A
draigon
is a lairge,
serpent
-lik
leegendar craitur
that appears in the
fowklair
o mony culturs aroond the warld. Beliefs aboot draigons vary drastically bi region, but
draigons in wastren culturs
syne the
Heich Middle Ages
hae eften been depictit as weenged, horned,
fower-legged
, an capable o
braithin fire
.
Draigons in eastren culturs
are uisually depictit as wingless, fower-legged, serpentine craiturs wi abuin-average intelligence.
The earliest attestit draigons resemmle giant snakes. Draigon-lik craiturs are first descrived in the meethologies o the
ancient Near East
an appear in
auncient Mesopotamie airt
an leeteratur. Stories aboot
storm-gods
slayin giant serpents occur ootthrou nearly aw
Indo-European
an Near Eastren mythologies. Famous prototeepical draigons include the
mu??u??u
o
auncient Mesopotamie
,
Apep
in
Egyptian meethologie
,
V?tra
in the
Rigveda
, the
Leviathan
in the
Ebreu Bible
,
Python
,
Ladon
,
Wyvern
, an the
Lernaean Hydra
in
Greek meethologie
,
Jormungandr
,
Niðhoggr
, an
Fafnir
in
Norse meethologie
, an
the draigon
frae
Beowulf
.
The popular wastren eemage o a draigon as weenged, fower-legged, an capable o braithin fire is an invention o the
Heich Middle Ages
based on a conflation o earlier draigons frae different tradeetions. In wastren cultures, draigons are portrayed as monsters tae be tamed or owercome, uisually bi
saunts
or
cultur heroes
, as in the popular leegend o
Saunt George an the Draigon
. Thay are eften said tae hae ravenous appetites an tae live in caves, whaur thay huird treisur. Thir draigons appear frequently in wastren
fantasie
leeteratur, includin
The Hobbit
bi
J. R. R. Tolkien
, the
Harry Potter
series bi
J. K. Rowling
, an
A Song of Ice and Fire
bi
George R. R. Martin
.
The wird "draigon" haes an aw come tae be applee'd tae the Cheenese
lung
(龍,
Pinyin
long
), that are associatit wi good fortuin an are thocht tae hae pouer ower rain. Draigons an thair associations wi rain are the soorce o the Cheenese customs o
draigon dancin
an
draigon boat racin
. Mony
East Asie
deities an demigods hae dragons as thair personal moonts or companions. Draigons war an aw identifee'd wi the
Emperor o Cheenae
, that, in later Cheenese imperial history, wis the anerly ane permittit tae hae draigons on his hoose, cleidin, or personal airticles.
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Dragons
.
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