View source for European dragon

{{Short description|Mythical creature in European folklore}}
{{More citations needed|date=July 2020}}

{{Infobox mythical creature
|image = [[File:Friedrich-Johann-Justin-Bertuch Mythical-Creature-Dragon 1806.jpg|250px]]
|caption = Illustration of a winged dragon by [[Friedrich Justin Bertuch]], 1806.
|Grouping = [[legendary creature]]
|Sub_Grouping = [[dragon]]
|Similar_entities = [[List of dragons in mythology and folklore|other dragons]]
|Folklore    =Medieval folklore
|Region = [[Europe]] and the [[Mediterranean region]]
|Habitat = [[wikt:lair|lairs]], [[cave]]s, castles, mountains
}}
The '''European dragon''' is a [[legendary creature]] in [[folklore]] and [[mythology]] among the overlapping
[[culture of Europe|cultures of Europe]].

The Roman poet [[Virgil]] in his poem [[Appendix Vergiliana#Culex ("The Gnat")|''Culex'']] lines 163–201,<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.thelatinlibrary.com/appvergculex.html|title=Appendix Vergiliana: Culex}}</ref> describing a shepherd battling a big [[constriction|constricting snake]], calls it "[[wikt:serpent|serpens]]" and also "[[wikt:draco|draco]]", showing that in his time the two words probably could mean the same thing. The European dragon we know today is based on the model of the ancient Greek dragon par excellence, [[Typhon]].{{Citation needed|date=November 2025}} Typhon was represented as a winged, fire-breathing, serpent-like creature.

In and after the [[Early Middle Ages]], the European dragon is typically depicted as a large, fire-breathing, scaly, horned, [[lizard]]-like creature; the creature also has leathery, bat-like wings, and a long, muscular prehensile tail. Some depictions show dragons with one or more of: feathered wings, crests, ear frills, fiery manes, [[ivory]] spikes running down its spine, and various exotic decorations.

In folktales, dragon's blood often contains unique powers, keeping them alive for longer or giving them poisonous or acidic properties. The typical [[dragon]] in Christian culture protects a cavern or castle filled with [[gold]] and [[treasure]]. An evil dragon is often associated with a great hero who tries to slay it, and a good one is said to give support or wise advice.

Though a winged creature, the dragon is generally to be found in its underground [[wikt:lair|lair]], a cave that identifies it as an ancient creature of earth.{{Citation needed|date=March 2021}}
Dragons have been mentioned in European literature since antiquity. In some accounts, the hero [[Sigurð]] defeats Fáfnir by digging a pit and then lying in wait, piercing his heart with a sword as he passes overhead and slaying him. This concept is also seen in various other dragon stories. In many portrayals of the European dragon, it is shown as a greedy beast who wanted wealth and other valuables. This includes the prominent [[Germanic dragon|dragons]] in [[Germanic mythology]], [[Fáfnir]] and the [[The dragon (Beowulf)|killer of Beowulf]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Legend of the European Dragon |website=www.medievalchronicles.com |date=27 December 2021 |url=https://www.medievalchronicles.com/medieval-legends-myths-and-tales/european-dragon-legend-of-the-european-dragon/}}</ref>

== Etymology ==

{{Empty section|date=June 2023}}

[[File:Reggio calabria museo nazionale mosaico da kaulon.jpg|thumb|Mosaic of the third century BC from [[Caulonia (ancient city)|Kaulonia]], [[Magna Graecia|southern Italy]].|alt=Mosaico del III secolo a.C. proveniente da Kaulon]]

{{main|Dragon#Etymology{{!}}Dragon § Etymology}}

== Classical period==
{{Main|Dragons in Greek mythology}}
[[File:Dacian Draco.svg|thumb|right|The [[Dacian Draco]].]]
[[File:Typhon Staatliche Antikensammlungen 596.jpg|thumb|right|280px|[[Zeus]] aiming his thunderbolt at a winged and snake-footed Typhon. [[Chalcis|Chalcidian]] black-figured [[hydria]] ({{circa|540–530}} BC), [[Staatliche Antikensammlungen]] (Inv. 596)]]
Roman dragons developed from serpentine Greek ones, combined with the dragons of the [[Near East]], in the context of the hybrid Greek/Eastern [[Hellenistic]] culture. From [[Babylon]], the ''[[Sirrush|muš-ḫuššu]]'' was a classic representation of a Near Eastern dragon. St&nbsp;John's ''[[Book of Revelation]]'' – Greek text, not Latin – describes [[Satan]] as "a great dragon, flaming red, with seven heads and ten horns". Much of St&nbsp;John's literary inspiration is late Hebrew and Greek, but his dragon is more likely to have symbolized the dragons from the Near East.<ref>{{cite journal |last=Wallace |first=Howard |year=1948 |title=Leviathan and the beast in Revelation |journal=The Biblical Archaeologist |volume=11 |issue=3 |pages=61–68 |doi=10.2307/3209231 |jstor=3209231 |s2cid=171662040 }}</ref><ref name=Kiessling>{{cite journal |last=Kiessling |first=Nicolas K. |year=1970 |title=Antecedents of the Medieval dragon in sacred history |journal=[[Journal of Biblical Literature]] |volume=89 |issue=2 |pages=167–177 |doi=10.2307/3263046 |jstor=3263046 }}</ref> In the Roman Empire, each military cohort had a particular identifying ''signum'' (military standard); after the [[Parthia]]n and [[Trajan's Dacian Wars|Dacian Wars]] of [[Trajan]] in the east, the [[Dacian Draco]] military standard entered the Legion with the ''Cohors Sarmatarum'' and ''Cohors Dacorum'' ([[Sarmatian]] and [[Dacians|Dacian]] [[Cohort (military unit)|cohorts]]) – [[Draco (military standard)|a large dragon fixed to the end of a lance]], with large, gaping jaws of silver and with the rest of the body formed of colored silk. With the jaws facing into the wind, the silken body inflated and rippled, resembling a [[windsock]].<ref>{{cite journal |last=Nickel |first=Helmut |title=Of dragons, basilisks, and the arms of the seven kings of Rome |journal=[[Metropolitan Museum Journal]] |year=198 |volume=24 |pages=25–34 |doi=10.2307/1512864 |jstor=1512864 |s2cid=191378315 }}</ref>

Several personifications of evil or allusions to dragons in the [[Old Testament]] are translated as forms of ''draco'' in [[Jerome]]'s [[Vulgate Bible|Vulgate]]. e.g. Deuteronomy (32:33), Job (30:29), Psalms (73:13, 90:13 & 43:20), Isaiah (13:21, 27:1, 34:13 & 43:20), Jeremiah (9:11), and Malachi (1:3).

Dragons in [[Greek mythology]] often guard treasure. For example, [[Ladon (mythology)|Ladon]], a hundred-headed dragon, guarded the tree of [[Hesperides]] until he was slain by [[Heracles]]. Likewise, [[Python (mythology)|Python]] guarded the oracle of [[Delphi]] until he was slain by [[Apollo]] out of revenge for Python tormenting his mother. The [[Lernaean Hydra]], a multiple-headed serpentine swamp monster killed by Heracles, is said to be a dragon.

