Dragons

In Egyptian mythology the god of the underground  Osiris was represented by a dragon. In Greek mythology, dragons always appear as defenders of a place or thing or devouring anyone. In European mythology the dragon looks like a snake and was a legendary creature. Both Eastern mythology and in the West it was believed that dragons are responsible for producing eclipses.

In Bulgarian legends dragons and winged snake corps had possessed three heads.There is a white dragon, according to those legends, could turn into a bird called O-Goncho. Dragon has a very important role in Arthurian legend.In Romanian folklore snake that has the power to transform into a dragon has a negative role. The ancient Greeks and Romans venerated for their wisdom and dragons were afraid of them because of the power they hold. In Babylonian myth Tiamat, the embodiment of chaos, was described as an extremely powerful dragon. The dragon is a symbol of authority. To show his authority and superiority against other members of the imperial family and nobles wore robes with dragon emblem on them.

Dragons have been considered for a long time being evil, destroying cities, beasts that drew fire his nostrils. These qualities of the dragons have made ​​many knights try to kill dragons, and based on these things were written many legends. Many knights began to invent stories about how they fought and how they killed dragons.

Almost every country in the world has at least one legend about a dragon or. In most legends dragons are evil forces or beasts who live to punish people. They can not be satisfied only by human sacrifice.

One of the most feared beasts of Greece and Rome was Hydra, a many-headed dragon and whose breath was poisonous. In fairy tales and poems medieval dragons were dangerous creatures that could not be trusted. People who lived in the Middle Ages liked to scare each other with stories about dragons.People are fascinated by the aura of mystery that give dragons, their magic, myths and legends that have been written about them.

The dragon is a mythical creature typically depicted as large and powerful serpent or other reptile with magical abilities and spiritual. Mythological creatures with few or many of the features typically associated with dragons are common to all mythologies of the world.

In zoology, the word dragon is included, alone or in combination, the common name of some animal species present: worms dragon, also known as Guinea worm or Medina spinning, fish (sea dragon, dragon fish), reptiles Komodo dragon etc. The name dragon means reptile death.

Dragon mythology

Overview

The various beings called dragon today probably do not have a single origin and their meanings are very different. Symbol of life in China, Indonesia animal protector, guardian of swords in Japan, evil and cunning in Europe, the dragon is found in many myths and tradition. generally eastern dragons, Chinese dragons are beneficial creatures that bring good luck. In Western mythology, the Greek or the Celtic dragon is an incarnation of evil. The Persian mythology the dragon is evil. In Native American mythology, but also in East Asia, they are seen as primary armed forces of nature and the universe. They are associated with wisdom -are more intelligent than men and longevity. They may also have magical power and paranormal and are representatives of the aquatic environment. They personify water, wells, rain and rivers. UNIL cultures dragons endows with the gift of speech.

They are usually depicted as snakes or lizards large and sometimes borrowing features Kite. They have elongated bodies scaly, hatch eggs. Dragons almost always have large eyes, a feature that is the origin of the word dragon in many cultures. Often, but not always, have wings and fiery breath.

Attitude

Dragons are great collectors treasure. Those who are fond of riddles speak. To gain their trust must participate in a contest of riddles. Sometimes winners are riding on her Last Dragon in flight.

Symbolism

In medieval symbolism, dragons were a picture of apostasy, of betrayal and treachery but also of anger and envy. Was associated with natural disasters. Multiple symbol of decadence and oppression were heads and even heresy. However, some European nations saw the dragon as a symbol of independence, sovereignty and power. Dragon can mean intelligence; shooting down a dragon, fairy-tale heroes not only had access to the treasure guarded by it, but symbolically mean that defeated the cunning of creatures. In some mythologies, particularly the Chinese, the dragon represents the luck.

Joseph Campbell in The Power of Myth see the dragon as a symbol of divinity and the transcendental, because it represented the unity of Heaven and Earth by combining the serpent with wings of a bird or a bat.