32 Amazing Dragon Facts

By Karin Lehnardt, Senior Writer

Published August 27, 2020

A dragon, the ultimate evil foil for a "good" knight, derives its fire-breathing mouth from medieval depictions of the mouth of hell. The entrance to hell was often depicted as a monster's literal mouth._[3]
One researcher notes that dragon legends appear in nearly all cultures because humans are universally afraid of snake-like creatures._[2]
During the Middle Ages, dragons developed a liking for young women._[2]
In China, dragons symbolize wealth, power, and leadership._[5]
In China, emperors were believed to be descendants of dragons._[5]
In the twelve-animal Chinese zodiac, the fifth year is the year of the dragon. Couples often try to plan their pregnancies to coincide with the Year of the Dragon._[5]

"And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world"

(Revelation 12:9)

The Bible mentions a dragon in the Book of Revelation, chapters 12–14, where he is seen as the Devil. The King James translation of the Bible actually mentions dragons at least 35 times._[5]
A little dragon is called a "dragonet." However, in mythology, smaller dragons were often more fierce and deadly than larger ones._[5]
Of all the dragon slayers in literature and mythology, St. George, the patron saint of Catalonia and England, is the most well-known._[5]
In European lore, the best weapon for killing a dragon was the lance. The proper way to kill a dragon was to throw the lance into the dragon's mouth because scales protected the rest of the dragon's body._[5]
One of the most iconic dragons in literature is Smaug, from J.R.R. Tolkien's classic novel The Hobbit._[5]
Historians believe dragon mythologies evolved independently in Europe and China._[5]
In many stories, dragon blood often has magical properties. For example, dragon blood allows Siegfried in Richard Wagner's "The Ring" to understand the language of the Forest Bird._[5]
Dragons often appear in medieval fantasy literature rather than in the more technology-oriented sci-fi world._[3]
In the Harry Potter universe, the heart string of a dragon can be used as the core of a wand._[2]

But it is one thing to read about dragons and another to meet them.

- Ursula K. Le Guin, A Wizard of Earthsea

In mythology, a female dragon is called a drakaina, which is the feminine form of the ancient Greek word for dragon, drakon._[5]
In early dragon literature, before flying became popular, dragons would drop out of trees onto people's heads._[5]
In medieval folklore, St. Margaret of Antioch was imprisoned for her Christian beliefs. In prison, a dragon swallowed her, but according to legend, God helped her burst out of the dragon's stomach, killing it. She later became the patron saint of childbirth._[5]
The word "dragon" comes from the ancient Greek word draconata, meaning "to watch" or "to see." The root may refer to a dragon's reputation for guarding treasure, either real or metaphorical._[1]

In Greek mythology, the gods created dragons to watch treasures.

China is home to the most places named after dragons._[5]
In the Harry Potter world, a wizard or witch who trades and sells dragon eggs is called a dragon dealer. The practice is illegal._[5]
Ancient discoveries of dinosaur bones may have led people to believe in dragons._[4]
Since the 600s AD, the red dragon has been a symbol of Wales. Historically, the greatest Welsh warriors were dubbed "pendragon," meaning "dragon head" or "leader."_[4]
Dragons from Eastern cultures are more often depicted as kind, wise, and benevolent. Dragons from Western cultures typically are fire-breathing, evil, and symbolic of the battle between good and evil._[3]

Eastern dragons are usually more benevolent than Western dragons

In Game of Thrones, dragons never stop growing as long as they live. However, caging a dragon stunts its growth and may even make it shrink._[5]
Some Viking longships had carvings of dragon heads on their prows (fronts). The Vikings called these ships "drakkar," or "dragon ships."_[4]
Red-colored stones are sometimes called "dragon stones" because they were believed to be hardened lumps of dragon blood._[4]

The tail of the snake is a phallic symbol, and the mouth is a womb-like symbol.

The Uroboros, or tail-biting dragon, symbolizes the eternal circle of life. It is also an important symbol for medieval alchemists._[5]
Similar to Chinese and Japanese dragons, those of India are usually pictured as giant, wingless serpents. The most famous Indian dragon is Critra, meaning "enclosure." It has three heads, and its body is wrapped around the world._[2]
Scholars trace the dragon myth to ancient Babylon, 4,000 years ago. According to a Babylonian creation myth, Tiamat, a giant sea dragon, was murdered and his body cut in two, creating the sky and earth. From the dragon's blood sprang the first human._[3]
People who study dragons are called dragonologist._[4]
The name "Smaug" is from low Germanic, meaning "to squeeze through a hole."_[4]