History of dragons. The story of the dragon and the last princess

The dragon is the great-grandfather of all monsters. He precedes all evil spirits from demons to vampires. The image of a dragon can be found in cave paintings from 25,000 years ago, in which dragons are somewhat reminiscent of dwarf mammoths.
The dragon is present in the legends of the Chinese of Shanxi province 8,000 BC. He persecuted the Sumerians and Babylonians, he was worshiped by the Aztecs, and the Celts feared him.
In the east he is the sparkling god of rain, in the west he is a fire-breathing, girl-eating monster.
The dragon is part of every culture on Earth. The immortal dragon has sunk its fangs and claws deep into the psyche of humanity.

The dragon appears to us in various forms. The most famous dragon in the West is the fire-breathing serpent. This is a classic dragon: a giant reptile on four legs, with huge bat-like wings. Armed with razor-sharp teeth and claws and a powerful tail, the dragon preferred to use its most formidable weapon - a stream of red-hot flame, directing it at its victims.
These magical monsters were able to read people's thoughts, take on the appearance of animals and people, and restore their damaged organs.
They were covered with impenetrable scales, without a single vulnerable spot.

The Wyvern dragon was very similar to the classic European fire-breathing dragon. At the same time, Wyven was somewhat smaller in size, rarely breathed fire, and had one pair of paws.
It carried a deadly sting in its tail and could spread disease and pestilence.

The Lindorm dragon or worm was a huge reptile with limbs. Instead of breathing fire, he spat poison or spewed poisonous gas. He could also crush prey by wrapping his steel rings around them.

Basilisks or snakes were the smallest but most deadly members of the dragon clan.
They were rumored to hatch from eggs hatched by toads or roosters.
Basilisks resembled tiny snakes with the comb of a rooster. Their gaze brought instant death. Interestingly, they could kill themselves with their gaze if they saw their reflection. The great deserts of the Middle East were inhabited by hordes of sinister basilisks.

Modern sightings include descriptions of huge, winged reptiles that terrorized the valleys of San Antonio, Texas for several months in 1976.
A dragon the size of a house, long necked, scaly, green, with huge teeth, ate fishermen and animals at Lake Wembu.
In Tibet, about five hundred witnesses saw a horned black dragon in July 2002 near Lake Tianchie in northeast China.

Some dragons have been observed much closer to England.
In the early 19th century, folklorist Maria Trevelyan interviewed many elderly people living in the Glamorgan area of Wales.
They told her the memories of their youth (early 19th century) - dragons from the race of winged snakes, according to them, still inhabit the forest around the castles of the Penllyne region.
The snakes were bright and shiny, as if covered with precious stones. They were resting, curled up on the ground.
One woman recalled that her grandfather shot one of the snakes after it attacked him. The skin of the dead snake hung for years on the wall of her farm.
Tragically, it has not survived to this day.

In the Cleveland church there hung the skin of a dragon - a worm killed in the forest by a knight; it was destroyed in the time of Cromwell.

Part of the dragon worm skin was allegedly kept at Lampton Castle. This example was lost when the castle was destroyed in the eighteenth century.

One of the most disturbing stories involving dragons occurred relatively recently, when the northeast of England was under Danish rule.
Norwegian sailors were then very afraid of the sea dragon, known as Shoni.

They said that they sacrificed a member of the ship's crew to appease the beast. After drawing lots, the unfortunate victim was thrown overboard. Shawnee was supposed to eat the victim and let the Viking ships through.

The dragon, so the story goes, collected sacrifices throughout many worships, and this barbaric custom continued long after the Viking times.

According to local researchers, the cult of this dragon collected human sacrifices in England in the 20th century, which seems amazing.

In the early 1980s, something started killing sheep in a very strange way in North Wales. Two punctures in the flesh were found in the killed animals. The corpses were always near water. Veterinary tests showed that they were all killed by poison. Sometimes the trail of a large snake was seen in the grass or dirt near the victims. Strangely, the killers never ate sheep. The strange murders stopped as suddenly as they began, leaving behind a disturbing mystery.

Many theories have been created to explain the phenomena of dragons.
They are all divided mainly into two camp groups.
Some believe that dragon legends are based on real flesh and blood creatures. Giant reptiles or something like that.
Others attribute dragons to paranormal phenomena.

Let's look at the first group of ideas. They are based on the assumption that fossil remains of dinosaurs and other large animals were the basis for legends about dragons.

While they may be logical in some cases, most fossilized dinosaur bones are too fragmentary to explain the legends.
We must also remember that many ancient texts specifically spoke of dragons as living beings that interacted with humans.

There are some species of living reptiles that can give the impression of dragons. Crocodiles can be huge and deadly predators. The largest, the Indo-Pacific crocodile (Crocodylus porosus) can reach 10 meters (33 feet) in length and weigh 3 tons. It can easily kill buffalo, tigers, and even sharks. The ancient Chinese called such a creature "water dragon."

In 1950, scientist James Montgomery investigated the legends of a huge monster that lived on the Sagama River. Local residents considered the monster to be the father of the devil and threw silver coins into the water when it appeared.

He found him sunbathing on the sandbank. The monster turned out to be a giant crocodile. Montgomery realized that the effectiveness of his rifle against such a target would be about the same as that of a toy gun and hastily retreated. He later returned and measured the sandbank. Its length turned out to be nine meters (30 feet). Since the crocodile's tail was in the water, its total length was about 10 meters (33 feet).

Another giant is hiding in the waters of the Lumpar River. Known to be a serial cannibal, he was revered by the Ibad tribe as the king of crocodiles. This crocodile measured seven and a half meters (25 feet) in length.