[[Typhon]] was the dragon par excellence of the Greek world. He was the parent of all monsters and represented the opposition par excellence to the gods. Typhon was described and represented as a snake-like creature with bat-like wings and who breathed fire from several snake-like mouths that branched off from his limbs.

In a tale in [[Apuleius]]'s ''[[The Golden Ass]]'' (also called ''Metamorphoses of Apuleius'') a band of travelers ask a shepherd for refreshments. The shepherd asks why they care about refreshments in such a place. An old man asks the travelers if they can help get his son from a well; one of them goes to help. When he does not return to the group, they go search for him. They find a monstrous dragon eating the said man from the group while the old man was nowhere to be seen.<ref>{{cite journal |last=Scobie |first=Alex |date=July 1977 |title=An ancient Greek drakos-tale in Apuleius' ''Metamorphoses''&nbsp;VIII, 19-21 |journal=[[The Journal of American Folklore]] |volume=90 |issue=357 |pages=339–343 |jstor=539524 |doi=10.2307/539524 }}</ref>

The Roman author [[Pliny the Elder]]<ref>{{cite book |author=Gaius Plinius Secundus |author-link=Pliny the Elder |title-link=Natural History (Pliny) |title=Naturalis Historia |trans-title=Natural History |at=book&nbsp;8, chapters&nbsp;11, 13 }}
: text sources:
: {{cite web |title=Pliny the Elder |series=Roman texts |website=penelope.uchicago.edu |publisher=[[University of Chicago]] |place=Chicago, IL |url=https://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Roman/Texts/Pliny_the_Elder/home.html }}
: {{cite web |title=book&nbsp;8  |department=Pliny the Elder |series=Roman texts |website=penelope.uchicago.edu |publisher=[[University of Chicago]] |place=Chicago, IL |url=https://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/L/Roman/Texts/Pliny_the_Elder/8*.html }}
: {{cite web |title=Dedication |id=text&nbsp;1999.02.0137 |website=perseus.tufts.edu |publisher=[[Tufts University]] |url=https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.02.0137%3Abook%3D1%3Achapter%3Ddedication }}</ref> describes the Indian ''drakōn'' as a big constricting snake, likely the [[Indian Python]], but described exaggeratedly as able to kill an elephant by constricting its neck.

The Roman author [[Claudius Aelianus]]<ref>{{cite book |first=Claudius |last=Aelianus |author-link=Claudius Aelianus |title=De Natura Animalium |trans-title=On the Nature of Animals |title-link=De Natura Animalium |section=book&nbsp;6, chapter&nbsp;21 |type=English translation |section-url=http://www.attalus.org/translate/animals6.html |via=attalus.org }}
: see Wikipedia article ''[[De Natura Animalium]]''
: text source:
: {{cite web |title=book&nbsp;6, chapter&nbsp;21 |id=text&nbsp;2008.01.0590 |type=original [[Greek language|Greek]] |website=perseus.tufts.edu |publisher=[[Tufts University]] |place=Medford, MA & Somerville, MA |url=https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A2008.01.0590%3Abook%3D6%3Achapter%3D21 }}
</ref> describes the ''draco'' as a big constricting snake found in India, presumably the [[Indian Python]], but with its size and strength greatly exaggerated so that it can kill an elephant by constricting its neck; this battle between a ''draco'' and an elephant is repeated with much embellishment in later descriptions of ''dracones'' or dragons<ref>{{cite web |editor-first=David |editor-last=Badke |date=30 September 2024 |title=Dragon |website=The Medieval Beasiary (bestiary.ca) |id=beast&nbsp;262 |url=http://bestiary.ca/beasts/beast262.htm |via=bestiary.ca |access-date=2025-03-05 |df=dmy-all }}</ref> in [[bestiaries]].

== Middle Ages ==
===Depiction===
During the early Middle Ages, European culture was largely out of contact with classical literature for centuries. During this time there was a gradual change in the usual mental image of the "dragon", i.e. the Latin ''draco'' and its equivalents in vernacular languages, which occurred in oral and written literature, including in classical literature. This led to the depiction in this literature of "modern-type" dragons, whose features are described below.

The modern [[Western culture|Western]] image of a dragon developed in western Europe during the Middle Ages through the combination of the snakelike dragons of classical Graeco-Roman literature, references to Near Eastern dragons preserved in the Bible, and European folk traditions{{sfn|Fee|2011|page=7}} including descriptions and drawings of animals named as types of snakes but inaccurately drawn with wings or legs. The period between the 11th and 13th centuries represents the height of European interest in dragons as living creatures.{{sfn|Jones|2000|page=101}}

Dragons are usually shown in modern times with a body more like a huge [[lizard]], or a snake with two pairs of lizard-type legs, and breathing fire from their mouths. This traces back to the continental dragon, commonly referred to as a fire-breathing dragon. The continental, like many other European dragons, has bat-like wings growing from its back.

The Anglo-Saxon poem ''[[Beowulf]]'' refers to a dragon as a [[The Dragon (Beowulf)|''draca'']] and also as a ''wyrm'' (worm, or serpent). Its movements are denoted by the Anglo-Saxon verb ''bugan'', "to bend", and it is said to have a [[venom]]ous bite, and poisonous breath; all of these indicate a snake-like form and movement rather than with a lizard-like or dinosaur-like body as in later depictions, and no legs or wings are mentioned (although it is able to fly); however it shows several dragon features that later became popular: it breathed fire, flew, lived underground, and collected treasure.

[[File:Dragon Harley MS 3244.png|thumb|upright=1.3|right|''MS Harley 3244'', a medieval bestiary dated to around 1260 AD, contains the oldest recognizable image of a fully modern, Western dragon.{{sfn|Malone|2012|page=98}}]]
An early image of a "modern-style" Western dragon appears in an illustration in the bestiary ''MS Harley 3244'' from about 1260.{{sfn|Malone|2012|page=98}} It has two pairs of wings and two pairs of legs to go with them, and a tail longer than most modern depictions of dragons,{{sfn|Malone|2012|page=98}} but it clearly displays many of the same distinctive features.{{sfn|Malone|2012|page=98}} Otherwise four-legged dragons are not seen until the fifteenth century, for instance in Lambeth Palace Library MS 6, depicting the fight between a white and a red dragon from Arthurian legend.
 
