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[Middle English, from Old French, from Latin dracō, dracōn-, large serpent, from Greek drakōn.]
For more information on dragon, visit Britannica.com.
Throughout the medieval and early modern periods, dragons were accepted as real but rare beasts. The Bible mentions fiery serpents in Exodus, and a great dragon symbolizes the Devil in Revelations 12; many writers on natural history also described various strange reptiles, including winged serpents, on the authority of Pliny, Aristotle, and others. Myths, hero legends, saints’ legends, and heraldry all exploited the concept of this dramatic monster. Pre-Conquest heroic dragon legends are lost, apart from that in Beowulf. Religious ones are more common, the most influential being that of St George. In Church art and writings, dragons always stood for evil, but in the secular world they also symbolized ferocity in battle, and hence were often adopted as heraldic crests.
Model dragons were a fairly common feature of religious and civic pageantry in late medieval and Tudor/Stuart times, of which only Snap at Norwich survives. Civic account books at Newcastle-upon-Tyne in April 1510 record the purchase of twelve yards of canvas, nails, spars, and straps for building a dragon (presumably for St George's Day), and payments for building it, painting it, and ‘going with’ it; also the purchase of thick twine and candlewax—perhaps to give it glowing eyes and jaws. The Midsummer Show at Chester, a large and spectacular affair, is known to have included a two-man fiery dragon in 1564 and again in 1610 when it pursued Green Men, spat fire, and ‘died’ dramatically. Although the hero of the mumming play is often St (or King) George, it is extremely rare for a dragon to appear among his adversaries there.
Dragon-slaying is a theme in several English local legends, for example at Brent Pelham (Hertfordshire), Mordiford (Herefordshire), Lambton (County Durham), Lyminster (Sussex). Only twice does St George appear as the hero: once at Dragon Hill beside the White Horse of Uffington, and once at Brinsop (Herefordshire), where the church is dedicated to him and boasts a fine carving of his feat. More often, the hero is alleged to be the founder, or an early member, of some important landowning family nearby, who was rewarded with a title or great estates, for example Sir John Lambton, or Sir Piers Shonks at Brent Pelham. Often the heroes are sturdy working men, who do not usually kill their dragon in open combat, but by cunning tricks. Among the devices used are poisoned or indigestible food, hiding inside a spiked barrel, or using a spiked dummy as decoy (the dragon wounds himself by attacking it); rolling a large stone into the beast's open jaws; kicking it in the vent. Again, the hero's reward is practical, not romantic; treasure hoards and endangered maidens are absent in this genre. Local placenames, church carvings, and ornate medieval tombstones may be used as ‘proofs’ of the story, but the attitude towards it is often humorous. One Yorkshire tale is now known only through an anonymous farcical poem, ‘The Dragon of Wantley’, printed in 1699 (Simpson, 1980).
The most important of Chinese mythological beasts (see Chinese entries), dragons are positive expressions of yang, the male principle balanced by the female yin, represented by the phoenix (see Yinyang). The dragon and the phoenix were symbols of Chinese emperors and empresses from the Han Dynasty on. The dragon was especially associated with the sea and other forms of water. Dragon dances mark the beginning of the Chinese lunar year (see Dragon King).
The fabulous, winged, fire-breathing reptile plays an important role in the Welsh imagination but less so in Irish and other Celtic literatures; the presence of snakes in Wales and their absence in Ireland may account for this. The national symbol of Wales is Y Ddraig Goch [the red dragon], to be distinguished from gwiber [viper], the word for dragon in other contexts. As in other European traditions, the dragon usually represents elemental power, often that of the earth. Celtic dragons often live at the bottom of deep lakes or guard trees. With the introduction of Christianity, the dragon comes to represent paganism, as in the story of St George. The agnomen of the Welsh-based Arthurian figure Uthr Bendragon/Uther Pendragon [Welsh, dragon's head (?), foremost leader (?)] signals the beast's admirable qualities. Linguistic evidence implies that many dragons in Celtic tradition are borrowed from non-Celtic sources, e.g. Irish dragún; Manx dragane; Cornish dragon; Breton dragon. Scottish Gaelic employs both dràgon and beithir, which may derive from the Norse for bear.