The African Nile crocodile can exceed 7 meters (23 ft) and can kill a lion with a single bite. The Egyptians worshiped him as the god who gave life to the Nile. A seven-meter sample of such a monster is currently stored in Malawi; at one time it ate 14 people.

These armored giants can bite with a force of 10,000 Newtons. That's twice the bite force of a great white shark!

Large boas are good analogs for Worm-type dragons. The reticulated python (Python reticuatlus) of Southeast Asia can grow up to ten meters (33 feet) and swallow large animals such as deer whole.

The green anaconda (Eunectes murinus) can exceed eight meters (26 feet), this snake is much more formidable than any python. There are tales of monstrously large specimens of anacondas living in the impenetrable jungles of South America.

The infamous Komodo dragon (Varanus komodoensis) is currently found only on three small Indonesian islands. At three meters (10 feet), it is the largest known pangolin in the world.
The Komodo kills large prey (such as deer) with its poisonous saliva. Chinese pottery found on Komodo Island shows that this animal has been known to eastern sailors since ancient times.

However, this Komodo dragon appears to be tiny compared to the prehistoric monitor lizards that lived in Australia during the Pleistocene era and reached nine meters (30 feet).

Megalania were thought to have died out at least 10,000 years ago, but Aboriginal legends and white settlers claim these giant lizards are still found in the Australian outback today. Even a herpetologist (an expert on reptiles) claimed to have personally seen such a monster.

In 1979, herpetologist Frank was hunting small lizards in the mountains of New South Wales. After a fruitless search, he returned to his car.
Near him he noticed a huge lizard about 9 meters (30 feet) in length. This scientist was just one of many witnesses to report such reptiles in the Australian outback.
Some even suggest that the mysterious disappearances of people in the outback may be associated with the activities of these lizards.

There are a few legends about dragons that can be explained by such animals, but most legends cannot be explained this way. The dragons that lived in Europe must be something else.

Peter Deakins has suggested that dragons may have evolved from huge carnivorous dinosaurs. Their wings evolved from a change in the thorax.

Perhaps dragons were something much stranger. Perhaps dragons exist in a reality different from our own reality.

This could explain how they appear, terrorize society, and then disappear again.

Another idea is that dragons are massive, collective, subconscious thought forms.

None of these explanations fully explain the dragon phenomenon. But keep in mind that when your parents told you there were no such things as dragons, they were lying to you.