Dragons are generally depicted as having an underground lair or cave, or living in rivers.<ref name=Ormen>{{cite book|last=Ørmen|first=Torfinn|title=Drager, mellom myte og virkelighet (Dragons: between myth and reality)|year=2005|publisher=Humanist forlag A/S|location=Oslo|isbn=978-82-90425-76-5|pages=252|edition=1st|language=no}}</ref> They are envisioned as greedy and gluttonous, with voracious appetites.{{sfn|Fee|2011|page=7}} Dragons are often identified with Satan, due to the references to Satan as a "dragon" in the Book of Revelation.{{sfn|Fee|2011|page=7}}

In [[European folklore]], dragon-like creatures and dragons in Christian literature are usually portrayed as evil, except mainly in [[Asturias|Asturian]] and [[Welsh folklore]] and modern fiction. In the modern period and late medieval times, the European dragon is typically depicted as a huge fire-breathing, scaly, and horned lizard-like creature, with wings (usually leathery bat-like, sometimes feathered), two or four legs, and a long muscular tail. It is sometimes shown with one or more of a crest, a fiery mane, ivory spikes running down its spine, and various exotic colourations. Dragon's blood often has magical properties. The typical dragon protects a [[cavern]] or [[castle]] filled with gold and treasure and is often associated with a great hero who tries to slay it. Though a winged creature, the dragon is generally to be found in its underground lair, a cave that identifies it as an ancient creature of earth.

===Legends and tales===
The 12th-century [[Wales|Welsh]] monk [[Geoffrey of Monmouth]] recounts a famous legend in his {{Lang|la|[[Historia Regum Britanniae]]}} in which the child prophet [[Merlin]] witnesses the Romano-Celtic warlord [[Vortigern]] attempting to build a tower on [[Snowdon|Mount Snowdon]] to keep safe from the [[Anglo-Saxons]],{{sfn|Hughes|2005|page=106}} but the tower keeps being swallowed into the ground.{{sfn|Hughes|2005|page=106}} Merlin informs Vortigern that underneath the foundation he has built is a pool with two dragons sleeping in it.{{sfn|Hughes|2005|page=106}} Vortigern orders the pool to be drained, exposing a [[Welsh Dragon|red dragon]] and a [[white dragon]], who immediately begin fighting.{{sfn|Hughes|2005|page=106}} Merlin delivers a prophecy that the white dragon will triumph over the red, symbolizing England's conquest of Wales,{{sfn|Hughes|2005|page=106}} but declares that the red dragon will eventually return and defeat the white one.{{sfn|Hughes|2005|pages=106–107}} This story remained popular throughout the 15th century.{{sfn|Hughes|2005|pages=106–107}}

The 13th-century ''[[Golden Legend]]'', written in Latin, records the story of [[Margaret the Virgin|Saint Margaret of Antioch]],{{sfn|Morgan|2009|page=}} a virgin martyr who, after being tortured for her faith in the [[Diocletianic Persecution]] and thrown back into her cell, is said to have been confronted by a monstrous dragon,{{sfn|Morgan|2009|page=}} but she made the [[sign of the cross]] and the dragon vanished.{{sfn|Morgan|2009|page=}} In some versions of the story, she is swallowed by the dragon alive and, after making the sign of the cross in the dragon's stomach, emerges unharmed - or in another version, after a physical cross she carried irritated the dragon's innards.{{sfn|Morgan|2009|page=}}

Fantastic stories were invented in the Middle Ages to explain [[gargoyle]]s used as waterspouts on buildings.{{sfn|Cipa|2008|pages=1–3}}{{sfn|Sherman|2015|pages=183–184}} One medieval French legend holds that, in ancient times, a fearsome dragon known as ''La [[Gargouille]]'' had been causing floods and sinking ships on the river [[Seine]],{{sfn|Sherman|2015|page=184}} so the people of the town of [[Rouen]] would offer the dragon a [[human sacrifice]] once each year to appease its hunger.{{sfn|Sherman|2015|page=184}} Then, in around 600 AD, a priest named [[Romanus of Rouen|Romanus]] promised that, if the people would build a church, he would rid them of the dragon.{{sfn|Sherman|2015|page=184}} Romanus slew the dragon and its severed head was mounted on the walls of the city as the first gargoyle.{{sfn|Sherman|2015|page=184}}{{sfn|Cipa|2008|pages=1–30}}

====St George and the Dragon====
[[File:St George and the Dragon Verona ms 1853 26r.jpg|thumb|upright=1.3|right|Manuscript illustration from [[Verona]] of [[Saint George and the Dragon|Saint George slaying the dragon]], ([[northern Italy]]) dating to {{circa}} 1270]]
The legend of [[Saint George and the Dragon]] is recorded as early as the sixth century AD,{{sfn|Niles|2013|page=53}}{{sfn|Thurston|1909|pages=453–455}} but the earliest artistic representations of it come from the 11th century{{sfn|Niles|2013|page=53}} and the first full account of it comes from an 11th-century [[Georgia (country)|Georgian]] text.{{sfn|Walter|2003|page=141}} The most famous version of the story from the ''[[Golden Legend]]'' holds that a dragon kept pillaging the sheep of the town of Silene in [[Ancient Libya|Libya]].{{sfn|Niles|2013|page=53}} After it ate a young shepherd, the people were forced to placate it by leaving two sheep as sacrificial offerings every morning beside the lake where the dragon lived.{{sfn|Niles|2013|page=53}} Eventually, the dragon ate all of the sheep{{sfn|Niles|2013|page=54}} and the people were forced to start offering it their own children.{{sfn|Niles|2013|page=54}} One day, the king's own daughter came up in the lottery and, despite the king's pleas for her life, she was dressed as a bride and chained to a rock beside the lake to be eaten.{{sfn|Niles|2013|page=54}} Then Saint George arrived and saw the princess.{{sfn|Niles|2013|page=54}} When the dragon arrived to eat her, he stabbed it with his lance and subdued it by making the sign of the cross and tying the princess's [[girdle]] around its neck.{{sfn|Niles|2013|page=54}} Saint George and the princess led the now docile dragon into the town and George promised to kill it if the townspeople would convert to Christianity.{{sfn|Niles|2013|page=55}} All the townspeople converted and Saint George killed the dragon with his sword.{{sfn|Niles|2013|page=55}} In some versions, Saint George marries the princess,{{sfn|Niles|2013|page=55}} but, in others, he continues wandering.{{sfn|Niles|2013|page=55}}

===Heraldry===
Dragons are prominent in medieval [[heraldry]].{{sfn|Friar|Ferguson|1993|page=168}} [[Uther Pendragon]] was famously said to have had two gold dragons crowned with red standing back-to-back on his royal [[coat of arms]].{{sfn|Friar|Ferguson|1993|page=28}} Originally, heraldic dragons could have any number of legs,{{sfn|Friar|Ferguson|1993|page=168}} but, by the late Middle Ages, due to the widespread proliferation of bestiaries, heraldry began to distinguish between a "dragon" (with four legs) and a "[[wyvern]]" (with two legs).{{sfn|Friar|Ferguson|1993|page=168}} In myths, wyverns are associated with viciousness, envy, and pestilence,{{sfn|Friar|Ferguson|1993|page=168}} but in heraldry, they symbolise the overthrowing of the tyranny of Satan and his demonic forces.{{sfn|Friar|Ferguson|1993|page=168}} Late medieval heraldry also distinguished a dragon-like creature known as a "[[cockatrice]]".{{sfn|Friar|Ferguson|1993|page=168}} A cockatrice is supposedly born when a serpent hatches an egg that has been laid on a dunghill by a rooster,{{sfn|Friar|Ferguson|1993|page=168}} and it is so venomous that its breath and its gaze are both lethal to any living creature, except for a weasel, which is the cockatrice's mortal enemy.{{sfn|Friar|Ferguson|1993|page=168}} A "[[basilisk]]" is a serpent with the head of a dragon at the end of its tail that is born when a toad hatches an egg that has been laid in a [[midden]] by a nine-year-old cockatrice.{{sfn|Friar|Ferguson|1993|page=168}} Like the cockatrice, its glare is said to be deadly.{{sfn|Friar|Ferguson|1993|page=168}}

