Dragons have captivated human imagination for centuries. Believed to be real until fairly recently in human history, they continue to exist in even greater variety and complexity today in books, movies, art and culture.
For the Vikings “Dreki” (dragons, sea monsters, etc.) were a token of honor, strength and status, a seemingly impossible
obstacle to be overcome in their stories, and thus adorned everything from clothing to weapons to the prows of their ships
In Ancient Mesopotamia, Egypt and Greece, dragons are part of the mythos of the world order being created from chaos. Tiamat as a dragon being slain and the world made with the remains of her body.
In China dragons are heralds of success and prosperity, usually long and snake-like with 4 legs and almost always associated with rivers and lakes. Uh…sounds like a crocodile to me…
For Medieval Europeans dragons were the personification of evil. Christianity strikes again.
So many dragons in so many places, where did they come from? Here’s my theory.
Dinosaurs – Imagine ancient peoples discovering dinosaur fossils and trying to fit them into their understanding of their world as they know it. A T-rex skeleton, Pterodactyl wings, a Triceratops skull… Yep, Medieval times me would totally be convinced that dragons are real.
Crocodiles. Komodo dragons. Pythons – Saltwater Crocodiles can get up to a whopping 7m long and 1,000 kgs, can live for over 100 years, can stay underwater for up to 2 hours and can go without eating for months. Komodo dragons clock in at up to 3m long and over 160kgs, sporting serrated teeth and hooked claws. Pythons can reach 10m long, and over 200kgs and no one is really sure how long they can live. And all of them can swim, and all of them can call us humans “snacks”. Is it really such a large leap from real life to dragon?
My love affair with dragons began way before Game of Thrones. When I was around 12, I read Dragonflight by Anne McCaffrey and I was hooked. A world where humans and dragons were able to create a telepathic lifelong bond and they protect everyone by flying off together to battle an alien threat falling from the sky. Sign me up! (Even though in reality I’m terrified of heights and would probably lose bodily function control if I ever met a real dragon.) My kids fell in love with Draco from the Dragonheart movie and actually watched it so many times they wore out the DVD. I was delighted when Smaug on screen was rendered every bit as glorious and malicious as I imagined when reading The Hobbit. Then dragons became child-friendly pseudo-scary misunderstood pets (like scaley oversized mastiffs) with How to Train your Dragon. The main take-away here is, although proven to be mythical, dragons and what they symbolize are here to stay. And I’m okay with that.
If you’re a knitter, or you know one, my Dragon Mitten Pattern is inspired by them all and I’m confident that the dragon-lover in your life would love a pair made by you. They may not breathe fire, but they will keep your hands looking good and toasty warm.
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