What an idiot I am! And the demon pulled my tongue to bet with my friends that I could steal the Last Princess! I understand everything, I’m a dragon, and it’s my direct responsibility to steal princesses, but... What should I do with her now, you ask?! There aren’t even any normal towers left in the world, and without a tower it’s completely impossible to deal with this nasty little bugger!
Today, for example, she again started downloading my rights and demanding release, in the process of which she irrevocably ruined my favorite collection of paintings - she made posters with stupid slogans out of them. And she did it completely inaccurately, stitching one picture to another. I wanted to howl like a wolf, rush around the cave, catch the impudent creature and throw it away... And only Rinn kept stopping me from taking decisive action:
- Darling, don’t be so strict! These are just pictures! – she whispered tenderly and gently bit me on the neck.
He knows how to cool it down!..
Oh yes! I almost forgot to introduce! Rinn is my female... Consort, if you like. A young, sophisticated dragoness, homely and affectionate. Her green scales sparkling in the sun have always driven me crazy... Yes, I’m ready for them, for her look, for... and for the sake of everyone and anyone, even jump from a mountain! the back has a pair of wings.
Rinn has become the only beacon that illuminates the harsh reality of life around us. It's so nice to have someone nearby to lean on!
It’s even more terrible that this petty princess managed to find a common language with her!
Reflections were interrupted by a roar in the cave. My treasures!!! Lord, why am I being punished like this?!
Without remembering myself, I burst into the cave and froze with my mouth open to scream. Well, of course, what else could she beat if not a collection of porcelain brought straight from the mysterious East?! No, this is becoming unbearable!!!
Catching this kicking misunderstanding, I dragged her out of the cave and flew high into the air. Don't think! I am a deeply humanistic creature, besides, if I killed the princess, Rinn would immediately gnaw my throat out... But for some reason I didn’t want that at all. You see, she’s a pacifist, she doesn’t like the sight of blood, she doesn’t accept violence in any form... that’s why she swallows victims alive. No matter how much I tried to explain to my dear that this was harmful, they did not listen to me. If he comes down with heartburn, he’ll remember my words ten more times! What if the knight has a sword? Why should I look for doctors all over the area again?! Even after the last time, he stuttered and flew away - he may not survive another such trip.
-Where are you dragging me, you ugly beast?! – the princess screamed when she realized that no one was going to kill her.
- I’m taking you home, I’m tired, I’m so tired. You can rejoice, you won.
- Home? Well, okay then, then we can... - after thinking, she agreed.
As if someone is going to ask her!
- Although you know what... Take me back! Alive! – she suddenly demanded.
- Why the fright?!
- Think by yourself! I'm languishing in your captivity, I'm languishing, and no one even bothered to save me! This is all against the rules!!! Let a beautiful knight come to me, kill you and bring me home himself!
“Somehow this option doesn’t suit me,” I said offended.
- We will hang your head in the throne room.
- Well, you know... My head suits me where it is.
- Are you a dragon or a court girl?! Dragons must die under the sword of Heroes!!!
“That’s it, we’ve almost arrived,” I snapped.
- Well, turn back, club-footed lizard!!!
And it’s completely untrue! My legs are normal... Well, maybe sometimes I can squint, but I don’t do it on purpose. It's all bone! Bone and heredity...
The people in the city were already in a frenzy - they probably noticed me when I was leaving the cave. The people here are stupid and uneducated. Just a little bit - right for the weapon. When I kidnapped this person of the royal family from here, I left covered in splinters. They also gave a black eye with a catapult!
A huge spear flew past. Yeah, that means they were preparing for my return. Are you really offended?
No, what are these times?! Previously, kings sent princesses to dragons as if they were in kindergarten in order to develop character and wean them from pampering. And the suitors themselves were looked for - whoever managed to defeat the dragon in battle took the princess as his wife... Apparently, that’s why most of the royal dynasties died out - some languished in the towers until old age, others served as a snack for us, the dragons.
But enough thinking!
Having crushed the gazebo I didn’t like with my mighty paw (these people have no aesthetics!), I headed straight to the palace. In one hand he clutched the swearing princess, while with the other he defended himself from flying arrows, spears and shells.
- Here. “Take it,” I growled, lowering my disheveled body onto the balcony and soared into the air.
His Royal Majesty, meanwhile, was in a slight faint, and his wife tried to pump him out, but realized that it was pointless and also fell to the floor. It’s not just the husband who gets all the attention! The princess yelled at me and demanded obedience. Ant-soldiers scampered across the ground. By the way, they also shouted something. In short, it all merged into one single noise, which instantly gave me a headache.
All! Home-home-home. To the loving Rinn, to the silence of cave vaults, to the alluring shine of treasures...
The irritating screams were far behind. Well, thank God, at least I’ll sleep well today!
* * *
Morning. A cool draft caresses the scales, cheerful birds are singing outside, and Rinn, sweetly snoring, hugged me by my side. When asked where I had taken the princess, I told her that I had set her free, for which she had earned the title of “the kindest in the whole wide world.” Life is still a wonderful thing!..
…was…
Hearing a familiar voice that made me cry, I almost jumped to the ceiling. Who do you think was waiting for us at the cave itself? Absolutely right! There was a princess tied to a tree right at the entrance!!! Somewhere near the dense thickets the sparkling heels of fleeing soldiers could be seen. Are they kidding me?!
- Well, monster, are you going to untie me or am I going to hang here until the evening?! Feed me immediately! Imagine, these ungrateful Herods wanted to feed me to you! Well, nothing... Fly quickly and burn this pathetic little town!
Because of such impudence, I couldn’t even squeeze out a word. Silently he turned around and went into the cave, into the warm arms of Rinn.
- Who's screaming there, dear? – she asked, stretching sleepily.
- Yes, so... Wolves and monkeys, they don’t have them forever.
-Did you drive them away? – without opening her eyes, she asked.
“Well, of course, I don’t want you to not get enough sleep,” I smiled and gently bit her graceful tail.
Rinn froze and reached out to hug, but the moment of family idyll was hopelessly ruined by the princess’s impudent voice. She should have stuffed something bigger into her mouth!
As a result, Rinn spent the entire morning fiddling with the completely insolent daughter of the impressionable king, and completely forgot about me. And he’ll cook her a roast lamb, and pour some wine from my storehouse, and wipe her mouth with a napkin... I, too, by the way, need care!
The princess chewed deliberately loudly and commanded my wife as if she were not a dragon, but her lapdog. Bring her this, do that, give her a piggyback ride, and arrange a massage... Are we dragons or what?!
Never mind, we'll get even!
- Enough! – I jumped when Rinn left the cave for a minute.
Grabbing the scoundrel with my hind legs, I quickly soared into the air along the already familiar route. I don't need such happiness! It would be better if he stole the king than her! Princesses are supposed to be quiet and humble, not mischievous and arrogant!
The city greeted me with a friendly roar of cannon fire. These things hurt, but my goal was much more important than stupid bruises. Having again crushed the unsightly gazebo, I sat the princess on its ruins and ran away as quickly as I came. I could hear the roar of gunfire following me for a long time, but this no longer spoiled my mood.
I hope I don't see her again...
* * *
The princess exchange lasted a whole week. I’ve even started to get into the habit of getting up in the morning and going to check the tree, on which there will definitely be a girl dressed up in colorful rags. Moreover, what’s interesting is that the dress was new every day.
I didn’t tell Rinn about this curious custom, somehow there was no time for that. She became very attached to this monkey, which she took advantage of more and more every day. Riding on her back and leaving me without dinner has already become the norm for her...
Till today.
This morning I woke up with a clear feeling that I wanted to kill someone. Don’t think that I’m so angry, it’s just that when you wake up not at all because Rinn is biting your ear, but because some idiot is hitting you on the head with a baton, for some reason your mood deteriorates greatly...
- What the heck?! – I growled sleepily, trying to shake the annoying knight off my head.
- Give me the princess, you vile lizard!!! – the Hero roared, punching me straight into my opened eye.
God, I haven’t sweared, probably since I was born! I don’t even immediately remember where I picked up such words... Although this is not the point. The point is that this scoundrel at that time grabbed my horns and laughed solemnly! These little people deserve each other! If it doesn't cripple the brain, it will cripple the body.
- Give me the princess or die!!! – without stopping laughing, the knight demanded.
- Yes, take it, am I disturbing you, or what?! There she is, hanging on the tree!
- No, this is not according to the rules... First I will kill you, you vile lizard!
What kind of stupid people are these Heroes?! I voluntarily give him what he came for, I could even build half of the treasury on the way, but no! You see, he wanted blood!
He was lucky that Rinn had gone hunting early in the morning - she doesn’t like to stand on ceremony when it comes to unexpected awakenings...
Having taken off the man waving his club in all directions, I prepared to breathe hard on him, but... suddenly my gaze fell on the princess.
* * *
Rinn woke up from a ringing sound right in front of her ear. Slowly opening her eyes, she turned dissatisfied on her side and stared at the object of concern.
“Oh, knight,” she was delighted when she saw the armor tied hand and foot in front of her. - Drake, how cute!
A muffled voice was heard from the armor, but it died down when Rynn suddenly opened her mouth wide.
The screeching stopped. The armor disappeared into the jaws of my dear pacifist. God, how I love her habit of not standing on ceremony with her prey!
- Darling, will the princess come today? – she asked soulfully stroking her tummy.
“No,” I grinned and lay down next to her, leaning my ear against my beloved’s belly. “They say she moved.”
“What a pity,” she sighed without opening her eyes. “Such a sweet girl, she could eat it.”
And Rinn fell asleep again. My favorite sleepyhead...
“I told you that we’ll get even,” I whispered to my growling tummy, in which the clink of the armor in which the Last Princess was imprisoned was clearly heard...
Well, today I’ll definitely sleep like a human being!

