Stories about dragons. Dragon in Eastern mythology

What an idiot I am! And the demon pulled my tongue to bet with my friends that I could steal the Last Princess! I understand everything, I’m a dragon, and it’s my direct responsibility to steal princesses, but... What should I do with her now, you ask?! There aren’t even any normal towers left in the world, and without a tower it’s completely impossible to deal with this nasty little bugger!
Today, for example, she started downloading my rights again and demanding release, in the process of which she irrevocably ruined my favorite collection of paintings - she made posters with stupid slogans out of them. And she did it completely inaccurately, stitching one picture to another. I wanted to howl like a wolf, rush around the cave, catch the impudent creature and throw it away... And only Rinn kept stopping me from taking decisive action:
- Darling, don’t be so strict! These are just pictures! – she whispered tenderly and gently bit me on the neck.
He knows how to cool it down!..
Oh yes! I almost forgot to introduce! Rinn is my female... Consort, if you like. A young, sophisticated dragoness, homely and affectionate. Her green scales sparkling in the sun have always driven me crazy... Yes, I’m ready for them, for her look, for... and for the sake of everyone and anyone, even jump from a mountain! the back has a pair of wings.
Rinn has become the only beacon that illuminates the harsh reality of life around us. It's so nice to have someone nearby to lean on!
It’s even more terrible that this petty princess managed to find a common language with her!
Reflections were interrupted by a roar in the cave. My treasures!!! Lord, why am I being punished like this?!
Without remembering myself, I burst into the cave and froze with my mouth open to scream. Well, of course, what else could she beat if not a collection of porcelain brought straight from the mysterious East?! No, this is becoming unbearable!!!
Catching this kicking misunderstanding, I dragged her out of the cave and flew high into the air. Don't think! I am a deeply humanistic creature, besides, if I killed the princess, Rinn would immediately gnaw my throat out... But for some reason I didn’t want that at all. You see, she’s a pacifist, she doesn’t like the sight of blood, she doesn’t accept violence in any form... that’s why she swallows victims alive. No matter how much I tried to explain to my dear that this was harmful, they did not listen to me. If he comes down with heartburn, he’ll remember my words ten more times! What if the knight has a sword? Why should I look for doctors all over the area again?! Even after the last time, he stuttered and flew away - he may not survive another such trip.
-Where are you dragging me, you ugly beast?! – the princess screamed when she realized that no one was going to kill her.
- I’m taking you home, I’m tired, I’m so tired. You can rejoice, you won.
- Home? Well, okay then, then we can... - after thinking, she agreed.
As if someone is going to ask her!
- Although you know what... Take me back! Alive! – she suddenly demanded.
- Why the fright?!
- Think for yourself! I'm languishing in your captivity, I'm languishing, and no one even bothered to save me! This is all against the rules!!! Let him come to me beautiful knight, will kill you and bring me home himself!
“Somehow this option doesn’t suit me,” I said offended.
- We will hang your head in the throne room.
- Well, you know... My head suits me where it is.
- Are you a dragon or a court girl?! Dragons must die under the sword of Heroes!!!
“That’s it, we’ve almost arrived,” I snapped.
- Well, turn back, clubfoot lizard!!!
And it’s completely untrue! My legs are normal... Well, maybe sometimes I can squint, but I don’t do it on purpose. It's all bone! Bone and heredity...
The people in the city were already in a frenzy - they probably noticed me when I was flying out of the cave. The people here are stupid and uneducated. Just a little bit - right for the weapon. When I kidnapped this person of the royal family from here, I left covered in splinters. They also gave a black eye with a catapult!
A huge spear flew past. Yeah, that means they were preparing for my return. Are you really offended?
No, what are these times?! Previously, kings of princesses to dragons as in kindergarten They gave it in order to develop character and wean him from self-indulgence. And the suitors themselves were looked for - whoever managed to defeat the dragon in battle took the princess as his wife... Apparently, that’s why most royal dynasties and died out - some languished in the towers until old age, others served as a snack for us dragons.
But enough thinking!
Having crushed the gazebo I didn’t like with my mighty paw (these people have no aesthetics!), I headed straight to the palace. In one hand he clutched the swearing princess, while with the other he defended himself from flying arrows, spears and shells.
- Here. “Take it,” I growled, lowering my disheveled body onto the balcony and soared into the air.
His Royal Majesty, meanwhile, was in a slight faint, and his wife tried to pump him out, but realized that it was pointless and also fell to the floor. It’s not just the husband who gets all the attention! The princess yelled at me and demanded obedience. Ant-soldiers scampered across the ground. By the way, they also shouted something. In short, it all merged into one single noise, which instantly gave me a headache.
All! Home-home-home. To the loving Rinn, to the silence of cave vaults, to the alluring shine of treasures...
The irritating screams were far behind. Well, thank God, at least I’ll sleep well today!
* * *