Two dragons harass Britain every Calan Mai [May Eve] midnight in Cyfranc Lludd a Llefelys [The Meeting of Lludd and Llefelys]. Lludd entombs two dragons at Dinas Emrys. The Irish hero Fráech kills a dragon at the beginning of the action of Táin Bó Fraích [The Cattle Raid of Fráech]. A dragon swallows Dáire (3), the son of Fionn, but he escapes. A creature, perhaps a dragon, named oilliphéist [Irish, great beast/worm], fled from St Patrick, thus cutting the Shannon valley on his way. The Breton St Pol of Léon is sometimes pictured with a dragon. The dragon may be known as a ‘firedrake’ in some translations of Celtic stories.
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A monster of enormous size, common to almost all countries. Descriptions of its appearance vary, but it is of reptilian nature, often red or green in color, sometimes with several heads that spew fire and vapors, and a large tail, not unlike some dinosaurs.
It is of enormous strength, but the ancients believed that it could be charmed by music, and the dragon that guarded the Golden Fleece of Greek legend was soothed by the voice of Medea. In India at the time of Alexander the Great, a dragon was worshiped as a god, while in occult history it is the manifestation of hell.
The dragon, however, is best known in legendary history as the monster whose duty it is to provide the hero with opportunities of valor. There is a legend of St. George and the Dragon and also the dragon that was slain by Sir Lancelot, one of the knights of King Arthur's Round Table.
In the Hebrew Bible (the Christian Old Testament) the word tannin, commonly rendered "dragon" in older English translations, generally refers to a variety of animals such as crocodiles, jackals, and serpents, but occasionally to the dragon (Ezek. 29:3; 32:3). In Chapter 12 of the biblical book of Revelation, the dragon, a representation of the Evil One, is overcome by the archangel Michael.
The dragon became a symbol of great strength in the European Middle Ages. In the fifteenth century, the emperor of the Holy Roman Empire founded the Order of the Dragon to unite Christian rulers against the incursions of the Turkish Muslims into the Balkans. Among those invested with the order was Prince Vlad of Wallachia (Romania). He assumed the name Vlad Dracul, dracul being the Romanian word for dragon. His son took the diminutive form of the name as Prince Vlad Dracula.
During the time of Henry VII (1457-1509), a coin was given to those who were cured of possession with one side featuring an angel standing with both feet on a dragon.
The idea of the dragon is perhaps evolved from the concept of the earth as a living being, a notion that gained currency from earthquakes and related phenomena.
In this view of the world, the job of heroes is to enlighten the world by loving it, starting with themselves. Their task is not to slay the dragon, within or without, but to affirm the deepest level of truth about it: that is, that we are all one.
— Carol Pearson.
Tutor's tip: The movie had an exciting scene where a dragoon (a soldier) slayed a monstrous dragon (a mythological scaly monster with wings).
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It has been suggested that European dragon be merged into this article or section. (Discuss) |
The dragon is a mythical creature typically depicted as a gigantic and powerful serpent or other reptile with magical or spiritual qualities.
As with every mythological creature, dragons are perceived in different ways by different cultures. Dragons are sometimes said to breathe and spit fire or even acid. They are commonly portrayed as serpentine or reptilian, hatching from eggs and possessing extremely large, typically feathery or scaly bodies; they are sometimes portrayed as having large eyes, a feature that is the origin for the word for dragon in many cultures, and are often (but not always) portrayed with a row of dorsal spines, bat-like wings and fiery breath. Some dragons do not have wings at all, but look more like long snakes, such as Asian versions of the dragon, sometimes called the Lung. Dragons can have a variable number of legs: none, two, four, or more when it comes to early European literature. Modern depictions of dragons are very large in size, but some early European depictions of dragons were only the size of bears, or, in some cases, even smaller, around the size of a butterfly.