Criticism of this work can be found here.

Dragon (Greek: δράκων)- a collective name that unites a number of mythological and fantastic creatures. The word "dragon" is used in the names of some real species of vertebrates, mainly reptiles and fish.

The image of the dragon is widely used in fantasy, and is also used in feng shui, horoscopes (Year of the Dragon) and astronomy. The study of dragons is called dragonology.

Mythological dragon

The dragon, as one of the most common mythological creatures, is a creature consisting of the body of a reptile, sometimes in combination with body parts of other animals, birds, and fish.

Particular characteristics of a dragon are the ability to fly, the presence of several heads or tails, fiery breathing and intelligence.

Some difficulties arise from the question of the coincidence of the images of the dragon and the serpent. Some heraldry researchers (A.B. Lakier, P.P. Winkler) do not separate them, while others (Yu.V. Arsenyev) separate them, pointing to a different number of paws (the serpent has four, the dragon has two) . The word "serpent" has been found in Slavic texts since the 11th century (including the Bible of 1663), and the word "dragon" was borrowed from Greek only in the 16th century, appearing for the first time in texts translated by Maxim the Greek. Andrei Kurbsky applied the word "dragon" to the devil (similarly, in the King James Bible, the words "serpent", "dragon" and "Devil" are used interchangeably). The 1663 Bible calls the devil a serpent; the 1756 and later Bibles use both "serpent" and "dragon." In sources of the 18th century there are translations of the foreign word “dragon” into Russian “serpent”. Thus, in the description of the state emblem made by F. Santi in 1722 in French, there is “dragon”. In the translation, apparently made soon after the composition of Santi, this word is rendered as “serpent.”

In the 19th century, “snake” was renamed “dragon,” probably because the latter had already come into widespread use. And one of the options was chosen for translation. The history of the use of the words “dragon” and “serpent” shows that they denoted the same creature.

D. J. Conway sees six families of dragons containing related species. The first applies to Northern Germany, Scandinavia and the North Atlantic islands. The second is to France, Italy and Spain. Third - to the British Isles, including Ireland. The fourth is in Greece, Asia Minor, Southern Russia and North Africa. The fifth, the most numerous, goes to China, Asia and Indonesia. The sixth, limited in size and number, is to North and South America and Australia.
Roots of the image.

Dobrynya Nikitich and the snake he defeated

According to the hypothesis of some scientists (A. Leroy-Gouran, V. Ya. Propp), the image of a dragon in the form combining the features of birds and snakes dates back to approximately the same period when the mythological symbols of animals as such gave way to gods combining the features of humans and animal. This image of a dragon was one of the ways to combine opposing symbols - the symbol of the upper world (birds) and the symbol of the lower world (snakes).

Spreading

The image of the dragon is represented in the mythologies of Sumer, Egypt, Ugarit, India, Greece, China, Japan, Mexico and the Andes. In most cultures, the image of a dragon is associated with the cult of reservoirs, which is associated with artificial irrigation as the basis of the economy of these states.

The further use of the fantastic image of the dragon (in particular, in the mythologies of East and Southeast Asia, as well as in later European culture) was also associated with the actual aesthetic role of this symbol in art. The question remains open as to whether the image of the dragon in the mythologies of the early states of Western, South and East Asia, pre-Columbian America, is the result of independent parallel development or is associated with cultural mutual influences (the influence of ancient Near Eastern myths about the dragon on the Greek myth of Python, traced in a later era, the use of the Chinese dragon symbol in the mythologies of Japan and other neighboring countries, as well as the Indian makara in the mythologies and art of many countries in Southeast Asia).

In Vietnam, the evolution of the image of the dragon as a symbol of imperial power was a reflection of the periods of prosperity and decline of Vietnamese society. According to the traditions of feudal culture, in Vietnam the dragon symbolized moral perfection.

Dragon meaning

Ouroboros. A snake swallowing its own tail
The mythological dragon symbolizes the test that must be passed in order to obtain the treasure. It is associated with immortality, which can be obtained through invasion of a monster's body (both from the outside and from the inside, for example, by being swallowed by a dragon). The battle with the dragon is an initiation mystery with the symbolism of temporary death and rebirth. Many snake-fighting plots are based on initiation themes with an inversion of the relationship between the initiator and the snake-shaped patron of initiation.

