Dragon

A pair of Kanglasha dragons installed inside the Kangla Palace in Manipur, India
Paolo Uccello's "the dragon"

A dragon is a legendary creature, belonging to mythology and fantasy. There are stories about dragons in Chinese culture, European culture, South American culture, and many others.

There are many kinds of dragons in the different cultures. In general:

  • A dragon has none to four legs, claws, scales and possibly spikes. Optional wings.
  • A dragon is usually powerful.
  • A dragon can look like a snake with wings, or like reptiles.
  • A dragon has a tail and a neck.
  • A dragon has a mouth with teeth.
  • Some dragons can be heard about in stories, (e.g) George and the Dragon.
  • Some dragons prefer to nest.
  • Sometimes they have horns.
  • This is rare but some dragons have scarlet tails.
  • A dragon usually flies.
  • The Chinese dragon is associated with the emperor of China so it can use the symbol of the imperial power.
  • Some dragons live in Western European and Eastern Asia.
  • A dragon usually breathes fire.
  • A dragon usually has special powers.
  • Some dragons prefer to be in caves.

Dragons feature in many stories such as; The Hobbit, Beowulf, How To Train Your Dragon and Harry Potter. In The Hobbit and Beowulf, dragons are dangerous and attack humans. Other stories, such as those by Anne McCaffrey, have dragons who are looking for help, or giving help. A dragon also appears in the Book of Revelation chapters 12-13, where he is seen as the Devil.

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