dragon

Home > ... > Literature and the Arts > Classical Literature, Mythology, and Folklore > Folklore and Mythology > ...

Essential reading Compare
side-by-side A Dictionary of the Bible The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition

dragon

dragon mythical beast usually represented as a huge, winged, fire-breathing reptile. For centuries the dragon has been prominent in the folklore of many peoples; thus, its physical characteristics vary greatly and include combinations of numerous animals. The dragon has often been associated with evil. In many legends a dragon had the ability to wreak havoc upon a land and therefore had to be either propitiated by a human sacrifice, or killed; it was also often the guardian of a treasure or a maiden. The highest achievement of a hero in medieval legend was the slaying of a dragon, as in the story of St. George. King Arthur, son of Uther Pendragon (dragon's head), also killed a dragon. The giant red dragon of the Apocalypse (Rev. 12) gave rise to the use of the beast as symbolic of Satan in Christian art and literature. In ancient China the dragon was associated with fertility and prosperity. Many of the beliefs connected with the dragon are echoed in snake worship .

Create a link to this page

Copy and paste this link tag into your Web page or blog:

<a href="http://www.encyclopedia.com/topic/.aspx#1E1-dragon" title="Facts and information about dragon">dragon</a>

Give this article a thumbs-up on StumbleUpon

Cite this article
Pick a style below, and copy the text for your bibliography.

MLA
Chicago
APA

"dragon." The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition. 2008. Encyclopedia.com. 21 Dec. 2009 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

"dragon." The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition. 2008. Encyclopedia.com. (December 21, 2009). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1E1-dragon.html

"dragon." The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition. 2008. Retrieved December 21, 2009 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1E1-dragon.html

Learn more about citation styles

dragon

A Dictionary of the Bible | 1997 | | Â© A Dictionary of the Bible 1997, originally published by Oxford University Press 1997. (Hide copyright information) Copyright

dragon An apocalyptic monster identified with Satan in Rev. 12: 9.

Create a link to this page

Copy and paste this link tag into your Web page or blog:

<a href="http://www.encyclopedia.com/topic/.aspx#1O94-dragon" title="Facts and information about dragon">dragon</a>

Cite this article
Pick a style below, and copy the text for your bibliography.

MLA
Chicago
APA

W. R. F. BROWNING. "dragon." A Dictionary of the Bible. 1997. Encyclopedia.com. 21 Dec. 2009 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

W. R. F. BROWNING. "dragon." A Dictionary of the Bible. 1997. Encyclopedia.com. (December 21, 2009). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O94-dragon.html

W. R. F. BROWNING. "dragon." A Dictionary of the Bible. 1997. Retrieved December 21, 2009 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O94-dragon.html

Learn more about citation styles

Related entries from encyclopedias, dictionaries and thesauruses

Rate these entries|See all related entries

Free newspaper and magazine articles

	Dragon Systems Announces Volume Licensing Program to Enable Enterprises to Easily Purchase Large Quantities of Speech Recognition Products and Services. Business Wire; 4/27/1999
	Dragon Systems Wins A Record Six Best of RetailVision Awards; Awards Affirm Dragon's Market Leadership Status. Business Wire; 9/22/1998
	Dragon Systems Announces Newest Version of Dragon NaturallySpeaking Developer Suite. Business Wire; 10/25/1999

Facts and information from other sites

Related articles from newspapers, magazines, and more

	DRAGON SYSTEMS: Dragon Systems announces Volume Licensing Program. M2 Presswire; 4/28/1999; 700+ words ; M2 PRESSWIRE-28 April 1999-DRAGON SYSTEMS: Dragon Systems announces Volume Licensing Program to enable enterprises...COMMUNICATIONS LTD RDATE:270499 * Program is Part of Overall Dragon Systems Strategy to Expand the Availability of Speech Technology...
	'Dragons' Take Center Stage at Lake Phalen Newspaper article from: Asian Pages; 8/14/2004; 700+ words ; ...Vietnamese Community of Minnesota Viet Dragons The full roster of dragon boat race teams included: Shaw-Lundquist...Fairview University Medical Center 'Fairview Dragons' Flagstar Dragons Dragon Festival 2004 gratefully appreciates the...
	Dragon Systems Announces Volume Licensing Program to Enable Enterprises to Easily Purchase Large Quantities of Speech Recognition Products and Services. Business Wire; 4/27/1999; 700+ words ; ...April 27, 1999-- Program is Part of Overall Dragon Systems Strategy to Expand the Availability of Speech Technology to Large Organizations Dragon Systems, Inc.(R) today introduced the Dragon Volume Licensing Program that enables large...
	Dragons are us Magazine article from: Natural History; 2/1/1996; ; 700+ words ; ...obsolete, so he wrote Dragons: A Natural History, a collection of dragon stories from all over...Pern"; the Barcelona Dragons of the World Football League; Dragon-boat rowing; and...SunDragon solar car team." Dragons appear to be alive and...
	-DRAGON SYSTEMS: Dragon NaturallySpeaking Developer Suite supports MS SAPI 4.0 for speech enabling apps. M2 Presswire; 10/29/1998; 700+ words ; M2 PRESSWIRE-29 October 1998-DRAGON SYSTEMS: Dragon NaturallySpeaking Developer Suite supports new Microsoft...Support for Microsoft SAPI 4.0 included in new version of Dragon NaturallySpeaking Developer Suite New York City -- Further...
	DRAGON SYSTEMS: Worldwide speech technology leader ex expands in EMEA. M2 Presswire; 8/10/1999; 700+ words ; M2 PRESSWIRE-10 August 1999-DRAGON SYSTEMS: Worldwide speech technology...RDATE:080899 * Roland Richter to Lead Dragon Systems' EMEA NEWTON, Mass. U.S...expansion into international markets, Dragon Systems, Inc., a worldwide leading...
	Dragon Systems Ships First USB Solutions Designed to Significantly Enhance Speech Recognition Accuracy. Business Wire; 6/23/1999; 700+ words ; ...BUSINESS WIRE)--June 23, 1999-- Dragon NaturallyClear(TM) USB System H100 and Dragon NaturallySpeaking(TM) Preferred USB Eliminate...USB) connector started shipping today from Dragon Systems(R), Inc., a worldwide leading...
	Dragon Systems Announces Newest Version of Dragon NaturallySpeaking Developer Suite. Business Wire; 10/25/1999; 700+ words ; ...Enhanced Custom Vocabulary Development Tools Dragon NaturallySpeaking Developer Suite Version 4.0, which began shipping today from Dragon Systems, Inc., of Newton, Mass...applications. Based on award winning Dragon NaturallySpeaking software, Developer...
	DRAGON SYSTEMS: Dragon Systems brings speech recognition software to the Macintosh. M2 Presswire; 5/12/1999; 700+ words ; M2 PRESSWIRE-12 May 1999-DRAGON SYSTEMS: Dragon Systems brings speech recognition software to the Macintosh...100599 WWDC, SAN JOSE, Calif. and NEWTON, Mass. -- Dragon Systems, Inc. and Apple Computer, Inc. today announced...
	DRAGON SYSTEMS: Dragon Systems launches $10,000 Dragon Challenge Contest. M2 Presswire; 9/2/1998; 700+ words ; M2 PRESSWIRE-2 September 1998-DRAGON SYSTEMS: Dragon Systems launches $10,000 Dragon Challenge Contest (C)1994-98 M2 COMMUNICATIONS LTD RDATE:010998 One retail sales associate will win $10,000 from Dragon Systems for being the...