==Dragons in specific cultures==
=== Celtic ===
[[File:Roman dragonesque brooch (FindID 1027483-1143293).jpg|thumb|[[Dragonesque brooch]], AD 75 – 175]]
{{See also|Celtic art}}
The Celtic dragon may have developed from a horned and poisonous or fire-breathing snake. It is mostly a snake that is transformed into a monster.<ref name=":12">{{Cite book |last=Heinz |first=Sabine |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=DQBfh1erSL4C&dq=celtic+dragon&pg=PA31 |title=Celtic Symbols |date=2008 |publisher=Sterling Publishing Company, Inc. |isbn=978-1-4027-4624-6 |pages=31 |language=en}}</ref>

The dragon motif is known in [[Celtic art]] in diverse styles, and is presumed to have derived from a serpent-like creature in ancient folklore of the Middle East and Greece. Both the Greeks and the Romans considered the serpent to be a guardian spirit, represented on their altars.<ref>{{Cite book |last1=Gosden |first1=Christopher |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=YOOZBgAAQBAJ&dq=celtic+art+dragon&pg=PA234 |title=Celtic Art in Europe: Making Connections |last2=Crawford |first2=Sally |last3=Ulmschneider |first3=Katharina |date=2014-08-29 |publisher=Oxbow Books |isbn=978-1-78297-658-5 |pages=27 |language=en}}</ref> Western Celtic peoples were familiar with dragons in the pre-Christian age, and [[Celtic Britons|native people of Britain]] are said to have worn Celtic decorations with motifs of dragons on them during the Roman invasion. There is also archaeological evidence that the continental Celts used brooches and pins in the form of a dragon during the [[La Tène culture|La Téne]] period from {{Circa|500 BC}} to 1 AD.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Haverfield |first=F |title=The Roman Occupation of Britain |year=1924 |pages=24}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Jones |first=Frances |title=The Princes and Principalities of Wales |year=1969 |pages=167–189}}</ref><ref name=":1">{{Cite web |title=Y Ddraig yn Nychymyg a Llenyddiaeth y Cymry c.600 – c.1500 ("The dragon in imagination and literature of the Welsh") |url=https://pure.aber.ac.uk/portal/files/26607451/Llywelyn_Mared.pdf}}</ref> Some suggest that the native Britons of Europe may have brought the dragon with them when they migrated to Britain before the Roman age.<ref name=":1" /> The earliest known use of the dragon by the Celts appears in swords and sheaths in the 4th century BC.<ref name=":12" /> One example found in Britain is an early Iron Age Celtic sword that features two opposing dragons, queried to be from the [[Hallstatt culture]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=sword; sword-sheath {{!}} British Museum |url=https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/H_1862-1001-1 |access-date=2023-01-30 |website=The British Museum |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Stead |first=Ian |title=Antiquaries Journal (Vol.64) |pages=269–279}}</ref> Two other swords and scabbards (also from the bottom of the river Thames) are thought to include a dragon pair from the La Tène or [[Hallstatt]] cultures.<ref>{{Cite web |title=sword; sheath {{!}} British Museum |url=https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/H_1859-0122-2 |access-date=2023-01-31 |website=The British Museum |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=sword; sword-sheath {{!}} British Museum |url=https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/H_1859-0122-1 |access-date=2023-01-31 |website=The British Museum |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Stead |first=Ian Mathieson |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=hn6BAAAAMAAJ |title=British Iron Age swords and scabbards |publisher=British Museum |year=2006|isbn=9780714123233 }}</ref> Discovery of Celtic dragon-pairs in the Thames suggests that links existed between Britain and the rest of the Celtic world in the decades around 300 BC.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Stead |first=I. M. |date=September 1984 |title=Celtic Dragons from the River Thames |url=https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/antiquaries-journal/article/abs/celtic-dragons-from-the-river-thames/6F18B4BE95E43C6B19BCB2E592CA27DF |journal=The Antiquaries Journal |language=en |volume=64 |issue=2 |pages=269–279 |doi=10.1017/S0003581500080410 |s2cid=163673647 |issn=1758-5309|url-access=subscription }}</ref> Evidence in coins also shows Celticised dragons in 50–45 BC.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Arsdell |first=Robert D. Van |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=3k9mAAAAMAAJ&q=danebury+dragon |title=Celtic Coinage of Britain |date=1989 |publisher=Spink |isbn=978-0-907605-24-9 |pages=126 |language=en}}</ref>

===Germanic===
{{main|Germanic dragon}}
Dragons, or worms, are prevalent in early Germanic folklore and art, with notable examples being the [[The dragon (Beowulf)|killer of Beowulf]], the central figure of the [[Völsung Cycle]] [[Fáfnir]] and [[Jǫrmungandr]].{{sfn|Beowulf}}{{sfn|Acker|2013|pp=53–57}}{{sfn|Fee|2011|pp=8–10}}{{sfn|Thompson|2015}} In this cultural context, the distinction between snakes and dragons is blurred with both being referred to by the same terms, including {{langx|non|ormr}} and {{langx|ang|wyrm}}.{{sfn|wyrm}}{{sfn|worm}} Other terms often used are the cognates  {{langx|non|dreki}} and {{langx|ang|draca}} meaning "dragon, sea serpent or sea monster" which are derived from [[Proto-Germanic]] ''*drakō'', an early borrowing from [[Latin]] ''draco'' "huge serpent or dragon".{{sfn|dreki}}{{sfn|drake}}{{sfn|dragon}} These terms are sometimes used interchangeably with {{langx|non|ormr}} and {{langx|ang|wyrm}}, although sometimes they are treated as different beings. While in later accounts many dragons are portrayed in these cultures as being winged, this is likely under influence from [[Southern Europe]].{{sfn|Simek|1993}}{{sfn|Somerville|McDonald|2013|p=125}}{{sfn|Fee|2011|pp=8–10}} In later [[Northern European]] folklore, many worms are found that are flightless and resemble large snakes such as the [[Lambton Worm]] and the [[Stoor worm]].<ref>{{cite book |last1=Strang |first1=V. |title=Waterworlds: Anthropology in fluid environments |date=2015 |publisher=Berghahn Books |location=New York |isbn=9781782389460 |url=https://durham-repository.worktribe.com/output/1647527 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last1=Marwick |first1=Ernest W. |title=The folklore of Orkney and Shetland |date=2000 |publisher=Birlinn |location=Edinburgh |isbn=978-1-84158-048-7}}</ref>

