No fantasy creature ever created by man is quite as intriguing and fascinating as the Dragon. Dragons have been used as the "heroes" of some stories, while "evil" in another. Dragons often guard treasure or a maiden. When dragons are associated with evil, it often has to have a human sacrifice to appease it.As captivating as the Dragon is, where did it come from? Who is to be credited for inventing this creature of fantasy?So what is a Dragon?The dragon definition can vary greatly from folklore to folklore. Most of the time a dragon is a Mystical Beast. Its closest comparison is that of the Dinosaur. Picture the Tyrannosaurus Rex, but with longer arms and claws like a Lion, with wings giving it the ability to fly, the tail of a serpent and a scaly skin (comes from a dictionary definition). The dragon often is depicted to breath fire out of its mouth. Sometimes a dragon is like a large snake or serpent.The dragons' exact characteristics can be different depending on whom you ask. The reason for this is the dragon has been a part of many peoples folklore for thousands of years. For this reason the characteristic you about the dragon can be different. For instance, sometimes a dragon has wings, sometimes they don't. The dragon was associated with fertility and prosperity in China. It all depends on where the folklore came from.Several theories indicate that the dragon came from the Dinosaur, perhaps after people saw their bones. In 300 B.C. dinosaur bones were discover in China and were referred to as "Dragon Bones". There is absolutely no evidence to support this theory, however this is the most credible theory we have to tell us where the Dragon came from.Other theories talk of Flying Machines used by an unknown culture. Again, there is no evidence to support this.Yet another rumor says that Dragons were invented from watching Comets flying past the earth in the sky or other meteor showers. These were believed to be fiery serpents.Even if one of the above theories did help usher in the legend of the dragons, they are not solely responsible for bring the legend to life.When did the Dragon myth begin?Well, it is impossible to know exactly. In 450 BC, the father of history, who's name was Herodotus, wrote of caged dragons in Arabia and flying serpents which flew from Egypt to Arabia. While traveling through Arabia he did discover bones of serpents.Marco Polo had written in his journal stories of being attacked by Dragons while in the desert of Persia as part of a Caravan. He talked about how scary they were and that people of the Caravan were nearly killed by the Dragons. He described what their bones looked like. It is important to note thought that Marco Polo never did write his own journal. He dictated his journal to another person sharing a jail cell with him when he was arrested. It is quite possible that these stories were made up by the person sharing the cell with him.Though we don't know exactly where the legends of the dragon came from, they can be a fun part of an imaginary and adventurous world.Kevin Cundick runs the Best Dragon Guide website. For a wealth of information on Dragons, visit http://www.bestdragonguide.com.
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Keyword : dragons, dragon history, history of dragons, dragon
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