The Ultimate Dragon Database !

Dragon Book Review – Dragon Over Washington by Bruno Flexer Thorpe, an NSA agent, finds things that disturb him, strange occurrences across the world he cannot explain. He starts to investigate, using every resource the NSA possesses and the things he finds indicates things are grim. Thorpe finds signs of dragons, devouring everyone who stands in their way. Strange cults spring up and alien forces walk the earth, wearing the flesh of men. Thorpe must sound the alarm before a great war begins and dragons swoop over cities, flaming every thing beneath them. This books has a 4.5 star rating (an almost perfect score) at Amazon.com. Kindle Edition of Dragon Over Washington on Amazon.com Reviews of Dragon Over Washington on Amazon.com

 

Dragon Book Review Extras – Dragon Over Washington by Bruno Flexer One of the most interesting things about Dragon Over Washington is pitting dragons and other supernatural beings against our technological might, dragon against helicopter, dragon's breath against anti tank missiles. Kindle Edition of Dragon Over Washington on Amazon.com Reviews of Dragon Over Washington on Amazon.com

 

Dragon Mythologies All the ancient dragon stories, from Hercules and the Hydra, the Chimera, Perseus and the dragon that came from the deep, the Basilisk, Python who tried to slay Apollo's mother and was killed by his divine arrows. In addition, the dragon stories of Europe, from Beuwulf, the dragon Fafnir and Sigurd Dragon Slayer and many others.

 

Dragon Movie Review – How To Train Your Dragon One boy in a Viking village repeatedly attacked by dragons manages to do the impossible – bring down a Nightfury dragon. The boy slowly starts to realize the dragons are not the mindless beasts everyone always thought they were. But there's something else out there, something out in the sea, something that can destroy warship as if they were matches, a dragon so gigantic no has ever seen before.

 

Dragon Movie Review - Dragonslayer 1981  A magical fantasy movie about an apprentice wizard who has to master himself and the arcane arts while a mighty fire breathing dragon flies over the kingdom, raining fire and destruction wherever it goes while a sacrifice, the king's own daughter, is getting ready to be consumed alive.

 

Dragon Movie Review – Reign of Fire 2002 They came from under the ground, the dragons. They filled the sky with the sound of their wings and the earth with their fire. Almost nothing remained, almost everything turned to ash. And now, a group of survivors hiding in a deserted castle must decide whether they will remain hiding or will attempt to strike back at the dragon who inherited the earth.

 

Dragon Movie Review – Dragon Hunters In a world made of small flying islands, with waterfalls cascading from island to island, there lurks a great menace. Two dragon hunters go out on a quest to find the biggest dragon the world has ever seen and to destroy it. They are armed with a strange talking dog and a little girl who seems to live in a world of her own but all the worlds will end if the World Gobbler is allowed to wake up.

 

Dragon Movie Review – Dragon Heart The old king had died and his son now has the crown but the son of the king is a cruel tyrant, ruling with an iron fist. A dragon hunter is on a quest to kill the dragon that had corrupted the heart of the king of the son encounters one final dragon he cannot vanquish even after a battle that lasts more than a day. An agreement is reached, a pact that will change that kingdom forever.

 

Dragon Movie Review – Beowulf 2007 In the land of the Danes a great evil stalks, a demon whose power is so great no mortal weapon can harm it. The kingdom quells before this demon but a hero comes, Beowulf the monster slayer. Beowulf dispatches the demon but a greater evil still awaits as a dragon now vents its anger on the land. Beowulf must fight the dragon but a dark secret lurks, casting a shadow over Denmark.

 

Dragon Movie Review – Flight of Dragons 1982 A magical fantasy animated movie about whisked from our time into a magical place ten centuries ago. Now he has to go on a quest to save that magical world from the tyrannical rule of an evil wizard and his dragons. But the hero has arrived inside the body of a dragon! Now he must learn all there is to learn about dragons and how to fight as one before all is lost.

 

Dragon Movie Review – Dragon Wars – D War A conflict that raged five hundred years ago is about to restart now, in our time. One girl has to the key that will determine who will rule the earth and she must stop a malevolent dragon from possessing that key since the tyranny the dragon would create will never end. All that stands in the way of the dragon who smashes its way through our cities is one knight, who is not really convinced what his role is. If he won't choose, the dragon would decide the fate of the earth.

