Tales of Dragons from Around the World

From Europe

PRINCE CADMUS

SOME FOLKS SAY that the Phoenician Prince Cadmus introduced the alphabet to the Ancient Greeks. Most traditional Greek folklore credits Prince Cadmus with founding the ancient Greek city-state of Thebes .... more

BEOWULF FIGHTS A DRAGON

SOME FOLKS SAY that the meeting between Bilbo Baggins the Hobbit and Smaug the Dragon in Tolkien's famous tale "The Hobbit" 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 .... more

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.... more

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 the story say that the 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. Perhaps the king thought that greenish speckled egg was just a strange looking rock. Or perhaps he thought it was too old and would never hatch... more

From the Middle East

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.... more

ILLUYANKA & TARHUN

SOME FOLKS SAY that the Hittite god of storms and the weather was named Tarhun, while other accounts call him Taru, Tarhunt and Teshub. The ancient Hittite people lived in the lands that were part of Ancient Mesopotamia, now present-day Syria in the Middle East ... more

TIAMAT: BABYLONIAN DRAGON OF CREATION

SOME FOLKS SAY that the serpent in the Garden of Eden is a thinly veiled reference to Tiamat. It's unknowable, of course, but it makes some sense ... more

From Asia

CHINESE ASTROLOGY: THE DRAGON

SOME FOLKS SAY that Chinese astrology dates back over 2,000 years. Like Western astrology (which originated in Babylon), Chinese astrology seeks to explain human personalities, behaviors and fortunes by looking to the heavens. Also like Western astrology, the skies are divided into twelve segments ... more

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.... more

YOFUNE-NUSHI

SOME FOLKS SAY that Yofune-Nushi was a dragon; others insist that this is a tale about a sea serpent. Either this is a sea serpent that could come up onto the land, or a dragon with the ability to affect the weather and cause storms to stir the seas. Whichever it was, and it seems a senseless debate, this Japanese legend tells a story of a dreaded creature with a taste for human flesh, especially for young females ... more

From Australia

THE LEGEND OF BOOBERA LAGOON

SOME FOLKS SAY that dragons are fictional composites of everything that scares us. This story from the native Dreamtime legends of Australia considers the idea of what would be scary to a dragon. Here are the traditional elements of dragon lore (dragon terrorizes community, local hero confronts the beast, etc.) but with its own unique twist... more