Dragons have mystified people all over the world forever. They have been used to explain strange happenings; they have been worshipped, hated, and feared. However, the often stereo-typed dragon, mostly thought of as a giant winged reptile with 4 legs, can vary so far from the common conception that it turns into a very different creature. This was written to describe those variations and uncover the truth about dragons.

It is a collection of my research that I have gathered over a period of time.

Now anyone can accuse me of making up all this information about dragons but if you go to any of the source about dragons, you will find information roughly the same. This is because the people who originally documented the information studied the records of dragons written in roughly modern times. They have also studied the cultures where dragons are part of the religion or are believed in by the majority of the population.

Stereotypes

In many cultures that do not know each other know the dragon. They are integrated into the culture and in many cases, the religion. Dragons can vary from the common 4-legged, 2-winged European dragon, dracco occidentalis magnus, to the Indian naga, a mixture of a serpent and a human. This just goes to show that dragons not only vary in appearance, but also culture and background. It is also a common misconception that dragons only breathe fire, but have also been known to spit poison, breathe gas, “cold” (often an extremely icy gust capable of freezing objects it comes in contact with), lightning, or nothing at all. Also, the dragon is known to have a scaly coat of armor, but some, such as the amphithere, have feathers, and others, such as the Pernese dragon, have smooth leathery skin. Another stereotype is that dragons have spade tails. The amphisbaena has a second head at the end of its tail. The aforementioned amphithere has large and beautiful tail feathers. As for the number of wings and legs, as well as the type of wings, the stereotype is that dragons have two wings and four legs. However, as ever present in the African wyvern, all different combinations of legs and heads are not rare. So it is plainly clear that dragons are not all the same.

Physiology

A dragon is a creature that can adapt to many different habitats, thanks to its homoeothermic temperature system. In other words, a dragon is in complete control of its body’s temperature.

The dragon’s skeleton consists of hollow bones, so that it can carry its enormous bulk around on the ground and especially in the air. Extremely powerful muscles for flight support the bones in the wings.

The muscular system is probably the most fascinating and complicated of all living organisms. The dragon can put an average 2 tons per cubic centimeter! In fact a dragon can support an enormous amount of weight on the ground. In the air, however, a dragon may not be able to carry over half of its weight for a long period of time. One downfall to the muscles, is that a dragons paws were not made for running, therefore it can only reach walking speeds on the ground, but this is only a minor problem because who needs to run when you can fly!

As is the common knowledge, dragons are reptiles. Therefore, most, not all dragons have a coat of scales usually found on reptiles. This armor of overlapping plates does not extend to the underside and neck of a dragon, as is the case with J.R.R. Tolkein’s famous dragon, Smaug, who was pierced by an arrow because his makeshift protection of jewels on the uncovered areas of his body had a flaw. Smaug is not the only dragon to wear jewels on his belly. This is the habit of most dragons for adornment and protection. Shaped like a teardrop, the scales allow perfect movement thanks to a cavity that helps them fit into one another, and can stand up on end whenever the dragon wishes to preen them. The part of the scale attached to the skin is a hairy formation that secretes an extremely sticky substance that helps the scale adhere to the skin. The mineral content in the substance determines the hardness and color (which ranges from blues to reds to greens) of the scales.

There is a sophisticated science behind certain dragons’ ability to fly. For those that have wings, such as the common European dragon, it is an extremely interesting part of the dragons’ being and range of abilities. Most dragons’ wings are almost identical to that of a bat. The wing’s structure is much like that of the human arm. However, unlike the bat, the wings attach on the dragons back near its thighs. This fact is very important to the dragons’ flight because it helps the dragon maintain a horizontal position in the air, an integral part in achieving high maneuverability. The dragons take advantage of this wing placement by using their head and tail as a rudder in the air.

Dragons have unique and very interesting eyes. There are some species with the stereotypical vertical slit for the pupil, some with round eyes, and also some with no pupil at all. The traditional dragon’s eye is almost identical in structure to that of a human eye. The pernese dragon has eyes with no pupil at all but instead a crystal-like appearance.