While depictions are diverse, several traits are shared amongst many worms, including hoarding gold, and spitting [[atter]] and later fire.{{sfn|Cutrer|2012|p=4}}{{sfn|Acker|2013|pp=53–57}} Depictions of worms are prevalent in early medieval art, notably on [[runestones]], where they often form the band on which the runes are written.{{sfn|Düwel|2005|p=114-115}} Specific worms are also depicted, such as Jǫrmungandr on the [[Altuna stone]] and Fáfnir on the [[Jurby]] cross, the [[Hylestad stave church]] and the [[Ramsund carving]].{{sfn|Millet|2008|p=163}}{{sfn|Millet|2008|p=160}}{{sfn|McKinnell|2015|p=62}}{{sfn|McKinnell|2015|p=61}}<ref>Gunnar Nordanskog, Föreställd hedendom: tidigmedeltida skandinaviska kyrkportar i forskning och historia, 2006, p. 241. {{ISBN|978-91-89116-85-6}}</ref>

=== Welsh===
{{Main|Welsh Dragon}}
[[File:Vortigern-Dragons.jpg|thumb|upright=1.3|Fifteenth-century manuscript illustration of the battle of the [[Welsh Dragon|Red]] and [[White dragon|White Dragons]] from [[Geoffrey of Monmouth]]'s ''[[Historia Regum Britanniae|History of the Kings of Britain]]'']]

The red dragon features on, and is the name of, the national flag of Wales (''[[Y Ddraig Goch]]'', "the red dragon"). Early Welsh writing associates dragons with war leaders, and in legend, Nennius, in Historia Birttonum, tells of a vision of the red dragon (representing the [[Brython|Britons]]) and the white dragon (representing the invading [[Saxons]]) fighting beneath [[Dinas Emrys]].<ref name="HistoriaBrittonum">''[[wikisource:History of the Britons|Historia Brittonum]]'' by Nennius (translated by J.A.Giles)</ref>{{rp|at=§40-43}} A version of this particular legend also features in the [[Mabinogion]] in the story of ''[[Lludd and Llefelys]]''.<ref>{{cite book|last=Davies|first=Sioned|title=The Mabinogion|year=2007|publisher=Oxford University Press|page=xii}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|last=Heinz|first=Sabine|title=Celtic Symbols|year=2008|publisher=Sterling Pub.}}</ref>

=== Slavic===
====Alas====
{{Main|Ala (demon)}}

It is said that a very old snake can transform into an ala. Some depictions of alas are confusingly said to have the bodies of women. Other alas look like dragons. The number of heads on an ala may vary. Alas are enemies of the zmeys and it is sometimes said in south Slavic folklore that thunder is a product of alas and zmeys fighting. Alas are considered evil or malevolent, while zmeys are usually considered good or benevolent.{{cn|date=December 2024}}

====Zmeys ====
[[File:Змей Горыныч.jpg|thumb|upright|[[Zmey Gorynych]], by [[Victor Vasnetsov]]]]
{{Main|Slavic dragon}}

Dragon-like creatures of [[Slavic mythology]] hold mixed temperaments towards humans. For example, Drakons (дракон, змей, ламя, (х)ала; dracon, zmey, lamya, ala) in [[Bulgarians|Bulgarian]] mythology are either male or female, and each gender has a different view of mankind. The female dragon and male dragon, often seen as sister and brother, represent different forces of [[agriculture]]. The female dragon represents harsh weather and is the destroyer of crops, the hater of mankind, and is locked in a never-ending battle with her brother. The male dragon protects the humans' crops from destruction and is generally benevolent to humanity. Fire and water play major roles in Bulgarian dragon lore: the female has water characteristics, while the male is usually a fiery creature. In Bulgarian legend, The drakons are three-headed, winged beings with snake's bodies.

In [[Bulgarians|Bulgarian]], [[Russians|Russian]], [[Belarusians|Belarusian]], [[Ukrainians|Ukrainian]], [[Bosniaks|Bosnian]], [[Serbs|Serbian]], and [[Macedonians (ethnic group)|Macedonian]] lore, the dragon-like creature, or "змей" ({{Langx|bg|Змей}}), ''[[zmey]]'' ({{Langx|ru|Змей}}), ''smok'' ({{Langx|be|Цмок}}), [[Slavic dragon|''zmiy'']] ({{Langx|uk|Змій}}), ([[Bosniaks|Bosnian]] zmaj), ({{Langx|sr|змај or zmaj}}), ''zmej'' ({{Langx|mk|змеј}}), is generally an evil, four-legged beast with few, if any, redeeming qualities. ''Zmeys'' are intelligent, but not greatly so, often demanding tribute from villages or small towns in the form of [[maiden]]s (for food), or [[gold]]. Their number of heads ranges from one to seven or sometimes even more, with three- and seven-headed Zmeys being most commonly cited. The heads also regrow if cut off, unless the neck is "treated" with fire (similar to the hydra in Greek mythology). [[Zmey#Blood|Zmey blood]] is so poisonous that Earth itself will refuse to absorb it. In Bulgarian mythology these "dragons" are sometimes good, opposing the evil Lamya /ламя/, a beast similar to the ''zmey''.

====Smok====
The most famous [[Poland|Polish]] dragon ({{Langx|pl|Smok}}) is the [[Wawel Dragon]] or ''[[Smok Wawelski]]'', the Dragon of Wawel Hill. It supposedly terrorized ancient [[Kraków]] and lived in caves on the [[Vistula]] river bank below the [[Wawel]] castle. According to lore based on the ''[[Book of Daniel]]'', it was killed by a boy who offered it a [[Sheepskin (material)|sheepskin]] filled with sulphur and tar. After devouring it, the dragon became so thirsty that it finally exploded after drinking too much water. In the oldest, 12th-century version of this fantasy tale, written by [[Wincenty Kadłubek]],<ref>{{citation|title=Kronika Polska|author=Mistrz Wincenty (tzw. Kadłubek)|publisher=[[Ossolineum]], [[Wrocław]]|year=2008|isbn=978-83-04-04613-9|title-link=Chronica seu originale regum et principum Poloniae|author-link=Wincenty Kadłubek}}</ref> the dragon was defeated by two sons of a [[King Krak]], [[Krakus II]] and [[Lech II]]. A metal sculpture of the Wawel Dragon is a well-known tourist sight in Kraków. The Wawel Dragon appears in the coat of arms of the Polish princes, the Piasts of Czersk.<ref>{{cite journal|last=Górczyk|first=Wojciech|title=Ślady recepcji legend arturiańskich w heraldyce Piastów czerskich i kronikach polskich|journal=Kultura i Historia|year=2010|url=http://www.kulturaihistoria.umcs.lublin.pl/archives/1793|access-date=14 July 2013|language=pl}}</ref>

Other dragon-like creatures in Polish folklore include the [[basilisk]], living in cellars of [[Warsaw]], and the Snake King from folk legends, though neither are explicitly dragons.

