What Dragons Look Like Around The World

If you were asked to identify the first fantasy monster that came into your head, there would be more than a fire-breathing chance that you would shout out "dragons." From Daenerys' three dragons in "Game of Thrones" to J.R.R. Tolkien's Smaug to Puff the Magic Dragon, dragon lore is wildly popular today. But in traditional culture, the dragon had a much deeper resonance. It represented primal forces of creation, destruction, and death. The dragon has figured in human folklore and mythology since its earliest days all around the world. It is truly remarkable that all around the world, almost every tradition has created some sort of dragon mythos to represent primal forces. If dragons were classified scientifically, there would be two main branches of the dragon family, one originating in East Asia, and the other originating in the Middle East and Europe. Then there are similar serpentine monsters in other traditions around the world.

Dragons, as described by Britannica, come from the Greek word "drakōn," a term used to describe any large serpent. Dragons, therefore, are essentially serpents or snakes, though imbued with power. As the dragon mythos developed, the physical shape of the creatures evolved, with some types of dragons co-opting a hodgepodge of other animal characteristics. Because of this, folklore around the world has different versions, or species, of dragons. Let's take a look at what some of the more prominent dragons around the world look like.

Japanese dragons fall firmly into the tradition of Chinese dragons, albeit with their own unique characteristics. As described by "The Mythical Creatures Bible," the Japanese dragon, called Ryu, is antlered and usually possesses three claws, although there are some depictions which give these creatures up to five. "All About Chinese Dragons" further describes the Japanese dragons as more slender than Chinese dragons and more land-based. 

Imperial tradition in Japan, like other Asian royal traditions, ties dragon ancestry as a part of royal lineage. However, Japanese dragons depart from typical munificent Asian dragons in that some are evil. One, Yamata-no-Orochi, sported eight heads, eight tails, and eight claws per foot. This evil dragon devoured seven sisters but was finally dispatched by the storm god Susanuo, who got the beast drunk and chopped off each head as it dunked it into a barrel of sake. According to the Japan Encyclopedia, after dispatching the monster, the god discovered the magic sword Kusanagi no Tsurugi, which would become a part of Imperial Japan's regalia.

The Hindu and Buddhist naga is a creature that is often classified alongside dragons or at least as a very close cousin to them. According to Britannica, the name "naga" is the Sanskrit word for "serpent." Nagas were said to be half-human and half-cobra. Naga were sent to a bejeweled underworld kingdom called Naga-loka by Brahma when they became too numerous on Earth. Their function was to bite those who were to prematurely die or those that were evil. 

"The Handbook of Tibetan Buddhist Symbols" describes how in Buddhist mythology, Naga were also capable of full human form and most closely associated with aquatic realms as well as being the guardians of fabulous treasures. The nagas were also divided into five castes which corresponded to the castes of traditional Hinduism. Typically, nagas were depicted as having serpentine bodies but with a human upper body. Almost always, they were white in coloration, with their hands in supplication or offering jewels. About the Naga's head there was almost always a cobra hood.

In the classical West, the Greeks and Romans depicted dragons through a variety of mythological monsters, each with variations. Their versions were spawned out of the more evil dragon myths of the ancient the Middle East. One of the most famous tales is that of the Hydra. This monster, according to Britannica, was a water snake creature with about nine heads.

The Hydra's most famous characteristic was that each time a head was cut off, two more would appear. As described by Tufts University's Perseus Project, the monster terrorized the swamps of a region called Lerna when the hero Heracles (aka Hercules) was tasked to kill it as part of his famous Twelve Labors. To slay the monster, Heracles first lured it out of its den by shooting flaming arrows. Then Heracles grappled with it. Every time the hero destroyed a head, his companion Iolaus cauterized the monster's neck so new heads would not grow. After Heracles cut off the final head, which was immortal, he buried it on the side of the road and covered it with a big rock.

Another destructive dragon from classical mythology is the Python. Python, naturally enough, was a humongous snake which, as described by Britannica, had angered the god Apollo either because it wanted to give its own oracles or attacked Apollo's mother Leto while she was pregnant with the god. Either way, Apollo killed it while still a babe.

The wyvern, or guivre in French, is a variation of the Western dragon which makes one of its earliest appearances on the Bayeux Tapestry, representing the Anglo-Saxons during William the Conqueror's conquest of England. In fact, it is thought that this early appearance of the wyvern may have inspired the famous Red Dragon of the Welsh flag. Research by William Sayers shows that the wyvern had a mixed origin among Saxon, Germanic, and Norman peoples, although the creature itself had a slow evolution from that of just an ordinary evil poisonous snake to that of a hybrid fantastical beast.

As analyzed in "Fictitious and Symbolic Creatures in Art," the wyvern is a flying serpent with the body and head of a traditional dragon but with the legs of a raptor such as an eagle. Its tail is barbed. They are somewhat like the dragons of the "Game of Thrones" universe in this respect. Wyverns are common in heraldry and supposedly represent tyranny and pestilence, as well as conquest of a vicious enemy. Sometimes, wyverns are depicted without their bat-like wings, which reclassifies them into the subspecies lindworms.

Sea serpents are, in shape, form, and essence, aquatic dragons. Most cultural traditions that are close to the sea have some lore concerning these monsters. According to Britannica, ancient Middle Eastern and Hebrew lore speaks of how a god or gods had to defeat a dragon-like creature in creation. In Hebrew tradition, it is Leviathan, usually described as a monstrous sea serpent or dragon. In Mesopotamia, the sea goddess Tiamat was subdued by the god Marduk and used to create the world. In both cases, these myths are obvious allegories of the struggle between order and chaos.

There are some very fringe notions that sea serpents might actually exist. This is mainly due to the fact that it is much easier to confuse a pod of dolphins and its undulating movements with that of a huge serpent. Also, when considering that there are already monstrous things in the ocean such as giant squid, it is easy to see how they can be easily confused with krakens.

Contrasting with the feathered serpent of ancient Mexico is the peuchen of southern Chile. Here, folklore takes a dark turn to combine the dragon with everybody's favorite monster: the vampire. According to the "Encyclopedia of Beasts and Monsters in Myth, Legend and Folklore," these evil creatures figure strongly in the mythology of the Mapuche and Chilote people. 

The monsters had one thing on their mind: sucking the blood of animals and humans. To gain their sustenance, they had the magic ability to assume any shape, but they most commonly took the form of a giant snake with enormous wings. The monster also had a hypnotic stare which immobilized its victims. It also, as described by "Fantastic Fearsome Beasts," made a peculiar hissing sound that was synonymous with death. According to folklore, only medicine women have the power to destroy these monsters. It is believed that the peuchen may have eventually morphed into the chupacabra.