Dragon
Origins
Powers of dragons
The name "dragon" comes from the Greek
"derkein" and means seeing; this is because dragons are supposed to have sharp
vision. It has a reputation of strength, vigilance, wisdom, and jealousy.
For these reasons, Vikings had dragon figureheads on the prow of their ships.
It is associated with fertility, strength, speed in battle, joy and good health.
It is associated with clouds and believed to be rainmakers; its fire-spitting
was reminiscent of lightning. Some dragons have the ability to fly but some
of them remain in the seas or lakes. Dragons are guardians of temples, treasures
and paradises. Their blood was said to have miraculous properties.
In mythology the dragon is often to first creature to roam the universe just
after the Creation. He is sometimes responsible for the creation of the universe
and or is used to create the world (Australia, Africa, Egypt, India,…). In
creation myths, sexual relations between a mortal female and a dragon-god
(symbol of fertility) gives birth to a hero who will be the first of its people.
Later the dragons came to represent the chaos of original matter. The dragon
is said to be the enemy of the sun and the moon. Sometimes they attempt to
swallow one of the heavenly bodies which create eclipses. For this reason
dragons are often present in primitive astronomy. The defeat of a dragon in
some stories allows the regeneration of the land, of the seasons. It permits
the creation of new cities.
Origins of the myth of the dragon
Birds
Some dragons have bird-like attributes so it is possible than in the past exotic birds were mistaken for dragons. For example some medieval dragons had a peacock-like tail, at this time peacocks were exotic and unfamiliar to common people. A possible origin of the American feathered serpent myths could be the Quetzal because this bird has an extremely long tail covers. Also some dragons such as the Piasa and Anzu are called birds in the native language of the storytellers.
The Resplendent Quetzal
http://critterimages.com/Slozblog_archives.htm
Crocodiles
The crocodile's size and potential ferocity make it a likely candidate for inspiring dragon myths. Sometimes skin of a slain dragon kept as a trophy turned out to be crocodile skin.
The saltwater crocodile (Crocodylus
porosus) is the longest crocodile, up to 7 meters
http://www.flmnh.ufl.edu/natsci/herpetology/act-plan/cporo.htm
Dinosaurs
Fossilised bones, such as those from dinosaurs, were believed to be the bones of dragons. This connection is rather appropriate since the dinosaurs had often dragon-like appearances.
Instinctive Fears
One theory is that humans have built fears of the dangers they face everyday, including dangerous animals; this is a survival mechanism. With a bit of imagination these fears became dragons. Once a story has been created it could survive for a long time and be taken with human cultures as they migrated.
Pterosaurs
Pterosaurs were winged reptiles which appeared during the late Triassic (228 million years ago) and disappeared at the same time as the dinosaurs (65 million years ago). Earlier species were rather small and had teeth and a long tails. Later species were bigger (with a wingspan up to 12 meters), were usually toothless and often had a crest on the head. Like with the dinosaurs, some pterosaurs bones were once interpreted as dragon bones.
Left: Rhamphorhynchus from the middle Jurassic of Europe. Right: Pteranodon from the late Cretaceous of America. http://www.emerson.k12.nj.us/staff/rmkelly/custom/DinosaurWQ/PterPix.html http://www.windoweb.it/guida/mondo/animali_preistorici/dinosauri_volanti.htm
Snakes
Since many dragons take the form of large serpents, it is obvious that snakes are inspiration for dragon myths. A few species of the families Boidae et Pythonidae such as the Anaconda and the Reticulated python can reach about 10 meters long. Other candidates are the flying snakes (genus Chrysopelea), those small snakes found in Southeast Asia can flatten their bodies in order to glide. Another origin of the dragons may be related to the keeping of house serpents, a tradition particularly common in Europe. Many of those serpents were given supernatural associations and be sacred to a certain god. Some house serpents' stories talk about them growing to huge size, being able to speak or turning into human forms.
A flying snake in action
http://pictopia.com/perl/get_image?provider_id=318&size=550x550_mb&ptp_photo_id=274372
Troglodytes
Troglodytes are creatures living in caves; a good example is the olm (Proteus anguinus). This amphibian is endemic to the subterranean waters of caves of the Dinaric karst of southern Europe. It spend its whole life in caves and has developed some special adaptations: undeveloped eyes, pigment-less flesh, retaining of larval characteristics like gills,…In the past some of those creatures washed out of caves after a heavy rain could have been interpreted as dragon larvae.
