Download Free The Dragon In World Mythology And Culture Book in PDF and EPUB Free Download. You can read online The Dragon In World Mythology And Culture and write the review.

This book takes you on a journey through the great Eastern and Western dragon myths, from ancient Babylonian creation stories to the famous legend of St. George.
Dragons are everywhere, seemingly hidden in plain sight. These mythological reptilian monsters date far into known human history in nearly every part of the world and are still prevalent in today's media and entertainment. The wide cultural, geographical, and linguistic diffusion of dragons or dragon-like creatures shows how modern humans have influenced each other through shared tales of monsters while simultaneously hinting at a shared genesis. This book introduces dragon myths and legends from around the world by following human culture's shared evolutionary past via language, folklore, the arts, and commerce. Dragons in folklore, literature, and pop culture are analyzed from Eastern and Western perspectives, leading to a dual analysis of dragons in today's popular culture and media. While other books on the topic have focused primarily on classical sources, or on cataloging various dragon tales in general, this work identifies the subtle yet profound ways in which the dragon figure or related motifs have slyly entered into our collective psyche as participants in the modern, interconnected world.
"The Chinese call the dragon 'lung' because it is deaf. It is the largest of scaly animals, and it has nine characteristics. Its head is like a camel's, its horns like a deer's, its eyes like a hare's, its ears like a bull's, its neck like an iguana's, its scales like those of a carp, its paws like a tiger's, and its claws like an eagle's. It has nine times nine scales, it being the extreme of a lucky number. On each side of its mouth are whiskers, under its chin a bright pearl, on the top of its head the 'poh shan' or foot-rule, without which it cannot ascend to heaven. The scales of its throat are reversed. Its breath changes into clouds from which come either fire or rain. The dragon is fond of the flesh of sparrows and swallows, it dreads the centipede and silk dyed of five colours. It is also afraid of iron. In front of its horns it carries a pearl of bluish colour striated with more or less symbolical lines." "The dragon," observes author Ernest Ingersoll, "is connected with the powers and doings of the earliest gods, and like them is vague, changeable and contradictory in its attributes, maintaining from first to last only one definable characteristic-association with and control of water." Rich with facts and fascinating lore, Ingersoll's well-researched book not only describes many of the myths surrounding one of the world's oldest, most elusive and powerful mythological creatures, but also teems with information about specific aspects of these mystical beasts-from grotesque serpents of the deep to land-roving, fire-breathing monsters that first appeared in creation myths of ancient civilizations. Dragons in China, Korea, and Japan are covered, as are those in Babylonian and Egyptian legends, and in Welsh, English, Irish, and French tales from the West, with specific details on draconic prototypes, the birth and wanderings of the dragon, the dragon as rain god, "the men of the dragon bones," the dragon's invasion of the West and association with the holy cross, and other related subjects. Introduction Birth of the Dragon Wanderings of the Young Dragon Indian Nagas and Draconic Prototypes The Divine Spirit of the Waters Draconic Grandparents The Dragon as a Rain-God Korean Water and Mountain Spirits "The Men of the Dragon Bones" The Dragon in Japanese Art The Dragon's Precious Pearl The Dragon Invades the West The 'Old Serpent' and His Progeny Welsh Romances and English Legends The Dragon and the Holy Cross To the Glory of St, George
First published in 2002. Routledge is an imprint of Taylor & Francis, an informa company.
Immerse yourself in the rich, fascinating history of dragons in this illustrated gift ebook. Meet the fire-breathing beasts of mythology in this beautifully illustrated ebook brimming with scaled behemoths. Lurking in every corner of the earth, from the deepest depths of the oceans, to the tips of the tallest mountains, even tucked beneath the very ground that you tread on, dragons watch and wait. They take many forms--sea monsters, serpents, wild cats, eagles, and they represent many different things; Gods to be revered, evil kings to be feared, wise friends, and fierce foes. So, when you accidentally step on a sinewy vine and it whips out from under your feet, or invisible forces gently fan warm air across your face, or the acrid smell of cinders pokes at the back of your throat, how will you know whether to stand and wonder, or run and hide? Dragons have breathed fire into our minds since we could first imagine, but why do they exist in stories from every land in the world? Come in and explore Dragon World. Look into their lairs while they make shape-shifting mischief, playing with the weather and protecting earthly treasures. Soar across continents into tales as old as time. Prowl through the pages to discover rare dragon species. Find clues to track them and master how to draw them. Behold the earthly dragons of today!
The beasts that inhabit the realms of ancient myth and folklore are among the most compelling creatures of imagination. This is a modern collection of animal lore in the tradition of natural histories, including beasts from all over the world.
A fantastic collection of draconic tradition! Since the Bronze Age, people have been fascinated, enchanted, and even frightened by tales of mystical dragons. With this book, you will unravel the history and mystery behind these serpentine beasts with folklore, mythology, and poetry from every tradition in the world. From the Slavic Zmey Gorynych, bearing its three fire-breathing heads, to J.R.R. Tolkien's Smaug, who laid entire towns to waste, the thrilling stories surrounding these fierce monsters are sure to captivate anyone who has ever dreamed of running into one during his or her travels. Whether you're interested in exploring the history and culture or just want to learn more about your favorite types of dragons, the legendary tales in this book will transport you to a time when these mythical creatures ruled the land, sea, and sky. Complete with hundreds of imaginative illustrations, Dragons reveals the magnificent beauty of these mesmerizing creatures as well as their terrifying power over civilizations.
Fascinating book teems with information about powerful serpents of the deep and land-roving, fire-breathing monsters that first appeared in the creation myths of the ancient Far East. Dragons in China, Korea, and Japan are covered, as are those in Babylonian and Egyptian legends, and in English, Irish, and French tales.
An exploration of how the image and idea of the dragon has evolved through history How did the dragon get its wings? Everyone in the modern West has a clear idea of what a dragon looks like and of the sorts of stories it inhabits, not least devotees of the fantasies of J. R. R. Tolkien, J. K. Rowling, and George R. R. Martin. A cross between a snake and some fearsome mammal, often sporting colossal wings, they live in caves, lie on treasure, maraud, and breathe fire. They are extraordinarily powerful, but even so, ultimately defeated in their battles with humans. What is the origin of this creature? The Dragon in the West is the first serious and substantial account in any language of the evolution of the modern dragon from its ancient forebears. Daniel Ogden's detailed exploration begins with the drakōn of Greek myth and the draco of the dragon-loving Romans, and a look at the ancient world's female dragons. It brings the story forwards though Christian writings, medieval illustrated manuscripts, and the lives of dragon-duelling saints, before concluding with a study of dragons found in the medieval Germanic world, including those of the Anglo-Saxon Beowulf and the Norse sagas.