The British TraditionThe 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 LegendDragons 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.
WyrmsA 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: WyvernsWyverns are small winged dragons with two legs and a barbed tail. They are common in British legend and are often found on heraldic blazons. A wyvern is normally illustrated statant (standing).For more information see the wyvern page.
The Welsh Dragon - Y Ddraig GochThe 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. Following this dream he took the red dragon as his emblem and it later became the badge of Wales.
SmugglersSome 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.See Also: All original material copyright © Trevor Mendham 2003-2006. Access to this site is subject to the site terms and conditions All trademarks mentioned on this site are the property of their respective owners. |