 

Dragon Movie Review – Dragonlance In a world ravaged by dragons, a group of old adventurers meet a woman claiming to have evidence of the return of the old gods. However, evil forces gather to destroy the woman and her evidence and the group must protect her and themselves as they flee, dodging evil in many forms, topped by the most powerful creatures of all – red fire breathing dragons. A fighter, a magician, a thief, a dwarf and a half elf must find in themselves the strength to resist draconic oppression.

 

Dragon Movie Review – Fire and Ice I a fantastic kingdom, a fearsome fire breathing dragon appears, showering everything below it with devastating flames. A pair of dragon hunters are called and only manage to drive the huge fire dragon away for a short time but they hatch a plot to lure another dragon into the kingdom, an ice dragon. But things are not so simple. As the huge dragons battle in the skies, a sinister plot endangers not only the kingship but the very survival of the every man, woman and child in the kingdom.

 

Recent Additions:

·          January 2011 - Added Dragonflight by Anne McCaffrey, one of the first dragon books. This hugely popular book tells the story of the dragon riders of Pern, of their great gentle dragons and their war against deadly Thread.

·         February 2011 - Added the book Dragonquest, also by Anne McCaffrey. The story of the dragon riders of Pern starts to get complicated as the Oldtimers prove to be a menace and threat to rival the dreaded Red Star and its deadly Thread.

·         February 2011- Added the dragon analysis about the dragons and the remarkable fire lizards from Dragonquest, the things we learn about the dragons of Pern in this book and new infromation about the dragons' special abilities.

·         February 2011 - Added much needed pics to the site, starting with the dragon book and movie reviews. This will be an ongoing process that's going to take us quite a while to complete ...

·         Our next project will be an indepth analysis of the dragon book, The Dragon and the George by Gordon Dickson and why does it have too many similarities to the movie Dragonflight.

·         March 2011 - Started another great project, the dragon lists. Added a list of 10 Roman Greek Dragons, many more lists to come ... Why make lists about dragons? Because it's a great way to condense our wealth of dragon information.

·         March 2011 - Before puting online the George and the Dragon review, we must research the similarity between it and Dragonflight. Now review will be complete without it, since the similarities, starting from the dragons and going onwards, is too strong. More on that later. We will leave no dragon unturned till this is solved!

·         March 2011 - Added another list, 10 Classical Ways to Kill a Dragon, listing ways and methods taken from the various dragon myths on how to kill a dragon.

·         March 2011 - Added another list, 10 things common to all Classical Roman Greek Dragons. I bet you thought all dragons could fly and breathe fire? Actually, almost no ancient dragon story contains a fire breathing, flying dragons. Their dragons are a bit different. Click the link to see. Actually, this brings another idea to mind. Making a list about all the myths about dragons that turn out to be false. Will have to see into this new dragon list idea sometime soon.

·         November 2011 - Added another page, Komodo Dragons - A real live dragon living between us today. Contrary to popular belief, there are real dragons living on our earth today. More than ten feet long, weighting more than two hundred pounds, terrorizing humans living in their midst, these dragons are real, dangerous and have all the traits one would expect a dragon to possess. These dragons live in three islands in Indonesia and are the stuff of legends. It seems some of the ancient dragon tales could have been made about these beings. For one thing, they possess poisonous breath, bacteria and various neurotoxins in their saliva, enough to bring down a grown cow.

·         November 2011 – Added a small review of Dragons and Wizards, a repository of royalty free dragon clip arts.

·         November 2011 – Added another review of the dragon movie - Dragon Movie Review 2 - Eragon 2006, based on the book by Christopher Paolini.

 

 

We are now adding a FAQ (questions and answers section) for anything and everything that has to do with dragons. If you have a dragon related question, you can send it in though the 'Contact' page.

1.     What is a dragon?

A dragon is a mythical being that appears in legends and stories of people around the world. The dragon usually has some identifying traits that differentiate it from other monsters. The dragons from different parts of the world usually have slightly different traits, be it form, weapons, size and mentality. However, usually the dragons are the biggest and most fearsome creatures in the folk tales of many nations.

