Description, Mythical Dragons, Types, & Facts | Britannica

dragon, in the mythologies, legends, and folktales of various cultures, a large lizard- or serpent-like creature, conceived in some ... dragon TableofContents dragon Introduction&TopQuestions FastFacts RelatedContent Media Images More MoreArticlesOnThisTopic Contributors ArticleHistory Home Literature FolkLiterature&Fable dragon mythologicalcreature Actions Cite verifiedCite Whileeveryefforthasbeenmadetofollowcitationstylerules,theremaybesomediscrepancies. Pleaserefertotheappropriatestylemanualorothersourcesifyouhaveanyquestions. SelectCitationStyle MLA APA ChicagoManualofStyle CopyCitation Share Share Sharetosocialmedia Facebook Twitter URL https://www.britannica.com/topic/dragon-mythological-creature GiveFeedback ExternalWebsites Feedback Corrections?Updates?Omissions?Letusknowifyouhavesuggestionstoimprovethisarticle(requireslogin). FeedbackType Selectatype(Required) FactualCorrection Spelling/GrammarCorrection LinkCorrection AdditionalInformation Other YourFeedback SubmitFeedback Thankyouforyourfeedback Oureditorswillreviewwhatyou’vesubmittedanddeterminewhethertorevisethearticle. JoinBritannica'sPublishingPartnerProgramandourcommunityofexpertstogainaglobalaudienceforyourwork! ExternalWebsites JewishEncyclopedia.com-Dragon AncientOrigins-Dragons LiveScience-AreDragonsReal?FactsAboutDragons BritannicaWebsites ArticlesfromBritannicaEncyclopediasforelementaryandhighschoolstudents. dragon-Children'sEncyclopedia(Ages8-11) dragon-StudentEncyclopedia(Ages11andup) Print Cite verifiedCite Whileeveryefforthasbeenmadetofollowcitationstylerules,theremaybesomediscrepancies. Pleaserefertotheappropriatestylemanualorothersourcesifyouhaveanyquestions. SelectCitationStyle MLA APA ChicagoManualofStyle CopyCitation Share Share Sharetosocialmedia Facebook Twitter URL https://www.britannica.com/topic/dragon-mythological-creature Feedback ExternalWebsites Feedback Corrections?Updates?Omissions?Letusknowifyouhavesuggestionstoimprovethisarticle(requireslogin). FeedbackType Selectatype(Required) FactualCorrection Spelling/GrammarCorrection LinkCorrection AdditionalInformation Other YourFeedback SubmitFeedback Thankyouforyourfeedback Oureditorswillreviewwhatyou’vesubmittedanddeterminewhethertorevisethearticle. JoinBritannica'sPublishingPartnerProgramandourcommunityofexpertstogainaglobalaudienceforyourwork! ExternalWebsites JewishEncyclopedia.com-Dragon AncientOrigins-Dragons LiveScience-AreDragonsReal?FactsAboutDragons BritannicaWebsites ArticlesfromBritannicaEncyclopediasforelementaryandhighschoolstudents. dragon-Children'sEncyclopedia(Ages8-11) dragon-StudentEncyclopedia(Ages11andup) By TheEditorsofEncyclopaediaBritannica • EditHistory TableofContents dragon Seeallmedia RelatedTopics: long Shenlong Fuzanglong Longwang Tianlong ...(Showmore) Seeallrelatedcontent→ TopQuestionsWhatisthetaxonomicmeaningoftheworddragon?Thetermdragonhasnozoologicalmeaning,butitisusedintheLatingenericnameDracoforseveralsmalllizardspeciesfoundintheIndo-Malayanregion.ThenameisalsopopularlyusedforthegiantmonitorlizardknownastheKomododragon,discoveredinIndonesia.Wheredidthetermdragoncomefrom?TheEnglishworddragoncomesfromtheGreekworddrakōn,whichwasusedoriginallyforanylargeserpent,andthedragonofmythology,whatevershapeitlaterassumed,remainedessentiallyasnake.WhatdoestheChinesedragonrepresent?InAsiancultures,thedragonmanagedtoretainitsprestigeandisknownasabeneficentcreature.TheChinesedragon,thelung,representsyang,theprincipleofheaven,activity,andmalenessintheyin-yangofChinesecosmology.ThedragonwastheemblemoftheimperialfamilyandadornedtheChineseflaguntil1911.Howisadragonusuallydepicted?Adragonisusuallyrepresentedasahuge,bat-winged,fire-breathing,scalylizardorsnakewithabarbedtail.Thebeliefinthesecreaturesapparentlyarosewithouttheslightestknowledgeonthepartoftheancientsofdinosaurs,whichhavesomeremblancetodragons.dragon,inthemythologies,legends,andfolktalesofvariouscultures,alargelizard-orserpent-likecreature,conceivedinsometraditionsasevilandinothersasbeneficent.InmedievalEurope,dragonswereusuallydepictedwithwingsandabarbedtailandasbreathingfire.InGreecetheworddrakōn,fromwhichtheEnglishwordwasderived,wasusedoriginallyforanylargeserpent(seeseaserpent),andthedragonofmythology,whatevershapeitlaterassumed,remainedessentiallyasnake.Ingeneral,intheMiddleEasternworld,wheresnakesarelargeanddeadly,theserpentordragonwassymbolicoftheprincipleofevil.Thus,theEgyptiangodApepi,forexample,wasthegreatserpentoftheworldofdarkness.ButtheGreeksandRomans,thoughacceptingtheMiddleEasternideaoftheserpentasanevilpower,alsoattimesconceivedthedrakontesasbeneficent—sharp-eyeddwellersintheinnerpartsofEarth.Onthewhole,however,theevilreputationofdragonswasthestronger,andinEuropeitoutlivedtheother.Christianityconfusedtheancientbenevolentandmalevolentserpentdeitiesinacommoncondemnation.InChristianartthedragoncametobesymbolicofsinandpaganismand,assuch,wasdepictedprostratebeneaththeheelsofsaintsandmartyrs.Thedragon’sformvariedfromtheearliesttimes.TheChaldeandragonTiamathadfourlegs,ascalybody,andwings,whereasthebiblicaldragonofRevelation,“theoldserpent,”wasmany-headedliketheGreekHydra.Becausetheynotonlypossessedbothprotectiveandterror-inspiringqualitiesbutalsohaddecorativeeffigies,dragonswereearlyusedaswarlikeemblems,asindicatedinthestoryofKingAgamemnon(fromHomer’sIliad),whohadonhisshieldabluethree-headedsnake,andinthepracticeamongNorsewarriorsofpaintingdragonsontheirshieldsandcarvingdragons’headsontheprowsoftheirships.InEnglandbeforetheNormanConquest,thedragonwaschiefamongtheroyalensignsinwar,havingbeeninstitutedassuch,accordingtoArthurianlegend,byUtherPendragon,KingArthur’sfather.Inthe20thcenturythedragonwasofficiallyincorporatedinthearmorialbearingsoftheprinceofWales.InEastAsianmythologiesthedragonretainsitsprestigeandisconceivedasabeneficentcreature.TheChinesedragon,lung,representsyang,theprincipleofheaven,activity,andmalenessintheyinyangofChinesecosmology.Fromancienttimesitwastheemblemoftheimperialfamily,anduntilthefoundingoftherepublic(1911)thedragonadornedtheChineseflag.ThedragoncametoJapanwithmuchoftherestofChineseculture,andthere(asryūortatsu)itbecamecapableofchangingitssizeatwill,eventothepointofbecominginvisible.BothChineseandJapanesedragons,thoughregardedaspowersoftheair,areusuallywingless.TheyareamongthedeifiedforcesofnatureinDaoism.DragonsalsofigureintheancientmythologiesofotherAsiancultures,includingthoseofKorea,India,andVietnam. Thetermdragonhasnozoologicalmeaning,butithasbeenappliedintheLatingenericnameDracotoanumberofspeciesofsmalllizardsfoundintheIndo-Malayanregion.Thenameisalsopopularlyappliedtothegiantmonitor,Varanuskomodoensis,discoveredonKomodoIslandandafewneighbouringislandsoftheLesser SundaIslands of Indonesia.TheEditorsofEncyclopaediaBritannicaThisarticlewasmostrecentlyrevisedandupdatedbyBrianDuignan.