Here are six mythical red dragon names entities, each with its own story and origins.
1. The red dragon of Wales.
This is the most well-known image of a dragon, due to two reasons: firstly, pictures of dragons were not common in European art before the 18th century; secondly, there are comparatively few dragons in Welsh mythology (which lends them more significance).
However, this red dragon was one powerful creature! It supposedly guarded the treasure that King Arthur needed to win at his final battle with Mordred. King Arthur also needs the assistance of the Lady of the Lake to slay it.
2. The dragon of the sea.
The Kraken is a giant squid-like monster that lives in the depths of the oceans. There are several varieties of kraken, but all represent a malevolent force that seeks to drag ships under the sea; able to grow viciously larger as it takes resources, and it will not stop until its target has been destroyed or given up all its goods for safe keeping.
Some tales tell how this beast can be slain. In some tales it is chained, in others it is tricked. In others still, it is allowed to be slain by the legendary hero Perseus. That he actually slew the kraken is debatable, but what we do know is that the Kraken did not survive this encounter.
3. The dragon of Death and Time.
Lohengrin (German: “leader of heroes”, French: “lohengrin”) is a legendary knight of the Holy Roman Empire (called Germany) who was believed to have been sent by God to bring Christ’s relics back to Europe after they were taken by Orfeo and Charon in purgatory during the Middle Ages (14th century). Lohengrin is also the protagonist of an opera by Richard Wagner, Lohengrin (1848).
Lohengrin was believed to be a knight of the Holy Roman Empire who was sent by God to bring Christ’s relics back to Europe after they were taken by Orfeo and Charon in purgatory during the Middle Ages (14th century). Lohengrin is also the protagonist of an opera by Richard Wagner. Both are based on a legend of the Holy Grail, known as La Chanson de Roland and Le Chevalier à la rose.
4. The dragon that rules the primeval waters.
The kraken is a powerful sea-monster in Germanic mythology, especially that of the Vikings and Greenlanders. It is described as a giant squid-like creature, with rough edges and razor-sharp teeth. Some tales tell how this beast can be slain.
In some tales it is chained, in others it is tricked. In others still, it is allowed to be slain by the legendary hero Perseus. In one story told about the kraken in Norway (and by no means rare) it was fed bad fish so often that eventually it simply died because of this and could not be killed any other way (see also: Annis).
5. The dragon of the earth.
The Chinese dragon, dubbed the “lesser” dragon among four Chinese dragons, is representative of the element earth, and believed to be a benevolent creature that brings good luck and fortune. Like many other creatures in Chinese mythology, it is also a symbol of imperial power and strength.
It is often compared to the Yang (being solar) and Yin (being lunar). In modern times, this legendary creature has evolved into a national emblem for China and been used in many different ways in the service of various political movements and commercial enterprises.
6. The dragon that protects treasure from possession by mortals or evil creatures.
The gold dragon is the guardian of gold, used by the Chinese to help them protect it from any who do not respect its importance. It is also believed that this symbol represented dragon power and strength, guarded wealth, and a prevalent symbol of extreme wealth. The scarab metal statue was placed over an elemental door in the famous temple at Dendera.
The statue is said to have been carved before the creation of man and represents Shu (god of air) protecting the earth from chaos and imbalance. There were two versions: one with only one head; another with four heads. The symbol is said to have been used by the ancient Egyptians as an emblem of incorruptibility and virtue.
The dragon is a creature that embodies visions, fantasies, the imaginary. It is capable of capturing images in its form, and can appear like other creatures. Because it has no physical presence, it becomes a symbol to represent something that we do not understand yet. The definition of “dragon” may be a synonym for “myth”, but “dragon” also represents a fabulous and extraordinary creature that has intelligence but is not human.