2.     What traits do dragons usually possess?

Dragons are usually (but not always) reptilian, serpent or lizard like in appearance. Most often they will have scales, a forked tongue and will be huge, from horse sized to giant dragons taller than a building. Of course, there are stories and legends of dragons even huger, from the Tanin of the old testament to the giant serpent curling around the world tree in the Viking legends. Size alone does not a dragon make, however. Dragons usually also possess at least some kind of special ability, supernatural or otherwise. Some will never sleep (like the guardian dragon of the golden fleece), others will have multiple heads that regenerate (like the hydra Hercules slew).

3.     What kinds of weapons do dragons usually possess?

Dragons have many kinds of weapons which makes them one of the most dangerous creatures legends hold. Dragons often can breathe fire, poison, kill with their eyes, constrict with their formidable bodies or even know the future.

4.     Are dragons in legends really horrible monsters?

The answer to that depends on the legends and tales one reads. In the Green and Roman Mythologies, dragons indeed were horrible monsters, killing and terrorizing entire country sides and nations and only the strongest and bravest heroes could vanquish them. However, in other tales, notably Japanese and Chinese legends, dragons were usually rulers of nature, vassals to the all mighty gods who controlled all of creations. Thus, the oriental dragons were usually civilized, lived in huge lavish underwater palaces and commanded armies of supernatural beings.

5.     How are Japaneese and Chinesse dragons different from Greek and Roman Mythology dragons?

Oriental dragons, especially Chinese and Japanese dragons, occuppy a very different place from dragons in the Greek and Roman Mythologies. Dragons in the Greek and Roman Mythologies were usually mosters roaming across the countyside or guardians set by the gods or powerful magicians to safekeep important treasures. However, Chinese and Japanese dragons were the personification of the forces of nature, lakes or rivers of volcanos.

6.     How are Japanese and Chinese dragons portrayed in Oriental tales and legends?

Oriental dragons, Chinese and Japanese dragons in particular, are usually the rulers of great forces of nature, usually great rivers and oceans. They are portrayed very similar to human rulers, having great palaces made of jade, mother of pearl and coral on the bottom of the bodies of water they control. The dragons take human form and have great entourages in their palaces, served by all manner of beings. Of course, the daughters of these dragons are the focus of many dragon related stories.

7.     What kinds of powers the Japanese and Chinese dragons possess?

The Japanesse and Chinesse Oriental Dragons have a range of capabilites, powers that are very different to those Roman and Green Mythology dragons possess. As rulers of specific powers of nature, the Japanesse and Chinesse Oriental Dragons have a measure of direct control over the power of nature they rule. They can cause a river to rise and flood a region, they can cause an ocean to richly feed an entire region with fish or starve the people living there. The dragons can also cause a volcano to erupt, if their domain is that volcano. In addition, the Japanesse and Chinesse Oriental Dragons command armies of the creatures and supernatual beings inhabiting the region they rule.

8.     Are there more kinds of Japanese and Chinese Oriental Dragons?

There are many kinds of Japanesse and Chinesse Oriental Dragons. The dragon rulers of the seas, lakes and rivers are but one kind. For a start, there are the huge monster dragons, like the dragon with eight heads that ate the sword of the sun. There are the Naga, an evil race of dragons living in the bottom of the sees. There are the spirit dragons, a combination of supernatural beings with dragons. Last but not least, there are the humans who were able to change their form into dragons, because of their immense will power of some hidden dragon heritage in the families.

9.     What is the strangest and most powerful ability the Greek and Roman Dragon Mythology unfolds before us?

The dragons in the Greek and Roman Dragon Mythology have a strange ability that is connected to fate and destiny. The mighty heroes who fought these dragons were later subject to the full power of fate. The mighty Hercules who vanquished the Hydra was later killed by its poison blood. Cadmus killed a great serpentine dragon and was later turned into one. The god Apollo slew python with his arrows and was later struck by another kind of arrows.

10.     What other kinds of dragons exists in legends and tales apart form those in the Green and Roman Mythology and the Japanese and Chinese legends?