Although dragons (or dragon-like creatures) occur in many legends around the world, different cultures have varying stories about monsters that have been grouped together under the dragon label. Chinese dragons (simplified Chinese: 龙; traditional Chinese: 龍; pinyin: lóng), and Eastern dragons generally, are usually seen as benevolent, whereas European dragons are usually malevolent (there are of course exceptions to these rules). Malevolent dragons also occur in Persian mythology (see Azhi Dahaka) and other cultures.
Dragons are particularly popular in China, and along with the phoenix, the dragon was a symbol of the Chinese emperors. Dragon costumes manipulated by several people are a common sight at Chinese festivals.
Dragons are often held to have major spiritual significance in various religions and cultures around the world. In many Eastern and Native American cultures dragons were, and in some cultures still are, revered as representative of the primal forces of nature and the universe. Many pre-Columbian cultures were fascinated by the power of dragons. The Moche people depicted dragons frequently in their ceramics. [1] They are associated with wisdom—often said to be wiser than humans—and longevity. They are commonly said to possess some form of magic or other supernatural power, and are often associated with wells, rain, and rivers. In some cultures, they are also said to be capable of human speech.
The term dragoon, for infantry that move around by horse yet still fight as foot soldiers, is derived from their early firearm, the "dragon", a wide-bore musket that spat flame when it fired, and was thus named for the mythical creature.
In medieval symbolism, dragons were often symbolic of apostasy and treachery, but also of anger and envy, and eventually symbolized great calamity. Several heads were symbolic of decadence and oppression, and also of heresy. They also served as symbols for independence, leadership and strength. Many dragons also represent wisdom; slaying a dragon not only gave access to its treasure hoard, but meant the hero had bested the most cunning of all creatures. In some cultures, especially Chinese, or around the Himalayas, dragons are considered to represent good luck and fortune.
Joseph Campbell in the The Power of Myth viewed the dragon as a symbol of divinity or transcendence, arguing that it represents the unity of Heaven and Earth by combining the serpent form (earthbound) with the bat/bird form (airborne).
Yet another symbolic view of dragons is the Ouroborus, or the dragon encircling and eating its own tail. When shaped like this the dragon becomes a symbol of eternity, natural cycles, and completion.
The years 1916, 1928, 1940, 1952, 1964, 1976, 1988, 2000, 2012, 2024, 2036, 2048, 2060 etc. (every 12 years — 8 AD) are considered the Year of the Dragon in the Chinese zodiac.
The Chinese zodiac purports that people born in the Year of the Dragon are healthy,energetic, excitable, short-tempered, and stubborn. They are also supposedly honest, sensitive, brave, and inspire confidence and trust. The Chinese zodiac purports that people whose zodiac sign is the dragon are the most eccentric of any in the eastern zodiac. They supposedly neither borrow money nor make flowery speeches, but tend to be soft-hearted which sometimes gives others an advantage over them. They are purported to be compatible with people whose zodiac sign is of the rat, snake, monkey, and rooster.
Dragons are commonly symbols of good luck or health in some parts of Asia, and are also sometimes worshipped. Asian dragons are considered as mythical rulers of weather, specifically rain and water, and are usually depicted as the guardians of pearls.
In China, as well as in Japan and Korea, the Azure Dragon is one of the Four Symbols of the Chinese constellation, representing spring, the element of Wood and the east. Chinese dragons are often shown with large pearls in their grasp, though some say that it is really the dragon's egg. The Chinese believed that the dragons lived underwater most of the time, and would sometimes offer rice as a gift to the dragons. The dragons were not shown with wings like the European dragons because it was believed they could fly using magic.
The Chinese people believed the dragon was native to their land, with the dragons losing their toes with their rootedness as they moved farther away from China. By the time the dragons reached Japan, they were reduced to three digits on each foot. The Japanese, on the other hand, believed the dragon also came from their country, but thought the dragons gained claws as they explored farther away and grew braver.