Themes of sleep (monster, hero or woman) and blood (dragon's blood or woman's vaginal blood) are also important. Sleep has a different nature: heroic sleep, necessary to restore strength; analogue of death; the passivity of the monster to defeat him; a passive state from which something brings the sleeper out. The theme of sleep and awakening is also expressed in the Kundalini serpent, but here the active-passive, awakening-sleep relationship is inverted: vishap sleeps already stretched out, while Kundalini awakens from sleep to stretch upward; The Tsar-Maiden sleeps, available for the hero to have intercourse with her, while Shakti herself, having awakened, rushes to a blissful merger.

Vaginal blood (postpartum, menstrual) attracts the snake. This is expressed in the Arnhem Land myth of the Babylak sisters and in myths where the serpent demands or steals virgins (looking for a bride). The requirement of the bride's virginity has a direct connection with vaginal blood and death: the bride must be "killed" as a stranger and reborn as one of her own, and the sign of this is the blood after the first wedding night. The serpent is a phallic symbol, and entwining itself around the maiden has a coital meaning. At the same time, thanks to this blood, in dragon-slaying stories the female image intersects with the image of the dragon itself. Killing the snake means "killing" the hero's bride. The bride has a serpentine essence, features of a pest; often in myths, the victory over the dragon is replaced by intercourse with a girl (often also of a chthonic nature, for example, the Tsar Maiden, Sonya the Hero) or implies it subsequently.

In addition to the phallic symbolism of an elongated snake, there is the symbolism of a tree, which is often woven into the plot of snake fighting, if it is built into a general myth. The dragon serpent is depicted entwined around a tree, or located at the roots of the world tree, or in its branches, or carrying its attributes (the image of a feathered serpent on a tree, in which a bird and a snake are combined, marking the top and bottom of the world tree).

The gender of the dragon in myths has its own characteristics. As a masculine figure, it is evident in myths with the theme of closing up waters and taking girls. As a feminine it is obvious in the myths about the creation of the world by the dragon. In many myths, gender is less defined; the dragon personifies the masculine principle, but also has features of a feminine nature (androgyne).

The dragon is associated with water, a reservoir. It both takes (locks) water and brings its excess (floods, rainstorms).

The transformation of the image shows how the man-dragon relationship changes in examples of mystical rebirth: first the man is inside the snake, then he is outside, and finally the snake is placed inside the man.

The dragon as a helper is also associated with water, harvest and fertility. In ancient Chinese mythology, the winged dragon helps the culture hero Yu, the founder of the Xia dynasty, by dragging its tail along the ground and thereby determining the paths along which canals need to be dug for water supply. Historically, the assistant dragon in such myths is traced back to the myth of a snake tamed by heroes who harness it to a plow (in Babylonian mythology; also the Slavic myth of two divine blacksmiths who harnessed the serpent they tamed into a plow and with its help dug the bed of the Dnieper, or the legend of Nikita Kozhemyak). An assistant dragon can bring treasures to people (in Slavic myths about the dragon - a flying snake, in African legends that are typologically similar to them, etc.).

The widespread motif of a girl being abducted by a dragon goes back to a ritual during which a girl was sacrificed to the spirit of the waters (in China, the most beautiful girl was married to the Yellow River by throwing her into the water; in Ancient Egypt, before sowing, a girl, also dressed in wedding clothes, was thrown into the Nile, To ensure the flooding of the Nile, without which the harvest was not possible, the Mayan Indians threw girls into the sacred reservoir of Chichen Itza). The myth corresponding to this rite usually takes the form of a story about a dragon demanding girls as an annual tribute.

Application of the image in modern culture

Mythological images of dragons are embodied in architecture and sculpture, including those specially created to attract tourists.

For example, in the Ryazan region, a carved dragon ship was created from an old garage. And in China in 2007, it was planned to build a new attraction - a dragon 30 meters high and 21 kilometers long, which would be located on the ridge of Mount Shizu in the central province of Henan. The dragon was planned to be completed in 2009 in time for the 60th anniversary of the communist regime in China.

In the UK, a 40-meter observation tower with a 25-meter-tall dragon statue is planned to be built in Wales. The dragon personifies Welsh mythology and rivals the Statue of Liberty in New York and Christ the Redeemer in Rio de Janeiro.

The dragon is very popular as an image on the body (tattoo). The Prince of Wales (King Edward VII) had a dragon tattooed on his body by the most prestigious artist in Japan. The world's largest tattoo is also a dragon. It was placed on the backs of 20 people by the Japanese in 1804.

The dragon is often present in the names of establishments that want to emphasize their belonging to Eastern culture, for example, tattoo parlors, restaurants, and martial arts schools.

Despite the changes in the meaning of the dragon over time, Christianity has a negative attitude towards it. Installed in October 2010 in Varna (Bulgaria), a sculpture of two dragons (a female and a male) holding a golden “egg of knowledge” caused outrage among Orthodox believers. They claim that the sculptural composition personifies evil, and the dragons are the devil and the she-devil.

Dragon in Western mythology

"The Battle of St. George with the Dragon"
(Paolo Uccello, c. 1456)
The mythological motif of the battle of the hero-snake fighter with the dragon later became widespread in folklore, and then penetrated into literature in the form of the legend of St. George, who defeated the dragon and freed the girl captured by it (George’s Miracle of the Dragon). Literary treatments of this legend and the corresponding images are characteristic of medieval European art.

Dragon in Slavic mythology

In Russian fairy tales and epics, the three-headed dragon Serpent Gorynych is mentioned.

Russian fairy tales and epics talk about a snake that Nikita Kozhemyaka drowned.

Old Slavic legends mention seven-headed dragons.

