STORIES OF DRAGONS FROM AROUND THE WORLD

CHINESE ASTROLOGY: THE DRAGON

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PRINCE CADMUS

SOME FOLKS SAY that the Phoenician Prince Cadmus introduced the alphabet to the Ancient Greeks. Most traditional Greek mythology and folklore say that Prince Cadmus founded the ancient Greek city-state of Thebes. But neither of these accomplishments (whether true or fabled) were part of his original goal, or so the story goes ...

King Agenor, Cadmus's father, sent his sons to find and rescue his missing daughter, their sister, the beautiful Europa. But Europa had been abducted and carried away by Zeus (a notorious womanizer). Prince Cadmus and his men searched unsuccessfully. Finally, Cadmus consulted the famous Oracle of Delphi for a clue to his sister's whereabouts. The Oracle of Delphi told Cadmus to abandon his search for his sister, for he would never see her again. Instead, the Oracle gave Cadmus a different quest along with some very curious instructions. Just outside the temple, the Oracle of Delphi said, Cadmus would find a white cow. He and his men should follow the cow until she lay down. There, on that spot, Cadmus was to build a great city.

If Cadmus thought these instructions were bizarre, his finding a cow outside the temple would have seemed only too uncanny. In those days, the Oracle's prophecies were considered to be divinely inspired so Cadmus would have taken these weird directions quite seriously, a message from the gods. And so it was that Prince Cadmus and his men followed the cow wherever she would wander over many hills until, at last, the cow lay down to rest in a circle of shady trees.

Prince Cadmus and his men heard the distinct sounds of a babbling spring nearby, and Cadmus sent his men to fetch some water while he made ready to sacrifice the cow to the glory of Athena. His men never returned and presently Cadmus went to see what had delayed them. He found their bloody and mangled bodies beside the spring, victims of the spring's guardian dragon. As Prince Cadmus bent over to inspect the bodies of his fallen comrades, the golden-crested dragon confronted him, its eyes flashing fire, its three rows of razor sharp teeth still dripping with blood.

Cadmus drew his sword, fearful that the dragon would kill and eat him, too. But the guardian dragon was sleepy and sluggish, filled with his recent meal, and Cadmus plunged his sword deep into the creature's jaws. Black blood spewed forth and the dragon bellowed in rage and pain, then died.

Cadmus and Dragon in The Louvre

Although victorious against the dragon, Cadmus was now without men to help him build his new city. The goddess Athena appeared to him and instructed him to remove the dragon's teeth and plant them in the earth. This Cadmus did and men emerged from the ground, sprouting from each spot where Cadmus had sowed the dragon's teeth. Here was a miraculous crop of fully grown warriors in battle attire.

The warriors fell upon each other, fighting viciously, and most were killed. Five of the men survived the conflict and pledged their loyalty and allegiance to Prince Cadmus. These men were called Spartes which means "Sown Men" and they helped to build a great city, called "Cadmeia" in honor of Prince Cadmus, but later came to be known as Thebes.

But the dragon had been sacred to Ares, the God of War, something Athena had failed to mention while instructing Prince Cadmus to take the dragon's teeth. Ares was displeased when he found that Cadmus had slain his dragon that he has set to guard the spring. So Cadmus had to appease an angry god, which would surely be no small feat. But that is the subject of a different story.

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BEOWULF FIGHTS A DRAGON

SOME FOLKS SAY that the meeting between Bilbo Baggins the Hobbit and Smaug the Dragon in J.R.R.Tolkien's book "The Hobbit" (1937) was drawn from the eighth century A.D. epic poem of "Beowulf." Although "Beowulf" was the first epic poem written in English, the story was set in lands that are now part of modern-day Sweden.

King Beowulf had defeated many monsters but his final confrontation was with a great fire-breathing dragon that was pillaging the countryside. This dragon had slept beneath the ground in a remote cave for hundreds of years without disturbing the farmers and country folks of the region. All that changed one day because of a faithless servant.

The servant had stolen some money from his master and was running away to avoid justice. In his flight, the thief sought refuge in a cave. As his eyes adjusted to the darkness inside the cave, the servant thought he saw a dim glow of fire from the back of the cave. Investigating, the servant discovered a monstrous dragon sleeping soundly on a most unusual bed of gold and jewels. The flickering light of the fire from the beast's nostrils revealed a great treasure of golden coins, of magnificent swords and helmets, of rings set with grand jewels, of goblets and ornate bowls. Thinking to regain his master's favor, the servant picked up a single golden goblet from the dragon's hoard and ran back to his master's castle.

