A World of Dragon Art

Mythical creatures are in countless stories from hundreds of years ago. One of the oldest creatures is the legendary fearsome dragon. It has long been storied as a monster and an evil creature. On the following page, you will read about the history of the dragon and the different myths associated with it in Eastern and Western cultures.

History of the Dragon:

The earliest types of mythical dragons were associated with the Great Mother, the water god and the warrior sun god. Attributed with the qualities of gods, they had the power to be both constructive and destructive. In Egyptian mythology, the dragon assumed the role taken by Osiris and Set.

People believed that dragons lived at the bottom of the sea guarding treasures filled with pearls. Dark clouds, thunder and lightning were thought to be the dragon’s breath which resulted in their fire-breathing.

• In the Western world, as the myth developed, the dragon became the symbol of chaos which resulted in the awakening of man’s conscience.
• In Christian belief, the dragon was considered to be the transitional stage between a demon and the devil. However, in the Eastern world, the dragon took on a different role. It was a kind creature, a son of heaven, and it controlled the water elements of the universe.

The description of a dragon differs from story to story, belief to belief, and of course, from dragon to dragon. However, there exists some similarities between each one. They seem to have been created from different parts of animals. In general, they were described as having an eagle’s claws and wings, the forelimbs and head of a lion, the scales of a fish, the horns of an antelope, and the trunk and tail of a serpent. The eyes of a dragon have a fire-red quality which some believed reflected the treasures they were guarding.

It has been told that the only thing the dragon fears is the elephant. In one particular battle, the dragon inflicts deadly blows to the elephant and as the elephant collapses, its fall crushes the dragon. In both Western and Eastern mythology, the dragon is the enemy of the sun and the moon and is believed to be responsible for eclipses. The eclipses happen when the dragon is trying to swallow either one of the heavenly bodies.

The fearsome dragon was considered man’s natural enemy and as such, the dragon’s death became man’s ultimate goal. Hence the reason why there are so many battle tales involving man versus dragon. One such legend involves Hercules and the dragon Ladon. Hera, Zeus’s wife, cast a spell on Hercules out of jealousy. It caused him to go mad and as a punishment for his unreasonable actions, he had to complete the Twelve Labors of King Eurytheus. If successful, Hercules would become a god. The 11th Labor required him to snatch the golden apples of Hesperides that were guarded by Ladon the dragon. The garden holding the golden apples belonged to Hera so Hercules made a deal with Atlas that he would relieve him of holding up the world if he would get the apples for him. Atlas managed to kill the dragon and snatch the apples. Hercules then stole the apples from Atlas and reneged on his pact with him. Today, Ladon has a constellation in the sky known as Draco.