=== Armenian ===
{{Main|Vahagn|Vishap|Vishapakar}}
[[File:Վիշապաքաղ.jpg|thumb|upright|Statue of the Armenian god Vahagn the Dragon Slayer choking a dragon in Yerevan, Armenia]]
Վիշապ (''Vishap'') is the Armenian word for "dragon".

=== Iberian ===
Iberian dragons are almost always evil, such as the [[Cuélebre]], or Cuelebre, a giant winged serpent in the mythology of [[Asturias]] and [[Cantabria]] in the north of Spain. It usually lives in a cave, guards treasures and keeps nymph-like beings called ''[[xana]]s'' or ''[[Anjana (Cantabrian mythology)|anjanas]]'' as prisoners.

There is a legend that a dragon dwelled in the Peña Uruel mountain near [[Jaca]] and claimed that it could mesmerise people with its glance, so the young man who decided to kill the beast equipped himself with a shiny shield, so that the dragon's glance would be reflected. When the young man arrived at the cave where the dragon lived, he could kill it easily because the dragon mesmerised itself. This legend is very similar to the Greek myth of [[Medusa]].

[[File:Moralia in Job MS dragonslayer.jpg|thumb|upright|Illumination in a 12th-century manuscript of a letter from [[Saint Gregory]]'s to [[Leander of Seville|St. Leander]] (Bibl. Municipale, MS 2, [[Dijon]])]]

[[Herensuge]] is the name given to the dragon in [[Basque mythology]], meaning "last serpent". The most famous legend has [[Archangel Michael|St. Michael]] descend from [[Heaven]] to kill it, but only once did God agree to accompany him in person.

[[Sugaar]], the Basque male god, is often associated with the serpent or dragon but can take other forms as well. His name can be read as "male serpent".

Dragons are well known in [[Catalan myths and legends]], in no small part because [[Saint George|St. George]] (Catalan ''Sant Jordi'') is the patron saint of [[Principality of Catalonia|Catalonia]]. Like most mythical reptiles, the Catalan dragon (Catalan ''drac'') is an enormous serpent-like creature with four legs and a pair of wings, or rarely, a two-legged creature with a pair of wings, called a wyvern. As in many other parts of the world, the dragon's face may be like that of some other animal, such as a lion or a bull. As is common elsewhere, Catalan dragons are fire-breathers, and the dragon-fire is all-consuming. Catalan dragons also can emit a fetid odor, which can rot away anything it touches.

The Catalans also distinguish a ''víbria'' or ''vibra'' (cognate with English ''[[Viperidae|viper]]'' and ''[[wyvern]]''), a female dragon-like creature with two prominent breasts, two claws, two wings and an [[eagle]]'s beak. Dracs, Víbries and other mythological figures used to participate in [[correfoc]]s during popular celebrations.

In Portuguese mythology, [[Coco (folklore)|Coca]]<ref>{{cite web|title=Corpo de Deus|url=http://www.cm-moncao.pt/portal/page/moncao/portal_municipal/Turismo/Corpo%20de%20Deus|publisher=Municipal de Monção|language=pt}}</ref> is a female wyvern that battles Saint George on the [[Corpus Christi (feast)|Corpus Christi]] holiday. The fighting has a symbolic meaning: when the coca defeats Saint George the crops will be bad and there will be famine and death; when Saint George defeats the coca and cuts off her tongue and ears, the crops will have a good year and it announces prosperity. Still, she is called "saint" coca just as George is called saint, and the people cheer for her.

Another dragon called ''drago'' is also represented in Portuguese mythology and used to take part in celebrations during the Middle Ages.

<gallery class="center">
File:Galician dragon (Medieval Age).jpg|Dragon in a granite Relief (14th century). San Anton Museum ([[A Coruña]], [[Galicia (Spain)|Galicia]]).
File:Coca21.jpg|"Festa da Coca" during the [[Corpus Christi (feast)|Corpus Christi]] celebration, in [[Monção]], Portugal
File:Vibriadereus.JPG|Vibria in a parade in [[Reus]] (Spain)
File:Cucaferadetarragona.JPG|Cucafera during the "Festa Major de Santa Tecla" in [[Tarragona]] (Spain)
File:Drac vilafrancapenedes.JPG|Drac de [[Vilafranca del Penedès]] (Spain) (1600) dancing during a [[correfoc]]
</gallery>

=== Italian ===
[[File:Saint Margaret sculpture.jpg|thumb|left|upright|''Saint Margaret and the Dragon'', alabaster with traces of gilding, Toulouse, ''ca'' 1475 ([[Metropolitan Museum of Art]])]]
[[File:MasoDiBanco.jpg|thumb|"Saint Silvestro resurrects two magicians, and the Fornole dragon", Vernio Bardi Chapel, Santa Croce (Florence)]]
Wyverns are usually evil in Italy, and there are many stories of wyverns being slain. Dragons also trick demons in Italian legends. The legend of Saint George and the wyvern is well known in Italy, but other saints are also depicted fighting wyverns. For instance, the first bishop of [[Forlì]], [[Saint Mercurialis]], was said to have killed a wyvern to save the city, so he is often depicted in the act of slaying a wyvern. Likewise, the first patron saint of [[Venice]], [[Theodore of Amasea|Saint Theodore of Tyro]], was a wyvern-slayer, and a statue representing his slaying of the wyvern still tops one of the two columns in [[Piazza San Marco|St Mark's Square]]. [[St. Michael]], the patron saint of [[paratrooper]]s, is also frequently depicted slaying a wyvern.

According to the Golden Legend, compiled by the Italian [[Jacobus de Voragine]], [[Saint Margaret the Virgin]] was swallowed by [[Satan]] in the shape of a hydra, but she escaped alive when the [[Christian cross|cross]] she carried irritated the hydra's innards. The Golden Legend, in an atypical moment of scepticism, describes this last incident as "apocryphal and not to be taken seriously" (trans. Ryan, 1.369), which did not prevent the legend from being popular and getting artistic treatments.

More prevalent are the legends about dragons in Italy, particularly in [[Umbria]]. One of the most famous wyverns of Italian folklore is [[Folklore of Italy|Thyrus]], a wyvern that besieged [[Terni]] in the Middle Ages. One day, a young and brave knight of the noble House of Cittadini, tired of witnessing the death of his fellow citizens and the depopulation of Terni, faced the wyvern and killed it. From that day, the town assumed the creature in its coat of arms, accompanied by a Latin inscription: "Thyrus et amnis dederunt signa Teramnis" ("Thyrus and the river gave their insignia to [the city of] Terni"), that stands under the banner of the town of Terni, honoring this legend.