Most mythologies and most of the people on earth have some kinds of dragons in their legends and folk tales. The Norse Mythology's chief dragon is Nidhogg, a giant serpent gnawing on the World Tree. The Old Testament contains the Tanin, a huge dragon living in the oceans who had to be subdued by god or it would have upset all of creation. In Europe, many kinds of dragons exist in legends and folk tales, starting from St. George and the Dragon and the various dragons in folk tales.

11.     What were the most fearsome and dangerous dragons among the Greek and Roman Dragons?

The Greek and Roman Mythologies held a number of very dangerous dragons. Probably the most notorious one was the Hydra, a dragon who could breathe fire, had a number of heads who not only regenrated by each head cut off would regrow and then grow another head! Two more little known facts about this mighty dragon were that its blood was poison, potent enough to later kill the demigod Hercules and this dragon's middle head was imortal, imprevious from harm by any weapon. Hercules could only defeat this monster by using his almost limitless strength to bury the dragon under a huge boulder it could not move. Of course, there were many other dragons that also contested the title. Chief among them the dragon that Cadmus slayed and the Python, a dragon that could see into the future.

12.     What are the most fearsome and dangerous dragons in current books today?

Today, fantasy literature is rife with dragons, though some of them really stand out. Tolkien's Smaug is a good example. Other examples are the mighty dragons in the Inheritance series by Christopher Paolini. Dragon Over Washington also contains some really fearsome dragons.

13.     What are the most fearsome and dangerous dragons in the old testament?

The old testament tells us about the Tanin, an ancient dragon who ruled the oceans even before the time of god. It is said that god had to fight this dragon in order to become the real ruler of all creation and this gives us some insight into the power this old dragon wielded. God fought and finally defeated the Tanin but it was said that the dragon was so large it could not be actually killed and it was imprisoned under the ocean, in a place of immense coldness and pressure, waiting for the end of the world when it would unleash it unfathomable dragon fury.

14.     What are the most fearsome and dangerous dragons in the Chinese mythology?

The Chinese mythology, same as the Japanese mythology, is filled with dragons of all kinds, from strange monsters barely able to wear the title 'Dragon', to fearsome rogue beasts to the mighty rulers of the seas themselves. However, probably the most fearsome dragon was Yin Long, the winged dragon, the dragon of the storm. Serving in the wars of the Yellow Emperor, the winged dragon slew thousands of enemies, be they giants or demons, with its pyhsical prowess and his power over the rain and the storm.

15.     What real life animals could have inspired and created the dragon legends?

The dragon myths and legends could have been inspired from many sources, many more likely and some that seem very unlikely but still possible. Many dragon legends and myths describe the dragons as possessing reptilian and serpentine traits, there fore the dragons stories could have been inspired by serpents and perhaps crocodiles that the people then saw. Certain serpents, like the Anaconda, can grow to an astounding thirty feet in length while sea water crocodiles, who do not hesitate to attack humans when they can, can grow to be twenty feet long and weigh more than a ton. The reptilian traits dragons possessed, poison, cold eyes and claws could have easily been based on the dangerous creatures like crocodiles and snakes.

16.     Could the extinct dinosaurs inspire the dragon legends?

The dinosaurs were a race of huge reptiles who lived on the earth till they all died about sixty five million years ago, probably because of a nuclear winter created by a meteor who crashed into the earth. The legends and myths of dragons contain some similarity to dinosaurs, though it is quite unlikely that the dragon legends have been inspired by the dinosaurs.

17.     What kind of dinosaurs most closely resembled dragons?

The dinosaurs were a very diverse race or species, with many kinds of dinosaurs who lived during the millions of years they have controlled the earth. However, as far as we know today, there are some dinosaurs who bore a striking resemblance to the dragon legends. The Tyrannosaurus was a very dragon-like dinosaur, more than twenty feet long and weighting more than seven tons, this momster was equiped with six inch long teeth. Just like a dragon, this dinosaur would have probably been the top predator of its kind.

