A loa featured in West African mythology in addition to African-American Vodou.
Bida
A serpent of Soninke mythology. Despite being the protectress of the Soninke, she oppressed the people, which led to her being vanquished by a young warrior, leading to the collapse of the kingdom.
A Ninki Nanka is a legendary creature in West African folklore Theres also said to be in Mande folklore a version that inhabits the Niger River an as far as the coasts of Guinea, and Guinea-Bissau called the "Ninimini". Descriptions of the creature vary, but most contend that the animal is reptilian and possibly dragon-like.
A dragon from the Mwindo Epic. It is described as a large animal with black hide, teeth like a dog, a huge belly, the tail of an eagle and seven horned heads. In the Mwindo Epic, it made a blood pact with Nkuba, the Nyanga lightning god.[1]
In the Albanian mythology* Bolla (also known as Bullar in South Albania), is a type of serpentic dragon (or a demonic dragon-like creature) with a long, coiled, serpentine body, four legs and small wings in ancient Albanian folklore. This dragon sleeps throughout the whole year, only to wake on Saint George's Day, where its faceted silver eyes peer into the world. The Bolla does this until it sees a human. It devours the person, then closes its eyes and sleeps again.[2] Bolla was worshiped as the deity Boa by the ancestors of Albanians, Illyrians.[3] Bolla appears in the coat of arms of the House of Bua Shpata.
In its twelfth year, the bolla evolves by growing nine tongues, horns, spines and larger wings. At this time it will learn how to use its formerly hidden fire-breathing abilities, and is now called a kulshedra or kuçedra (hydra). The kuçedra causes droughts and lives off human sacrifices. Kulshedras are killed by Drangue, Albanian winged warriors with supernatural powers. Thunderstorms are conceived as battles between the drangues and the kulshedras.
Dreq
Dreq is the dragon (draco) proper. It was demonized by Christianity and now is one of the Albanian names of the devil.
A lizard-like creature, often described as having the face of a cat, with a serpent-like body which may be slender or stubby, with four short legs or two forelegs.
Catalan dragons are serpent-like creatures with two legs (rarely four) and, sometimes, a pair of wings. Their faces can resemble that of other animals, like lions or cattle. They have a burning breath. Their breath is also poisonous, the reason by which dracs are able to rot everything with their stench. A víbria is a female dragon.
In Scottish folklore, the beithir is a large snakelike creature or dragon. Depicted with different numbers of limbs, without wings. Instead of fiery breath, Beithir was often associated with lightning.
In Welsh mythology, after a long battle (which the Welsh King Vortigern witnesses) a red dragon defeats a white dragon; Merlin explains to Vortigern that the red dragon symbolizes the Welsh, and the white dragon symbolizes the Saxons – thus foretelling the ultimate defeat of the English by the Welsh. The ddraig goch appears on the Welsh national flag.
French dragons
Dragon
Authors tend often to present the dragon legends as symbol of Christianity's victory over paganism, represented by a harmful dragon. The French representation of dragons spans much of European history.
a Dragon like creature from French mythology, with a venomous bite, Guivre meaning wyvern or wyrm, or even serpent which the creatures name is derived from.
Wyverns are common in medieval heraldry. Their usual blazon is statant. Wyverns are normally shown as dragons with two legs and two wings.
Bignor Hill dragon, there is a brief mention of a dragon on Bignor Hill south of the village of Bignor near the famous Roman Villa, apparently "A large dragon had its den on Bignor Hill, and marks of its folds were to be seen on the hill". Similar legends have been told of ridges around other hills, such as at Wormhill in Derbyshire.
Bisterne Dragon, the New Forest folktale states that the dragon lived in Burley, Hampshire, and terrorised the village of Bisterne. It was finally killed in Lyndhurst, Hampshire by Sir Maurice de Berkeley and its body turned into a hill called Boltons Bench. Though the knight survived, the trauma of the battle drove him mad, and soon after he returned to the hill to die, his corpse becoming a yew tree.