Another poem tells of another dragon that lived near the village of Fornole, near [[Amelia, Umbria]]. Pope [[Sylvester I]] arrived in Umbria and freed the population of Fornole from the ferocity of the dragon, pacifying the dragon. Grateful for his deed, the population built a small church dedicated to the saint on the top of the mountain near the dragon's lair in the 13th century. In the apse of the church there is a fresco representing the iconography of the saint.
{{Clear}}

== Heraldry ==
[[File:Coat of Arms of Svätý Jur.svg|thumb|right|upright|Coat of arms of the town of [[Svätý Jur]] ("Saint George") in western [[Slovakia]]]]

In British heraldry, dragons are depicted as four-legged, distinguishing them from the two-legged wyvern. They always possess wings similar to a [[bat]]'s. Dragons are traditionally depicted with tongues ending in a barbed tip; recent heraldry depicts their tails as ending with a similar barb, but this trait originated after the [[Tudor period]]. During and before this era, dragons were always depicted with tails ending in a blunt tip.<ref name="Fox-Davies224">{{cite book|last=Fox-Davies|first=Arthur Charles|title=A complete guide to heraldry|year=1909|publisher=Gramercy Books|location=New York|isbn=0-517-26643-1|pages=224–6|url=https://openlibrary.org/details/completeguidetoh00foxdrich}}</ref>

In terms of [[Attitude (heraldry)|attitude]], dragons are typically shown ''statant'' (with all four legs on the ground), ''passant'' (with one leg raised), or ''rampant'' (rearing). They are very rarely depicted as ''coward'' (with their tail between their legs).<ref name="Fox-Davies224"/>

According to heraldic writer [[Arthur Charles Fox-Davies]], the red dragon of Wales on the flag originated with the [[Heraldic flag#Standard|standard]] of the 7th-century king [[Cadwaladr]] and was used as a [[supporter]] by the [[Tudor dynasty]] (who were of Welsh origin). Queen Elizabeth, however, preferring gold, changed the color of the dragon supporter from red to gold [[gules]]{{clarify|date=November 2024}}, in parallel to her change of the royal [[Mantling|mantle]] from gules and [[Ermine (heraldry)|ermine]] to gold and ermine. There may be some doubt of the Welsh origin of the dragon supporter of the [[Royal coat of arms of the United Kingdom|royal arms]], but it certainly was used by [[Henry III of England|King Henry III]].<ref name="Fox-Davies224"/>

In England, a rampant red dragon (clutching a mace) is still the heraldic symbol of the county of [[Somerset]]. The county once formed part of the early medieval [[Anglo-Saxon]] kingdom of [[Wessex]] in western England, which too bore a dragon, or a wyvern, as a symbol. The Wessex beast is usually colored gold in illustrations.{{sfn|Friar|Ferguson|1993|p=12}}

The Welsh flag is blazoned ''parti per fess Argent and Vert; a dragon Gules passant''. Welsh rugby teams include the [[Dragons (rugby union)|Newport Gwent Dragons]] and the [[Cardiff City Blue Dragons]].

In continental European heraldry, the term "dragon" covers a greater variety of creatures than it does in British systems, including creatures such as the wyvern, the [[basilisk]] and the [[cockatrice]]. In German heraldry, the four-legged dragon is referred to as a ''Lindwurm''.<ref name="Fox-Davies224"/>
[[File:Drakenfontein (3000295908).jpg|thumb|left|148px|Dutch dragon in the city of [['s-Hertogenbosch]]. The city is also known as 'the Swamp Dragon']]

In [[Spain]], there are many examples of dragons as heraldic symbols (particularly “dragantes”: two opposing dragon faces biting some figure). Dragons were introduced as heraldic symbols by King [[Peter IV of Aragon]], who used a dragon on his helmet to show that he was the king of [[Aragon]], as a [[heraldic pun]] (''Rei d'Aragón'' becoming ''Rei'' ''dragón''; translating in English as "dragon king").<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.heraldo.es/noticias/opinion/2019/05/19/dragones-buenos-dragones-malos-1315544.html|title=Dragones buenos, dragones malos|last=Fatás|first=Guillermo|website=Heraldo de Aragón|language=es|others=decir dragón era casi decir ‘de Aragón’|date=19 May 2019 |access-date=2020-01-25}}</ref>

Historically, the [[coat of arms of Madrid]] included, besides a [[bear]] with a [[Arbutus unedo|strawberry tree]], a dragon. This dragon has its origin in a dragon, or a serpent according to [[Ramón de Mesonero Romanos|Mesonero Romanos]], that was shown on the [[Keystone (architecture)|keystone]] in the arch of a gate of the disappeared walls of [[Madrid]] known as "''Puerta Cerrada''" or "''Puerta de la Sierpe''" (Closed Gate or Wyrm Gate in [[English language|English]]). In 1582 a fire destroyed the gate. At that time the walls had fallen into disuse, for this reason the gate and the surrounding wall have never been rebuilt. The serpent, become dragon, was retained as informal symbol of Madrid until the 19th century, when it was decided to incorporate the dragon in the coat of arms. The dragon then turned into a [[griffin]], and the griffin disappeared from the coat of arms in 1967, although the heraldic dragon remains carved in stone in many monuments around the city.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.abc.es/madrid/20141016/abci-dragon-escudo-madrid-201410142110.html|title=La misteriosa leyenda del dragón que formó parte del escudo de Madrid durante tres siglos|date=2014-10-15|website=abc|language=es|access-date=2019-08-08}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://madridjrcalzado.blogspot.com/2016/08/el-dragon-alado-en-el-escudo-de-madrid.html|title=Madrid: El dragón alado en el escudo de Madrid|last=Madridjrcalzado.bolgspot.com|date=2016-08-09|website=Madrid|access-date=2019-08-08}}</ref>

[[File:PT-TT-CR-D-A-008-0073 m0193.jpg|thumb|right|upright|Former coat of arms of [[Porto]].]]
A dragon was used as the crest of the [[coat of arms of Portugal|greater royal coat of arms of Portugal]] from at least the 14th century. In the 19th century, King [[Peter IV of Portugal]] granted the city of [[Porto]] the incorporation of the dragon crest of the royal coat of arms in its municipal coat of arms, in gratitude for the support given to him by the city during the [[Liberal Wars]]. The badge of [[FC Porto]] incorporates the old Porto municipal coat of arms with the dragon crest; this is why the dragon was adopted as the [[mascot|animal mascot]] of the club.

In relatively recent additions to the image of a dragon, the tongue and the tail ended with a barb. The [[Tudor period|Tudor]] image of a dragon does no such thing, with the tail being long and pointy. The German [[Lindworm|Lindwurm]] seems to be where the English got their figure of a dragon. It is represented as a traditional one with scales, four legs, wings, sharp teeth, and horns.<ref name=":0">{{Citation|chapter=Fox-Davies, Arthur Charles, (28 Feb. 1871–19 May 1928)|date=2007-12-01|publisher=Oxford University Press|doi=10.1093/ww/9780199540884.013.u196567|title=Who Was Who}}</ref>

*Mr. Mainwaring-Ellerker-Onslow's house was represented by a sea-dragon. This dragon is normal, in today's standards, for half its body and the other half has no hind legs and a large end of the tail. This is closer to the Chinese model of dragons.<ref name=":0" />

*The Duke of Marlborough uses a wyvern sitting erect upon its tail with its claws in the air.<ref name=":0" />

*The crest of the Lancashire family have a crest of the wyvern without wings and the tail knotted.<ref name=":0" />

*While this is comparatively rare, two cockatrices are the supporters to [[Sir Edmund Charles Nugent]].<ref name=":0" />

*The [[Lernaean Hydra|Hydra]] is a crest comes from the families of Barret, Crespine, and Lownes.<ref name=":0" />{{Clear}}

== Modern dragons ==
{{Unreferenced section|date=October 2019}}[[File:West Edmonton Mall-Fire Dragon.jpg|thumb|[[West Edmonton Mall]]'s fire-breathing dragon animatronic. Removed in 2014 due to high maintenance costs and its drying-out rubber skin]]

The [[emblem book]]s popular from late medieval times through the 17th century often represent the dragon as an emblem of greed. <!--Some quotes are needed--> The prevalence of dragons in European [[heraldry]] demonstrates that there is more to the dragon than greed.

