K. S. Nikakis Melbourne, Australia

The mythic, legendary and folkloric traditions of humankind are filled with a rich variety of half-humans, monsters and fabulous beasts. Some like the mermaid, the phoenix, the unicorn, the pegasus and the dragon remain highly visible in Western culture - featuring on crests and standards, in literature and as ornaments. Others, although springing from the same European roots, have almost faded into obscurity. These include the titan, the gorgon, the gryphon, the minotaur, the centaur and the chimaera. There are many other such creatures that, being drawn from cultures less familiar to the West, remain largely unknown. Within this grouping are the Wandjina of the Australian Aborigines, the Nagas of the Indian Hindus, the Nommo of the West Africans and the Carbuncle of the South Americans. When the monsters and fabulous beasts most noticeable in the West are subjected to closer examination, it is the dragon that stands out both in terms of its recognisability and by its sheer numerical strength.

Contents 

Enter the Dragon

Naming the Dragon

         Dragons, Worms, Snakes and Serpents, Loongs

The Creator Dragon

         Mythic Dragons, the Natural Power of Dragons, Staking the Dragon

The Source of the Dragon

         The Proto-typical Dragon, The Explanatory Dragon, The Cosmic Dragon, The Psychological Dragon

The Fantastic Dragon

The Multi-Purpose Dragon

National Library of Australia Cataloguing-in-Publication data:
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------Dragon Tales - the Role of the Dragon in Selected Narratives                                                                               Published July 2010

Nikakis, Karen Simpson

ISBN 978-1-920889-40-1 (paperback)

             Dragons in literature. Dragons.

398.2454


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