DRAGONS

There are many unfold mysteries that remain unexplainable, one of this are the Dragons (Mythical Dragons). In
Etymology, the name "dragon" comes from the Greek δράκων (drakōn), which means "a big snake, a sea serpent or
sea fish, a python," and the verb δέρκoμαι (derkomai) which means "to see clearly," which could be a reference to the
creature's lethal gaze. According to the Medieval mythology, Dragons are believed possessed supernatural power or
magical power creating, one of that is they can create tremendous fire from their mouth and many people believe that
these animals are wiser than humans, and believed to be extremely long-lived, living hundreds or thousands of years.
They are also reported to be capable of human speech or perhaps the ability to speak all languages in some
civilizations.
In Eastern culture/civilization, Chinese mythology, dragons seen as a positive light and were life-giving rains and water
resources. Ancient Chinese dragons are very long like snakes without wings but have four legs, they bring lighting and
thunders. Some historians said that Chinese dragons are fascinating in which you cannot really make an eye-to-eye
contact because of its lethal gaze or demon gaze. The historian R. Dawson gives the possible description of the
Chinese Dragon’s physical attributes, it has a horn as a stag, forehead of a camel, the eyes of a demon, the neck of a
snake, the belly of a sea monster, the scales of a carp, the claws of an eagle, the pads of a tiger, and the ears of an
ox. (231) Despite its terrifying appearance, the dragon was not always viewed as the evil monster that appears in
mythology from various civilizations around the world, where it is frequently slain by a valiant hero figure. In a myth tells
that a dragon is a kind creature, Yu the Great (c. 2070 BCE), the famous and legendary founder of the Xia Dynasty,
who was helped by a dragon (or himself a dragon) and a turtle to control the floodwaters that were destroying his realm
and thus create a better irrigation system. Chinese considered the dragons as a lucky symbol and a bringer of wealth
and which only Chinese Emperors used to wear dragon robes designed such creature, dragon symbols were hung
outside their houses to give a lucky charm for life. We know that China celebrates their Chinese New Year, also called
Lunar New Year, annual 15-day festival with a dragon dance in China and Chinese communities around the world that
begins with the new moon that occurs sometime between January 21 and February 20 according to Western calendars,
they celebrate it because the dragons supply all their need. In Japanese mythology, dragons are highly recognized as
a wise and divine creature just like in Chinese mythology. In Vietnamese mythology, dragons bring rain for the farmers
(a help in water crisis) and represents the power and prosperity of the nation, also, just like Chinese mythology.
In Western or European, dragons seen as a large reptile (snake), has a demon gaze and has four legs. They are seen
as a demon or evil and they were known for eating humans and could create tremendous fire from their inner throat
and Western has two types of dragons: the “Major Dragons” who breathe fire and “Minor Dragon” who don’t breathe
fire. There are dragons also believed that they could breathe frost breath one of the types of “Drakes” which sometimes
used synonymous to dragon, and this is according to Jennifer Walker. Dragons are often used in fairy tales about
heroes, just like the story of Beowulf who killed many dragons and monsters in his way, in Greek mythology, Heracles
(Hercules) killed Ladon the serpent-like dragon with the one hundred heads of snakes and Lernaean Hydra the water
serpent dragon with an immortal head, Apollo the son of Zeus killed Python with the use of his bow and arrows,
Perseus, Cadmus and many more gods in Greek mythology killed or slew dragons with the use of their power and
abilities. Western dragons were a symbol of evil, or the devil. Scandinavian dragons symbolized greed or pride. Many
mythologists believed that Western dragons are true and portrayed as the most powerful creature among other
creatures that made. Many paleontologists and scientists believed that dragons are something related to dinosaurs
because of its features.
When we go to Chinese scholars, they have classified the dragons as one of the 369 animal species with scales. And
we have this so-called Paleontology believed that fossilized bones in the continent of Europe and Asia had found the
remains of dragons from an early age. In Greek scholar Philostratus (c. AD 170-245) they said, "The dragons of the
mountains have scales of a golden color, and in length excel those of the plain, and they have bushy beards, which
also are of a golden hue; and their eye is sunk deep under the eyebrow and emits a terrible and ruthless glance." A
dragon could strangle an elephant with its tail, according to Roman scholar Pliny the Elder (AD 23-79).

Link refences:
https://mythus.fandom.com/wiki/Dragon
https://www.worldhistory.org/article/1125/the-dragon-in-ancient-china/
https://dragons.fandom.com/wiki/Western_Dragons
https://dragons.fandom.com/wiki/Drake
https://www.amnh.org/exhibitions/mythic-creatures/dragons/natural-history-of-dragons