Dragons Essay - 2578 Words

Dragons What’s the first thing people think when they hear the word â€Å"dragon?† Most Americans and Europeans probably envision a huge scaly green beast, one that sits on a hoard of golden treasures and breathes fire. Asians are more likely to think of a benevolent snake-like creature, one that controls rains and rivers. And some people will think of the dragons in movies, or in books, which come in innumerable shapes, sizes, and dispositions. Practically every culture on Earth has dragons of some kind. The broadest way of categorizing dragons is into Western and Eastern dragons, though some of the dragons in the media have distinct characteristics as well. And then, of course, is the ultimate question: did they exist? Western†¦show more content†¦Probably the best-known â€Å"book dragons† are those in Anne McCaffrey’s Pern series. Pernese dragons are large, ranging from 20 to 45 meters in length, depending on color. Greens and golds are the smallest and largest, respectively, and female. Browns, blues, and bronzes are male. All but the gold queens chew firestone in order to fight Thread, a dangerous parasitic menace that falls periodically from the sky. The dragons are Western in form, but their eyes are multi-faceted and change color depending on the dragon’s mood. They are telepathic, and â€Å"Impress† immediately after hatching, bonding telepathically with a human. Humans thus chosen are called dragonriders, and the bond lasts until one of the pair dies. Pernese dragons have the unique ability to take themselves and their riders â€Å"between† one place and another almost instantaneously. Highly intelligent, Pernese dragons inspire awe in all who se e them (McCaffrey, 274-6). Dragons in the media are usually based on Western dragons. Draco, for example, is a perfect example of a Western dragon: four legs, two leathery wings, breathes fire, covered in scales. His attitude, however, is more like that of an Eastern dragon: once the misunderstandings are resolved, he is determined to be helpful (Dragonheart). Elliot from Pete’s Dragon also is Western in appearance, though a far cry from the fierce killers of most legends. He, too, has a more benevolent attitude. By contrast, Mushu, Mulan’sShow MoreRelatedIs Dragons A Dragon?1141 Words   |  5 Pageslie-consuming dragon, lies take the form of monsters. The size of said monsters depend on the severity of the lie being told, and how badly the liar doesn’t want to be found out. But this doesn’t apply to all dragons, however. Dragons come into existence to fulfill the need or a strong wish of a human. A human who has seen all of their loved ones die and firmly wishes for solace will b ring about an immortal dragon. A human who has been trapped all their life will bring about a dragon with powers ofRead MoreSummary Of The Dragon 1400 Words   |  6 Pages The dragon took two more steps, and with each step, he snorted a short burst of flames out of both sides of his nose. Hearing the crunching of the bushes and twigs under the dragons weight sent a cold chill run up Titus‘s back. His hand holding the wand began to shake ever-so-lightly, then his arm dropped to his side. Replanting his right foot in front of him, Titus again raised his arm pointing the wand at the green monster. The dragon paused. It looked as if he was taking a deep breathRead MoreDragon as a Metaphor1646 Words   |  7 PagesDragonslayer story was the English epic, Beowulf, written sometime between the eighth and eleventh centuries. The story of the Dragonslayer is that of a Hero, who starts off insignificant, but after his journey, is strong enough to face and defeat the evil Dragon. The Hero’s Journey is split into three phases; in order they are: Separation, Initiation, and the Return. The story of Beowulf was written for a specific purpose, other than creating a whole genre. The bards who wrote it as though it was a historyRead MoreThe Origin Of The Dragon2970 Words   |  12 Pages7 October 2014 Dragons Transformed Dragon have been predominant in many cultures for centuries. Its function may differ culture to culture but its identity has become a universal symbol; we all have the dragon in common. Dragons are everywhere and appear to be the most documented creature in all of ancient history, second to that of the human being (Isaacs 19). These magnificent creatures like any other monster have an origin. Scholars, however, debate the origin of the dragon pointing to severalRead MoreThe Dragons Of Legend : The Epic Of Gilgamesh1063 Words   |  5 Pagesâ€Å"The dragons of legend are strangely like actual creatures that have lived in the past. They are much like the great reptiles which inhabited the earth long before man is supposed to have appeared on earth. Dragons were generally evil and destructive. Every country had them in its mythology.† (Knox, Wilson, â€Å"Dragon,† The World Book Encyclopedia, 1973) Dragons are told in almost every culture known to man. Descriptions of t he Dragon have been written, drawn, and told in culture that could have neverRead MoreIs Dungeons Dragons?2482 Words   |  10 PagesTo live out an adventurous story, where a small group of friends band together to become the heroes fighting danger and inventing new ways to solve problems, this is Dungeons Dragons. Ethan Gilsdorf, DD enthusiast, explained in his TEDx talk that many tweens sat in their basements eating chips and gorging themselves on Mountain Dew while playing this new exciting take on a classic type war game . Magic, adventure, companionship, and ridiculousness become available to each player. Gilsdorf expressedRead MoreThe King Of The Fire Dragons1846 Words   |  8 PagesOnce upon a time, there lived a magical world. This world, which was be ruled by dragons, was in the middle of the most terrible war ever imagined in the history of the land. It was a war between the two most powerful species of dragon, the Ice Dragons and the Fire Dragons. Now, In the mids t of all this havoc was the prince of the Fire Dragons who had hope that this battle could be resolved. Legend has it that there was a magical item, known as the Golden Stone, which had the power to grant aRead MoreA Captive of Dragons1063 Words   |  5 Pages† I made a face, not truly knowing who she was talking about. â€Å"I still don’t get why it needs to happen so soon...† â€Å"It’s probably so the dragons don’t get you,† teased Evan, my younger brother, and true heir to the crown. I stuck my tongue at him, but mother did not take the jab at me as lightly. â€Å"Evan, how dare you say that. You know the curse of the dragons, and it is not a topic to be joked about. You know better than that.† â€Å"Sorry,† Evan mumbled. There was truth to Evan’s statement thoughRead MoreDragons: A Global Phenomenon Essay1229 Words   |  5 Pageshistory is the dragon. A creature that not only appears in a variety of cultures, but has individual symbolism and traits attuned with each. Even today the idea of what is a dragon can differ from each individual. While most people in the modern day believe that all dragons are fire breathing terrors, it is a misconception of the idealism behind dragons. Dragons have taken many forms from fire-breathing monsters, to the divine spiritual bringer of wisdom and rain. While dragons are cemented intoRead MoreEssay on The Fifty - First Dragon801 Words   |  4 Pages â€Å"The Fifty - First Dragon† nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Settings: The first setting is in a knight school where Gawaine is taught how to be a knight. It also takes place in the forest where he beheads all the dragons and is almost fooled into being eaten. nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Plot: This story is about a student becoming a knight with no spirit at all named Gawaine le Coeur-Hardy. He was considered the least promising of all the pupils. The headmaster of the school thought he