That evening when the dragon awoke, the creature noticed the theft immediately. In a great rage, the beast flew out of the cave, breathing fire on the villages and farms. The dragon wreaked his vengeance night after night, burning and killing in blind hatred and anger.

Although King Beowulf was now an old man, he knew what needed to be done. He had fought monsters before. He ordered his armorer to make his a special metal shield to help protect against the dragon's fiery breath. Beowulf gathered his bravest men together and set out to confront the dreaded beast, forcing the faithless servant to lead them to the remote lair. Beowulf ordered the men to stand back as he entered the dragon's lair alone. He called to the fire-dragon to come and meet him in battle mortal.

And the dragon did come forth to confront Beowulf. The king struck at the wicked lizard with his sword but he could not pierce the tough, scaly skin. The dragon exhaled a blast of fire at Beowulf, engulfing the king in a blaze. The shield held, but Beowulf's face was blackened by the flames. Again and again the king swung his battle sword at the dragon, but still the blade hacked harmlessly at the beast's neck and chest. Watching this vicious battle, the king's men shrank back and were afraid.

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DRAGON TROUBLE AT KRAKOW CASTLE

SOME FOLKS SAY that King Krak did not know he was building his castle atop a dragon's cave. Other versions of this story say that the good king knew but was so enchanted with the lovely green hills and the beautiful Vistula River flowing by that he vowed to build his castle in this beautiful place anyway. Perhaps the king thought that the green speckled egg was just a strange looking rock. Or perhaps he thought it would never hatch.

Whatever he knew or when he knew it, King Krak built his castle on the beautiful Wawel Hill near the Vistula River in southern Poland. Soon, a bustling marketplace sprang up beside the castle wall and around the prospering marketplace grew a thriving town of bright houses. Beyond were farmers growing crops and tending livestock on the rolling hills. Life in the region around Krakow Castle was good and, looking out from his castle, the king was very pleased.

But the egg did hatch! One morning there was a loud C-R-R-A-C-K-K! and out crawled a baby dragon. Life in the region took a turn for the worse. The dragon's fiery breath burned the crops of the fields. The livestock became the dragon's food, as did small children or young maidens foolish enough to wander out alone. The merchants of the marketplace were afraid and closed their shops. The king was distraught and sent his valiant knights out to rid the countryside of this pest. But none prevailed against this dragon.

In despair, King Krak cried out for someone to purge his kingdom of this devastating creature. Finally, a young man named Skuba Dratewka, a shoemaker from a little hut on the edge of the town came to the castle to speak with the king. Under his arm, Skuba carried a sheepskin which he had stitched together to look like a sheep. Inside, under the fleece, he had tightly packed the sheep's body full with sulfur. The king quickly realized the plan and ordered the shoemaker's sheep to be placed in the fields alongside some live sheep near the dragon's cave.

When the dragon came out to rampage and pillage, the evil creature quickly saw the grazing sheep and headed straight for them. Gulp, gulp, gulp and the sheep were swallowed up.

Presently, the dragon began to bellow and writhe. With a swish of his huge tail, the beast raced to the river to drink some of the water to extinguish his growing thirst and soothe the mounting pain in his belly. Skuba Dratewka and King Krak, watching from the castle, looked at each other and nodded. From the riverbank, they could hear the dragon's screams and see the glow of the gushing blazes from its fiery throat. Then a huge explosion could be heard all over the village and there was silence.

The villagers stuck their heads out of their houses to see what had caused the explosion. The news spread quickly, "The dragon is dead!"

As the joyous celebration poured out onto the street, King Krak turned to the shoemaker standing by his side and put his hand on the man's shoulder. "What can I give you to thank you for this great deed you have done for all of us?" the king asked him.

Skuba thought for a moment, and then asked the king for the dragon's hide. Surprised, the king immediately granted his request. He also ordered that the shoemaker's house and shop should be moved to a much better location in the marketplace, right beside the castle gate. Skuba, the shoemaker, took the dragon's hide and made shoes and boots from every scrap. The strong hide that had turned back the lances of the king's brave knights now made sturdy boots and shoes for the working people of the kingdom. These boots brought great fame and wealth to Skuba Dratewka, the shoemaker and dragon-slayer.

In some tellings of this legend, the shoemaker was named Krak, he married the princess as a reward for slaying the dragon and then ascended to the throne after the death of the existing king. However you prefer this legend, it is still a wildly popular tale in Poland. If you ever have the opportunity to visit Krakow, the old capital of Poland, stop by and see the dragon's cave and statue that still stand today to commemorate this ancient folktale.

