A dragon is a mythical, powerful, serpentine creature that appears in many folklore across various cultures in the world. Dragons in early western cultures were often depicted as horned, winged, and four-limbed animals with fire-breathing powers. In mythological traditions, dragons had no wings because they were once serpents that prowled the lands. However, in legends and folklore dragon wings have been found, and they are most often blue with black fur.
The word “draco” comes from a combination of two Greek words: draccus and eauereia, which literally means “the breath of the dragon.” In early middle eastern folklore, a dragon known as the Dragon of Nine Stars served as a talisman for the ancient Persian princess. A dragon symbolized the kingdoms of the Middle East because they ruled over most of the lands there at the time. There were nine stars associated with each realm: none was ruled over by a single kingdom, but rather each was ruled over by a serpent.
In ancient Egyptian lore, the god of the sky, Ra, was sometimes represented by a dragon. Another Egyptian dragon story related to the myth of Osiris and Isis, according to Egyptian myth, featured a daughter who fled from her father because of his cruelty. Afterward, she married a merchant prince, whom she was not particularly fond of, so she went to live with him in a cave. One night, while sleeping, she discovered that the snakelike serpent spirit of Osiris had taken her to be his mate. She consented, and the two became one, creating a new race of dragons called the Sleeper.
In Chinese legend, the dragon also played a role in the lives of deities. In the story, Dragon Gate, written by Simbati, a dragon tries to destroy the Yu Duo, a being of divine virtue. After the Dragon Gate is defeated, the Yu Duo makes a vow of becoming benevolent and then takes his leave from the earth. In the sequel to this book, Dragon’s Tears, the dragon returns to take over the human world, and wreaks havoc on it. The Dragon Gate tries to defeat him again, but to no avail; he just rides away on his white horse, leaving the city in ruins.
There is a dragon that was worshipped in modern times, and that is the Butterfly dragon. The wings of this dragon were said to stretch far away into the distance, and that he could fly through the air without touching down. These wings are very fragile, however, and so any form of contact could cause the wings to fold back into their proper place.
In European mythology, the serpent and dragon were sometimes paired. In the fairytale “The Nutcracker”, the dragon appears as a huge serpent, who dances merrily round the bride and the groom, delighting all with his dance. A few legends describe how the dragon may have first appeared in humans, stretching out its wings after biting a child who looks like a lily.
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