NationStates Jolt Archive

Just wondering at why there is a dragon creature in like 95% of every ancient civilization? How could every civilization have this similarity when some are seperated by oceans? Is it possible that either
A) There were really flying lizards back some thousands of years ago,
or
B) Maybe something like the Tower of Babel really happened and man was seperated,but still had this commonality...


Just Wondering.. Feel free to throw in your thoughts and opinoins.

Because dragons are cool. No, seriously, it's thought that humans may instinctively have some kind of idea what dangerous animals look like, so when we think up mythical creatures, we combine all the features.

Just wondering at why there is a dragon creature in like 95% of every ancient civilization?

I can think of dragon legends from China, the Middle East, Europe and (possibly) Central/South America. Have I missed out on all the others that make up the 95%?

I can think of dragon legends from China, the Middle East, Europe and (possibly) South America. Have I missed out on all the others that make up the 95%?

North American Indians had it too...plus mesoamerica..Japan.. and some polynesian islands...i saw this actually on the history chanel a few nights ago...and then i started thinking about it late last night..:D i hate those late night thoughts

I think it has something to do with ancient civiliazations finding fossils of dinosaurs, and making up stories about them.

Look at our views of dinosaurs over the last 50 years, and how wrong we originally were, even with all of our science.

I think it has something to do with ancient civiliazations finding fossils of dinosaurs, and making up stories about them.

Look at our views of dinosaurs over the last 50 years, and how wrong we originally were, even with all of our science.


Well heck...thats a good thought there

Well heck...thats a good thought there

Of course, one of the traditional responses to this question is to say that it all goes back to genetic memory from when our ancestors were still tiny little mammals surrounded by the big lizards.

This is what I was talking about: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/An_instinct_for_dragons

I think it has something to do with ancient civiliazations finding fossils of dinosaurs, and making up stories about them.

Look at our views of dinosaurs over the last 50 years, and how wrong we originally were, even with all of our science.
Similarly, I think all these tribal legends of 'great floods' prob came from peoples finding fossilised shells and sea animals on top of mountains and the only conclusion they could draw was that at one time all the Earth was under water.

Maybe it's because dragons are real and we just can't see them because they're invisible, and the ancient civilizations had special dragon-seeing glasses or something awesome like that.

what other mystical creatures are universal?

There's several possible explanations. Finding dinosaur bones is a likely start of the story.
But it's also possible the dragon story started before people spread over the earth, so all versions have a common origin.
And of course people have some instinct for imagining big and ugly/dangerous things.

I think it has something to do with ancient civiliazations finding fossils of dinosaurs, and making up stories about them.

Look at our views of dinosaurs over the last 50 years, and how wrong we originally were, even with all of our science.
I'm just wondering where the vikings got 'em from if that's the case... Not a lot of dinosaurs up here, living nor dead.

It was the Tower of Babel. That's why dragons are called different things. We used them as slaves to build the tower of Babel, then The Big Guy in the Sky saw how cruel we were to His creations, and made man speak different languages, meanwhile sending a giant rock hurling to Earth to kill all of the dragons for not trusting in Him. Somehow, man was shielded from the onslaught by angels in the form of a giant ice-sheet.

Everything can be explained by religion, see?

what other mystical creatures are universal?
Some form of vampires is pretty universal.
Maybe unicorns.
Honest politicians.

Actually I believe there was something like a Great Flood. Since one is predicted as a possible environmental occurance--and bearing in mind that climate changes do occur--I think that is why that is remembered.

As for giant lizards/dragons animals that are aquatic or elusive are sometimes not understood properly.

But finally there is the spiritual side of things. For those who don't believe in that I apologize if this seems like a digression. Sometimes spiritual depictions of animals are largely symbolic of things that are not otherwise readily explained.

Just wondering at why there is a dragon creature in like 95% of every ancient civilization? How could every civilization have this similarity when some are seperated by oceans? Is it possible that either
A) There were really flying lizards back some thousands of years ago,
or
B) Maybe something like the Tower of Babel really happened and man was seperated,but still had this commonality...