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THE MONK AND THE MONKEY

SOME FOLKS SAY that Marco Polo is the most famous traveler to traverse the Silk Road, the ancient trade route between China and Turkey. But most folks in the region remember Hsuan-zang, the Buddhist monk who made a famous pilgrimage from China to India along parts of the Silk Road in the seventh century AD.

The wind blew hard as Hsuan-zang labored up the steep mountain path. But the monk had no thoughts of turning back for he was on a sacred pilgrimage. Traveling with Hsuan-zang was his faithful white horse and one very mischievous monkey. Monkey Hanuman was quick and clever, but was known to be rude to everyone, even the Jade Emperor.

Years before, the Jade Emperor had locked up Monkey Hanuman for his impudence. But the gods had asked the Emperor to let Monkey out to accompany the monk on his pilgrimage. Monkey Hanuman had been frisking about since they set out, so happy to be free again, and his enthusiasm had helped keep his master's spirits lighter on this arduous trek.

This cold morning, the travelers came upon a rushing river, racing down the steep slope they had just climbed. As Hsuan-zang was looking around for a place to cross the roaring waters, a huge dragon came up out of the river and headed towards them. The monk stared in numb amazement, but quick-witted Monkey hastily pushed his master back from the river's edge. Monkey Hanuman scampered back to save the white horse but was too late. The dragon swallowed the dumbfounded horse in a single gulp.

The travelers were mourning this serious loss when the Golden Guardian Spirit spoke to them from above the high clouds, saying "Don't be upset for your cause is blessed and I am here to help you."

The monk immediately fell on his knees and bowed low before the spirit, but Monkey Hanuman was angry and shook his fist at the sky. "You say you are here to help? You haven't been much help so far! But if you want to help, stay here and watch over this good monk while I retrieve his horse from that wicked river dragon." And with that, Monkey tightened his belt, picked up a stout club and marched resolutely down to the river's edge.

"Give me back my horse!" Monkey Hanuman called to the River Dragon.

The dragon was digesting his breakfast and was displeased to be disturbed. He came to the water's surface and demanded in a booming voice, "Who are you and why do you make so much noise?"

"Give me back my horse!" Monkey Hanuman shouted again and swung his club hard at the dragon's head. The dragon slashed at the monkey with his long, fearsome claws. Monkey darted aside and bashed at the dragon with his club. The dragon snapped his terrible teeth at Monkey. Monkey swung again and again. The awful fight was long and fierce. Finally, exhausted and annoyed, the dragon retreated below the waters and would not come back despite Monkey's shouts.

So Monkey Hanuman returned to Hsuan-zang on the river bank with the sad news that he had failed to retrieve the horse. The monk was despondent but the Golden Guardian Spirit spoke to Monkey, "Have you not boasted many times that you could defeat dragons? So what is the problem now?"

Monkey Hanuman marched back down to the river's edge and the Golden Guardian Spirit stirred up the waters into a mighty swirling pool. The river dragon came up and demanded of Monkey Hanuman, "Who are you and why do you disturb the waters of the river?"

"Give me back my horse!" Monkey Hanuman shouted again, dancing around and swinging his club. Again the dragon and the monkey fought an awful fight. The dragon slashed at Monkey with his ferocious claws and Monkey slid away to avoid each hacking blow.

The dragon bit at Monkey Hanuman with his sharp teeth and growled, "How do you expect me to give you back the horse that I have already eaten?"

But Monkey Hanuman replied, "I will beat you with this club until you figure out a way, you miserable thief, to GIVE ... BACK ... MY ... HORSE!" but the dragon, weary of the battle and seeing little chance of catching and eating the monkey, changed himself into a small green snake and slithered away in the tall grass by the river. The monkey beat the grass with his club, but could not find the snake.

Returning to Hsuan-zang and the Golden Guardian Spirit on the river bank, Monkey Hanuman asked the Golden Guardian Spirit, "Where is my master's horse now?"

The Golden Guardian Spirit was perplexed. "I did not know you had a master. I have never known Monkey Hanuman to obey anyone."

"This is a sacred pilgrimage and I have been sent by the gods to help this good monk along his way. It is my duty to serve him on this journey. Now our undertaking is in danger of failing because of this cursed dragon. Tell me what you know of this dragon," Monkey retorted.