Morning. A cool draft caresses the scales, cheerful birds are singing outside, and Rinn, sweetly snoring, hugged me by my side. When asked where I had taken the princess, I told her that I had set her free, for which she had earned the title of “the kindest in the whole wide world.” Life is still a wonderful thing!..
…was…
Hearing a familiar voice that made me cry, I almost jumped to the ceiling. Who do you think was waiting for us at the cave itself? Absolutely right! There was a princess tied to a tree right at the entrance!!! Somewhere near the dense thickets the sparkling heels of fleeing soldiers could be seen. Are they kidding me?!
- Well, monster, are you going to untie me or am I going to hang here until the evening?! Feed me immediately! Imagine, these ungrateful Herods wanted to feed me to you! Well, nothing... Fly quickly and burn this pathetic little town!
Because of such impudence, I couldn’t even squeeze out a word. Silently he turned around and went into the cave, into the warm arms of Rinn.
- Who's screaming there, dear? – she asked, stretching sleepily.
- Yes, so... Wolves and monkeys, they don’t have them forever.
-Did you drive them away? – without opening her eyes, she asked.
“Well, of course, I don’t want you to not get enough sleep,” I smiled and gently bit her graceful tail.
Rinn froze and reached out to hug, but the moment of family idyll was hopelessly ruined by the princess’s impudent voice. She should have stuffed something bigger into her mouth!
As a result, Rinn spent the entire morning fiddling with the completely insolent daughter of the impressionable king, and completely forgot about me. And he’ll cook her a roast lamb, and pour some wine from my storehouse, and wipe her mouth with a napkin... I, too, by the way, need care!
The princess chewed deliberately loudly and commanded my wife as if she were not a dragon, but her lapdog. Bring her this, do that, give her a piggyback ride, and arrange a massage... Are we dragons or what?!
Never mind, we'll get even!
- That's enough! – I jumped when Rinn left the cave for a minute.
Grabbing the scoundrel with my hind legs, I quickly soared into the air along the already familiar route. I don't need such happiness! It would be better if he stole the king than her! Princesses are supposed to be quiet and humble, not mischievous and arrogant!
The city greeted me with a friendly roar of cannon fire. These things hurt, but my goal was much more important than stupid bruises. Having again crushed the unsightly gazebo, I sat the princess on its ruins and ran away as quickly as I came. I could hear the roar of gunfire following me for a long time, but this no longer spoiled my mood.
I hope I don't see her again...
* * *
The princess exchange lasted a whole week. I’ve even started to get into the habit of getting up in the morning and going to check the tree, on which there will definitely be a girl dressed up in colorful rags. Moreover, interestingly, the dress was new every day.
I didn’t tell Rinn about this curious custom, somehow there was no time for that. She became very attached to this monkey, which she took advantage of more and more every day. Riding on her back and leaving me without dinner has already become the norm for her...
Until this day.
This morning I woke up with a clear feeling that I wanted to kill someone. Don’t think that I’m so angry, it’s just that when you wake up not at all because Rinn is biting your ear, but because some idiot is hitting you on the head with a baton, for some reason your mood deteriorates greatly...
- What's going on?! – I growled sleepily, trying to shake the annoying knight off my head.
- Give me the princess, you vile lizard!!! – the Hero roared, slamming me straight into my opened eye.
God, I haven’t sworn since I was probably born! I don’t even immediately remember where I picked up such words... Although this is not the point. The point is that this scoundrel at that time grabbed my horns and laughed solemnly! These little people deserve each other! If it doesn't cripple the brain, it will cripple the body.
- Give me the princess or die!!! – without stopping laughing, the knight demanded.
- Yes, take it, am I disturbing you, or what?! There she is, hanging on the tree!
- No, this is not according to the rules... First I will kill you, you vile lizard!
What kind of stupid people are these Heroes?! I voluntarily give him what he came for, I could even build half of the treasury on the way, but no! You see, he wanted blood!
He was lucky that Rinn had gone hunting early in the morning - she doesn’t like to stand on ceremony when it comes to unexpected awakenings...
Having taken off the man waving his club in all directions, I prepared to breathe hard on him, but... suddenly my gaze fell on the princess.
* * *
Rinn woke up from a ringing sound right in front of her ear. Slowly opening her eyes, she turned dissatisfied on her side and stared at the object of concern.
“Oh, knight,” she was delighted when she saw the armor tied hand and foot in front of her. - Drake, how cute!
A muffled voice was heard from the armor, but it died down when Rynn suddenly opened her mouth wide.
The screeching stopped. The armor disappeared into the jaws of my dear pacifist. God, how I love her habit of not standing on ceremony with her prey!
- Darling, will the princess come today? – she asked soulfully stroking her tummy.
“No,” I grinned and lay down next to her, leaning my ear against my beloved’s belly. “They say she moved.”
“What a pity,” she sighed without opening her eyes. “Such a sweet girl, she could eat it.”
And Rinn fell asleep again. My favorite sleepyhead...
“I told you that we’ll get even,” I whispered to my growling tummy, in which the clink of the armor in which the Last Princess was imprisoned was clearly heard...
Well, today I’ll definitely sleep like a human being!

