scandinavian medievalist and a former reader, translated a part of the “Poetic Edda” as,
“There comes the shadowy
 Dragon flying,
 Glittering serpent, up
 From Dark of the Moon Hills.
 He carries in his pinions
 —he flies over the field—
 Malice Striker, corpses.
Now will she sink…”

Rare Dragon – The Chuvash Dragon

Said to have lived in a pagan tower, the rare Chuvash dragon had three heads and exhaled fire in the wake of the night. Much like the Nagas, they too can easily transform themselves into humans and vice versa and more popularly called the Veri Celen. Russian myths that date back thousands of years tell us how the natives of Chuvash had found a massive reptile and wanted to kill it. When the reptile pleaded with gods, they blessed him with a pair of wings which is how the dragon started to fly.

Rare Dragon – The Cantabrian Cuélebre

that could only be killed with a meal of red-hot stones or bread infested with pins. Contradictorily, their spirits were said to have turned into magical stones that healed many unsaid diseases....More at Rare Dragons – Interesting Facts and Myths about Dragons | Blue ...

Dragon Mythology:

 A comprehensive list of Dragon Mythology and Folklore...

*Chinese Dragon
 The Chinese dragon, is a creature in Chinese mythology that also appears in other Asian cultures, and is sometimes called the Oriental (or Eastern) dragon. Depicted as a long, snake-like creature with four claws
(or five for the imperial dragon), it has long been a potent symbol of auspicious power in Chinese folklore and art.



 *Indian Dragon

A serpentine dragon common to all cultures influenced by Hinduism. They are often hooded like a cobra and may have several heads depending on their rank. They usually have no arms or legs but those with limbs resemble the Chinese dragon.

* Indonesian/Malay Dragon
 Derived from the Indian nāga, belief in the Indo-Malay dragon spread throughout Maritime Southeast Asia Like its Indian counterpart, the naga is considered divine in nature, benevolent, and often associated with sacred mountains, forests, or certain parts of the sea
with Hinduism. The word naga is still the common Malay/Indonesian term for dragon.



 * Japanese Dragon
 Similar to Chinese dragons, with three claws instead of four. They are usually benevolent, associated with

Chinese Dragons

The dragon is a very common symbol found out there among the Chinese cultures. It is often shown as a very long animal that is very similar to the form of a snake. Yet it has four claws on it and a very small heat that may be shooting fire from the mouth. In the Chinese culture, the chinese dragon is a very powerful symbol of strength. It is a common part of their celebrations and the dragon is also one of the animals that their years are named after.

The Chinese don’t believe that dragons once roamed the Earth though. Instead they are a symbol of they mystical part of life that often can’t be explained. In many of the early writings the Chinese Dragon is believed to be the bearer of the water and the rain. This is why many of the traditional celebrations honor the dragon for what it has offered to the land.

There is material to suggest that the Chinese Dragon was the official symbol of early Emperors. It is believed that this was done to remind people of the power that this person held. It also resulted in many of the people making art of dragons in order to honor their respect for the Emperor.

If you take a close look at many forms of early art work and architecture in China, you will see many detailed works of dragons. Many of them have been well preserved over the years as well. They want to be able to continue showing their respect to this type of creature.

For those Chinese people that get tattoo work done, the dragon is the most common. Males often want the dragon on their body as a symbol of strength and honor. It is common for families of the same origin to have a particular dragon tattoo on them. This is a way to continue showing their pride in their heritage.

The Chinese Dragon is still considered to be a very detailed part of the Chinese Culture. It is disrespectful to destroy anything with a dragon on it. They also have plenty of advertisements that include dragons. Of course they only show them in the very best views. They don’t allow disrespect of dragons to be show in movies or films either.

Dragons Lair

Did Dragons Really Exist?

Many stories from medieval times though include knights that go hunting for dragons. With all the technology we have today and all the artifacts discovered there has never been anything found that could be the remains of dragons.

Even so, they continue to be a big part of stories and in many cultures they are symbolic in nature. Some stories portray dragons as very intelligent creatures that wouldn't harm anyone unless they were in trouble themselves.

In other stories and cultures though the dragon is a symbol of strength and power. These stories talk of dragons killing people for food and even breathing fire on fields of crops to destroy them.

The artistic designs of dragons are all that most of us have to go on for a visual picture. Many types of dragon art also show them breathing fire from their mouths for long distances.

It isn't uncommon for people to obtain tattoos of dragons. This variety of art is a way for them to have something powerful on their body. These dragons are often put on the arms or the back where they have lots of room to be designed. They may be very beautiful when they are completed but it can take several sessions for it to happen.

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Fire Dragons

When most of think of dragons, we often tend to imagine them as huge creatures that breath fire. That is the image and concept that most people have of dragons. There is a heap of symbolism in the fire dragon, especially among the Chinese culture. Calling someone a fire dragon means they move from being very calm and easy going to furious and outraged. It means people have the tendency to walk on egg shells around
them because their moods are so unpredictable.

In the Chinese history, the fire dragon is a very serious force to mess with. This is also reflected in individuals that undertake the behaviors of fire dragons. It is said in the Chinese culture that they are their own worst enemy. Of all the dragons in the Chinese literature, the fire dragon is among the most dangerous. Not only to other individuals and the surroundings but to their own self destruction.

In history and myths, it is the ability of a dragon to breath fire that can make it so mysterious and also so powerful. This is a way for it to ward of enemies and to protect itself. Quite a few people only hope for being powerful enough as being able to get their enemies to run for cover. That is why they may find they look up to the dragon and closely relate to it.

There is no evidence to suggest that fire dragons, or any dragons for that matter, actually existed. They are believed as being an image that was developed in regards to snakes, dinosaurs, or even other smaller reptiles. Yet this concept of the fire dragon has remained to be passed along for centuries. It is more prevalent in some cultures than it is in others.

There is no shortage of books, artwork, and stories about fire dragons. Some of them portray them as mythical creatures that were very wise. In other aspects though the fire dragon is portrayed as something evil and to be feared.