"The dragon is new in these parts. There never used to be a dragon in this river until recently. It is said that he was put here by Kuan Yin." The Golden Guardian Spirit's words troubled Monkey Hanuman. If Kuan Yin, the Goddess of Mercy, had placed this dragon here, great powers were involved indeed.

"Could you please ask Kuan Yin to come here and speak to us about this dragon?" Monkey Hanuman asked the Golden Guardian Spirit. Then, remembering that spirits have a different sense of time, Monkey imagined that he and Hsuan-zang could be frozen or starved or both before the Golden Guardian Spirit returned, and added, "I would appreciate it if you could bring her right away."

With a sudden rustling of wind, the Golden Guardian Spirit was gone. Hsuan-zang and Monkey Hanuman sat down side by side on the river bank. A few minutes later, there was a flash of bright light and Kuan Yin appeared before the two travelers.

Monkey was in a foul temper and started to shout, "What is the meaning of this? You should be helping us and instead you put this dreadful beast in our path. Now we have no horse and no one knows what we are going to do."

Kuan Yin smiled slightly and said, "We can get this straightened out." She turned to the rushing water and called out, "Come out, Third Son of the Great Dragon King, for I would speak with you!" and the dragon came out of the waters and bowed to Kuan Yin. Softly, she asked the dragon, "Is it true? Have you eaten the horse of this holy pilgrim?"

The dragon looked a bit sullen and said, "It's true that I was hungry earlier this morning and I did eat a horse that stood beside the river's edge. Then this monkey came and fought me because of it. But no one said anything about a holy pilgrim."

Kuan Yin nodded and asked, "Did you ask his name?"

"NO!" cried the monkey, jumping up and down.

"Yes, I did ask," the dragon answered Kuan Yin, looking only briefly at the chattering monkey. "I asked who was here and got no answer. This noisy monkey just kept complaining about the horse and trying to hit me with a club."

Then Kuan Yin turned to Hsuan-zang and said, "I have placed this dragon here to help you on your journey. You have crossed the desert and climbed this high mountain, but your passage is far from over. No ordinary horse would be able to make the perilous crossing that you must now undertake." She turned to the dragon and removed a jewel from under his chin. She placed her hands on either side of his great head and blew gently into the dragon's nostrils. The dragon transformed from head to toe into a horse that looked just like the one that had stood on the river bank earlier that day. "And now," Kuan Yin spoke to the dragon, "if you behave yourself and serve this good man well, and if you stop eating what doesn't belong to you, I will promise you shall become an enlightened creature at this journey's end." (In the Buddhist faith, everyone wants to become an enlightened creature.)

So the dragon-horse bowed low to Kuan Yin and vowed that he would do all that he was told. Kuan Yin admonished Monkey Hanuman that he was on a serious pilgrimage and should not be carousing and picking fights all around the countryside. She turned to Hsuan-zang and bade him good fortune on his journey. Then she vanished in a flash of light, just as she had come.

The goddess was correct that there were many more perils and adventures for Hsuan-zang and his monkey companion. But those tales are the subjects of other stories. This one, I believe, is at its end.

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GEORGE AND THE DRAGON

SOME FOLKS SAY that St. George the Dragon-slayer, the patron saint of England, is a third century adventurer named George of Cappadocia. Others insist that history has muddled two different men whose only connection is a shared name, and that their confrontations with dragons were two totally separate events.

The city of Cappadocia lay in Eastern Turkey. Some versions of this story depict George of Cappadocia as a Roman soldier and a member of the Imperial Guard who left or was expelled from the Roman Army during the years of the persecution of Christians. George was a Christian and wore the sign of the Cross on his shield and belt buckle. Whether once a Roman soldier or not, George was an adventurer, a traveler, and a soldier of fortune who rode throughout the Middle East. One day, he came upon a city named Silene in the region of present day Libya west of Egypt.

The city of Silene had been beset by a dragon. The beast had come out of the bleak hills outside the city and taken up residence in a large lake. At first, the dragon feasted on the sheep, cattle and goats that grazed on the hills around the city. But as the herds and flocks dwindled, the creature also began eating the shepherds, goat tenders and wanderers. In time, there was no more livestock for the dragon to eat and the creature started coming up to the gates of the city in search of its food.

In fear and panic, the city elders devised a horrifying plan to appease the dragon. The names of all the children in the city were placed into a terrible lottery. Each morning, a name was drawn and the luckless child was taken out of the city and left beside the dragon's lake. In this way, the city elders conspired to feed the dragon and keep the evil creature away from the city.