Criticism of this work can be found here.

The dragon is the great-grandfather of all monsters. He precedes all evil spirits from demons to vampires. The dragon image can be found in rock paintings 25,000 years ago, on them the dragons somewhat resemble dwarf mammoths.
The dragon is present in the legends of the Chinese of Shanxi province 8,000 BC. He persecuted the Sumerians and Babylonians, he was worshiped by the Aztecs, and the Celts feared him.
In the east he is the sparkling god of rain, in the west he is a fire-breathing, girl-eating monster.
The dragon is part of every culture on Earth. The immortal dragon has sunk its fangs and claws deep into the psyche of humanity.

The dragon appears before us in various forms. The most famous dragon in the West is the fire-breathing serpent. This is a classic dragon: a giant reptile on four legs, with huge wings like bats. Armed with razor-sharp teeth and claws and a powerful tail, the dragon preferred to use its most formidable weapon - a stream of red-hot flame, directing it at its victims.
These magical monsters were able to read people's thoughts, take on the appearance of animals and people, and restore their damaged organs.
They were covered with impenetrable scales, without a single vulnerable spot.

The Wyvern dragon was very similar to the classic European fire-breathing dragon. At the same time, Wyven was somewhat smaller in size, rarely breathed fire, and had one pair of paws.
It carried a deadly sting in its tail and could spread disease and pestilence.

The Lindorm dragon or worm was a huge reptile with limbs. Instead of breathing fire, he spat poison or spewed poisonous gas. He could also crush prey by wrapping his steel rings around them.

Basilisks or snakes were the smallest but most deadly members of the dragon clan.
They were rumored to hatch from eggs hatched by toads or roosters.
Basilisks resembled tiny snakes with the comb of a rooster. Their gaze brought instant death. Interestingly, they could kill themselves with their gaze if they saw their reflection. The great deserts of the Middle East were inhabited by hordes of sinister basilisks.

Modern sightings include descriptions of huge, winged reptiles that terrorized the valleys of San Antonio, Texas for several months in 1976.
A dragon the size of a house, long necked, scaly, green, with huge teeth, ate fishermen and animals at Lake Wembu.
In Tibet, about five hundred witnesses saw a horned black dragon in July 2002 near Lake Tianchie in northeast China.