Blue Ben of Kilve, in West Somerset is said to have once been home to a dragon called Blue Ben which the devil used as a steed. The skull of a fossilised ichthyosaur on display in the local museum is sometimes pointed out as belonging to Blue Ben.
700 AD the Anglo-Saxons settled and called it "Wruenele" this translates as "Wruen" worm, reptile or dragon and "ele" hill. According to local folklore the hill at Knotlow (Derbyshire) was the lair of a dragon and the terraces around it were made by the coils of its tail. Knotlow is an ancient volcanic vent and this may explain the myth.
Lambton Worm, according to Northumbrian legend, curled around Worm Hill near Fatfield in northeast England, eating livestock and children, and was killed during the time of the Crusades by a Sir John Lambton.
Puk is a serpentine-bodied, four-footed dragon (with sometimes wings), sometimes with many heads, appearing in the legends of Estonia, Lithuania, Latvia, and Germany.
Cadmus fighting the Ismenian dragon (which guarded the sacred spring of Ares) is a legendary story from the Greek lore dating to before c. 560–550 B.C. Greek dragons commonly had a role of protecting important objects or places. For example, the Colchian dragon watched the Golden Fleece and the Nemean dragon guarded the sacred groves of Zeus.[6] The name comes from the Greek "drakeîn" meaning "to see clearly".[7]
Hydra, also called the Lernaean Hydra, from Greek Mythology is described as a dragon-like animal
In Asturian and Leonese mythology the Cuélebres are giant winged serpents, which live in caves where they guard treasures and kidnapped xanas. They can live for centuries and, when they grow really old, they use their wings to fly. Their breath is poisonous and they often kill cattle to eat. The Leonese term Cuelebre comes from Latin colŭbra, i.e., snake.
It is also a name for a maiden cursed into a dragon in the story of the same name.
Lithuanian dragons
Slibinas
This dragon is more of a hydra with multiple heads, though sometimes it does appear with one head.
Aitvaras is described as a bird with the appearance of a dragon outdoors. An aitvaras will lodge itself in a house and most often refuse to leave. It brings both good and bad luck to the inhabitants of the house, providing its adopted home with stolen gold and grain, often getting the household into trouble.
Also known as Smok Wawelski, from Polish folklore, a dragon that lived in a cave on Wawel Hill on the bank of Vistula River in Kraków and was killed by a clever shoemaker's apprentice.
A mythical ghost-monster, equivalent to the bogeyman, found in many Hispanic or Spanish speaking countries. The Cucuy is a male being while Cuca is a female version of the mythical monster.
In Portuguese mythology coca is a female dragon that fights with Saint George. She loses her strength when Saint George cuts off one of her ears.
The Tarasca/ Coca was originally related to the Tarasque of France.[8]
Similar to the conventional European dragon, but multi-headed. They breathe fire and/or leave fiery wakes as they fly. In Slavic and related tradition, dragons symbolize evil. Specific dragons are often given Turkic names (see Zilant), symbolizing the long-standing conflict between the Slavs and Turks. However, in Serbian and Bulgarian folklore, dragons are defenders of the crops in their home regions, fighting against a destructive demon Ala, whom they shoot with lightning.[9][10]
Zmey Gorynych – The dragon of the Slavic mythology. Its name is translated as "snake son-of-mountain" (due to the fact it lives in a mountain), it has three heads, wings, and it spits fire.
Chudo-Yudo – The dragon in Slavic mythology. Often multiheaded with any number of heads from three to ninety, it is most often an evil entity that kidnaps royal maidens or endanger the whole cities. Sometimes, he has a body of a giant human with heads of the serpent-like dragon. Most often supernaturally strong, sometimes with fiery breath, he is usually the main evil character in the story, though in some he is actually good or helping. In some versions, he is related to Koshchey the Deathless or Baba Yaga; in others, he is either of these two characters in their different form. Chudo-Yudo has a similarity to Greek Hydra, through to the fact that his head grow back (and sometimes multiply) when cut, so a lot of cunning is needed to beat him.
