European dragon
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| - | '''Margaret the Virgin''', also known as '''Margaret of Antioch''' (in [[Pisidia]]), virgin and [[martyr]], is celebrated by the [[Roman Catholic Church|Roman Catholic]] and [[Anglican Church|Anglican]] Churches on July 20 and July 17 in the [[Eastern Church]]. Her historical existence is dubious; she was declared [[apocryphal]] by [[Pope Gelasius I]] in 494, but devotion to her revived in the West with the [[Crusade]]s. She was reputed to have promised very powerful [[indulgence]]s to those who wrote or read her life, or invoked her intercession; these no doubt helped the spread of her cult. | ||
| - | According to the [[Golden Legend]], she was a native of [[Antioch]], daughter of a pagan priest named Aedesius. She was scorned by her father for her [[Christian]] faith, and lived in the country with a foster-mother keeping sheep. Olybrius, the ''praeses orientis'', offered her marriage at the price of her renunciation of [[Christianity]]. Upon her refusal, she was cruelly tortured, during which various miraculous incidents occurred. One of these involved being swallowed by [[Satan]] in the shape of a [[European dragon|dragon]], from which she escaped alive when the [[cross]] she carried irritated the dragon's innards. The Golden Legend, in an atypical moment of scepticism, describes this last incident as "apocryphal and not to be taken seriously" (trans. Ryan, 1.369). She was put to death in [[A.D.]] 304. | + | '''European dragons''' are [[legendary creature]]s in [[folklore]] and [[mythology]] among the overlapping [[culture of Europe|cultures of Europe]]. |
| - | The Greek church knows Margaret as Marina, and celebrates her festival on July 17. She has been identified with [[Saint Pelagia]] – "Marina" being the Latin equivalent of the Greek name "Pelagia" – who, according to a legend, was also called Margarita. We possess no historical documents on St Margaret as distinct from St Pelagia. The Greek Marina came from [[Antioch, Pisidia]], but this distinction was lost in the West. | + | In [[Europe]]an [[folklore]], a '''[[dragon]]''' is a [[Serpent (symbolism)|serpentine]] [[legendary creature]]. The Latin word ''draco,'' as in [[Draco (constellation)|constellation Draco]], comes directly from [[Ancient Greek|Greek]] ''δράκων'', (drákōn, ''gazer''). The word for dragon in [[Germanic mythology]] and its descendants is ''[[wiktionary:worm|worm]]'' ([[Old English language|Old English]]: ''wyrm'', [[Old High German]]: ''wurm'', [[Old Norse language|Old Norse]]: ''ormr''), meaning snake or serpent. In Old English ''wyrm'' means "serpent", ''draca'' means "dragon". Finnish ''lohikäärme'' means directly "salmon-snake", but the word ''lohi-'' was originally ''louhi-'' meaning crags or rocks, a "mountain snake". Though a winged creature, the dragon is generally to be found in its underground [[lair]], a cave that identifies it as an ancient creature of earth. Likely, the dragons of European and Mid Eastern mythology stem from the [[Serpent (symbolism)|cult of snakes]] found in religions throughout the world. |
| - | An attempt has been made, but without success, to prove that the group of legends with which that of Saint Margaret is connected is derived from a transformation of the pagan divinity [[Aphrodite]] into a [[Christian]] [[saint]]. The problem of her identity is a purely literary question. | + | In Western folklore, dragons are usually portrayed as [[evil]], with the exceptions mainly appearing in modern fiction. In the modern period the dragon is typically depicted as a huge fire-breathing, scaly and horned [[dinosaur]]-like creature, with leathery wings, with four legs and a long muscular tail. It is sometimes shown with feathered wings, crests, fiery manes, ivory spikes running down its spine and various exotic colorations. Iconically it has at last combined the [[Chinese dragon]] with the western one. |
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| - | The cult of Saint Margaret became very widespread in [[England]], where more than 250 churches are dedicated to her. Some consider her a [[patron saint]] of [[pregnancy]]. In art, she is usually pictured escaping from the dragon. | + | |
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| - | She is recognized as a [[saint]] by the [[Roman Catholic Church]], being listed as such in the [[Roman Martyrology]] for July 20. She was also included from the twelfth to the twentieth century among the saints to be commemorated wherever the [[Roman Rite]] was celebrated, but was then removed from that list because of the entirely fabulous character of the stories told of her. Margaret is one of the [[Fourteen Holy Helpers]], and is one of the saints who spoke to [[Joan of Arc]]. | + | |
| + | Many modern stories represent dragons as extremely [[intelligence (trait)|intelligent]] creatures who can talk, associated with (and sometimes in control of) powerful [[magic (paranormal)|magic]]. In stories a dragon's blood often has magical properties: for example in the [[Siegfried (opera)|opera ''Siegfried'']] it let [[Siegfried]] understand the language of the Forest Bird. The typical dragon protects a cavern or castle filled with [[gold]] and [[treasure]] and is often associated with a great hero who tries to slay it, but dragons can be written into a story in as many ways as a human character. This includes the monster being used as a wise being whom heroes could approach for help and advice, so much so that they resembled Asian dragons rather than European dragons of myth. | ||
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Revision as of 08:59, 13 November 2009
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European dragons are legendary creatures in folklore and mythology among the overlapping cultures of Europe.
In European folklore, a dragon is a serpentine legendary creature. The Latin word draco, as in constellation Draco, comes directly from Greek δράκων, (drákōn, gazer). The word for dragon in Germanic mythology and its descendants is worm (Old English: wyrm, Old High German: wurm, Old Norse: ormr), meaning snake or serpent. In Old English wyrm means "serpent", draca means "dragon". Finnish lohikäärme means directly "salmon-snake", but the word lohi- was originally louhi- meaning crags or rocks, a "mountain snake". Though a winged creature, the dragon is generally to be found in its underground lair, a cave that identifies it as an ancient creature of earth. Likely, the dragons of European and Mid Eastern mythology stem from the cult of snakes found in religions throughout the world.
In Western folklore, dragons are usually portrayed as evil, with the exceptions mainly appearing in modern fiction. In the modern period the dragon is typically depicted as a huge fire-breathing, scaly and horned dinosaur-like creature, with leathery wings, with four legs and a long muscular tail. It is sometimes shown with feathered wings, crests, fiery manes, ivory spikes running down its spine and various exotic colorations. Iconically it has at last combined the Chinese dragon with the western one.
Many modern stories represent dragons as extremely intelligent creatures who can talk, associated with (and sometimes in control of) powerful magic. In stories a dragon's blood often has magical properties: for example in the opera Siegfried it let Siegfried understand the language of the Forest Bird. The typical dragon protects a cavern or castle filled with gold and treasure and is often associated with a great hero who tries to slay it, but dragons can be written into a story in as many ways as a human character. This includes the monster being used as a wise being whom heroes could approach for help and advice, so much so that they resembled Asian dragons rather than European dragons of myth.
