See U In History
Dragons
The dragons are amazing mythological creatures.
These giant reptiles are a recurring
presence in the most different mythologies.
Like the Greek, the Norse, the Chinese and many others.
Here, in the western world, the image of a dragon is crystallized as being a great,
winged reptile, with four paws and capable of spitting fire.
But these creatures can have
a wide array of shapes and powers.
The origin of the name dragon comes from the Greek word Drakon,
which means great serpent and, yes, the dragons are present in the Greek mythology.
Among the most famous, we can mention the dragon that lived in a cavern in Boeotia,
which the hero Cadmus had to defeat to establish the glorious city of Thebes.
Jason was another Greek heron who had to face a dragon, in his quest for the Golden Fleece,
and he had the help of Medea to exterminate the dragon of Colchis.
The Norse mythology also has several dragons.
With Níðhöggr being the most famous.
This giant creature lives in Niflheim and, there, he gnaws the roots of Yggdrasill,
the tree of the worlds, trying to devour it.
The western myths, as a rule of thumb, depict the dragons as malicious creatures,
fulfilling the role of treasure keepers or guardians of sacred places.
In turn, the eastern culture sees the dragons through a quite different lens.
There, the dragon is not interpreted as an ill-intentioned creature,
rather as a divine being.
In the Chinese myths, the dragons were part of the creation of the world and so they are deeply revered,
the creature symbolizes power and wisdom, and they are also the symbol of the emperor’s authority.
There are so many kinds of Chinese dragons that they deserve an exclusive video.
Let’s not forget as well that the dragon has a bond with Christianity,
due to the epic
battle of Saint George and the dragon.
In the middle ages, the dragons started to be a recurring presence in fairytales.
And so they became the ultimate challenge for knights who tried to rescue girls in danger.
The dragons are still quite popular nowadays.
In traditional festivities of the Chinese culture,
the dragon is a mandatory figure.
It’s one of the symbols of the Chinese identity, and brings good luck.
The creature is one of the most tattooed images in the world.
And, certainly, one of the most recurring creatures in RPG games that take place in fantasy worlds.
And also an ever-present creature in pop culture.
We can mention some of the most famous dragons:
Shenron a Dragonball, Smaug of The Hobbit
Toothless in How To Train Your Dragon and, of course, the dragons of Game of Thrones.
And, so, the majestic and powerful portray of dragons continues to fascinate us.
