Dragon myths
Dragons appear in folktales all over the world. Dragons are wise, live for thousands of years and have magical powers. They have scales like lizards and snakes. In many stories, dragons can talk.
But there are differences between Asian and European dragons. Asian dragons look like snakes with long legs and clawed feet. European dragons have big leathery wings and can breathe fire.
In Asian tales, dragons bring harmony and rain that make crops grow. In European tales, dragons terrorise villages and eat people.
Dragons only exist in stories. But nobody knows where dragon stories come from.
Some people think dragon stories are based on dinosaurs. Many dinosaurs looked like dragons. But those dinosaurs died out millions of years before people appeared.
Other people think that dragon stories are based on water monitors, a large lizard which is common in Asia. When water monitors come out of a warm river into cool air, they steam. This could be the basis of the legend for magical fire-breathing dragons.