[[Agosti Xaho]], a romantic myth creator of the 19th century, fused these myths in his own creation of ''Leherensuge'', the first and last serpent, that, in his newly coined legend, would arise again some time in the future bringing the rebirth of an independent republic for the [[Basques|Basque people]].

Dragons have long been portrayed in modern times as greedy treasure-hoarders, lusting for gold and precious gems. In such stories as ''Beowulf'', the theft of such treasure sparks a dragon's fury. In the [[fantasy]] genre, however, there has been a trend of originally depicting dragons in a positive light: as allies instead of enemies, the red dragon of Wales, and the brother dragon of Poland. Dragons are increasingly viewed as friends of humans and as highly intelligent and noble creatures, while still remaining the fearsome beasts of legend. They are frequently shown as guardians and close friends of individual humans.

After the discovery of fossil [[pterosaur]]s,{{When|date=November 2023}} European-type dragons are often depicted without front legs, and, when on the ground, standing and walking pterosaur-fashion on their back feet and the wrists of their wings.

===Recent fiction===
Dragons play prominent roles in [[J. R. R. Tolkien|JRR Tolkien]]'s [[Middle-earth]] legendarium, particularly in ''[[The Silmarillion]]'' and ''[[The Hobbit]]'', and in the unconnected ''[[Farmer Giles of Ham]]''.

Many of these modern ideas were first popularised by [[Anne McCaffrey]] with her ''[[Dragonriders of Pern]]'' series.

[[Ursula K. Le Guin]] has prominent dragons in her books about [[Earthsea]].

Later authors such as [[Christopher Paolini]] also depicted sympathetic dragon characters in ''[[Eragon]]''.

Ffyrnig, the Last Great Dragon of ''[[Legend of the Heart Eaters]]'', the first book in the story of ''[[Jonah and the Last Great Dragon]]'' by [[M.E.Holley]] is based on an actual legend of the Welsh Borders, which tells that the last great dragon is asleep under the [[Radnor Forest]], imprisoned there by St. Michael.

[[File:Draak efteling.jpg|300px|thumb|right|"The Dragon" in the [[Efteling]].]] The [[Efteling]] has since 1979 an animatronic scene in the [[Fairytale Forest]] that depicts an archetypical Western European dragon protecting a treasure from getting stolen by the public. 

[[Bryan Davis (author)|Bryan Davis]]'s ''Dragons in Our Midst'' series depicts dragons as noble and kind beasts, having the ability to marry and reproduce with humans.

[[E. D. Baker]]'s [[E. D. Baker#Tales of the Frog Princess series|''Tales of the Frog Princess'' series]] frequently includes dragons, and people who can change between human shape and dragon shape.

The ''[[A Song of Ice and Fire]]'' / ''[[Game of Thrones]]'' series includes dragons and dragon-riders.

''[[How to Train Your Dragon (novel series)|How To Train Your Dragon]]'' is a series of twelve children's books, written by British author [[Cressida Cowell]]. The books are set in a fictional Viking world and focus on the experiences of protagonist Hiccup as he overcomes great obstacles on his journey of Becoming a Hero, the Hard Way.

[[Tui T. Sutherland]]'s book series ''[[Wings of Fire (novel series)|Wings of Fire]]'' is set in a dragon-dominant world where five dragonets must complete a prophecy to end a twenty-year-long war.

The [[Temeraire (series)|Temeraire series]] by [[Naomi Novik]] combines dragons with tropes from the [[Age of Sail]].

== See also ==
{{Div col}}
* [[Chinese dragon]]
* [[Dragon]]
* [[Dragons in Greek mythology]]
* [[Dragons in Manipuri mythology]]
* [[Japanese dragon]]
* [[List of dragons in literature]]
* [[List of dragons in mythology and folklore]]
* [[List of dragons in popular culture]]
* [[Animal representation in Western medieval art]]
{{div col end}}

== References ==
<!--This article uses the Cite.php citation mechanism. If you would like more information on how to add references to this article, please see http://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Cite/Cite.php-->
{{Reflist}}

===Works cited===
{{refbegin|2}}
====Primary====
* {{cite web |ref = {{SfnRef|Beowulf}}|title=Beowulf on Steorarume [Beowulf in Cyberspace]: Bilingual Edition (OE text & translation) |url=https://heorot.dk/beo-intro-rede.html |website=heorot.dk |access-date=20 February 2022 |archive-date=20 November 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211120162408/https://heorot.dk/beo-intro-rede.html |url-status=live }}

====Secondary====
* {{cite book |author-last=Acker |author-first=Paul |editor1-last=Acker |editor1-first=Paul |editor2-last=Larrington |editor2-first=Carolyne |editor2-link=Carolyne Larrington |date=2013 |title=Revisiting the Poetic Edda: Essays on Old Norse Heroic Legend |publisher=[[Routledge]] |chapter=Dragons in the Eddas and in Early Nordic Art |pages=53–57 |isbn=978-0-415-88861-5}}
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{{refend}}

==Further reading==
* Barber, Elizabeth Wayland, and Paul T. Barber. "Fire-Breathing Dragons." In [[When They Severed Earth from Sky|When They Severed Earth from Sky: How the Human Mind Shapes Myth]], 231–44. PRINCETON; OXFORD: Princeton University Press, 2004. doi:10.2307/j.ctt7rt69.22.
* Malone, Michael S. The Guardian of All Things: The Epic Story of Human Memory. New York City, New York: St. Martin's Press, 2012.
* Stein, Ruth M. "The Changing Styles in Dragons—from Fáfnir to Smaug." Elementary English 45, no. 2 (1968): 179–89. www.jstor.org/stable/41386292.

==External links==
{{Commons category|European dragons}}
{{Commons|Dragon}}
{{Wikiquote|Dragons}}
*[http://www.theoi.com/greek-mythology/dragons.html Theoi Project website: Dragons of Ancient Greek Mythology] excerpts from Greek sources, illustrations, lists and links
*[http://www.dragon-art-work.com/the-history-of-europe-medieval-dragons-and-times.shtml The History of Europe's Medieval Dragons and Times] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190414175653/http://www.dragon-art-work.com/the-history-of-europe-medieval-dragons-and-times.shtml |date=2019-04-14 }}

{{Dragons}}

[[Category:Medieval legends]]
[[Category:European dragons| ]]
[[Category:Catalan symbols]]