WESTERN DRAGONS
Dragons have a part of many cultures over history. Western dragons were mainly seen as reptile like creatures with wings that could breathe fire. Different dragons are important to different groups of people. For the vikings, dragons were a symbol of war. Stories of the Norse Dragons were passed down to continuing generations. Passing down these different stories is a tradition that the descendants of the viking people do to keep the folklore alive in their community. Specifically in Western Europe, one of the most famous dragons is the Dragon of Wessex and Wales.
THE SYMBOL OF DRAGONS
Dragons have been seen as colossal forces of nature. Robert Blust writes in "The Origin of Dragons," that primitive men associated dragons with natural forces and weather. Along with the weather, dragons are associated with water. Dragons are often associated with the imagery of waterfalls. "In the Necessity of Dragons," James Hamby also writes that Dragons are often seen as protecting water sources. Western dragons were seen as evil forces of nature that had to be slain. However, Eastern Dragons are seen as the opposite. They are seen as good fortunes of health. Dragons are still seen as powerful creatures, but they are not always evil like they were once always portrayed.
DRAGONS IN LITERATURE
Dragons can be traced back to some of the earliest forms of literature. Dragons were evil creatures that had to be defeated by the main character. Beowulf features a greedy dragon that the protagonist has to defeat. Many believe that the leviathan mentioned in the Bible is a dragon. One of the most famous dragons in literature is Smaug in The Hobbit. Smaug is known for his greed in destruction. In more recent literature, dragons are evolving from evil creatures to creatures that are respected. In Ann McCaffery's Dragonflight series, dragons are seen as companions to humans. In other young adult series like Dragon Spell by Donika K. Paul, the dragons are intelligent creatures that can communicate telepathically to humans. Oral literature and written literature is important to the folklore of dragons. Richard Bauman writes about the importance of intertexuality in today's culture. Because of intertexuality, dragons are prevalent in today's culture across the world.