The impression of dragons in a large number of Asian countries has been influenced by Chinese culture, such as Korea, Vietnam, Japan and so on. Dragons were also identified with the Emperor of China, who, during later Chinese imperial history, was the only one permitted to have dragons on his house, clothing, or personal articles. Many East Asian deities and demigods have dragons as their personal mounts or companions. Dragons and their associations with rain are the source of the Chinese customs of dragon dancing and dragon boat racing. The word "dragon" has also come to be applied to the legendary creature in Chinese mythology, loong (traditional 龍, simplified 龙, Japanese simplified 竜, Pinyin lóng), which is associated with good fortune and is thought to have power over rain. Rowling, and A Song of Ice and Fire by George R. These dragons appear frequently in western fantasy literature, including The Hobbit by J. They are often said to have ravenous appetites and to live in caves, where they hoard treasure. In western cultures, dragons are portrayed as monsters to be tamed or overcome, usually by saints or culture heroes, as in the popular legend of Saint George and the Dragon. The popular western image of a dragon is likely based on a conflation of earlier dragons from different traditions, and of inaccurate scribal drawings of snakes. Famous prototypical draconic creatures include the mušḫuššu of ancient Mesopotamia Apep in Egyptian mythology Vṛtra in the Rigveda the Leviathan in the Hebrew Bible Grand'Goule in the Poitou region in France Python, Ladon, Wyvern, Kulshedra in Albanian Mythology and the Lernaean Hydra in Greek mythology Jörmungandr, Níðhöggr, and Fafnir in Norse mythology and the dragon from Beowulf. Stories about storm-gods slaying giant serpents occur throughout nearly all Indo-European and Near Eastern mythologies. Draconic creatures are first described in the mythologies of the ancient Near East and appear in ancient Mesopotamian art and literature. The earliest attested reports of draconic creatures resemble giant snakes. Dragons in eastern cultures are usually depicted as wingless, four-legged, serpentine creatures with above-average intelligence. Beliefs about dragons vary considerably through regions, but dragons in western cultures since the High Middle Ages have often been depicted as winged, horned, four-legged, and capable of breathing fire. Dragon-shaped bows on ships in Ystad, Sweden resembling Viking longshipsĪ dragon is a snake-like legendary creature that appears in the folklore of many cultures worldwide.
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