18.     What kind of equatic dinosaurs most closely resembled dragons?

Dragons, in almost every culture and almost every legend, have a strong connection with the sea. Therefore, when addressing the subject of extinct animals who could have inspired dragon legends, the Cymbospondylus, a type of ichthyosaur, readily comes to mind. Although not stricly a dinosaur but a type of marine reptile. This creature was more than thirty feet long and weighted tons, therefore making a very formidable dragon. However, its teeth were more suitable to eating small and middle sized fish which makes it less than an ideal terror inspiring dragon but you can't always get everything you want in life ...

19.     What kind of flying dinosaur could have inspired dragon legends?

A monster with twenty foot long winspand, a sharp beak and crested head, this very dragon - like creature was not really a dinosaur, but a reptile. The Pteranodon was a very famous creature who lived in the age of dinosaur. Though huge in size, this very dragon like creature was actually very light, weighting a few hunderd pounds only. Eating mostly fish, nevertheless, this creature no doubt a terror to behold, a true flying dragon in appearance.

20.     So, do the dragon myths and legends stem from dinosaurs?

We must remember that the dinosaurs became extinct sixty five million years ago, therefore we must consider what evidance man had of the existance of dinosaurs when the dragon legends and stories were created, some of them thousands of years ago. It is highly unlikely that dinosaur bodies could have survived for millions of years. Even though wooly mammoth bodies have been discovered frozen in ice, there is no record of a dinosaur that had survived that way. Therefore, the only possible answer that related dragons and dinosaur are fossil remains, though even this is unlikely because most remains are buried under tons of rock and it is not likely that hunderds of years ago people saw them and made the dragon stories.

21.     So, if it's so unlikely the dragon stories and legends stem from dinosaur remains, could they stem from sightings of real live dinosaurs?

Although dinosaurs and other giant reptiles were exinct sixty five million years ago, rumours and unconfirmed sightings of monsters (dragons?) persist with alarming frequency. The Loch Ness monster is perhaps the most famous though other sightings of similar creatures come from all over the world. The Ogopogo is a similar monster and there are other sightings from Africa and everywhere else. Although never confirmed, the persistance of the sightings for a period of more than two thousands years gives rise to questions. Mainly, are there real dragons living among us today?

22.     What other kinds of monsters that are not related to dragons are rumored to exist today?

Cryptology, the 'science' of the paranormal creatures, tells us that we still might have among us several interesting creatures, still unknown to science. Even though they have little or no relations to dragons, they are interesting in themselves. First are foremost, the giagantic octopus. A specimen may have washed to shore on St Augustine, Florida, on 1896. The Lusca may also be a gigantic octopus, more than one hundred feet long and weighting tons. Of course, sea serpents are viewed all over the world but are probably sightings of oar fish or other 'normal' creatures. In all probability, this has little to do with dragons or dragon myths.

23.     What about the Colossal squid? Any connection to know dragon tales or myths?

The Colossal squid is a real, live, mean sucker, excuse the pun. It is estimated to be over forty feet long, weighting more than a ton, armed with long tentalces that have not only suckers but rotating hook, this monster has the largest beak of any creature alive today. Often, sperm whales have scars on their backs from fighting these monsters. Though these creatures no doubt exist, it is hard to imagine dragon legends that have sprang from them. The kraken, maybe, but not dragons, not even sea serpents.

24.     What connections do dragons in dragon tales and myths have to fire?

Not all dragon stories and myths connect dragons to fire. In the greek and roman mythologies, dragons are more frequently connected to poison, whether they can breathe it or their blood contains it. However, dragons who breathe fire do exist. In the Eurpean dragon tales of the middle ages, there are a great many tales of dragons who breathe fire. It may be that fire was one of the most destructive forces human kind had to face in the ancient times. Most towns were built out of flamable materials and fire was cherished as both a source of life in the cold winters and as a bringer of death. Therefore, it is not hard to connect the mightiest and most destructive creature, the dragon, with the most destructive force, the fire.

25.     How were dragons usually vanquished?

In almost every case where a dragon appears, it is a national calamity, a disaster on a great scale for any country or kingdom. However, in almost every case, the armies of the nation will not be able to fight the dragon, though it will ravage the country side. It is the role of a hero to vanquish a dragon. However, dragons are not easily slain and it takes a demigod like Hercules to do it. For other, lesser human beings, a magically sharpened sword, a special advice from a wizard or other magical implements are used to slay the dragon.

