The Mystic Voodoo
Where Art, Psychology, and Mythology Collide
The Mystic Voodoo Where Art, Psychology, and Mythology Collide
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Dragons & Dragon Lore The dragon is a mythical creature typically depicted as a gigantic and powerful serpent or other reptile with magical or spiritual qualities.On this page find dragon Classifications, Types of Dragons, European Dragons, Asian Dragons, Egyptian Dragons, African Dragons, Babylonian Dragons, Indian Dragons, the Ouroboros, Dragon Spells, Dragon Lore, and the Legend of St. George and the Dragon.
A 15th-century plaque portraying the legend of St George The dragon is a mythical creature typically depicted as a gigantic and powerful serpent or other reptile with magical or spiritual qualities. Dragons are often held to have major spiritual significance in various religions and cultures around the world. In many Eastern and Native American cultures dragons were, and in some cultures still are, revered as representative of the primal forces of nature, religion and the universe. Many pre-Columbian cultures were fascinated by the power of dragons. The Moche people depicted dragons frequently in their ceramics. They are associated with wisdom—often said to be wiser than humans—and longevity. They are commonly said to possess some form of magic or other supernatural power, and are often associated with wells, rain, and rivers. In some cultures, they are also said to be capable of human speech. References Berrin, Katherine & Larco Museum. The Spirit of Ancient Peru:Treasures from the Museo Arqueológico Rafael Larco Herrera. New York: Thames and Hudson, 1997.
There are four main sub-classifications of dragons which are listed here for the curious. LINDWORM
AMPITERE
The flow of energies from Ampiteres has a looping effect, which pulses forward, increasing in strength with each loop (http://www.dragonmuse.com/lore1-1.html). WYVERN
GUIVERE The Guivere dragon classification has fins and is thus adapted to water. It is footless and wingless. The Guivere's energies are slow and flowing (http://www.dragonmuse.com/lore1-1.html).
While these are the main subcategories, you will find many variations of each as they tend to interbreed. This makes identification a tricky affair, to say the least! Types of Dragons
Chinese dragon, color engraving on wood, Chinese school, nineteenth Century
Indonesian dragon (Naga or Nogo) Naga is a mythical animal from Indonesian mythology, and the myth encompasses almost all of the islands of Indonesia, especially those who were influenced heavily by Hindu culture(including Malaya. in fact, the word 'Naga' is a common noun for dragon in Malay). Like its Indian counterpart, it is considered as divine in nature, benevolent, and often associated with sacred mountains, forests, or certain parts of the sea. Chinese dragon (Lóng or Loong) "Lung" being an inaccurate, but commonly used, romanization.) The Chinese dragon, is a mythical Chinese creature that also appears in other East Asian cultures, and is also sometimes called the Oriental (or Eastern) dragon. Depicted as a long, snake-like creature with four claws, it has long been a potent symbol of auspicious power in Chinese folklore and art. Japanese dragon (Ryū) Similar to Chinese dragons, with three claws instead of four. They are benevolent (with exceptions), associated with water, and may grant wishes. Philippine Dragon (Bakonawa) The Bakonawa appears as a gigantic serpent that lives in the sea. Ancient natives believed that the Bakonawa caused the moon or the sun to disappear during an eclipse.It is said that during certain times of the year, the bakonawa arises from the ocean and proceeds to swallow the moon whole. To keep the Bakonawa from completely eating the moon, the natives would go out of their houses with pans and pots in hand and make a noise barrage in order to scare the Bakonawa into spitting out the moon back into the sky.
Korean dragon (Yong) 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. The yo is a hornless ocean dragon, sometimes equated with a sea serpent. The kyo is a mountain dragon. Vietnamese dragon (Rồng or Long) These dragons' bodies curve lithely, in sine shape, with 12 sections, symbolising 12 months in the year. They are able to change the weather, and are responsible for crops. On the dragon's back are little, uninterrupted, regular fins. The head has a long mane, beard, prominent eyes, crest on nose, but no horns. The jaw is large and opened, with a long, thin tongue; they always keep a châu (gem/jewel) in their mouths (a symbol of humanity, nobility and knowledge). Siberian dragon (Yilbegan) Related to European Turkic and Slavic dragons
This work of art is in the public domain because its copyright has expired.
1478 drawing by Theodoros Pelecanos, in alchemical tract titled Synosius.
The name ouroboros means "tail-devourer" in Greek. It is an ancient and important mythical and religious symbol depicting a dragon or serpent with its tail in its mouth which forms a circle. This image has represented numerous things throughout time including the concepts of cyclicality, primordial unity, and the vicious circle. It has also been frequently used in alchemical illustrations. More recently, it has been interpreted by psychologists, such as Carl Jung, as having an archetypal significance to the human psyche.
Engraving of Ouroboros (a dragon swallowing its own tail) byLucas Jennis. Published on an alchemical emblem-book entitled De Lapide Philisophico (1625)
The Legend of Saint George and the Dragon
Saint George and the Dragon, Paolo Uccello, c. 1470. This small one has the look of a griffin or a wyvern. The work of art depicted in this image and the reproduction thereof are in the public domain worldwide.
Who was Saint George?
Saint George is one of the Fourteen Holy Helpers - a group of saints venerated together in Roman Catholicism because their intercession was thought to be particularly effective against various diseases, in particular. In Christianity, the veneration of saints is a special act of honoring them, shown outwardly by respectfully bowing or making the sign of the cross before a saint's icon, relics, or statue, or by kissing these holy artifacts. The Fourteen Holy Helpers, also called "Nothelfer" (helpers in need) originated in the Rhineland during the 14th century as a result of the Black Death (a probable epidemic of bubonic plague).
Fourteen Holy Helpers
The Legend
According to the Western version of the legend, a dragon makes its nest at the spring that provides water for the city of "Silene" (perhaps modern Cyrene) in Libya or the city of Lydda, depending on the source. Consequently, the citizens have to dislodge the dragon from its nest for a time, in order to collect water. To do so, each day they offer the dragon a human sacrifice. The victim is chosen by drawing lots. One day, this happened to be the princess. The monarch begs for her life with no result. She is offered to the dragon, but there appears the saint on his travels. He faces the dragon, slays it and rescues the princess. The grateful citizens abandon their ancestral paganism and convert to Christianity. Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_George#Saint_George_and_the_Dragon
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These pictures are licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. 
According to the available writings on Christian saints, Saint George was a soldier of the Roman Empire, from the Greek-speaking region of Anatolia, now modern day Turkey. Saint George is one of the most revered Christian martyrs, as he is the patron saint of Aragón, Canada, Catalonia, Deptford; England, Ethiopia, Georgia, Greece, Montenegro, Portugal, Serbia, Russia, and Palestine, as well as the cities of Genoa, Beirut, Ljubljana, Freiburg, Amersfoort, Ferrara and Moscow, as well as a wide range of professions, organisations and disease sufferers.. He became immortalized in the legend of George and the Dragon. 