Legends of dragons have been passed on in cultures around the world for millennia, making them rich, symbolic creatures. Keeping these traditions alive, we feature three unique dragon designs: The Winged Dragon, The Dragon, and The Dragon’s Castle.
Dragon derives from the Greek ‘drakon,’ meaning “large serpent.” Celtic kings in Britain were called “dragons”; in Arthurian legends, Uther, father of Arthur, was named the Pendragon (Head Dragon) or High King.
Our “Dragon” design is inspired by Chinese mythology, in which the dragon is a wingless creature that surveys the domains of man and the heavens. As the legends go, celestial dragons guard the abodes of the gods. Dragon spirits exist on our plane and rule over wind and rain, bestowing fruitful harvests but also cursing man with flooding in times of turmoil. There are earth dragons that cleanse the rivers and deepen the oceans and treasure guarding dragons watching over mountains of gold. The dragon can also denote nobility, such as the imperial dragons, which are depicted with five claws instead of the usual four–a tradition dating back to the Ming dynasty. In Taoism, the dragon represents the yang principle and is often portrayed as surrounded by water or clouds. The Chinese dragon is thus associated with sublime elemental powers.
On the other side of the world, the Europeans had their own myths of serpent creatures, which we immortalize in our “Winged Dragon” medallion. To the Europeans, the dragon was a winged creature, generally found in its chthonic lair, often a cave that identifies it as an ancient ancient earth creature, like the mythic serpent that was a source of knowledge in the gardens of Eden. The Dragon is sometimes known by the Nordic word ormr (deriving from Old English wyrm meaning serpent and Draco meaning dragon). For the Greeks of the Classical times, dragons were terrifying earth-born remnants of an earlier age, dark creatures that had to be heroically eliminated. Dragons were guardians of underground power sources and often guarded the more literal sources, springs, where the watery underworld burst to the surface. The water dragon most widely depicted was called the “Hydra.” The serpent-like dragon guardian of the spring or cleft, where healing and oracular properties were to be obtained through great acts of bravery, was a protector of the original inhabitants of Greece (Pelasgians) and their prehistoric lore. Always, in the literary myths that have survived, the hero from the new Olympian age is seen to destroy the dragon, never to consult it. At Delphi, the ancient oracle came from the Goddess’s serpentine dragon deep in the aperture, the Python and his seeress, but Apollo “saved” the inhabitants of Delphi from its “ravages”— then assumed the oracular powers for himself.
Another Eurocentric dragon is depicted on our “Dragon’s Castle” medallion. The design is entrenched in the rich lore of the dragon, but is also inspired by legends of dragons yet to come. We at Quick Silver are no strangers to Dungeons and Dragons. In fact, our founder, Michael Stewart, has been collecting D&D miniatures since the game’s creation in the 1970’s. The game has come a long way, from its wargaming origins, to its modern, roleplaying-based gameplay. A mainstay of the franchise, and its titular creature remains an epic quest for any party of adventurers. The fantastical design of our “Dragon’s Castle” medallion evokes the beauty, the grandeur, and the terror of the dragon. As rewarding as it is for the party to ambush the dragon in its lair, slay the monstrous beast, and righteously take its mighty pile of loot, it’s the story and character of the dragon that sticks in players’ heads. We hope that the history and the myths of dragons encourage you to create your own legends, keeping the oral history alive.
Dragons of Slavic mythology hold mixed temperaments towards humans. For example, dragons in Bulgarian mythology are either male or female, each gender having a different view of humanity. The female and male dragons, often seen as brother and sister, represent various forces of agriculture. The female dragon represents harsh weather and is the destroyer of crops, the hater of humanity, and is locked in a never-ending battle with her brother. The male dragon protects the humans’ crops from destruction and generally loves humanity. Fire and water play significant roles in Bulgarian dragon lore; the female has water characteristics, while the male is usually a fiery creature. In Bulgarian legend, dragons are three-headed, winged beings with snake bodies.
The most famous dragons in Norse mythology and Germanic mythology are Jormungand, a form of cobra so big that the earth-disc can be encircled by it; the dragon encountered by Beowulf; and Fafnir, who Siegfried killed. Fafnir turned into a dragon because of his greed. Many European stories of dragons have them guarding a treasure hoard. Fafnir’s and Beowulf’s dragons guarded earthen mounds full of ancient treasure. The treasure was cursed and brought ill to those who later possessed it. Dragons in the emblem books popular from late medieval times through the 17th century often represent the dragon as an emblem of greed. The prevalence of dragons in European heraldry demonstrates that there is more to the dragon than greed.
Although today we associate dragons almost universally with fire, in medieval legend, the creatures were often associated with water, guarding springs, or living near or under water.
Other European legends about dragons include “Saint George and the Dragon,” in which a brave knight defeats a dragon holding a princess captive. This legend may be a Christianized version of the myth of Perseus or the mounted Phrygian god Sabazios vanquishing the chthonic serpent, but its origins are obscure. Saint George is the Patron Saint of England. Meanwhile, across the border, a red dragon is represented on the Welsh flag, a clash of symbolism that relays the history of the two former-rivaling nations.
Legends of dragons are vast and diverse, hence, we’ve dedicated multiple designs to them. Whether they be friend or foe, it’s clear that the dragons that have existed in our collective consciousness are here to stay.