Some dragons have been observed much closer to England.
In the early 19th century, folklorist Maria Trevelyan interviewed many elderly people living in the Glamorgan area of ​​Wales.
They told her the memories of their youth (early 19th century) - dragons from the race of winged snakes, according to them, still inhabit the forest around the castles of the Penllyne region.
The snakes were bright and shiny, as if covered with precious stones. They were resting, curled up on the ground.
One woman recalled that her grandfather shot one of the snakes after it attacked him. The skin of the dead snake hung for years on the wall of her farm.
Tragically, it has not survived to this day.

In the Cleveland church there hung the skin of a dragon - a worm killed in the forest by a knight; it was destroyed in the time of Cromwell.

Part of the dragon worm skin was allegedly kept at Lampton Castle. This example was lost when the castle was destroyed in the eighteenth century.

One of the most disturbing stories involving dragons occurred relatively recently, when the northeast of England was under Danish rule.
Norwegian sailors were then very afraid of the sea dragon, known as Shoni.

They said that they sacrificed a member of the ship's crew to appease the beast. After drawing lots, the unfortunate victim was thrown overboard. Shawnee was supposed to eat the victim and let the Viking ships through.

The dragon, as the story goes, collected sacrifices throughout many worships, and this barbaric custom continued even for a long time even after the Viking times.

According to local researchers, the cult of this dragon collected human sacrifices in England in the 20th century, which seems amazing.

In the early 1980s, something started killing sheep in a very strange way in North Wales. Two punctures in the flesh were found in the killed animals. The corpses were always near water. Veterinary tests showed that they were all killed by poison. Sometimes a trace big snake was seen in the grass or dirt near the victims. Strangely, the killers never ate sheep. The strange murders stopped as suddenly as they began, leaving behind a disturbing mystery.

Many theories have been created to explain the phenomena of dragons.
They are all divided mainly into two camp groups.
Some believe that legends about dragons are based on real creatures made of flesh and blood. Giant reptiles or something like that.
Others attribute dragons to paranormal phenomena.

Let's look at the first group of ideas. They are based on the assumption that fossil remains of dinosaurs and other large animals were the basis for legends about dragons.

While they may be logical in some cases, most fossilized dinosaur bones are too fragmentary to explain the legends.
We must also remember that many ancient texts specifically spoke of dragons as living beings that interacted with humans.

There are some species of living reptiles that can give the impression of dragons. Crocodiles can be huge and deadly predators. The largest, the Indo-Pacific crocodile (Crocodylus porosus) can reach 10 meters (33 feet) in length and weigh 3 tons. It can easily kill buffalo, tigers, and even sharks. The ancient Chinese called such a creature "water dragon."

In 1950, scientist James Montgomery investigated the legends of a huge monster that lived on the Sagama River. Local residents considered the monster the father of the devil and threw silver coins into the water when it appeared.

He found him sunbathing on the sandbank. The monster turned out to be a giant crocodile. Montgomery realized that the effectiveness of his rifle against such a target would be about the same as that of a toy gun and hastily retreated. He later returned and measured the sandbank. Its length turned out to be nine meters (30 feet). Since the crocodile's tail was in the water, its total length was about 10 meters (33 feet).

Another giant is hiding in the waters of the Lumpar River. Known to be a serial cannibal, he was revered by the Ibad tribe as the king of crocodiles. This crocodile measured seven and a half meters (25 feet) in length.

The African Nile crocodile can exceed 7 meters (23 ft) and can kill a lion with a single bite. The Egyptians worshiped him as the god who gave life to the Nile. A seven-meter sample of such a monster is currently stored in Malawi; at one time it ate 14 people.

These armored giants can bite with a force of 10,000 Newtons. That's twice the bite force of a great white shark!

Big boas good analogues dragons of the "Worm" type. Reticulated python (Python reticuatlus) from Southeast Asia can grow up to ten meters (33 ft) and swallow large animals, such as deer, whole.

The green anaconda (Eunectes murinus) can exceed eight meters (26 feet), this snake is much more formidable than any python. There are tales of monstrously large specimens of anacondas living in the impenetrable jungles of South America.