It is common knowledge that dragons have a “breath weapon”. Whether it is fire, frost, or acid, the act of using breath is not a magical thing but a scientific one. The science of fire breathing is simple. When we digest food, our bodies make methane gas. In a dragon, this gas is stored in a type of “lung”. When the dragon wants to breathe fire, the lung shrinks with the help of very powerful muscles and is mixed with a very small amount of phosphor, which has the ability to ignite methane on contact with air. Like fire breathing, frost breathing also is caused in the process of breaking down food. Extremely strong muscles compress nitrogen, taken from the remains of the digested food. When a dragon wishes to release a freezing gust of air, the nitrogen is breathed out and it decompresses at an extreme rate of speed. This result in the gas causes it to absorb all the surrounding heat. The easiest to explain, the acid spitter, is also non-magical. The dragon simply has a special organ that allows it to spit out the acid used in breaking down food at foes and prey.

The Creation: Dragon and the Devil

Dragons are widely thought of as symbols of the devil. In fact, this is how they were created. When the Christians were being persecuted in the Roman Empire, they were thrown to animals. Basically, the Christians combined the attributes of all the animals they were thrown to, creating one large fear instead of many little ones. Thus, creating the image of the modern western dragon we think of today. However, the birth of the many other species of dragons is told in the culture they come from, from the Chinese Long to the Norse sea serpent. Ancient Mexico even had a dragon god Quetzlcoatl, today thought to be an amphithere, a feathered dragon.

Magical Properties of Dragon Parts

Dung: Yes. Dung. But it can be put to good use. Take it camping it scares off wild beasts (not surprisingly). Rubbing it all over the face cures many skin conditions. It is also an excellent all purpose fertilizer.

Teeth: Dragon teeth can be shaped into the sharpest arrowheads and swords.

Scales: Scales can be made into armor strong enough to withstand bullets. It can also be made into invisible ink by dissolving it in sulphuric acid and then again in pure water. The ink can only be seen under a full moon.

Blood: Taken in small quantities, dragon blood can contribute to better health. However, if taken periodically or in large doses, it can affect the brain, particularly the parts on languages.

Hide: The hide of a dragon can be made into shields, costumes, and even gliders.

Bones: Dragon bones are extremely strong, lightweight, and are flame resistant.

Dragon Spells

Dragon spells are spells that require dragon parts, involve the manipulation of dragons, or use the same source of magic dragons use.

“The Hong Wei Invisibility Spell: Make a powder from four freshwater pearls, dragon horn, and jade. Blend in grease from a freshly killed seven-day-old koi and rub it over the clothes and body, repeating over and over as a tune:

She zheng wang dong li pa!

This spell is found toward the end of the Dragon Sutra of Hong Wei.

Abramelins’s Taming Spell: Cast three troy ounces of dragon dust, from a silver dish that has been thrice washed in water that has reflected a new moon, over the dragon, crying:

Ivashi yuduin! Enimor taym inspelz! Boyar ugoner gedit!

The Capturing of Maidens and the Role of Religion in the Slaying of Dragons

The interesting thing about the capturing of maidens was that they are always of childbearing age, however they are virgins. This was representative of the Virgin Mary. Dragons (according to Western mythology as influenced by the Church) were representative of the devil. The image of the knight slaying the dragon was pictured as the triumph of the Holy Christian knight over the satanic image. The church showed people that the dragon was an immensely evil being that should be hated and feared. On the other side of the world, however, the Chinese and Japanese dragons were revered. They were thought of as the great bringers of knowledge and wealth.

They were worshipped as the great rainmakers, the omens of a good harvest and a good life. Dragons were the creators of life and the universe. They also had a different appearance. Instead of the two-winged, two-legged, spade-tailed, fire-breathing monstrosity we know as the Western Dragon, Draco Ocidentalis Magnus, we see a wingless four-legged, more snake-like Eastern Dragon, Draco Orrientalis. Although it has no wings as mentioned before, it has an array of magical abilities, which includes magical flight. In fact, there is a story about the creation of the four great rivers of China- the Heilong Jian, the Huang He, the Yangtze, and the Zhu Jiang.

Conclusion

Dragons will forever be a staple in cultures all over the world. They continue to be the premise for countless movies, books, and video games. In a century or so the dragon will most likely still thrive in our imaginations. Maybe even contact with a dragon will be made someday. But for now, the dragon is a piece of a myth that has driven the world. However, one question remains unanswered: How is it that cultures worldwide, with no contact with each other whatsoever, could have created the same creature? Perhaps dragons aren’t so fake after all…