26.     Were dragons the mightiest beings in every tale or mythology?

Dragons were certainly mighty creatures, but usually the dragon was vanquished in the end so the dragon was not the most powerful being alive. Gods and some demigod were more powerful the dragons, at least in the greek and roman mythologies, as Apolo and Hercules managed to slay a dragon each. In the European myths, a dragon was usually slain by a hero using some sort of device gained from a wizard, though rarely did the wizard confront the dragon directly. In the Oriental Chinese and Japanese myths, dragons were certainly powerful but smart and resourceful beings managed to defeat them. Ohers, like the Eight Immortals of the Chinese myths were certainly as powerful as any dragon.

27.     What is the importance of the Poem of Beowulf to the dragon lore?

The Poem of Beowulf is important on many levels as one of the known earlier European poems. Regarding dragon lore, the Poem of Beowulf defines the relationship between the dragon, the hero and the nation. The dragon threatened the nation and it took the best hero in the land, Beowulf himself, to slay the dragon. Later stories and dragon myths can all trace their dragon lore to this unique poem.

28.     What exactly is the dragon in the Poem of Beowulf?

The dragon in the Poem of Beowulf is a great creature, can fly, breathes fire and hoardes treasure. In fact, the dragon was content to sleep in his lair till a jeweled cup was stolen from it by a thief. The dragon awoke and in his rage started ravaging the countryside. No army or hero could whistant this dragon and the king himself, the great hero Beowulf was required to take arms against this monster. At the battle all of Beowulf's soldiers deserted him except one. Beowulf broke his sword on the dragon's tough scales and he took his remaining soldier's sword, waited for the dragon to charge and plunged his sword into it, but the dragon managed to kill him before he died.

29.     What does the dragon in the Poem of Beowulf symbolize?

The dragon in the Poem of Beowulf symbolizes several things. First and foremost, the dragon stands for the great untamed powers that humankind must take care not to meddle in. The dragon does not become beligirent till a thief takes a cup from its lair. Later, the dragoms comes to symbolize the special powers and duties of the king, as only Beowulf, the mighty hero, manages to kill the dragon at the price of his own life.

30.     Who was Fridleif the Dragon Slayer?

Kind Fridleif, before he earned the title Dragon Slayer, was shipwrecked on a strange island, an island no man had seen before and returned to tell the tale. However, Fridleif was visited by a strange man during his sleep and was told about a great treasure hidden in the earth along with the dragon that guarded it.

31.     What were the attributes of the dragon Fridleif fought?

The dragon king Fridleif fought was a giant, snake like beast. It towered above the trees on the shore of the island Fridleif found and had a potent poison breath. In addition, the dragon possessed a huge fangs filled with poison. The dragon's body was covered in near impenetrable scales and the dragon was so powerfull it could easily uproot trees with a flick of its tail and dig trenches in the earth with its mighty body.

32.     How did Fridleif fought the dragon?

Fridleif had magical help with his fight against the dragon in the shape of a mystical person appearing to him in a dream during his sleep and instructing him how to fight the dragon. There is no information regarding who or what that person was, and weather it was a ghost of a person killed by the dragon. Anyway, the mysterious person instructed Fridleif to protect himself with ox hide to fight off the dragon's poison breath and to cover his shield with hide to protect himself from the dragon's poison fangs.

32.     How did Fridleif finally conquer the dragon?

Protected as he was against the dragon's poison, Fridleif watched as the dragon rose above the waves and came onto the island's ground. Fridleif threw spears at the dragon but the dragon's scaly hide was imprevious to such weapons. Then, Fridleif evaded the dragon's dangerous tail slapps and fought it with his sword but the sharpened weapon failed to penetrate the dragon's scales. Fridleif saw the dragon had dug trenches in the ground in its fury and Fridleif went down a trench and struck the dragon's in its lower body, where it was not protected by scales so heavy, thus he managed to kill it and take the treasure the dragon guarded.

33.     What was the origin of the dragons king Eagnar Lodbrog fought?

King Eagnar Lodbrog fought two dragons, twins. These dragons started as mere pets, a gift from king of the Swedes Herodd to his daughter, Thora. The dragons were but mere snakes at the start of the story but they did not stay that way for long. The twin dragons were fed a whole ox every day and they gorged themselves on this rich diet. Soon, they grew and it did not take them much time to reach their final, huge size.