Similar to a wyvern or cockatrice, the Zilant is the symbol of the city of Kazan. Zilant itself is a Russian rendering of Tatar yılan, i.e., snake. By the Tataro-Bulgarian mythology lived in present-day Kazan and is represented on the city's coat of arms.
A gigantic cosmic winged sea serpent and later became a dragon via borrowing characteristics from Judeo-Christian Leviathan and Bahamut from modern media.
A creature from ancient Mesopotamian mythology found on Ishtar Gate. A mythological hybrid, it is a scaly dragon with hind legs resembling the talons of an eagle, feline forelegs, a long neck and tail, a horned head, a snake-like tongue, and a crest. Name means "reddish snake", sometimes also translated as "fierce snake".
A mythical reptilian creature that derives from Persian folklore, a gigantic snake or lizard-like creatures sometimes associated with rains and living in the air, in the sea, or on the earth.[13] It is said that eating the heart of an Azhdaha brings courage and bravery.
A dragon or serpent described with three heads, and one of the heads is human.[16] However, in later text Zahhak are described a human with two snakes growing off of each shoulder.[16] Zahhak originate in old Persian and Zoroastrian mythology.[16] In some translated versions of the book Alif Laylah (One Thousand and One Arabian Nights) Zahhak is described as a giant python-like serpent having a hood like cobra.
Aži Zairita, from Zoroastrian mythology (Avesta), the 'yellow dragon,' that is killed by the hero Kərəsāspa (In Middle Persian Kirsāsp).[17]
Aži Raoiδita, from Zoroastrian mythology (Avesta), the 'red dragon' conceived by Angra Mainyu's to bring about the 'daeva-induced winter' that is the reaction to Ahura Mazda's creation of the Airyanem Vaejah.[18]
A serpentine dragon common to all cultures influenced by Hinduism. They are often cloaked like a mongoose and may have several heads depending on their rank. They usually have no arms or legs but those with limbs resemble the Chinese dragon. Many of the naga are more inclined towards larger snakes, not dragons.
Kaliya nag, from Indian mythology which was defeated by lord Krishna. It is said that Krishna did not kill the snake and left it. The Kaliya Nag is said to have more than 1000 fangs.
Bhogavati, "peopled by snakes" in Hindi, is the residence of the Nāga King Varuṇa.
The Mahoraga (Sanskrit: महोरग), also pronounced as Maha-Uraga ("Greater Reptilians") are a race of deities in Buddhism, and Jainism. They are the exalted ones among the Uragas, a race of primordial reptilian beings who are cousins to the nāga. Like the nāga, they are often depicted as anthropomorphic beings with reptilian bodies from the waist down. However, their appearance can differ depending on artistic tradition, sometimes having serpent skin with humanoid bodies.[22]
Vritra, also known as "Ahi", is a serpent or dragon and is a major asura in Vedic religion. He is the personification of drought, and adversary of Indra the thunder god and king of heaven. He appears as a dragon blocking the course of the rivers and is heroically slain by Indra. The term ahi is cognate with the Zoroastrian Azi Dahaka.
Poubi Lai (also, Paubi Loi) was an ancient dragon python, who dwelled in the Loktak Lake of Manipur, in Meitei mythology and folklore. It is also referred to as "Loch Ness Monster of Manipur".
Taoroinai (Meitei: ꯇꯥꯎꯔꯣꯢꯅꯥꯢ, romanized: taau-roy-naay) is a snake-like dragon in Meitei mythology and religion. It lived in the land of the Moon. According to the Shakok Lamlen, the Kangla was constructed over the navel of Taoroinai.