A Yellow dragon (Huang long) with five claws on each foot, on the other hand, represents the change of seasons, the element of Earth (the Chinese 'fifth element') and the center. Furthermore, it symbolizes imperial authority in China, and indirectly the Chinese people as well. Chinese people often use the term "Descendants of the Dragon" as a sign of ethnic identity. The dragon is also the symbol of royalty in Bhutan (whose sovereign is known as Druk Gyalpo, or Dragon King).
In Vietnam, the dragon (Vietnamese: rồng) is the most important and sacred symbol. The dragon is strongly influenced by the Chinese dragon. According to the ancient creation myth of the Kinh people, all Vietnamese people are descended from dragons through Lạc Long Quân, who married Âu Cơ, a fairy. The eldest of their 100 sons founded the first dynasty of Hùng Vương Emperors.
In the Philippines, the Bakonawa appears as a gigantic serpent that lives in the sea. Ancient natives believed that the Bakonawa caused the moon or the sun to disappear during an eclipse.
The Nāga - a minor deity taking the form of a serpent - is common within both the Hindu and Buddhist traditions. Technically, the naga is not a dragon, though it is often taken as such (especially in east Asian forms of buddhism); the term is ambiguous, and refers both to a tribe of people known as 'Nāgas', as well as to elephants and ordinary snakes. Within a mythological context, it refers to a deity assuming the form of a serpent with either one or many heads.
Occasionally the Buddha is depicted as sitting upon the coils of a serpent, with a fan of several serpent heads extending over his body, or sitting on a lotus flower, which was also a reminder of the dragon. This is in reference to Mucalinda, a Nāga that protected Śākyamuni Buddha from the elements during the time of his enlightenment. Separated from the contextualising effect of the Buddha story, people may see only the head and thus infer that Mucalinda is a dragon, rather than a deity in serpentine form. Stairway railings on Buddhist temples will occasionally be worked to resemble the body of a Nāga with the head at the base of the railing. In Thailand, the head of Nāga, in a more impressionistic form, can be seen at the corners of temple roofs, with Nāga’s body forming the ornamentation on roofline eves up to the gables.
The Latin word for a dragon, draco (genitive: draconis), actually means snake or serpent, emphasizing the European association of dragons with snakes, not lizards or dinosaurs as they are commonly associated with today. The Medieval Biblical interpretation of the Devil being associated with the serpent who tempted Adam and Eve, thus gave a snake-like dragon connotations of evil. Generally speaking, Biblical literature itself did not portray this association (save for the Book of Revelation, whose treatment of dragons is detailed below). The demonic opponents of God, Christ, or Believers have commonly been portrayed as reptilian or chimeric.
In the Book of Job Chapters 40-41, there are references to a sea monster Leviathan, which has some dragon-like characteristics, as well as a giant lumbering vegetarian animal called Behemoth.
In Revelation 12:3, an enormous red beast with seven heads is described, whose tail sweeps one third of the stars from heaven down to earth (held to be symbolic of the fall of the angels, though not commonly held among biblical scholars). In most translations, the word "dragon" is used to describe the beast, since in the original Greek the word used is drakon (δράκον).