Proteus anguinus
http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p61/torpes/proteus-s11a.jpg
Weather
In the past, when the weather could not be described scientifically, people thought that the weather effects were caused by some sort of fabulous creatures such as dragons. Sometimes lightning strikes were sometimes considered to be produced by dragons. In China, some dragons were thought to control the amount of rainfall.
Symbolism of the dragon
At first the dragon was considered as a powerful symbol having a strong association with the cult of the Great Goddess. However in Christian symbolism it was associated with the devil and was considered as an idol. The "jaws of hell" which are classic in paintings and sculptures of the Middle-Ages belong to the anatomy of a fire-breathing dragon. Many saints, including the Archangel St. Michael are often shown crushing a dragon under his foot; it represents the triumph of Christianity over the forces of evil. Emperor Constantine ordered a representation of himself killing a dragon with his lance in order to memorialize his conversion to Christianity. In the case of temptations the dragon often represents the woman and prostitute forbidden to the saint/monk. The most infamous dragon in the Bible is the Hydra of the Apocalypse which is described as a great red dragon with seven heads, then horns and seven crowns.
The "Jaws of Hell"
http://www.krepcio.com/vitreosity/archives/cat_sg_websites.html
Seal from the abbey of St. Victor
in Marseille
http://www.traditioninaction.org/SOD/j186sd_VictorMarseille_7-21.shtml
Tales of battles between heroes and
dragons personify the triumph of good over evil and often represent the victory
of a community over the plague or a natural disaster.
Dragons are dual creatures symbolizing the unconscious, for example a dragon
in the centre of a labyrinth represents the evil part of the unconscious.
Amphisbaena is a two-headed dragon which heads are always in conflict; it
represents the inner struggle between the conscious mind and the unconscious.
Many psychoanalysts believe that the dragon is a primary symbol that represents
the Great Mother. The myth of the hero that delivers a princess from a tower
guarded by a dragon symbolises the freedom of the young male from his mother
in order to access plain relations with women.
Dragon and Alchemy
The use of symbols in alchemy in order to describe chemical reactions is called allegory. One of those symbols is the dragon. For example a green dragon eating the sun means that the gold was dissolved in aqua regia, a mixture of nitric and hydrochloric acids. Since the gold probably contained copper, the acid was turned blue-green.
http://www.alchemywebsite.com/emb_dragon.html
A caduceus is a rod surrounded by two snakes entwined around; it is the symbol of Mercury. In Greek times, the caduceus sometime had wings because of the volatility of the mercury. The nagayuna, the Indian branch of alchemy also uses two entwined snakes, it represents the link between the earth and the heavens and the transition from the lower levels to the higher.
http://www.alchemywebsite.com/emb_hermes.html
Cinnabar (HgS) is the common ore of mercury. It generally occurs as vein-filling mineral associated with recent volcanic activity and alkaline hot spring. Some sources say that its name comes from the Persian and means "dragon blood".
http://www.mii.org/Minerals/photomercury.html
The uroboros is a dragon which eats his own tail; it is the symbol of the cyclical nature of alchemy work. (More infos in the dragon list below)
Real dragons
Draco is a far northern constellation; it is one of the 88 modern constellations and also one of the 48 constellations listed by Ptolemy. The Egyptian identified it with the goddess of the northern sky Tawaret; for the Greeks it was the Ladon, the dragon who guarded the golden apples in The Twelve Labours of Hercules. About 4000 years ago Thuban, one of the star from this constellation was the North Star.
http://www.astro.wisc.edu/~dolan/constellations/constellations/Draco.html
http://www.wwu.edu/depts/skywise/greekmyth.html#dra
Reptiles
Bearded Dragons are agamid lizards from the genus Pogona native to Australia. If threatened they will extend a spiny pouch under their jaw as well as inhale air to make them appear larger, the pouch looks like a beard which give this animal their name. Due to their robust nature and since they are friendly and calm, they make good pets (even for houses with children).
http://gallery.pethobbyist.com/data/84728Leon2.jpg
http://www.the-lizard-lounge.com/content/gallery/lizard-pictures/bearded-dragon-pictures-1.asp
Flying Dragons, genus Draco, are small agamid lizards from Southeast Asia. They have flaps of skins along the ribs which can be extended in order to glide (upwards to 8 meters).
http://www.ljplus.ru/img3/c/r/crazy_zoologist/draco_volans.jpg
The Komodo dragon is a member of the monitor lizard native to the Island of Komodo and the surrounding islands in Central Indonesia. This is the largest living lizard species of lizard; it can reach a length of 2-3 meters for a weight of about 70 kg. The specie is vulnerable and is found on the IUCN Red List.
http://www.britannica.com/eb/art/print?id=89203&articleTypeId=0
Water Dragons are large, diurnal and arboreal agamid lizards from the genus Physignathus. They are semi-aquatic, using their laterally-compressed tail to swim. Those are usually shy creatures in the wild and for this reason they are sometimes kept as pets. There are two species: the Chinese Water Dragon Physignathus cocincinus from South-East Asia and the Australian Water Dragon Physignathus lesueurii from East Australia.