Just Wondering.. Feel free to throw in your thoughts and opinoins.

But isn't the Asian view of dragons very different from the European view of dragons? Both in temperament and form?

Types of Dragons for consideration:

Draco Troglodytes (4 legs, vestial wings)
Draco Marsupialis (4 legs, wings, fiery pouch)
Draco Occidentalis magnus (4 legs, full wings, dark color)
Draco Orientalis (4 legs, no wings, mane)
Draco Montana or Tibetan (4 legs, no wings)
Draco Occidentalis Maritimus (4 legs, full wings, light color)
Draco Americanus Tex (no legs, moth-like wings)
Draco Serpentalis (2 legs, no wings)
Draco Africanus (2 legs, full wings)
Draco Americanus Mex (no legs, feathery wings)

-source: Dr. Ernest Drake's Dragonology: The Complete Book of Dragons

In regards to someone mentioning the great flood...Well i was listening to the radio the other day...and trhese biblical archaeologist have found ginat wooden beams in the mountains of western, north western Iran...the common misconception is that the Ark would be on the top of Mt. ararat. which many secularists and atheists use to discredit the bible..However i did reread that bible passage...and it says the MOUNTAINS of Ararat....So if there is a finding of a large boat in these mountains, will this be a great blow to atheists and will it prove some validity to the bible?

Oh and my poing with the whole dragon thing is that satan has been refered to as the Dragon or what not...the great serpent...and so on...so i was thinking that maybe Humans had a common knowledge of him through that

But isn't the Asian view of dragons very different from the European view of dragons? Both in temperament and form?


Yes, but like i was thinking that since i beleive that the great evil one(satan) is this dragon, then maybe its just like how some people today see "evil" Some see "evil" deeds as good while others see it bad....its making sense to me...maybe not to anyone else but oh well

I don't think there is any overprominence of dragons at all. For the old world, I don't think Africa has dragons, that's one continent of the list. Europe has dragons, but I believe the history of their appearances suggests Chinese origin. China should be one of the cultures which really did come up with dragons. Another might be the Norse, and their dragons might have passed to the other Europeans as well. In the Americas, the only thing close to a dragon is the Quetzalcouatl, which was really a winged serpent and not a dragon at all.

Also, European and Chinese dragons are very different in attitude and mythological function. They are associated with very different things. The general concept of the appearance and number of dragons varies greatly. The one thing that's really constant is the reptilian nature, which is to be expected given the humanity's tendency to associate reptiles with wickedness.

Some form of vampires is pretty universal.

yeah

I don't think there is any overprominence of dragons at all. For the old world, I don't think Africa has dragons, that's one continent of the list. Europe has dragons, but I believe the history of their appearances suggests Chinese origin. China should be one of the cultures which really did come up with dragons. Another might be the Norse, and their dragons might have passed to the other Europeans as well. In the Americas, the only thing close to a dragon is the Quetzalcouatl, which was really a winged serpent and not a dragon at all.

Also, European and Chinese dragons are very different in attitude and mythological function. They are associated with very different things. The general concept of the appearance and number of dragons varies greatly. The one thing that's really constant is the reptilian nature, which is to be expected given the humanity's tendency to associate reptiles with wickedness.

Draco Africanus (2 legs, full wings)
Also known as the Wyvern, believed to cause pestilence in a few areas including Ethiopia!

i dunno, what constitutes a dragon? does it have to have legs? wings? breathe fire?

seems to me that ancient man loved to imagine animals that were bits and pieces of different animals.

centaurs, harpies, minotaurs, flying horses, im sure you can think of more

that everyone came up with "reptile with wings" isnt all that amazing. esp since the reptiles are all fairly different. some with legs some without. some more snakelike than others. different wing styles and placements

the only odd one is the inuits who (according to that wiki ariticle) dont have reptiles. there is probably a good explanation for it though.

the only odd one is the inuits who (according to that wiki ariticle) dont have reptiles. there is probably a good explanation for it though.

What I'd like to see is a description of the Inuit dragon, and how exactly it matches up to being reptilian.