The infamous Komodo dragon (Varanus komodoensis) is currently found only on three small Indonesian islands. At three meters (10 feet), it is the largest known pangolin in the world.
The Komodo kills large prey (such as deer) with its poisonous saliva. Chinese pottery found on Komodo Island shows that this animal has been known to eastern sailors since ancient times.

However, this Komodo dragon appears to be tiny compared to the prehistoric monitor lizards that lived in Australia during the Pleistocene era and reached nine meters (30 feet).

Megalania were thought to have died out at least 10,000 years ago, but Aboriginal legends and white settlers claim these giant lizards are still found in the Australian outback today. Even a herpetologist (an expert on reptiles) claimed to have personally seen such a monster.

In 1979, herpetologist Frank was hunting small lizards in the mountains of New South Wales. After a fruitless search, he returned to his car.
Near him he noticed a huge lizard about 9 meters (30 feet) in length. This scientist was just one of many witnesses to report such reptiles in the Australian outback.
Some even suggest that mysterious disappearances people in the outback may be associated with the activities of these lizards.

There are a few legends about dragons that can be explained by such animals, but most legends cannot be explained this way. The dragons that lived in Europe must be something else.

Peter Deakins has suggested that dragons may have evolved from huge carnivorous dinosaurs. Their wings evolved from a change in the thorax.

Perhaps dragons were something much stranger. Perhaps dragons exist in a reality different from our own reality.

This could explain how they appear, terrorize society, and then disappear again.

Another idea is that dragons are massive, collective, subconscious thought forms.

None of these explanations fully explain the dragon phenomenon. But keep in mind that when your parents told you there were no such things as dragons, they were lying to you.

Of all the myths and tales about legendary creatures, stories about dragons, possessing incredible power and inspiring fear and awe, are perhaps the most common throughout the world. What is surprising is that very similar images of these snake-like winged creatures are present in different cultures who had no historical contact with each other.

IN modern world dragons are incredibly popular in fantasy books, animation and feature films, V fine arts and computer and games.

European winged creatures that breathed fire and had poisonous breath were most often associated with evil, as, for example, in the Anglo-Saxon epic poem Beowulf or in Russian folk tales about the Serpent Gorynych. In Christian iconography, the legendary monster symbolized dark forces. But there were good exceptions in the form of the red Welsh dragon, which flaunts on the flag of Wales and is official symbol countries. To perpetuate the glorious legend, in the city of Wrexham local residents They are going to build a 42-meter-high tower, topped with a huge red dragon, which will be visible for many kilometers. It is planned to open cafes, restaurants, art gallery, center for language learning and observation deck on the roof.

Unlike most European dragons, who kidnapped princesses and burned entire villages, in Asia and the countries of South and Central America these creatures were honored and respected as masters of the forces of nature, possessing magical abilities. Quetzalcoatl - a cross between a bird and a snake - was a symbol in Aztec mythology ancient wisdom and one of the main gods of the pantheon.

Among the Mayan Indians, a similar deity was called Kukulkan and was depicted with human head. In Korea, dragons brought rain to the earth, patronized rivers and rice fields, and in Vietnam they symbolized moral virtue. The beginning of the Chinese worship of dragons goes back to the distant past.

Traditionally, the winged creature was the deity of rain and fertility, associated with the element of water. The ancient rulers of the Celestial Empire revered the dragon as a symbol of imperial power. In honor of the mythical animal, the country holds an annual dragon boat festival, and the dragon dance is very beautiful tradition and an important ritual of celebrating Chinese New Year, which is one of the main and longest celebrations in the country. And all over the world they love to study chinese horoscope, corresponding to a 12-year cycle, where each year is ruled by a specific animal. By Chinese legend, Buddha invited all the animals who wanted to come voluntarily to his holiday. And a dozen animals appeared, to which he gave each year of reign. The dragon, who arrived fifth, was the only mythical creature of all.

Traditionally, when preparing for the New Year, we know in advance which of the representatives of the Chinese calendar will accompany our actions, and we read horoscopes with interest. A lot of colorful calendars appear in stores, plush toys and a wide variety of figurines depicting the animal corresponding to the subsequent 12 months. Horoscopes say that the Dragon is auspicious sign, bringing good luck, success and prosperity.