Miracle Yudo from a Russian folk tale is an analogue of the Greek Hydra.

Zmiulan is the king of snakes, has wings, like snakes.

Dragon in Eastern mythology

Dragons of China

Chinese dragon (龍, lun)- in Chinese mythology and culture, a symbol of masculinity (yang) and the Chinese nation as a whole. Unlike the European dragon, the Chinese one represents a good beginning. In honor of the dragon, an annual dragon boat festival has been established.

According to Chinese beliefs, the moon serpent lives in rivers, lakes and seas, but is also capable of soaring into the skies. Traces of the deity of moisture and rain, originally associated with the cult of fertility, clearly appear in it. Rituals for making rain were not complete without images of a dragon already in the 6th century. BC e.

The main dragon breeds are as follows:

1.) Tianlong - Heavenly dragon who guards the palaces of the gods and carries them in chariots.

2.) Futsanglong - The Dragon of Hidden Treasure, which guards precious stones and metals underground and disturbs the earth with volcanoes.

3.) Dilong - Earth dragon who rules the seas and rivers.

4.) Yinglong - Divine dragon, on which weather, wind, rain depend and which thunders from the sky.

The last two types of dragon in the popular imagination have merged into the figures of dragon kings, who have the body of a man and the head of a dragon. They live in the seas in the east (East China Sea), south (South China Sea), west (Indian Ocean) and north (probably Baikal).

As the king of animals, the dragon served as a symbol of imperial power. According to Chinese myth, the Yellow Emperor turned into a dragon at the end of his life and soared into the skies. A real emperor should have a birthmark in the shape of a dragon. The imperial throne of many dynasties was called the dragon throne. During the Qing Dynasty, the Chinese dragon adorned the state banner. For wearing clothes with dragon figures, a commoner was subject to the death penalty.

Dragons of Tibet

The Tibetan dragon is one of the representatives of eastern mythological dragons and is closest to the Chinese one. The "fierce dragon" decoration is typical of Tibetan temples, such as the Jokhang Temple in Lhasa. There are many fairy tales and stories about dragons in Tibet. It is said that when the young Dorgzong Rinpoche visited Yonten Ritro in Rongmi, Kham, the entire village saw nine dragons.

One of the stories tells of a hunter who fell into a cave and was unable to get out. There was a sleeping dragon in the cave and illuminated it with its own light. In order not to die of thirst, the man began to lick the dew from the pearl held in the dragon's paws, and found out that the dew was very nutritious and made him happy and healthy. In the spring, the dragon woke up and flew out of the cave, and the hunter, who grabbed his tail, got out with him.

Also famous is the flight of the dragon into the sky from the hill in front of Nubchen Monastery in Gonjo, Kham. This happened during the visit of the eighth Dorzong Rinpoche to this place for the “enthronement” of one Rinpoche and the blessing of the reconstructed altar, destroyed during the Cultural Revolution. The ceremony took place inside the temple on June 16, 1993. But most people could not fit inside and were placed outside. Suddenly someone saw a dragon rapidly flying into the sky from the top of a hill. As is customary in Tibet and especially among the inhabitants of Gonjo, in joyful moments, everyone shouted: “Kyi... Lha Je Lo... Kyi... Lha Je Lo...”. This is an ancient cry meaning: "Be happy! May the gods be victorious!"

When the shouts reached the temple, those sitting inside thought that those outside were “drunk with happiness” and thus expressing joy. That's what they told Dorzong Rinpoche. At that moment, they ran into the temple and said that the dragon was rising straight into the heavens from a hill located next to the monastery. Tibetans believe that if you make a wish when you see a dragon flying, it will definitely come true. They usually pray for the peace and happiness of all living beings, chanting: “Sem che tam che la ga mo sid mo yongoe.”

Konchok Tashi, Dorzong Rinpoche's photographer, came out to look at this strange phenomenon and saw a dragon flying from one peak to another, wagging its tail. He rushed to the llamas' room to take his camera and take a picture of it. But when he returned, the dragon had almost completely disappeared into the clouds. And only part of the tail was visible.

Dragons of Korea

The Korean dragon (Korean 용, Yon) has a number of features specific to Korea that distinguish it from dragons of other cultures. The closest relative of the Korean dragon, both in appearance and in cultural significance, is the Chinese dragon.

Korean dragons in myths usually act as positive creatures who protect ponds and rice fields. They are believed to bring rain to the earth. Korean dragons usually live in rivers, lakes, oceans or deep mountain ponds. Mention of the dragon is ubiquitous in both Korean mythology and Korean art. In politics, the dragon represents the emperor, so the Vanir (kings) were forbidden to wear jewelry with dragon symbols. The phoenix bird was usually associated with the Vanir.

In ancient legends you can often find references to talking dragons, dragons capable of experiencing such complex human feelings as devotion, kindness and gratitude. One of the Korean legends speaks of the great Wang Munmu, who on his deathbed wished to become the “Dragon of the Eastern Sea, whose goal is to protect Korea.”

The Korean dragon, unlike many dragons from other cultures, does not have wings, but has a long beard. As with Chinese dragons, the main number of Korean ones is nine. According to legend, they have 81 (=9x9) scales on their backs.

Occasionally, the dragon was represented as holding in one of its paws a “dragon power,” known as Yuiju (Korean: 여의주). According to legend, the daredevil who manages to take possession of Yuiju will become omnipotent, but only four-fingered dragons (which have a thumb to hold the orb) are so wise and strong that they can wield Yuiju.

