Do you recall story time when you were a youngin and the tales of ferocious fire-breathers attacking neighborhoods and eating man, woman, and children alike, only to be slayed by a handsome, courageous knight in shining armor? And, of course, the pretty young lady who had just been sitting around all her life waiting for this hero to come and save her.
My childhood was jam-packed of damsels in distress and violent dragons. It was more than once that I asked my dad to look under the bed or in my closet to be sure there were no beasts in there.
When I was a slight bit older, I learned about Hercules in Greek and Roman Mythology. Hercules, the son of Zeus and a mere mortal, slew the Hydra, the nine-headed serpentine dragon.
A few years later, I studied Beowulf, albeit not by choice. In case you were lucky enough not to have to read it, it's about a courageous hero who again, fights and is victorious against a terrible and dangerous dragon.
The representation of mythological dragons as evil beings was on the silver screen too in motion pictures like Reign of Fire and Dungeons and Dragons. And you can’t overlook Godzilla, although many will declare that he was some kind of dinosaur/iguana, but at least one of his foes was a dragon.
These mystical creatures were always going after our women, our children, and our neighborhoods.
However, in the midst of all these horror tales, I also heard a couple of not so creepy ones: Pete's Dragon and Puff the Magic Dragon. A friendly, peaceful one. I saw more of this variety of dragon in The Never Ending story and Dragonheart (both I and II). These creatures were nothing like the types I had studied about. How could this be?
Simple put, the benevolent dragons came from the East. In Eastern culture, in particular Chinese, the dragon is a divine creature. In the East (as well as a number of other philosophies such as Feng Shui, Celtic, Draconia Wicca, Gnostic, and Alchemy), the dragon represents a supreme being offering hope, courage, and success. It is also a symbol of transformation, personal and spiritual quest, and wisdom.
Where in the stories I had heard before dragons are guardians of treasures and prisoners, in this new philosophy they are protectors of not only people and valuables, but of spiritual perfection, itself. And in every tradition, the dragon is always represents power.When I look around the room I’m sitting in, I see a resin fantasy dragon figurine of two creatures viciously fighting. Upon seeing this collectible, I don’t think of evil, instead I think strength and power. On the other side of the room (on the east side per Feng Shui guidelines) is a Chinese dragon carved out of a dark wood—it makes me feel peaceful.
Dragons are often showed as fierce, fire-breathing creatures that are bringers of destruction and will take down anything in their way. This is the type of dragon we come across most often in teachings, books, and in the motion pictures. However, when we think about it, we can also come up with examples of dragons as guard or harbinger of prosperity. How do you feel about dragons?
Author Resource:
Jeff Bronson is the owner of Obscuria.com, a darkly unique Gothic shop. Obscuria offers a quality selection of dragon figurines and dragon collectibles , and many custom made, exclusive in the U.S items.
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