What do dragons symbolize in European culture?
The mythical creature known as the dragon is sometimes portrayed as a formidable snake or other reptile that possesses magical or spiritual properties. Although dragons (or dragon-like creatures) are frequently depicted in folklore all throughout the world, different civilizations have interpreted them in various ways. Chinese dragons, and Eastern dragons in general, are frequently viewed as being kind and spiritual, serving as a symbol of the fundamental elements of nature and the cosmos, and being very wise. In contrast, dragons in European mythology and in some Asian societies, including the ancient Persian Empire, were typically malignant, connected to wicked supernatural entities, and seen as the primary foe of humans.
The mythical beast known as the "European dragon" is found in the folktales and mythologies of numerous European civilizations. It is frequently connected with fire, devastation, and chaos and is typically shown as a gigantic, scaly reptile with wings, pointed claws, and a long tail. The European dragon is frequently described as a ferocious and evil creature that terrorizes towns and hoards wealth. It is supposed to be immune to weapons and magic, and it may breathe fire or poison.The European dragon, however, is sometimes portrayed as a more sophisticated and nuanced beast, capable of insight and compassion. Several feet to over 100 feet in length, European dragons are frequently portrayed as being powerful and enormous monsters in mythology.
The European dragon is often shown as a gigantic, fire-breathing, scaly, horned, lizard-like creature with four legs, leathery, bat-like wings, and a long, muscular, prehensile tail during and after the early Middle Ages. In some representations, dragons have feathered wings, crests, frills on their ears, fiery manes, ivory spikes running down their spines, and other exotic ornamentation. They are frequently called a Wyrm or a Wurm. This terminology can be misleading since, despite what is stated below, wyrms are frequently characterized as having wings. Wyrms are also described as a type of dragon with a long, slender body, frequently the ability to breathe fire, and either none or four limbs.
Dragon's blood frequently has special abilities in folklore, allowing characters to live longer or endowing them with poisonous or corrosive traits. In Christian culture, a dragon typically guards a palace or cavern that is stocked with wealth and other valuables. A benign dragon is considered to offer assistance or sage counsel, while an evil dragon is frequently connected with a great hero who attempts to defeat it. In the overlapping cultures of Europe, dragons are legendary creatures found in folklore and mythology.
Dragons are frequently depicted in contemporary literature as highly clever, talkative beings who are also occasionally in charge of strong magic. Dragon blood frequently had magical qualities in folklore; for instance, in the opera Siegfried, it enabled Siegfried to comprehend the Forest Birds' language. The classic dragon guards a cavern or castle containing riches and treasure and is frequently depicted as being slain by a great hero, although dragons can be included into a story in just as many different ways as human characters. This involves the monster being portrayed as a wise figure that heroes may consult for assistance and guidance, making them resemble Asian dragons rather than the mythical European dragons.
Etymology
Given that it has appeared in the mythology and folklore of numerous nations throughout history, the origin of the European dragon is obscure and complicated.
Greek mythology, where the monster Typhon was frequently portrayed as a fire-breathing dragon-like creature with many heads and wings, is one source that may have influenced the development of the European dragon. In medieval Europe, dragons were a common theme in folktales and legends. Many of these tales included dragons and knights, such as the tale of St. George and the Dragon. In these tales, dragons were frequently portrayed as accumulating wealth and wreaking havoc; they were also viewed as emblems of chaos and evil.
Adapted and reinvented in many ways across various media and cultural contexts, the European dragon has remained a popular subject in literature, art, and popular culture until this day. Although its precise origins are unclear, it is undeniably one of the most recognizable and lasting creatures of myth and folklore based on its enduring popularity.
Some take this hypothesis a step further and suggest that dragons are actually a distant memory of real dinosaurs passed down through the generations of humanity. This belief explains why dragons appear in nearly every culture, as well as why the dragon is more closely recognizable as a dinosaur than any other animal. However, such theories disregard the accepted timeline of the Earth's history, with human beings and dinosaurs separated by sixty-five million years, and therefore are disregarded by mainstream scholars. It is more likely that a lack of understanding of nature, certain fossils, a stronger connection with the supernatural, and even perhaps a widespread fear of snakes and reptiles all helped form the idea of the dragon.