Christian creation scientists claim that dragons mentioned in the Bible[2] are, in fact, dinosaurs (the term itself was not invented until 1841), which they say lived at the same time as humans. In fact, the description of the Behemoth is very similar to either a Diplodocus or a Brachiosaurus, while the Leviathan appears to have been some sort of large fire-breathing animal; just as the small bombardier beetle has an explosion-producing mechanism, creation scientists speculate that the great sea-dragon may have had an explosion-producing mechanism to enable it to be a real fire breathing dragon.[3]
In iconography, some Catholic saints are depicted in the act of killing a dragon. This is one of the common aspects of Saint George in Egyptian Coptic iconography,[4] on the coat of arms of Moscow, and in English and Catalan legend. Between 1346 and 1578, annual Catholic processions at Amsterdam regularly included a man on horseback representing Saint George and dragging behind him a carefully-prepared, large "slain dragon" - a tradition cut off with the advent of Calvinism in the Dutch capital. [5]
In Italy, Saint Mercurialis, first bishop of the city of Forlì, is also depicted slaying a dragon.[6] Saint Julian of Le Mans, Saint Veran, Saint Bienheuré, Saint Crescentinus, and Saint Leonard of Noblac were also venerated as dragon-slayers. In Medieval and Renaissance artworks, Saint Matthew, Saint Martha, Saint Sylvester, Saint Margaret, and Saint Philip the Apostle are all depicted as overcoming dragons.[7]
Most experts on mythology and folklore argue that legends of dragons are based upon ordinary snakes and similar creatures coupled with common psychological fears amongst disparate groups of humans. It is notable that dragon depictions do not appear in the earliest cave pictographs or sculptures of wildlife encountered by early humans during the hunter-gatherer era, and depictions only originate after the agricultural revolution, when humans began to excavate the earth for wells, graves, irrigation ditches, building foundations, etc. For this reason, many speculate that it was the discovery of dinosaur fossils which first gave rise to the concept of dragons. Dinosaur fossils would have been common to all the geographic areas where early civilizations began, and where the dinosaur myths originally show up in ancient folklore.[citation needed]
Some believe that the dragon may have had a real-life counterpart from which the various legends arose — typically dinosaurs or other archosaurs are mentioned as a possibility — but there is no physical evidence to support this claim, only alleged sightings collected by cryptozoologists. Some cryptozoologists, such as Loren Coleman point to the grounded scientific evidence that monitor lizards were the basis of some dragon tales. Indeed, the breath of the dragon is the fantastic imagery of the steam from the warm montane valley monitors emerging from a body of water into the cold air of some Asian locations. The tale of the Buru from pre-World War II Burma is of a cryptid that would be seen as a dragon today. Coleman also notes we only have to look as far as the Komodo Dragon to see a representative animal that was held in awe.
Others basing their thoughts in psychological theories feel dragons are mental manifestations representing an assembly of inherent human fears of reptiles, teeth, claws, size and fire in combination.[citation needed]
Dinosaur and mammalian fossils were occasionally mistaken as the bones of dragons and other mythological creatures — for example, a discovery in 300 BC in Wucheng, Sichuan, China, was labeled as such by Chang Qu.[8] It is unlikely, however, that these finds alone prompted the legends of such monsters, but they may have served to reinforce them.[citation needed]
 Zmey Gorynych, the dragon of the Slavic mythology. It's name is translated as "Snake son-of-mountain", it has three heads, wings, and it spits fire. |
 Dragon carving on Hopperstad stave church, Norway |
 The ancient Mesopotamian god Marduk and his dragon, from a Babylonian cylinder seal |
 Saint George slaying the dragon, as depicted by Paolo Uccello, c. 1470 |
 The red dragon of Wales, Y Ddraig Goch, on the Flag of Wales |
| Asian dragons | |||
| Indonesian dragon | Naga or Nogo | Naga is a mythical animal from Indonesian mythology, and the myth encompasses almost all of the islands of Indonesia, especially those who were influenced heavily by Hindu culture(including Malaya. in fact, the word 'Naga' is a common noun for dragon in Malay). Like its Indian counterpart, it is considered as divine in nature, benevolent, and often associated with sacred mountains, forests, or certain parts of the sea. | |
| Chinese dragon | Lóng (or Loong. "Lung" being an inaccurate, but commonly used, romanization.) | The Chinese dragon, is a mythical Chinese creature that also appears in other East Asian cultures, and is also sometimes called the Oriental (or Eastern) dragon. Depicted as a long, snake-like creature with four claws, it has long been a potent symbol of auspicious power in Chinese folklore and art. | |
| Japanese dragon | Ryū | Similar to Chinese dragons, with three claws instead of four. They are benevolent (with exceptions), associated with water, and may grant wishes. | |
| Philippine Dragon | Bakonawa | The Bakonawa appears as a gigantic serpent that lives in the sea.