Southeast Asian dragons
Indonesian/Malay dragons
Naga or Nogo
Derived from the Indiannāga, belief in the Indo-Malay dragon spread throughout Maritime Southeast Asia with Hinduism. The word naga is still the common Malay/Indonesian term for dragon.[23] Like its Indian counterpart, the naga is considered divine in nature, benevolent, and often associated with sacred mountains, forests, or certain parts of the sea.[citation needed]. In Indonesia, particularly Javanese and Balinese mythology, a naga is depicted as a crowned, giant, magical serpent, and sometimes winged.
The Khmer dragon, or neak is derived from the Indiannāga. Like its Indian counterpart, the neak is often depicted with cobra like characteristics such as a hood. The number of heads can be as high as nine, the higher the number the higher the rank. Odd-headed dragons are symbolic of male energy while even headed dragons symbolize female energy. Traditionally, a neak is distinguished from the often serpentine Makar and Tao, the former possessing crocodilian traits and the latter possessing feline traits. A dragon princess is the heroine of the creation myth of Cambodia.
The Bakunawa, who was initially a beautiful goddess, appears as a gigantic serpent that lives in the sea. Ancient natives believed that the Bakunawa caused the moon or the sun to disappear during an eclipse. It is said that during certain times of the year, the Bakunawa arises from the ocean and proceeds to swallow the moon whole. To keep the Bakunawa from completely eating the moon, the natives would go out of their houses with pots and pans in hand and make a noise barrage in order to scare the Bakunawa into spitting out the moon back into the sky. The creature is present in Bicolano and Visayan mythologies. It is blocked by the moon goddess Haliya in Bicolano mythology, while in Visayan mythology, it is stopped by the god of death, Sidapa.[24]
Láwû
A serpent from Kapampangan mythology which seeks to swallow the moon, and causes lunar eclipses.[25]
Olimaw
A winged phantom dragon-serpent from Ilokano mythology. It seeks to swallow the moon.[26]
Sawa
A huge serpent monster from Tagalog and Ati mythologies. It attempts to swallow the moon and sun. It is blocked by the god of the sun, Apolaki, and goddess of the moon, Mayari.[27]
Samal Naga
A gigantic, trapped dragon in the milky way. It is said that it will be freed and devour all those not faithful to their respective deities in Samal mythology.[28]
Kanlaon dragon
A mad dragon which used to live in Mount Kanlaon in Negros Island. According to Hiligaynon mythology, it was defeated by the epic heroes, Laon and Kan.[29]
A dragon that is represented with a spiral tail and a long fiery sword-fin. Dragons were personified as a caring mother with her children or a pair of dragons. Much like the Chinese Dragon, The Vietnamese Dragon is a water deity responsible for bringing rain during times of drought. Images of the Dragon King have 5 claws, while images of lesser dragons have only 4 claws.
The Chinese dragon, is a creature in Chinese mythology and is sometimes called the Oriental (or Eastern) dragon. Depicted as a long, snake-like creature with four legs, it has long been a potent symbol of auspicious power in Chinese folklore and art. This type of dragon, however, is sometimes depicted as a creature constructed of many animal parts and it might have the fins of fish, or the horns of a stag.
Shenlong, "god dragon" or "divine dragon", s a spiritual dragon from Chinese mythology who is the master of storms and also a bringer of rain. He is of equal significance to other creatures such as Tianlong, the celestial dragon.
Dilong, "earth dragon", one of many types of -long dragons such as shenlong and huanglong, the "Yellow Dragon".
Qiulong, a Chinese dragon was contradictorily defined as "horned dragon" and "hornless dragon".
The Hai-Riyo are fabulous composites from Japanese mythology[citation needed]. They have the body, claws, and wings of a bird with the head of a dragon.
Often used to describe a giant serpent or giant python in the legends of Japan.[33] During different periods of history, they have been referred to as orochi, daija, and uwabami, but all of these refer to the same creature.
A sky dragon, essentially the same as the Chinese lóng. Like the lóng, yong and the other Korean dragons are associated with water and weather. In pure Korean, it is also known as 'mireu'.