34.     What were the attributes of the dragons king Eagnar Lodbrog fought?

These dragons started out as snakes before growing out to full dragon size. It is not known wheather they were shaped as a serpent or grew legs at a later stage. However, they possessed a poison breath, so potent the entire countysize became barren because of its potency. In addition, they had posion fangs, so lethal no man could survive their bite.

35.     How did king Eagnar Lodbrog killed the dragons?

king Eagnar Lodbrog devised a strategy to cope with the poison breath and fangs of the twin dragons. He wore clothes filled with thick hairs and fur and coated his shield with fur. Then, he bathed in the icy waters of a river and then he emerged, his clothing wet. The weather froze the water on him, thus providing him with icy protection agains the dragons' poison. He took his sword and spear and protected against the poison, he managed to slay the dragos.

36.     Are dragons in European myths and legends always rampaging monsters that kill everything they see?

Interestingly, even in European tales where dragons are usually monsters (in contrary to dragons in Eastern tales which are usually officials of the Celestical Court), dragons are not always brainless monsters killing indescriminately. In the European dragon tales, the dragons are a lot of times minding their own business, living their lives in caves and not harming anyone until someone, i.e. a human thief, takes something that belongs to them, inducing the rampage dragons are famous for. Other times, dragons are places as guardiands of treasures by powerful beings (wizards, or gods in the Greek and Roman legends) and heros who want their treasure rouse the dragons' ire and must face their rage.

37.     Are there dragons in there European myths and legends that are really monsters that kill everything they see?

Even though not dragons in the European myths and legends are mindless beasts, there still are those that are monsters rampaging across countries and nations and creating national emergiences that only great heroes can solves. When we look do the dragons in the Eastern tales, even there we see some dragons that are nothing more than killing machines bent on destruction.

38.     What is the tale of the dragon of the mountain Pilatus?

The Pilatus mountain in Swizerland is a mysterious mountain whose top is often covered by clouds. Therefore, many tales of dragons, especially winged dragons, have been told over the centuries. A quite unique story of a Pilatus winged dragons tells us that a man once saw a winged dragon fly from the Pilatus mountain. The dragon flew away but not before something fell from the dragon to the ground. The man, after pausing to gather his courage, approached the area and saw a strange sight. Aparently, the dragon had dropped a rock of many colors, covered by the dragon's black blood. The man took the rock and to this day this dragon rock is used to heal all sots of ailments conventional medicine cannot cure.

39.     What are the effects of the magical stone of the dragon of the mountain Pilatus?

The magical stone the winged dragon of the Pilatus mountain dropped was no doubt magical. Could it have been a dragon egg and not a stone? The story does not tell. However, the story does tell us that this stone, at first covered with dragon blood, could heal any disease and in addition cure any man of poison or any other ill effects. The dragon stone was special in the way it appeared, a multicolored jem that is to this day kept as a secret in the city of Lucerne.

40.     What other stories exist of the dragons of mountain Pilatus?

One of the stranger stories of the dragons of Pilatus mountain tells us of a man who wandered the mountains, looking for wood for his livelihood. However, the man lost his way and by evening he was still on the mountain, though darkness came upon him. Then, he fell into a hole in the ground he could not see because of the deepening evening. when he came to, he saw he inside a complex of caves, tunnels going and coming in all directions. He tried but he could not climb up and then not one but two dragons came out of the tunnels, heading right towards him. The man had understood he stumbled by mistake into the den of these two dragons who lived in the complex of tunnels.

41.     How did the dragons of mountain Pilatus treat the man who fell into the dragon's den?

Quite surprisingly, the dragons who came at the man invading their den did not attack them. Rather, the dragons rubbed against him, their long necks and tails rubbing against him as if they were the world's largest cats. After that, the dragons returned to prowl their caves and tunnels and did not molest the man. Thus, the man lived inside the dragon's den for more than six months till one day, probably about spring, he saw one of the dragons spread giant wings and fly out of the tunnels into the open. The other dragon followed him but the man took his chance and grabbed the dragon's tale, thus he was lifted out of the tunnel complex and was able to return to his own village, giving rise to yet another tale of the winged dragons of mount Pilatus.