Dragons of Vietnam

The dragon is a widely used and meaningful symbol in Vietnamese art history. According to the ideas of the ancient Vietnamese, their ancestor was the legendary Ruler - the dragon Lac (Lac Long Quan).

Also in the myths of the Thai people of Vietnam there is the water deity Tuongluong, who has the image of a snake or dragon that lives in the deepest places of reservoirs.

Dragons of Japan

The Japanese dragon (Japanese 竜?, ryū, tatsu) have three toes on each paw, which distinguishes them from other dragons of Eastern mythology.

The most famous Japanese dragon is the eight-headed Yamata no Orochi (Japanese: 八岐大蛇?). According to legend, for seven years in a row, every year he ate the daughter of the earthly god Ashinazuchi and his wife Tenazuchi, who lived in the country of Izumo (in the upper reaches of the Hi River in the southwest of Honshu). In the eighth year, the divine hero Susanoo no Mikoto appeared from heaven and, having given the dragon a drink, killed him, receiving the rescued girl as a reward, finding the Kusanagi sword (Murakumo no Tsurugi) in the dragon’s middle tail.
Dragon in the mythologies of Ancient America

Dragons of Mexico

The roots of the Serpent cult in Mesoamerica go back to ancient times; The first images of bird-like snakes date back to the period 1150-500 BC. e. The snake represented earth and vegetation, but it was in Teotihuacan (circa 150 BC) where snakes were depicted with quetzal feathers. More detailed images were found in the Temple of Quetzalcoatl, built around 200 BC. e., on which you can see a rattlesnake with the long green feathers of a quetzal.

Dragons of the Andes

In the Andes, the dragon - Amaru (Quechua Amaru) - is a flying serpent, a mediator between the Upper (Hanak Pacha), Middle (Kai Pacha) and Lower (Uku Pacha) worlds, the patron of shamanic travel.
Dragon in heraldry

The dragon is one of the most famous heraldic characters. In particular, it is depicted on the flag of Wales.

The image of a dragon in biology

Among the scientific (Latin) and Russian names of living organisms, there are many names related to the Latin word draco, Russian “dragon” or derivatives from them. In zoology, several taxa of reptiles and fish bear such names, in botany - several taxa and non-taxonomic groups of flowering plants, distinguished by the unusualness of their appearance or fruits.

Dragon in various teachings

In astrology, the points that correlate the Moon's orbit with the Earth's orbit around the Sun, or the Northern and Southern Lunar Nodes, are called the Head of the Dragon (Latin: Caput Draconis) and the Tail of the Dragon (Latin: Cauda Draconis), respectively. The first symbolizes inhalation and positive influences, and the second symbolizes exhalation and negative influences.

In alchemy, the dragon is the substance, metal and physical body, and its sister is the spirit, the metallic mercury and the soul. A dragon with a tail in its mouth - a symbol of the infinite - means a symbol of the spiritual work of alchemists. A winged dragon is a female creature, and a wingless dragon is a male creature.

Legends of dragons- the most common legends about monsters on our planet. The creepy monstrous reptile has found its place in the folklore of almost all peoples of the world. At the same time, judging by some literary and musical works, this creature was perceived more as a real monster than as a mythical character.

Edward Topsell, in his History of Reptiles (1608), reported: "Among all the species of reptiles there is not one comparable to the dragon, or one that can furnish sufficient historical material to reveal the essence and nature of this animal."

When you analyze the “true stories” about dragons in the folklore or written monuments of some cultures, questions immediately arise: why are dragons so similar everywhere? Did dragons really fly over the earth and devour the unfortunate villagers, while demanding young girls as sacrifices and striking terror into every heart? And is it true that no one except the brave knight could stop them?

Who among us has not seen the icon where St. George the Victorious kills the dragon? And on the other hand, what child has not read fairy tales about lazy and kind, gentle and timid dragons?

Every myth has a piece of truth and reality. Many serious scientists adhere to the theory that a small number of dinosaurs could survive into the human era. Take any book about dinosaurs and you will see that, for example, the royal tyrannosaurus would make an excellent dragon in some legend. Such a huge reptile, tramping along the outskirts of early Europe, would certainly match even the most impressive descriptions of dragons.

Today no one says that there were very many dinosaurs. But even a handful of these prehistoric reptiles, which lived in remote lakes and forested valleys, could not have gone unnoticed even in sparsely populated Europe in the 1500s BC. e. An encounter with just one of these “monsters” would give rise to legends and traditions for many centuries.

The next theory may be more interesting to the average reader: the fact is that ancient historians often described huge python-like snakes that reached more than 15 meters in length. Many stories about dragons that have come down to us from the Middle Ages tell how these creatures wrap themselves around their prey and slowly crush it, which is fully consistent with the behavior of a python or a boa constrictor.

But all these theories do not explain why a dragon can walk on all fours.

Some species of giant lizards would probably fit the description of a dragon and would satisfy many theorists. One of them is known as the Komodo dragon, which often exceeds 3.5 meters in length, but lives in Eastern India.

It would have taken St. George the Victorious and the other dragon slayers a long time—from the perspective of Western history—to make the perilous journey to the tropics. Probably, the battle with the dragon itself would have been much less of an ordeal than such a campaign.

A third theory - and a very plausible one - suggests that a medieval adventurer accidentally discovered a cave filled with the bones of a giant cave bear and mistook them for the skeletal remains of a dragon. It happened that even workers who dug pits during the construction of churches found fossilized dinosaur bones.

It was only in the 19th century that pundits realized that fossil remains were often millions of years old (before that, it was believed that the skeletons found belonged to some giant animals that had become extinct quite recently).