A hornless ocean dragon, sometimes equated with a sea serpent. Imoogi literally means, "Great Lizard". The legend of the Imoogi says that the sun god gave the Imoogi their power through a human girl, which would be transformed into the Imoogi on her 17th birthday. Legend also said that a dragon-shaped mark would be found on the shoulder of the girl, revealing that she was the Imoogi in human form.
A mountain dragon. In fact, the Chinese character for this word is also used for the imoogi.
Taiwanese dragons
Han Long
A dragon that holds the power to cause droughts in Taiwanese folklore.[34]
From Tibetan and Himalayan Mythology, a Dragon of Thunder similar to Shenlong in China, this Orb holding serpentine creature lives in the remote areas of Mt. Everest and gives snow and rain to the Tibetan people. Some say they are protectors of Shangrila.
Related to European Turkic and Slavic dragons, multi-headed man-eating monster in the mythology of Turkic peoples of Siberia, as well as Siberian Tatars.
Oceanian dragons
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Kihawahine is described as a woman, a giant black lizard, or a dragon with red or auburn hair. She may be missing an eye, lost in a battle with Haumea. Kihawahine is the oldest Aumakua or spiritual helper in Hawaii.
In Māori mythology, they are large supernatural beings that live in deep pools in rivers, dark caves, or in the sea, especially in places with dangerous currents or deceptive breakers (giant waves).
One of the most common form of native American dragons, a recurring figure among many indigenous tribes of the Southeast Woodlands and other tribal groups.
The name comes from the Old Tupi language and means "fiery serpent" (mboî tatá). Its great fiery eyes leave it almost blind by day, but by night, it can see everything. According to legend, Boi-tatá one was a big serpent which survived a great deluge.
Teju Jagua from Guaraní mythology is described was a huge lizard with seven dog-like heads, entitled to a "fiery gaze", and being associated as the god of fruits, caves and (more common with the Dragons in Europe) as the protector of hidden treasures.
Dragon or rather a Chimera of Inca Mythology. It had multiple heads consisting of either a puma's, a condor's, or a llama's head with a fox's muzzle, condor wings, snake's body, fish's tail, and coated in crocodilian or lizard scales. It was found frequently throughout Andean iconography and naming within the empire, and likely predates the rise of the Inca.
The serpent god of water, and the ruler of the sea in traditional Mapuche religion. Created by the god Ngenechen from his sons after a fight he had with them.
^Зечевић, Слободан (1981). Митска бића српских предања. Belgrade: "Вук Караџић" : Етнографски музеј. (A book in Serbian about mythical creatures of Serbian traditions)
^Беновска-Събкова, Милена. "Змей". Родово Наследство. Archived from the original on 2007-12-18. Retrieved 2007-08-13.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link) (An extract from the book Змеят в българския фолклор (The Dragon in Bulgarian Folklore), in Bulgarian)
^Zamyād Yasht, Yasht 19 of the Younger Avesta (Yasht 19.19). Translated by Helmut Humbach, Pallan Ichaporia. Wiesbaden. 1998.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: others (link)
^The Zend-Avesta, The Vendidad. The Sacred Books of the East Series. Vol. 1. Translated by James Darmesteter. Greenwood Publish Group. 1972. ISBN0837130700.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: others (link)
Barber, Elizabeth Wayland, and Paul T. Barber. "Fire-Breathing Dragons." In When They Severed Earth from Sky: How the Human Mind Shapes Myth, 231–44. PRINCETON; OXFORD: Princeton University Press, 2004. doi:10.2307/j.ctt7rt69.22.
Blust, Robert. "The Origin of Dragons." Anthropos 95, no. 2 (2000): 519–36. www.jstor.org/stable/40465957.
Stein, Ruth M. "The Changing Styles in Dragons—from Fáfnir to Smaug." Elementary English 45, no. 2 (1968): 179–89. www.jstor.org/stable/41386292.
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