Readers of The Gemstone Chronicles know that I didn’t use any sparkly vampires, werewolves, or zombies for the guardians of the stolen Elven Bow gemstones. In spite of the popularity of the common monsters, I wanted different monsters. In Book One: The Carnelian, a kelpie guarded the gem. Book Two: The Amethyst had the most familiar creature, a giant named Brendan. Book Three: The Emerald had a strange combination creature, the cockatrice. The final book of the series, The Ruby, the cherufe, a fearsome lava monster, protected the gemstone. However, I like dragons, and had to find a way to get them in the story. I didn’t want the dragons to be necessarily bad or good, and they didn’t even have to be a major player in the books, but they had to be there!
Dragon Lore:
First a little background on dragon lore and history. Dragons have been in the mythology of the world for thousands of years. They permeate Asian and European stories and literature. Who hasn’t seen the dragons as part of Chinese New Year celebrations? Or St. George slaying the Dragon? So where did dragons originate? According to Wikipedia, the word dragon entered the English language in the early 13th century. However, the concept of a serpent being overcome by a heroic figure was part of the Epic of Gilgamesh, and the mythology of the ancient Canaanites, Hittites, and Mesopotamians. Dragon depictions have been found on artifacts in China dating back to the 16th century BC!
Dragon types:
Despite the same name, two distinct groups exist. The European versions are often winged and the Chinese counterparts typically resemble snakes. Most often, the beasts are snakes or reptilian and hatch from eggs. Dragons are often shown as being wiser than humans, have speech capability, have great longevity, guardians of treasure, and many can breathe fire. Heraldry incorporates dragons in Coats of Arms. Even Oliver Cromwell had a winged European dragon in the Coat of Arms of the Protectorate.
Dragons around the world:
There are tons of examples from other cultures, too. Dragons exist in the legends and myths of Japan, Bhutan, Greece, Russia, India, Persia, Korean, and Vietnam, among others. In the Norse Poetic Edda, the wyrm (dragon) Nidhoggr is wrapped around the roots of the One Tree (Yggdrasil).
Modern manifestations of the beasts abound, too. From Tolkien’s Silmarillion and The Hobbit to Anne McCaffrey’s Dragonriders of Pern, and the fantasy roleplaying game Dungeons and Dragons, the creatures have captured the imaginations of millions. One of my writer friends (Colin Rutherford) has a fantasy series called Tales of the Neverwar that features dragons. I’ve read the prequel and the first book of the series and they are great! What dragon inspired books do you like?
Dragons are allies of the Drow in The Gemstone Chronicles Book Four: The Ruby. The first dragon in the book is a red dragon, which, in my story, is not the most intelligent of creatures. He breathes fire (and burns trucks, but you have to read the book to discover how it all comes about). Other dragons appear in the story, but mostly play a minor role. One exception to that, but no spoilers from me!
There you have my homage to dragons! I think they are cool and, in the words of the cartographers of old, “Here Be Dragons!”
What are your favorite dragons? Are they treasure guarding beasties? Misunderstood creatures given a bad rap? Truly evil creatures? Leave me a comment and let me know. Share your dragon lore with us!
Connect with me:
Connect with me on social media! I’m on Twitter, Facebook, and Goodreads, or email me at bill@williamlstuart.com! I enjoy meeting new friends!
How about the dragons in Game of Thrones, those are cool too!
I have to admit I haven’t read Game of Thrones or seen the series. I will have to watch it now… 🙂