- Mar 30, 2023
- 3 min read
Updated: Jan 8
Dragons
These fearsome flying beasts have fascinated and filled us with wonder for millennia. They breathe fire, ice, lightning, or spit venom. They have long serpentinite bodies, wings that crack like thunder in a storm, and a roar that terrifies the hearts of men. But despite their fearsome traits, they have stuck around in the human mythology for as long as we can remember from the mountains of Scandinavia to the jungles of the Americas, the dragons are all over the world. In this little article, I will discuss the dragon’s role in human history, and one of the heights of their popularity was in the Medieval world.
When we think of dragons, we (mostly) think of all things Medieval. Whether it be in the stories such as the Hobbit, Lord of the Rings, A Song of Ice and Fire (or Game of Thrones), or even the famous Role Playing Game (RPG), Dungeons and Dragons, the setting is always centered around (most) myths that hail from the ancient English, Celtic and Norse myths. The roles of these mythical beasts vary as much as their different forms and types. Some will be portrayed as good and wise creatures, while others are evil and greedy. However, regardless of their good or bad nature, dragons are sentient and intelligent creatures. But above all, they are powerful forces of nature. In the Medieval world, dragons were found nearly everywhere in western Europe and Scandinavia. Both figuratively and metaphorically.
The first place to find these creatures is through the mouth of men. Mankind has been telling myths about dragons since early civilization and throughout history. Whether through those myths and stories, poems, and even songs. Other places to find dragons are through various art pieces such as drawings, paintings, etchings, statues, temples, shields, and tapestries. The final places to find dragons are family crests, sigils/banners, and ship figureheads. There is a mutual love for these fantastic beasts in every civilization. But have you wondered about what these mutual interests mean? What is the symbolism that dragons have with these ancient cultures? These various symbolic meanings of dragons are what lead to their roles in our world and we will discuss them.
Every animal in the world symbolizes something in every culture, and dragons are no exception. In Asian cultures, dragons are associated with good fortune, wisdom, protection, power, and strength. But they are also known to control disastrous weather such as rain and typhoons. In this part of the world, dragons are worshipped similarly to the various gods that watch over those cultures. This is shown through the statues on the temples and shrines at which they worship and pray at. The Celts saw dragons as a representation of power and sovereignty as well as fertility. Celtic art depicts this on tapestries, banners, and flags. Dragons to the Norse were in neutral territory much like the Asiatic dragons. The Norse saw dragons as a creature of balance. They were bringing both destruction and chaos as well as death. But they also symbolized strength, bravery, and protection to ward off other harmful beasts.
Like the Celts, the Norse had dragons as banners and figureheads on the Viking war longships, the Drakkar. But the Norse had a handful of myths of dragons. The most notable one is Niðhöggr (or Nidhogg). This dragon is the devourer of Yggdrasil’s roots, the world tree. Who has made two appearances in two popular video games: Assassin’s Creed: Valhalla and God of War: Ragnarök which surround themselves in Norse mythology. Then in the Christian world, dragons are among the creatures that represent evil. This is made apparent in the tales, etchings, and various other art pieces of chivalrous knights slaying them in many stories about these creatures.
Whether divine or wretched, dragons in many cultures have the same symbolisms of power and nobility across the world. These magnificent beasts have captured our hearts and minds, and will forever rule our imaginations just as how they are told to rule the skies. Forever immortalized in the stories we tell ourselves and each other. They are a myth that will never die and will evolve alongside civilization.
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