06.27.09

The Origin of Dragons

Posted in Fantasy, dragons at 7:19 pm by Administrator

During the middle ages, dragons were a thing of everyday life. No one ever stopped to ponder where dragons came from. It was assumed that they had been around since the beginning of time.

During the 17th century, scientists began to doubt the existence of dragons yet still believed that fantastic creatures could exist. Soon after, “fake” dragons began to appear in “Cabinets of Curiosities ” or what we would call a museum. At the same time, another question arose. How did dragons come into existence? Surely such creatures could not be of God’s creation since the Bible never says anything about them. Is it possible there is another explanation?

Between 1683 and 1691, Eberhard Werner Happel published his Relationes Curiosae, a collection od curiosities. So popular was this book that faked editions were printed as well as fake sequels. The book brought together tales from far away lands, exotic countries and folk lore. Of course, Happel could not ignore the dragon.

He first presents the story of Deodatus de Gozon, a young knight of St. John who killed a dragon on the isle of Rhodes in 1345. Happel afterwards lists some well-known facts: Dragons are many fold - some possess wings and others do not, some have four and others two legs. Their feet could be compared to those of goose, lions or eagles, but all dragons are said to be venomous. But then he suddenly states that they are monsters or miraculous creatures which could not spring from a copulation of two common animals of different species.

It wasn’t until the late 17th century that scientists began to unearth (literally) the truth about dragons. Scientists began to pull “formed stones” (or fossils as we would call them) from the Earth. For a time it was assumed that dragons were real and that the proof was to be found in the ground. Paleontologist later discovered their true nature but the myth of the dragon has persisted through time.

Dragons today are known to be mythical but they are still fascinating. Images of dragons can be found everywhere. They symbolize strength, beauty, destruction and rebirth just to name a few. Regardless of your own thoughts, the beauty and majesty of these mythological creatures can not be mistaken.

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