Dragons are mythological creatures that appear in many cultures around the world. The word "dragon" has its origin in the ancient Greek language. The Greek word "dracon" means "large sea serpent". In the modern era, the western dragon is typically a large, fire breathing, scaly, lizard like creature with wings, four legs and a tail. It is usually depicted with horns, crests and or spikes running down its back. Though a winged creature, the dragon is generally found in it's underground lair. Symbolically, the dragon is a highly complex creature - combining images of the serpent and the bird. Together, they formed one of the most powerful monsters dating back to antiquity. The dragon is symbolic of evil, strength and destruction in both chivalric and Christian traditions. In the Orient, the dragon symbolized supernatural power, wisdom and knowledge. While benevolent in eastern tradition, in the west, it was the embodiment of chaos and untamed nature. Dragons were usually guardians of a treasure, whether it be material (as in gold) or symbolic (as in knowledge). Heroes typically fight (slay) dragons - the killing of the dragon represented the conflict between light and darkness - the good slaying the forces of evil. The most common western dragon had four legs, two wings and breathed fire, however, in heraldry, dragons with two back legs, and two front wings (called wyvern) most often found their way onto the shields, flags and coats of arms of European nobility, In Norse tradition, dragons are serpentine creatures, more like a monstrous sea serpent or snake-like creature. The Viking ships, called dragon boats, were representations of their dragons. In this drawing I have combined the typical western dragon body with the head of the Norse dragon.
- WELCOME
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Gallery of Images
- ALICE
- ANGEL
- BLACK CAT
- BLACK STALLION
- CELTIC COAT OF ARMS
- CELTIC CROSS
- COMPASS ROSE
- DEMON / PHOENIX
- DRAGON - NORSE
- DRAGON - WESTERN
- DRAGONFLY
- DREAM CATCHER
- EAGLE 1
- EAGLE 2
- EGYPTIAN
- ELEPHANT
- EYE OF rA / HORUS
- FAIRY DRAGON RIDER
- FAIRY DREAMS
- FALCON IN FLIGHT
- GRIFFIN
- HIPPOCAMPUS AND THE NEREIDE
- HUMMINGBIRD
- HYDRA
- IRON BUTTERFLY
- JURASSIC PARK
- KRAKEN
- LION
- LIZARD
- MAMMOTH
- MEDUSA I
- MEDUSA II
- MINOTAUR
- ORCA
- PANTHER IN A TREE
- PEGASUS
- PEREGRINE
- RAVEN
- SABER CAT
- SAMURAI
- SIREN OF THE SEA
- TEMPLAR
- TOTEMS of the FIRST PEOPLE
- TREE OF LIFE
- TYRANNOSAURUS REX
- UNICORN
- VAMPIRE
- WOLF
- WYVERN
- ZEBRA
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