The British Tradition
The most famous dragon of British folklore is, of course, the one slain by Saint George, patron saint of England (albeit the incident took place in Libya!). However Britain has many other dragons and similar creatures.
Arthurian Legend
Dragons are rarely appear centre stage in Arthurian legends, however they are clearly present. Arthur's father was Uther "Pendragon" - literally "chief dragon". The prophecy of the young Merlin (Myrddin Emrys) to Vortigern involved dragons. Both Tristan and Lancelot are dragon slayers.
Wyrms
A common type of dragon in Britain was the Wyrm (an archaic variant of "worm"), a large serpentine creature that was often associated with water. Perhaps the best known of British wyrms is "Nessie" - the Loch Ness monster.
Other British Wyrms include:
Wyverns
Wyverns are small winged dragons with two legs and a barbed tail. They are common in British legend and are often found on heraldic blazons. In heraldry a wyvern is normally illustrated statant (standing).
For more information see the wyvern page.
The Welsh Dragon - Y Ddraig Goch
The red dragon is the national symbol of Wales and appears on the Welsh flag (gardant - one leg raised). It is believed to have been introduced by the Romans in the fourth century.
Another legend says that King Uther (father of Arthur) dreamed of a fiery red dragon. His interpretation of the dream's meaning led him to take the red dragon as his emblem and it later became the badge of Wales.
Smugglers
Some people believe that many local superstitions - including dragon tales - were in fact invented and spread by smugglers. These stories would account for unexpected lights and noise whilst at the same time keeping scared locals away from the area.