Chinese Water Dragon (left) and Australian
Water Dragon (right)
http://www.davidwallphoto.com/searchresults.asp?tx=&ts=&c=&g=88&Lids=&Gids=&p=11&n=5881&phrase=
http://www.echsen.de/Gallery-act-displayimage-album-lastup-cat-18-pos-0.html
Fishes
Asian arowanas are freshwater fishes from the genus Scleropages found in Southeast Asia. They are big, up to 90 centimetres and feed of other fishes. They are considered lucky by many Asian cultures due to their resemblance with dragons. Their large scales and their double barbells are features shared by Chinese dragons. Their red and gold colours associated with the water is said to be positive by Feng Shui.
http://www.wallpaperfishtalk.com/wallpapers/freshwater/000087.jpg
The deep sea dragonfishes are marine ray-finned fishes belonging to the Stomiidae family. They are found worldwide at greet deeps, up to 5000 feet down. They are characterized by an elongated body, big teeth and a barbell attached to the chin. There is a light-producing organ at the tip of the barbell which is used to lure its prey; since food is rare at those deeps, those fishes can eat preys almost as big as themselves. Despite their frightening appearance they are totally harmless.
http://jamarc.fra.affrc.go.jp/zukan/f/f-1/f-m047/f-150-1.jpg
http://www.dinosoria.com/poissons_dragons.html
http://www.oceanlab.abdn.ac.uk/blog/?m=200707
The Japanese Dragon Moray (Enchelycore pardalis) is a moray eel found in the Indo-Pacific oceans. It is characterised by its narrow curved jaws and its elongated tubular nostrils.
http://mauiwebdesigns.com/Hawaii/HawaiiFishes/morayeels.htm
The lion fishes, also called dragon fishes are venomous marine fishes from the family Scorpaenidae. They are easily recognised by their extremely long and separated fin and their stripped appearance. Those voracious predators are native to the Indo-Pacific region.
http://www.wildanimalsonline.com/fish/redlionfish.php
The leafy sea dragon (Phycodurus eques) and the weedy sea dragon (Phyllopterix taeniolatus) are marine fished related to seahorse found exclusively on the southern coast of Australia. Both are the official marine emblem of an Australian state, South Australia and Victoria respectively.
Leafy sea dragon (left) and weedy
sea dragon (right)
http://www.divegallery.com/Leafy_Sea_Dragon_6.htm
http://www.divegallery.com/Weedy_Sea_Dragon.htm
The Order of the Dragon
Called Societas Draconistrarum
in Latin, the order of the Dragon was an elite Chivalric order inspired by
the Order of St. George. Its members were called Draconists. It was first
created on 12 December 1408 by the Holy Emperor Sigismund, then King of Hungary.
During the first part of the 15th century it was the most important noble
political association in Hungary and was only second in power to the King.
The members of the Order swore allegiance to the King and were required to
defend the Cross and fight the enemies of Christianity (usually the Ottomans).
There was an initial group of 24 inductees between 1408 and 1418 followed
by a second one between 1431 and 1437. One of those was Vlad II Dracul, the
father of Vlad III Tepes.
The original symbol of the Order was an insignia of a dragon with its tail
coiled around the neck, on the back of the dragon was the Red Cross of Saint
George. With the expansion of the Order between 1431 and 1437 some new symbols
were employed. There was for example a cross perpendicular to the dragon on
the sides it was written O Quam Misericors est Deus (Oh, how merciful
god is) and Pius et Justus (Justifiably and peacefully). High ranking
members wore a necklace of two gold chains joined by a coiled dragon with
a Hungarian cross above. In 1433 Sigismund introduced a seal depicting a dragon
with a big body, dented wings, and a free tail with a small Greek cross on
the chest. The visual appearance of the dragon in the Order varied: sometimes
it had the head of a vulture, other times the body of a snake and finally
it was a bat-winged creature. The symbol of the Order represented the destruction
of the Order's enemies symbolized by the dragon killed by St. George. Since
the dragon was known as a symbol for Satan, the dragon strangling itself on
the Order's emblem was interpreted as the defeat of evil. Sometimes the dragon
had 3 twists of its tail around the neck, it was a reference the 3 forms of
God. Also the dragon emblem often had large wings symbolizing its defeat by
St. George and the archangel Michael.