42.     How did the man living in the tunnels and caves of the dragons of mountain Pilatus survived without food inside the dragon's den?

Here we must seperate fact from fiction, such as it is. The man told his village that he survived inside the dragons' den by drinking the moisure on the walls of the caves. It is also said that two months after he returned to his home from the dragons' den he died. An not unresonable assumption can be made here. We have already reviewed the story of the magical dragon stone who had the ability to heal, this dragon stone also coming from a dragon from the Pilatus mountain. Therefore, it could be assumed that the same beneficial effect of the dragon stone also existed inside the dragons' den, whether it was created by something in the dragon's den or the dragons themselves, and this is what allowed the man to survive for six months. Later, when he left the dragon's den, the lack of the dragon's stone equivelent beneficial effect is the real reason for his demise.

In conclusion, dragons always held a strange fascination for us. There is something in the thought of giant, fire breathing reptiles flying through the air, ready to swoop down and destroy everything that opposes them, leaving smoking rubble in their wake.

 

 

People have been fascinated by dragons from ancient times. There is more than one type of dragon in almost every religious and mythological tome from bygone days. The Leviathan and Tanin were each a type of dragon in the old testament, vying for control of the Earth. The Greek and Roman mythologies have more than one dragon, every occurrence of the supernatural creature different and more awe inspiring than the other, from the Hydra – a multi headed dragon - to the giant sea dragon Perseus killed to save Andromeda.

 

The Far East is filled with rich cultures which venerated the dragon. In the Japanese culture, the dragon was usually a force of nature to be avoided or, rarely, placated. The Chinese people viewed the dragon as part divinity, rulers of areas of creation, vassals to the Jade Emperor and powerful beings in the own right. I both cases the dragon was more a minor god, the lord of a natural resource such as a lake or river. The dragon was usually connected to water, living under the sea and bringing rain or even typhoons.

 

Even today, us modern folk see the dragon as something special, a concept or relic from the old world that sets our hearts a tingle. Dragon books (such as Dragon Over Washington) are being published all the time. Dragon movies such as Beowulf and the Hobbit are made in Hollywood and dragon games come out regularly.

 

The Ultimate Dragon Database is an attempt to collect every kind of information available about the majestic and inscrutable dragon. The first section to come online is the Dragon Mythologies page and others will follow shortly. The dragon lists section is now being built.

 

One of the most interesting things about dragons are the ways that were invented to destroy them, starting from St. George, the Greek and Roman Myths and every other dragon story. There is always a way to kill a dragon which invloves more than a using a bigger sword. Of course, killing a dragon is usually only half the problem as dragons have a nasty habit of tormenting their slayers, even after they are vanquished.

Even Gods suffered from killing dragons as Apollo and Hercules discovered, the dragons they killed took their revenge from the grave, killing Hercules with the Hydra's poisoned blood and making life miserable for Apollo.

Dragons were always a synonym for danger, sometimes engineered by mortal or devine hands when dragons were placed as the ultimate guardians for treasure beyond measure. Other times, dragons symbolized rampant nature, wild forces beyond and reason or control.

Stay tuned, folks! We have much to learn about the dragon.

This site contains everything there is to know about dragons. From dragon mythologies, dragon books, dragon movies reviews, dragon stories, dragon video games and much more !

The Ultimate Dragon Database is constantly being updated, so stay tuned and see the news section for everything that's being added to the site.

We are about to put online a series section with special reviews of the book series Eragon, His Majesty's Dragon, Dragon-Flight and many more dragon book series.

 

Legendary Dragon Treasures

So, what is a dragon? A dragon is a mythological being, usually a reptile or possessing reptilian traits which can easily identify a being as a dragon. Dragons have several common traits, even though different cultures view dragons in a different way. Dragons will usually be huge, their size ranging from the size of large horse to the size of dinosaurs or even larger in the myths of several nations on earth. They will usually possess formidable natural weaponry, ranging from claws, fangs, poison, breath weapons and lethal eyes.

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