The first mentions of dragons date back to ancient times. Sumerian culture. In ancient legends there are descriptions of the dragon as an amazing creature, unlike any other animal and at the same time resembling many of them. According to ancient Akkadian sources, the dragon had the paws of a dog, the head of a lion, and the wings of a bird. The image of the Dragon appears in almost all creation myths. Sacred texts ancient peoples identify it with the primordial power of the earth, the primordial Chaos, which enters into a struggle with the Creator. In these cosmic battles, as a rule, the forces or gods who personify order and maintain balance in the universe win, and from the monster the firmament and the celestial world are created: “And he cut her insides, and pierced her heart... and created the firmament of heaven from one half , and from the other - the firmament of the earth..." In every country, poets sang of this titanic battle. In ancient times Babylonian legend"Enuma Elish" talks about the struggle of the god Marduk with Tiamat, the goddess of the primeval cosmic ocean. One of the gods of the Vedic pantheon, Indra, defeats the dragon Vritra, the Semitic god Baal defeats the god Yama, the lord of the primordial ocean... Widely known and biblical story about the monster Leviathan, once defeated by the Creator. The dragon symbol is the emblem of warriors on Parthian and Roman standards, the national emblem of Wales, and the guardian depicted on the prows of ancient Viking ships. Among the Romans, the dragon was the badge of a cohort, hence the modern dragon, dragoon. The dragon symbol is a symbol of supreme power among the Celts, a symbol Chinese Emperor: His face was called the Dragon Face, and his throne was called the Dragon Throne. On the shield of Agamemnon (11th song of the Iliad) a blue three-headed dragon was depicted. The legends of Buddhism are replete with references to dragons, and the tales of Taoism tell of their deeds. Dragons are winged snakes, in the image of which animals were united, embodying two worlds - the upper (birds) and the lower (snakes). These fantastic creatures Chinese mythology personified masculinity, the primary element of yang, together with the phoenix, embodying feminine, the primary element of yin. The image of the dragon served as a symbol of the emperor, and the phoenix - of the empress. In medieval alchemy, primordial matter (or otherwise the world substance) was designated by the most ancient alchemical symbol - a snake-dragon biting its own tail and called ouroboros ("tail eater"). The image of the ouroboros was accompanied by the caption “All in One or One in All.” And Creation was called circular (circulare) or wheel (rota). In the Middle Ages, when depicting a dragon, different parts of the body were “borrowed” from various animals, and, like the sphinx, the dragon was a symbol of the unity of the four elements. One of the most common mythological stories— battle with the dragon: the hero, thanks to his courage, defeats the dragon, takes possession of its treasures or frees the captive princess. This story tells about the duality of human nature, about internal conflict between light and darkness, about the forces of the unconscious, which can be used to achieve both creative and destructive goals. The battle with the dragon symbolizes the difficulties that a person must overcome in order to acquire treasures internal knowledge, win victory over your base, dark nature and achieve self-control. The labors of Hercules, the liberation of Andromeda by Perseus, the battle of Jason with the dragon in the tale of the Argonauts, the legend of the Scandinavian hero Sigurd and his victory over the dragon Fafnir, the battle of St. George with the dragon are just some examples of this. Each of them gives their own advice on how to fight their own darkness. And although the dragon, like the Egyptian Seth, causes severe pain, it helps a person to know himself. Dragons were symbols of powerful life-giving gods: Quetzalcoatl, the god morning star, Atum, god of eternity, Serapis, god of wisdom. This symbol is endless, just as the ever-evolving world, protected by the Ouroboros ring, is endless.

Literature Mythology. Encyclopedia, -M.: Belfax, 2002

Legends of dragons- the most common legends about monsters on our planet. The creepy monstrous reptile has found its place in the folklore of almost all peoples of the world. At the same time, judging by some literary and musical works, this creature was perceived more as a real monster than as a mythical character.

Edward Topsell, in his History of Reptiles (1608), reported: "Among all the species of reptiles there is not one comparable to the dragon, or one that can furnish sufficient historical material to reveal the essence and nature of this animal."