One of the members of the Order was Vlad II who was inducted in February 1431.
He received the privilege of using the Order's name and since that he was
known as Vlad Dracul (=Vlad the Dragon). "Drac" means dragon in Romanian and
"ul" is the definitive article. In Romanian the ending "ulea (ula) means "the
son of" so its son Vlad III became Vlad Dracula (=The Son of the Dragon).
The symbol of the Order also became part of Vlad II personal coat or arms:
a lion being attacked by a dragon emerging victorious.
After the death of Sigismund in 1437, the Order lost prominence however its
prestige made that its emblem was kept on the coat of arms of several noble
families (including Bathory). Today few historical artefacts of the Order
remain, the oldest known literary artefact being a copy, dating to 1707, of
the edict forming the Order.
http://www.rodoslovlje.com/medieval_serbia/eng/history-dragon.htm
http://www.ucs.mun.ca/~emiller/dragon.html
Dragon List
| Dragon Name: | Amphisbaena |
| Appearances: | A lesser enemy found in the very long corridor of the Marble Gallery in Symphony of the Night and in the Sandy Grave in Portrait of Ruin. In the occidental version of Symphony it is called diplocephalus. Its presence in the Sandy Grave could be explained while it is said to come from North Africa. |
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| Description: | "The amphisbaena had two heads,
one at the head and one on the tail, which could travel in either direction.
The other parts of the appearance vary bit it was said to have glowing
or shining eyes. Unlike other reptiles it is said to be resistant to cold.
Tales of amphisbaena were popular in Europe even it this creature comes
from North Africa. Amphisbaena means 'to go both ways' in Greek. It is also spelled amphivena. Above you can see two medieval representations of this beast." |
| References: |
http://www.abdn.ac.uk/bestiary/comment/68vamph.hti
http://www.joh.cam.ac.uk/library/special_collections/manuscripts/medieval_ manuscripts/medman/A/Web%20images/C18f87v.htm |
| Dragon Name: | Drake |
| Appearances: | A water dragon named Rahab guards the entrance to the Subterranean Hell in Dawn of Sorrow. Its appearance and size correspond to an Icedrake. |
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| Description: | "Drakes are Western-type dragon with only legs and no wings. They look like large lizards and measure between 5 and 20 meters. They are often from Germanic of Celtic origins, for this reason many European cities were names after them: Drakeford, Draguignan, etc. There are two different kinds of drakes: the Firedrake which is red in colour and breathe fire and the Icedrake which is white or light bluish in colour and breathe ice. The picture shows the coat of arsm of the municipality of Kamnik in Slovenia." |
| References: |
http://www.fotw.net/flags/si-043.html
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| Dragon Name: | Hyrda |
| Appearances: | One of the strongest boss in The Dracula X Chronicles, it guards the Hidden Docks. Like its mythological counterpart, its heads grow back after being cut. |
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None yet.
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| Description: | "A dragon with many heads
found in Greece and Africa. It is also featured in the Apocalypse. The most famous of the hydra was the Lernaean Hydra: it was the offspring of Typhoon and Echidna. It was defeated by the hero Heracles as the second of his twelve labours. Each time one head of the hydra was cut, two grew back, so Hercules used a firebrand to scorch the neck after decapitation. " |
| References: |
http://santi.elfwood.com/hydra.jpg.html
http://www.unet.univie.ac.at/~a9725261/hydra.htm |
| Dragon Name: | Lindworm |
| Appearances: | A lindworm inhabited the lake surrounding Castlevania where it acts as a boss in Legacy of Darkness. |
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| Description: | "A lindworm is a dragon with only two legs. It is also called lindorm and lindwurm. Unlike wyverns they have no wings. The picture shows the coat of arms of the German municipality of Wurmannsquick." |
| References: |
http://www.wurmannsquick.de/
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| Dragon Name: | Mushussu |
| Appearances: | A powerful lesser enemy found on the Top Floor in Dawn of Sorrow. |
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| Description: | "This type of dragon is the
personal of the high god of Babylon Marduk. They appear in many places,
especially on the Ishtar Gate, one of the eight entrances to the city
of Babylon. The ruins of the Ishtar Gate were excavated between 1899 and
1914 and are now exposed at the Pergamon Museum in Berlin. Some researchers have suggested that the dragon mentioned in the Apocrypha could be a mushussu. It has also been suggested that it could be the Behemoth described in the Bible. Crypto zoologists believe that those pictures represent either a sauropod dinosaur or a chalicothere (a family of prehistoric mammals). The other accepted versions of the name mushussu are: musrussu, mushrushu and mushhushshu." |
