Did dragons ever exist?

Dragon myths exist in every culture around the globe. The earliest images of dragons appear in ancient Mesopotamian art. The Mesopotamian Mushkushshu was a mythical hybrid with the scaly body of a serpent, the legs and talons of an eagle and horns on its head. Although this dragon sounds similar to modern day representations, some early dragons evolved out of snake images and myths. In ancient Egypt, Apep was a snake deity. Hinduism likewise has a snake demon Vritra who was heroically slain by noble Indra in the classical Vedas. Even the bible has a story of a dragon. In the book of Job, Leviathan is described as follows.

"Its back has rows of shields tightly sealed together; each is so close to the next that no air can pass between. They are joined fast to one another; they cling together and cannot be parted. Its snorting throws out flashes of light; its eyes are like the rays of dawn. Flames stream from its mouth; sparks of fire shoot out. Smoke pours from its nostrils as from a boiling pot over burning reeds. Its breath sets coals ablaze, and flames dart from its mouth." (Job chapter 41)

Tales of dragons have endured for millennia. And at one time, many in Europe thought these creatures to be real. Perhaps because they were a good explanation for the giant bones farmers would sometimes unearth during plough season before there was common knowledge of dinosaurs. What is the origin of dragon stories and why have they maintained their appeal? 

According to one theory, our fear of dragons arose out of our instinctive fear of snakes. We evolved from apes, for which snakes are a natural predator. Hence, the older, reptilian part of our brains - the part which handles fear, is primed to respond to any threat of snakes nearby. If you see something fast moving at the corner of your vision, you will always turn to look and sometimes will get startled. This is evolution keeping you safe from the deeply embedded fear of snakes. 

Over time dragon images have evolved and many people note the similarity between these fire-breathing, mythical creatures and dinosaurs. Humans and dinosaurs never co-existed on the planet with the latter having become extinct 65 million years before early homo sapiens first appeared. We do live alongside animals that look similar to dinosaurs - lizards, chameleons, crocodiles, alligators and snakes being the most obvious. Could an early fear or fascination with these reptiles have played a part?

Early cultures often venerated dragons and this is still true in Chinese culture. But the introduction of Christianity saw a turning point for the Western world. Dragons were associated with demons and Satan. The early church created myths of knights slaying dragons - the most famous of these being Saint George of England. Legend has it he arrived in a dragon besieged town, rescued a maiden, killed the dragon and the townsfolk were so impressed that they all converted to Christianity. Some experts believe the idea of dragons breathing fire comes from early Christian depictions of the gates of hell spewing fire and sulphur. 

Could there be a more direct link with our DNA? Anthropologist Dr Jonathan Narby argues that the snake-like coiled, double helix of our DNA has been known to indigenous cultures for millennia - long before it was 'discovered' by Western scientists. This knowledge was gained through shamanism. The fact that 'snakes' exist within our own DNA could be a powerful reason for our fascination with them and explain why these myths are so universal. 

Have you ever dreamt of a dragon? Carl Jung believed dreams of monsters including dragons to be powerful indicators of the shadow self. This is a subconscious, visual representation of the parts of ourselves we forbid from appearing in public. The parts of ourselves we view as so shameful or undesirable that we suppress them. This 'shadow self' will manifest in dreams and nightmares as a powerful monster. If you encounter such a being in your dreams and are lucky enough to be someone who can control your dreams, the best idea is to face up to the creature - even hug it. This symbolic gesture represents acceptance of those parts of yourself you have previously denied. It is a powerful healing act. When a dragon shows up in our dreams we should be thankful for the opportunity to integrate our shadow and become our whole selves.

Now it's your turn. Why do you think we're fascinated with dragons? Do you have any dragon stories or dragon dream encounters to share? Please comment below, I'd love to hear from you. 

References and further reading
https://www.livescience.com/25559-dragons.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dragon
https://www.theguardian.com/society/1999/jul/07/guardiansocietysupplement4
https://www.nhm.ac.uk/discover/when-did-dinosaurs-live.html
https://whatismyspiritanimal.com/animal-dream-symbols-a-m/what-do-dragon-dreams-mean/