Greek literature contains some of the earliest accounts of dragons in the west. When the "father of history," Herodotus, visited Judea in 450 B.C.E., he recorded hearing about dragons, which he characterized as little, flying reptile-like creatures. Additionally, he noted that he had seen the remains of a large dragon beast. Herodotus was not the first to mention dragons in Greek mythology. Many legends about snakes or dragons feature a serpent or dragon guarding a valuable item.
According to legend, the first Pelasgian kings of Athens were snakes and humans. In accordance with Athena's instructions, Cadmus killed the water-dragon guardian of the Castalian Spring. He then planted the dragon's teeth in the ground, and the resulting Spartes ("sown") race of fiercely armed men helped Cadmus construct the citadel of Thebes while also serving as the forefathers of the city's most aristocratic families. The Golden Apples of the Sun of the Hesperides were under the dragon Ladon's protection. The Golden Fleece was guarded by a second serpentine dragon, keeping Jason and the Argonauts from stealing it. The same goes for Pythia and Python. Before Apollo captured the Delphic Oracle and wrapped the two serpents around his winged caduceus, which he later presented to Hermes, they guarded the temple of Gaia and the priestess of the oracle. Since Greek culture had such a significant impact on European culture, although these tales are not the first to mention dragon-like creatures, they may serve as a marker for when dragons started to gain popularity in Western beliefs.
Dragons were frequently used as symbols in medieval iconography for apostasy and treason, as well as for rage and jealously, and eventually they came to represent terrible tragedy. A number of heads represented heresy as well as decadence and persecution. They also served as representations of power, determination, and leadership. Slaying a dragon not only allowed access to its treasure trove but also signified the hero's victory over the most clever of all creatures. Dragons are frequently used as symbols for wisdom. Because it combines the serpent form (earthbound), which the dragon represents, with the bat/bird form, Joseph Campbell saw the dragon as a sign of divinity or transcendence in The Power of Myth.
Dragon in the Middle Ages
European culture had been entirely cut off from classical literature during the early Middle Ages. In both oral and written literature, including ancient literature, there was a gradual shift in the typical mental image of the "dragon," or the Latin draco and its analogues in vernacular languages. This resulted in the portrayal of "modern-type" dragons in this literature, whose characteristics are listed below.
The snake like dragons of classical Graeco-Roman literature, references to Near Eastern dragons preserved in the Bible, and western European folk traditions, which included descriptions and drawings of animals named as types of snakes but inaccurately drawn with wings and/or legs, all contributed to the development of the modern western image of a dragon in western Europe during the Middle Ages. The fascination in dragons as living beings peaked in Europe between the 11th and the 13th century.
Modern depictions of dragons typically feature a body more resembling a giant reptile, a snake with two pairs of lizard-like legs, and fire coming from their mouths. This has its origins in the continental dragon, also known as a fire-breathing dragon. The continental dragon, like many others in Europe, has wings that resemble bats coming out of its back.
Except for Asturian and Welsh mythology and contemporary fiction, dragons and dragon-like creatures are typically depicted as malevolent in Christian literature and folklore. The European dragon is frequently portrayed in art from the contemporary era and late medieval times as a massive fire-breathing, scaly, and horned reptile with two or four legs, two or four wings, and a long muscular tail. A crest, a fiery mane, ivory spikes running along its spine, and numerous unusual colorations are all occasionally depicted on it. Dragon blood frequently possesses magical qualities. The classic dragon guards a cave or castle containing gold and treasure and is frequently depicted as being slain by a heroic hero. The dragon is a flying monster, yet it typically dwells in a cave that serves as its underground lair, indicating that it is an old earth creature.
The fascination with dragons in Europe intensified during the Middle Ages. During this time, the legendary creature underwent a number of changes in European folklore. In early descriptions, the dragon was pictured as a reptile- or lizard-like creature with two wings, a fiery breath, and a penchant for gold. Many historical European tales, including Beowulf, showed how much dragons cherished amassing riches.
Dragons were explicitly mentioned in Viking mythology, including the dragon Fafnir. By creating a pit and then waiting in it, Sigurd is able to defeat this monster. Sigurd uses the sword to puncture the dragon's heart as it creeps over the pit, killing it instantly. Several additional dragon legends also feature this motif.