| References: |
http://www.cryptozoology.com/articles/ishtar.php
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| Dragon Name: | Quetzalcoatl |
| Appearances: | He is a lesser enemy found in the Dance Hall of Aria of Sorrow, the Dark Chapel and the Demon Guest House of Dawn of Sorrow and finally in the Forgotten City and Nest of Evil in Portrait of Ruin. In those games it doesn't appears as a feathered serpent but as an advanced form of white dragon. |
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| Description: | "Quetzalcoatl is a Toltec
and Aztec god. He is shown either as a feathered or as a human man wearing
feathers. He was also the priest-king of Tula, the city of the sun. After
been driven out by his brother Tezcatlipoca, he was said to return one
day. For this reason some persons have suggested that the conquistador
Cortes had been mistaken with Quetzalcoatl by the Aztecs. Above you can see two depictions of Quetzalcoatl, as a human and as a serpent, from the Codex Telleriano-Remensis. The third picture shows the Temple of the Feathered Serpent with its numerous serpent heads in Teotihuacan. " |
| References: |
http://www.answers.com/topic/quetzalcoatl
http://www.latinamericanstudies.org/serpent-pyramid.htm |
| Dragon Name: | Ourobouros |
| Appearances: | A lesser enemy found in the Reverse Entrance in Symphony of the Night, they are called Orobourous. If only the fleaman riding it is killed, it will follow Alucard and help him defeat its foes. |
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| Description: | "The serpent eating its own tail symbolizes the cyclic nature of the universe: creation out of destruction. It is also used as a symbol of eternity. The appearance of the ouroboros varies; alternatively two dragons biting each other tails can be used. The origin of the ouroboros is unclear, it was first seen as early 1600 years BC in Egypt from which it moved to the Phoenicians and then to the Greeks. It is also present in Norse mythology as Jormungandr the serpent circling the entire world and in Hindu mythology. " |
| References: |
http://randomknowledge.wordpress.com/2007/09/
http://www.alchemywebsite.com/emb_dragon.html |
| Dragon Name: | Western Dragon |
| Appearances: | "True" dragons appear as boss in the Underground Mine (Akumajou Dracula X68000), the Castle Halls (Castlevania Legends) and the Underground Gallery (Circle of the Moon). |
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| Description: | "Dragons are often divided in two categories: the Western Dragon and the Eastern Dragon. The Western Dragon is portrayed as large with two bat-like wings, long necks, scales and usually four legs. They can breath fire and often guards treasures." |
| References: |
http://www.fotw.net/flags/gb-wa-og.html
http://www.geocities.com/TimesSquare/Lair/6140/red_dragon.jpg |
| Dragon Name: | Wyrm |
| Appearances: | Wyrms, are the most present kind of dragon in the Castlevania universe. Like the description below hints, they are often found in damp areas where they act as a boss (Castlevania III, Super Castlevania IV) or lesser enemy (Akumajou Dracula X68000). Also the skeletons of those dragons can be found chained at walls anywhere (Bone Dragons and White Dragons). |
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| Description: | "A wyrm, or worm, are dragons with no legs and wings. They are known to be the first incarnations of dragons and are linked to water. One of the most famous examples is the Lambton Worm from England (first picture). The second picture is the coat of arms of the municipality of Duplek in Slovenia." |
| References: |
http://www.conceptart.org/forums/showthread.php?t=123848
http://www.fotw.net/flags/si-026.html |
| Dragon Name: | Wyvern |
| Appearances: | The wyvern first act as a boss at the end of the Town Ruins in Dracula X: Rondo of Blood and in the Baljhet Mountains in Curse of Darkness. In Portrait of Ruin it is downgraded as a lesser enemy which guards the Master's Keep. The Dragon Zombie found in the Buried Chamber and the Sandy Grave, also in Portrait of Ruin, is another kind of wyvern. |
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| Description: | "Wyverns are dragons with two legs and wings, in modern images they may have claws on the wings and a sting filled with poison at the end of the tail. They were common in mountains of Central Europe and in Sweden. Wyverns are frequent in heraldry and are considered a sign of strength to those who bear this symbol. However in some folk tales they are considered as malign and violent predators. Some authors use wyvern, cockatrice and lindworm interchangeably. The pictures shows the flags of the Kingdom of Wessex in England and of the French province of Tregor in Brittany." |
| References: |
http://www.fotw.net/flags/fr-bz-t.html
http://www.fotw.net/flags/gb-wessx.html |