Ancient natives believed that the Bakonawa caused the moon or the sun to disappear during an eclipse. It is said that during certain times of the year, the bakonawa arises from the ocean and proceeds to swallow the moon whole. To keep the Bakonawa from completely eating the moon, the natives would go out of their houses with pans and pots in hand and make a noise barrage in order to scare the Bakonawa into spitting out the moon back into the sky. |
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| Korean dragon | Yong | A sky dragon, essentially the same as the Chinese lóng. Like the lóng, yong and the other Korean dragons are associated with water and weather. | |
| yo | A hornless ocean dragon, sometimes equated with a sea serpent. | ||
| kyo | A mountain dragon. | ||
| Vietnamese dragon | Rồng or Long | These dragons' bodies curve lithely, in sine shape, with 12 sections, symbolising 12 months in the year. They are able to change the weather, and are responsible for crops. On the dragon's back are little, uninterrupted, regular fins. The head has a long mane, beard, prominent eyes, crest on nose, but no horns. The jaw is large and opened, with a long, thin tongue; they always keep a châu (gem/jewel) in their mouths (a symbol of humanity, nobility and knowledge). | |
| Siberian dragon | Yilbegan | Related to European Turkic and Slavic dragons | |
| European dragons | |||
| Sardinian dragon | scultone | The dragon named "scultone" or "ascultone" was a legend in Sardinia, Italy for many a millennium. It had the power to kill human beings with its gaze. It was a sort of basilisk, lived in the bush and was immortal. | |
| Scandinavian & Germanic dragons | Lindworm | Lindworms are serpent-like dragons with either two or no legs. In Nordic and Germanic heraldry, the lindworm looks the same
as a wyvern. The dragon |
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| Hungarian dragons (Sárkányok) | zomok | A great snake living in a swamp, which regularly kills pigs or sheep. A group of shepherds can easily kill them. | |
| sárkánykígyó | A giant winged snake, which is in fact a full-grown zomok. It often serves as flying mount of the garabonciás (a kind of magician). The sárkánykígyó rules over storms and bad weather. | ||
| sárkány | A dragon in human form. Most of them are giants with multiple heads. Their strength is held in their heads. They become gradually weaker as they lose their heads. | ||
| Slavic dragons | zmey, zmiy, żmij, змей, or zmaj, or drak, or smok | Similar to the conventional European dragon, but multi-headed. They breathe fire and/or leave fiery wakes as they fly. In Slavic and related tradition, dragons symbolize evil. Specific dragons are often given Turkic names (see Zilant, below), symbolizing the long-standing conflict between the Slavs and Turks. However, in Serbian and Bulgarian folklore, dragons are defenders of the crops in their home regions, fighting against a destructive demon Ala, whom they shoot with lightnings.[1][2] | |
| Romanian dragons | Balaur | Balaur are very similar to the Slavic zmey: very large, with fins and multiple heads. | |
| Chuvash dragons | Vere Celen | Chuvash dragons represent the pre-Islamic mythology of the same region. | |
| Asturian dragons | Cuélebre | In Asturian mythology the Cuélebres are giant winged serpents, which live in caves where they guard treasures and kidnapped xanas. They can live for centuries and, when they grow really old, they use their wings to fly. Their breath is poisonous and they often kill cattle to eat. Asturian term Cuelebre comes from Latin colŭbra, i.e. snake. | |
| Portuguese dragons | Coca | In Portuguese mythology coca is a female dragon that fights with Saint George. She loses her strength when Saint George cuts off one of her ears. | |
| Tatar dragons | Zilant | Really closer to a wyvern, the Zilant is the symbol of Kazan. Zilant itself is a Russian rendering of Tatar yılan, i.e. snake. | |
| Turkish dragons | Ejderha or Evren | The Turkish dragon secretes flames from its tail, and there is no mention in any legends of its having wings, or even legs. In fact, most Turkish (and later, Islamic) sources describe dragons as gigantic snakes. | |
| American dragons | |||
| Meso-American dragon | Feathered Serpent | Feathered serpent deity responsible for giving knowledge to mankind, and sometimes also a symbol of death and resurrection. | |
| Inca dragon | Amaru | A dragon (sometimes called a snake) on the |
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| Brazilian dragon | Boi-tata | A dragon-like animal (sometimes like a snake) of the Brazilian Indian cultures. | |
| Chilean dragon | Caicaivilu and Tentenvilu | Snake-type dragons, Caicaivilu was the sea god and Tentenvilu was the earth god, both from the Chilean island Chiloé. | |
The Old English epic Beowulf ends with the hero battling a dragon.