Germanic and Norse mythology
The "Lindworm," a variant of the serpentine monsters known as the wyvern, was a common representation of dragons in Germanic and Norse mythology. They typically appeared as enormous snake-like animals rather than classic dragons, perhaps with wings and legs. The predation of cattle and other livestock was frequently attributed to the lindworms, which were thought to be malevolent and a terrible omen. They were exceptionally hungry monsters that frequently resided in deep caverns while keeping vast quantities of gold. The most famous examples of this are the legends of Jormugand, a man who ate so much that he grew to be proportionate to the length of the Earth, and Fafnir, a man who killed his own father to inherit his wealth and transformed into a dragon to protect his treasure. In many Germanic and Norse stories, lindworms are actually people whose own greed have led to their transformation into a creature that resembles their sins.
Before Christianity, Western Celtic peoples were familiar with dragons, and native Britons wore Celtic decorations with dragon designs on them during the Roman conquest. Additionally, there is archeological proof that throughout Some hypothesize that European original Britons who immigrated to Britain before the Roman era may have carried the dragon with them. The Celts used the dragon for the first time in the fourth century BC on swords and sheaths. An early iron age Celtic sword with two opposing dragons that was discovered in Britain is one example. It is thought to be from the Hallstatt culture. The La Téne period, which lasted from roughly 500 BC to 1 AD, the continental Celts used brooches and pins shaped like dragons.
Slavic mythology
Slavic dragons, also known as zmeys (Russian), smok (Belarusian), and zmiy (Ukrainian), are frequently regarded as benevolent protectors of fertility and crops. They frequently have three heads, are composed of a mixture of humans, snakes, and birds, and never take the same form twice. However, they are frequently portrayed as being male, sexually aggressive, and frequently mating with humans. They are linked to fire and water since both are essential to a person's survival.
A comparable creature is occasionally portrayed as a hideous four-legged beast with few, if any, redeeming features. They have a moderate level of intelligence and frequently exact tribute from villages or small towns by requesting maidens in exchange for food or gold. One to seven, or perhaps more, heads can be found on them, with three- and seven-headed dragons being the most prevalent. Similar to the hydra from Greek mythology, the heads likewise grow back if they are severed, unless the neck is "treated" with fire. Because dragon blood is so deadly, the soil will not be able to absorb it.
Italian dragons
In Italy, wyverns are frequently wicked, and there are several tales of wyverns being killed. In Italian folklore, dragons also deceive demons. Italians are familiar with the story of Saint George and the wyvern, but other saints have also been portrayed slaying wyverns. For instance, Saint Mercurialis, the first bishop of Forl, is frequently seen slaughtering a wyvern since it is supposed that he did so in order to rescue the city. Similarly, Saint Theodore of Tyro, the original patron saint of Venice, was a wyvern-slayer, and a statue depicting his wyvern-slaying still stands atop one of the square's two columns. Another common image of St. Michael, the patron saint of paratroopers, depicts him slaying a wyvern.
Saint Margaret the Virgin was devoured by Satan in the form of a hydra, according to the Golden Legend, which was written by the Italian Jacobus de Voragine. However, she was saved when the cross she was carrying inflamed the hydra's internal organs. The Golden narrative defines this final episode as "apocryphal and not to be taken seriously" (trans. Ryan, 1.369), but this did not stop the narrative from becoming well-known and inspiring artistic interpretations.
Italian dragons
In Italy, many people are familiar with the Saint George and the Dragon fable. However, other saints are shown slaying a monster. For instance, Saint Mercurialis, the first bishop of the city of Forl, is credited with slaying a dragon and saving the city. Theodore of Tyro, the first patron saint of Venice, was also a dragon-slayer, and a statue of him still stands atop one of the two columns in St. Mark's Square.
Saint Margaret the Virgin was devoured by Satan in the form of a hydra, according to the Golden Legend, which was written by the Italian Jacobus de Voragine. However, she was saved when the cross she was carrying inflamed the hydra's internal organs. The Golden narrative defines this final episode as "apocryphal and not to be taken seriously" (trans. Ryan, 1.369), but this did not stop the narrative from becoming well-known and inspiring artistic interpretations.