If, at a time when legends about dragons were at the peak of popularity in Europe, the remains of a fossil had been found in the ground or in a cave, the existence of fairy-tale monsters would certainly have been proven.

Now let’s try to independently develop the theory according to which peasants, while digging a well, found mammoth bones in the ground. The excavators immediately concluded that this was the grave of a dragon. Well, where there are the remains of one, there may well be another, a living dragon! The villagers must have been tormented by the question: how to get rid of the huge beast - so that it does not fly in and devour them all? A sacrifice is needed! The priest said that this has no effect on the dragon, but it can appease the ancient gods!

The peasants chose a young beauty, took her into a dark forest and tied her to a tree, hoping to appease the dragon in this way. It is difficult to imagine all the horror that the girl experienced when wolves or bears attacked her at night... The next day, the bravest village men went into the forest. The way it is! The dragon flew in and devoured the girl!

A month passed - it turned out that the victim “worked”: the monster did not appear in the village and did not hunt the locals. This means that the girl’s flesh pacified him. If they continue to sacrifice from time to time, even if it is a calf or a kid, the dragon will leave them alone.

It is quite possible that in Europe such bones - whether from a mammoth, a Sumatran rhinoceros or a giant cave bear - were not considered something unusual. Mammoth tusks are very common in medieval recipes for the elixir of love. In the market square of the Austrian city of Klagenfurt stands a statue of a giant slaying a dragon; the head of this monster was apparently molded in the shape of the skull of a Sumatran rhinoceros.

Proof of this connection is the fact that ancient manuscripts mention a “dragon skull” found in Klagenfurt in the 16th century. All these many years, the skull has been under the protection of the city government, and today it can be identified as the skeleton of the head of an Ice Age rhinoceros.

At the same time, judging by some literary and musical works, this creature was perceived more as a real monster than as a mythical character. Edward Topsell in his History of Reptiles ( 1608 ) reported:

“... Among all types of reptiles, there is not a single one comparable to a dragon or one that can provide sufficiently complete historical material to reveal the essence and nature of this animal...”

When you analyze the “true stories” about dragons in the folklore or written monuments of some cultures, questions immediately arise: why are dragons so similar everywhere?

Did dragons really fly over the earth and devour the unfortunate villagers, while demanding young girls as sacrifices and striking terror into every heart? And is it true that no one except the brave knight could stop them? Who among us has not seen the icon where St. George the Victorious kills the dragon? And on the other hand, what child has not read fairy tales about lazy and kind, gentle and timid dragons? Every myth has a piece of truth and reality. Many serious scientists adhere to the theory that a small number of dinosaurs could survive into the human era.

Take any book about dinosaurs and you will see that, for example, the royal tyrannosaurus would make an excellent dragon in some legend. Such a huge reptile, tramping along the outskirts of early Europe, would certainly match even the most impressive descriptions of dragons.

Today no one says that there were very many dinosaurs. But even a handful of these prehistoric reptiles, which lived in remote lakes and forested valleys, could not remain unnoticed even in sparsely populated Europe 1500 -ies BC e. An encounter with just one of these “monsters” would give rise to legends and traditions for many centuries.

The following theory may be of more interest to the average reader: the fact is that ancient historians often described huge python-like snakes that reached more than 15 meters. Many stories about dragons that have come down to us from the Middle Ages tell how these creatures wrap themselves around their prey and slowly crush it, which is fully consistent with the behavior of a python or a boa constrictor.

But all these theories do not explain why a dragon can walk on all fours.

Some species of giant lizards would probably fit the description of a dragon and would satisfy many theorists. One of them is known as the Komodo dragon, which is often longer than 3,5 meters, but it lives in Eastern India.

If there was such a species of lizard in Europe (presumably several million years ago) that survived before the advent of man, this would be the answer to the mystery of the origin of myths about dragons. A third theory - and a very plausible one - suggests that a medieval adventurer accidentally discovered a cave filled with the bones of a giant cave bear and mistook them for the skeletal remains of a dragon.

It happened that even workers who dug pits during the construction of churches found fossilized dinosaur bones. Pundits only in XIX century, they realized that often the age of fossil remains is estimated at millions of years (before that, it was believed that the found skeletons belonged to some giant animals that became extinct quite recently). If, at a time when legends about dragons were at the peak of popularity in Europe, the remains of a fossil had been found in the ground or in a cave, the existence of fairy-tale monsters would certainly have been proven.

Well, where there are the remains of one, there may well be another, a living dragon! The villagers must have been tormented by the question: how to get rid of the huge beast - so that it does not fly in and devour them all? A sacrifice is needed! The priest said that this has no effect on the dragon, but it can appease the ancient gods! The peasants chose a young beauty, took her into a dark forest and tied her to a tree, hoping to appease the dragon in this way. It is difficult to imagine all the horror that the girl experienced when wolves or bears attacked her at night...

The next day, the bravest village men went into the forest. The way it is! The dragon flew in and devoured the girl! A month passed - it turned out that the victim “worked”: the monster did not appear in the village and did not hunt the locals. This means that the girl’s flesh pacified him. If they continue to sacrifice from time to time, even if it is a calf or a kid, the dragon will leave them alone.

In the market square of the Austrian city of Klagenfurt stands a statue of a giant slaying a dragon; the head of this monster was apparently molded in the shape of the skull of a Sumatran rhinoceros.

Proof of this connection is the fact that ancient manuscripts mention a “dragon skull” found in Klagenfurt in XVI century. All these many years, the skull has been under the protection of the city government, and today it can be identified as the skeleton of the head of an Ice Age rhinoceros.