Dragons remain fixtures in fantasy books, though portrayals of their nature differ. For example, Smaug, from The Hobbit by J. R. R. Tolkien, who is a classic, European-type dragon; deeply magical, he hoards treasure and burns innocent towns. Contrary to most old folklore and literature J. R. R. Tolkien's dragons are very intelligent and can cast spells over mortals.
A common theme in modern western fantasy and science fiction literature concerning dragons is a partnership between humans and dragons, as featured in Anne McCaffrey's Dragonriders of Pern science fiction series and in Christopher Paolini's Eragon and Eldest.
Dragons are common (especially as non-player characters) in fantasy role-playing games and in some computer fantasy role-playing games. See
On the lighter side, Puff the Magic Dragon was first a poem, later a song made famous by Peter, Paul and Mary, that has become a pop-culture mainstay. Walt Disney Productions' Pete's Dragon (1977), featuring an animated title character named Elliott, is also a very light take on the myth.
The Dragon is the mascot of Drexel University. Named "Mario the Magnificent," there are depictions of the Drexel Dragon across the Philadelphia campus, including a large statue, banners, and a physical mascot appearing at various Drexel events.
The dragon is the emblem of Ljubljana, Slovenia. The city has a dragon bridge which is embellished with four dragon depictions. The city's basketball club is nicknamed the "Green Dragons". License plates on cars from the city also feature a dragon depiction.
Y Ddraig Goch (IPA: [ə ðraig gox]) (Welsh for the red dragon) appears on the national Flag of Wales (the flag itself is also called the "Draig Goch"), and is the most famous dragon in Britain. There are many legends about y Ddraig Goch.
The dragon is also in the emblem of FC Porto, a
The Chunichi Dragons are a Japanese pro-baseball team that play out of Nagoya, in Aichi Prefecture, Japan.
This entry is from Wikipedia, the leading user-contributed encyclopedia. It may not have been reviewed by professional editors (see full disclaimer)
Dansk (Danish)
n. - drage, furie, art firben
Nederlands (Dutch)
draak, draakjacht
Français (French)
n. - dragon, (Mil) tracteur blindé
Deutsch (German)
n. - Drache, Lindwurm
Ελληνική (Greek)
n. - (μυθολ.) δράκος, (μτφ.) κέρβερος (ηθικής κ.λπ.)
Português (Portuguese)
n. - dragão (m), trator (m) blindado
中文（简体） (Chinese (Simplified))
龙, 凶暴的人
中文（繁體） (Chinese (Traditional))
n. - 龍, 兇暴的人
한국어 (Korean)
n. - 용, 거센 사람, 엄격한 감시인, 날도마뱀
العربيه (Arabic)
(الاسم) التنين, شخص عنيف
עברית (Hebrew)
n. - דרקון, מרשעת
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 | Dictionary. The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2007. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved. Read more |
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| Britannica Concise Encyclopedia. Britannica Concise Encyclopedia. © 2006 Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc. All rights reserved. Read more |
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| English Folklore. A Dictionary of English Folklore. Copyright © 2000, 2003 by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. Read more |
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| Asian Mythology. A Dictionary of Asian Mythology. Copyright © 2001, 2002 by David Leeming. All rights reserved. Read more< |
