Dragons are magnificent creatures found in many stories from mythology, folklore and literature in different cultures around the world. Almost all of the ancient civilizations have their own version of dragons.
However, the most popular dragons are those from European and Chinese folklore and literature. Dragons from both cultures have similarities such as having serpentine or reptilian characteristics as well as magical powers.
Dragons in medieval folklore & literature have given rise to a lot of beliefs especially in magic and the unknown. Stories about these legendary creatures gave medieval knights an additional task of protecting their kingdoms and that was slaying dragons.
Stories of knights saving damsels in distress who were captured by dragons became popular plots in many stories even in today’s most popular books, movies, and other media.
Medieval dragons come in different versions according to the mythology or folklore that is telling the story. These magical creatures of flight have their own versions in Slavic, Germanic, Celtic, Basque and Italian mythologies to name a few.
One of the most famous dragons in medieval folklore & literature was Grendel the dragon from the German epic Beowulf. Grendel was a dragon who used to visit the Denmark Castle every night. One of these nights Beowulf encountered Grendel and wounded him badly. Grendel’s mother, who was half human and half dragon came to find him to get revenge. However, after a bloody battle she was slain by Beowulf in the end.
Other dragons from popular medieval folklore and literature are:
- Laidly Worm (”worm” is the German word for dragon) - the story of Margaret who was turned into a giant laidly worm by her evil step mother.
- Manuscript Dragon - a dragon adorned with many pretty jewels whose adventures include tricking people into removing precious stones from its head.
- St George’s Triumph - the story about St. George who was kidnapped and raised by an enchanter. When he was old enough to set out into the world, he encountered a dragon that ate all the children in a town. The day when it was about to eat the princess of this town, St. George appeared and slew the dragon
There are many more dragons in folklore and literature you can read about. However, if you want dragon collectibles, drop by realmcollections.com for dragon-themed gifts!