The world of mythology has a plethora of dragons. In the world of the fantastic, no other creature, either real of imagined, occupies stage center, as does the dragon. Dragons come in many forms and are culturally derived. The function of a Chinese dragon, for example is to scare away evil spirits, while the duties of a European medieval dragon is to attempt to devour damsels in distress, unless of course a knight in shining armor, astride a white steed, happens to come along to rescue her, a daring deed indeed. Why do so many of us have this fascination with dragons? The answer is simple. It is in our nature to do so.
Has anyone ever seen a dragon? Shakespeare referred to dragons as more feared than seen. Desmond Morris, author of The Naked Ape, a naturalist with a fervent imagination, suggests that we should treat the dragon with the respect accorded to dinosaurs, which once ruled the world but have since fallen on hard times (Shuker 8).
That being said, there are a couple of specimens that come fairly close to qualifying as dragons. Unfortunately, not a single one of the giant lizards possesses the ability to fly and more importantly to breathe fire. How disappointing!
The Komodo dragon, the world's largest lizard, inhabiting Komodo Island and three other tiny islands off the southern tip of Sumatra Island, comes closest. This ferocious, flesh-eating creature remained unknown to science, until 1912 but due to its prowess was prominent in the minds of the inhabitants of the Sunda Islands. (76). Komodo
In the jungles of Papua New Guinea there could possibly be, Morris suggests, a ferocious dragon up to 30 feet in length, "which attacks and kills anyone it encounters" (76). Are the indigenous peoples of Papua New Guinea our rivals in myth creation? That is entirely possible for myths play a large role in oral cultures. In 1980, "a scientific expedition led by John Blashford-Snell encountered an artellia, which belonged to an already known lizard species. Adults can reach 15 feet in length but are much more slender than the Komodo dragon.
Was Blashford-Snell disappointed? Undoubtedly! Should we be? Not in the least, for the thirty-foot ferocious dragon of Papuan myth contains all of the elements of the fanciful legends of medieval times.
Where do dragons come from? Dragons evolve from a facet of a culture. Dragons have certain requirements. Not just any repulsive, beast fire-breathing or not, can qualify. What one culture embraces, another rejects.
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