When you analyze " true stories” about dragons in folklore or written monuments of some cultures, then questions immediately arise: why are dragons so similar everywhere? Did dragons really fly over the earth and devour the unfortunate? rural residents, while demanding the sacrifice of young girls and instilling horror in every heart? And is it true that no one except the brave knight could stop them?

Who among us has not seen the icon where St. George the Victorious kills the dragon? And on the other hand, what child has not read fairy tales about lazy and kind, gentle and timid dragons?

Every myth has a piece of truth and reality. Many serious scientists adhere to the theory that a small number of dinosaurs could survive into the human era. Take any book about dinosaurs and you will see that, for example, the royal tyrannosaurus would make an excellent dragon in some legend. Such a huge reptile, walking heavily along the outskirts early Europe, of course, could correspond even to the most impressive descriptions dragons

Today no one says that there were very many dinosaurs. But even a handful of these prehistoric reptiles, which lived in remote lakes and forested valleys, could not have gone unnoticed even in sparsely populated Europe in the 1500s BC. e. An encounter with just one of these “monsters” would give rise to legends and traditions for many centuries.

The next theory may be more interesting to the average reader: the fact is that ancient historians often described huge python-like snakes that reached more than 15 meters in length. Many stories about dragons that have come down to us from the Middle Ages tell how these creatures wrap themselves around their prey and slowly crush it, which is fully consistent with the behavior of a python or a boa constrictor.

But all these theories do not explain why a dragon can walk on all fours.

Some species of giant lizards would probably fit the description of a dragon and would satisfy many theorists. One of them is known as the Komodo dragon, which often exceeds 3.5 meters in length, but lives in Eastern India.

St. George the Victorious and other dragon slayers would have taken a long time - from the point of view Western history- for a risky trip to the tropics. Probably, the battle with the dragon itself would have been much less of an ordeal than such a campaign.

If there was such a species of lizard in Europe (presumably several million years ago) that survived before the advent of man, this would be the answer to the mystery of the origin of myths about dragons.

A third theory - and a very plausible one - suggests that a medieval adventurer accidentally discovered a cave filled with the bones of a giant cave bear and mistook them for the skeletal remains of a dragon. It happened that even workers who dug pits during the construction of churches found fossilized dinosaur bones.

It was only in the 19th century that pundits realized that fossil remains were often millions of years old (before that, it was believed that the skeletons found belonged to some giant animals that had become extinct quite recently).

If, at a time when legends about dragons were at the peak of popularity in Europe, the remains of a fossil had been found in the ground or in a cave, the existence of fairy-tale monsters would certainly have been proven.

Now let’s try to independently develop the theory according to which peasants, while digging a well, found mammoth bones in the ground. The excavators immediately concluded that this was the grave of a dragon. Well, where there are the remains of one, there may well be another, a living dragon! The villagers must have been tormented by the question: how to get rid of the huge beast without it flying in and devouring them all? A sacrifice is needed! The priest said that this has no effect on the dragon, but it can appease the ancient gods!

The peasants chose a young beauty, took her into a dark forest and tied her to a tree, hoping to appease the dragon in this way. It is difficult to imagine all the horror that the girl experienced when wolves or bears attacked her at night... The next day, the bravest village men went into the forest. That's how it is! The dragon flew in and devoured the girl!

A month passed - it turned out that the victim “worked”: the monster did not appear in the village and did not hunt the locals. This means that the girl’s flesh pacified him. If they continue to sacrifice from time to time, even if it is a calf or a kid, the dragon will leave them alone.

It is quite possible that in Europe such bones - be they a mammoth, a Sumatran rhinoceros or a giant cave bear - were not considered something unusual. Mammoth tusks are very common in medieval recipes for the elixir of love. In the market square of the Austrian city of Klagenfurt stands a statue of a giant slaying a dragon; the head of this monster was apparently molded in the shape of the skull of a Sumatran rhinoceros.

Proof of this connection is the fact that ancient manuscripts mention a “dragon skull” found in Klagenfurt in the 16th century. All these for many years The skull is under the protection of the city government, and today it can be easily identified as the skeleton of the head of an Ice Age rhinoceros.