One day, the name of the King's own daughter was drawn. The king pleaded for the young girl's life, offering his gold and jewels if anyone would take her place. But it was of no use. No one would agree. And so it was that the princess herself, dressed as a beautiful bride, was taken out of the city and tied to a rock beside the dragon's lake.

Here George found the princess, sobbing helplessly, waiting for the dragon to come and devour her. He drew his mighty sword, Ascalon, to cut the ropes that bound her. Even as George rushed to rescue her, the trembling princess told him to pass on by or the dragon would kill him, too. George refused to go, declaring boldly, "In the name of Jesus Christ, I will save you!"

George rode down to the water's edge and awaited the coming of the dreaded beast. When the dragon emerged, George charged forward with his sword aloft. He struck at the creature and the dragon immediately stopped fighting. George cut the princess free from the rock and commanded her to tie her silken belt around the dragon's neck. Together, George leading his faithful horse and the princess leading the wounded dragon returned to the gates of Silene.

The people were frightened and amazed to see this peculiar procession approaching the city. Standing before the gates of the city, George declared in a booming voice that the mighty power of Jesus Christ had delivered them from this evil dragon. If the inhabitants of the town would convert to Christianity and agree to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ, George continued, he would kill the dragon that had terrorized their city for so long. It was said that 15,000 men were baptized that day and the king built a Christian church on the very spot where the dragon was slain.

But the town of Silene has since been lost to history as has the site of the church the king built. Perhaps George was not quite as successful at ridding the region of dragons as the historic legends and stories suggest.

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LAMBDON'S DRAGON

SOME FOLKS SAY that dragons are four-legged creatures with sharp claws and big bat wings. But Lambdon's dragon was a wicked worm.

In the olden days of dragons, a young boy lived in the Northumberland region of Northern England. This lazy lad enjoyed fishing in the river. One day, he had caught several fine fish for his supper and one very unpleasant looking worm. On his way home in the afternoon, Lambdon was admiring his catch and tossed the inedible serpent creature down the village well. He continued on home and thought no more about it.

The years passed, as they always do. The serpent-dragon grew in the bottom of the village well. Lambdon grew, too, and to everyone's delight, he grew out of his indolent ways. Lambdon grew into a fine young man and, as all fine young men did in those days, he went to fight in the Crusades. All the while, the monster continued to grow in the bottom of the well.

One day, the fiend emerged from the well and slithered back to the river. There it grew larger and larger and became the terror of the countryside, feasting on any luckless creatures that crossed its path. The dragon ravaged through the village and finally made its way to Lambdon Hall. With the instructions from the chief steward, the household was prepared. The largest feed trough was set in the castle yard and filled to the brim with milk. The dragon drank every drop of the milk and slithered away satisfied, only to return the next day. The trough was filled every day and, if the serpent was not satiated with enough milk, the creature would tear trees from the ground and go rampaging through the region, devouring any living being it encountered, creating mayhem and spreading fear among the residents.

In this way, the castle was visited daily by the dragon and the countryside continued to suffer for many years until Lambdon returned from the Crusades. With sudden horror, he recognized that the devastation throughout the countryside was caused by the ugly worm he had caught in the river and cast into the well many years before. Courageously, Lambdon vowed that he would rid the castle of this ghastly guest and restore peace to his homeland.

But Lambdon had a plan. He went straight away to the armorer and arranged for a new suit of armor. This new suit of armor was studded all about with blades and spikes sticking out like a hedgehog's coat. And it was in this new suit of armor that Lambdon strode out to face the dragon, his sword gleaming in the early morning sun.

The dragon was furious that there was no milk and turned his full wrath upon the knight who confronted him in the castle yard. Lambdon struck at the monster's head with his sword, but the wily and wicked worm wound his tail around the knight's legs, then around his chest, intent on squeezing the life out of the valiant warrior.

The serpent dragon squeezed and squeezed, wrapping its long coils tighter and tighter around the knight. But the harder the dragon constricted around Lambdon, the more the spikes began to tear into the monster's flesh. The spikes sank deeper and deeper and the blood gushed forth. In pain and anger, the dragon bellowed its rage and coiled tighter around Lambdon until ultimately it had torn itself to pieces on the blades and spikes in the armor. As the dying dragon's grasp weakened, Lambdon chopped off the creature's head with one strong blow from his sword. All the servants in the castle ran out into the yard and began snatching up the pieces of the dreaded dragon that had terrorized them for so many years. With Lambdon leading the way, the bits and pieces of the dragon's flesh were carried down to the rushing river and tossed into the strongest part of the current, where they were swept away forever.

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