Dragons
Going to
War with
Dragons
Swarms of fire-breathing dragons (shown above and below) unleash their fury on mankind, destroying civilization bit by bit until they threaten to take over the planet.
That's the premise of 2002's Reign of Fire, starring Christian Bale and Matthew McConaughey.
Repleat with eye-popping special effects, the film is a gritty thrill ride.
An earlier film monster inspired by dragons is the flying creature in 1956's Rodan.
Created by Toho Studios, the same Japanese outfit that created Godzilla, Rodan has appeared in a series of films, including some where, naturally, he battles Godzilla.
Interestingly, there were originally two Rodans--one male and one female.
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Enter the Dragons
The powerful, winged, reptilian creatures known as dragons populate ancient literature the world over. They often breath fire, have claws and wreak havoc on defenseless villagers, though dragons are described somewhat differently in different regions.
For instance, some can speak, though most cannot. Many, but not all, enjoy stockpiling gold or jewels and are supernaturally talented in their ability to appraise such prizes.
Battling a dragon has, historically, been a sign of courage, though, as Friedrich Nietzsche warned, "The man who fights too long against dragons becomes a dragon himself."
Famous Dragon Tales
Often, dragons are most famous for having been slain by a great warrior, such as St. George (above).
The story of St. George and the dragon circulated during the Crusades. According to one version of the story, a dragon built a nest in a spring that supplied the water for a town. The only way the locals could get water was to offer the dragon human sacrifices, who were chosen by lot. When a princess had the misfortune of being selected, her father the king was beside himself with grief. As she was about to be offered, St. George showed up, slayed the dragon and rescued the princess. As a result, the townsfolk abandoned paganism and became Christians.
Another famous link exists between Christianity and dragons. The Book of Revelations talks of the Red Dragon (said to represent Satan). Revelations says the Red Dragon has "seven heads and ten horns, and on his heads seven crowns. His tail drew one third of the stars of the sky, and threw them to the Earth."
The 1805 painting "The Red Dragon and the Woman Clothed in Sun" by William Blake (shown below) is one of four depictions of the Red Dragon included in a series of more than 100 Bible paintings the artist produced. Blake claimed the ideas for his paintings came to him in visions.
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The powerful, winged, reptilian creatures known as dragons populate ancient literature the world over. They often breath fire, have claws and wreak havoc on defenseless villagers, though dragons are described somewhat differently in different regions.
For instance, some can speak, though most cannot. Many, but not all, enjoy stockpiling gold or jewels and are supernaturally talented in their ability to appraise such prizes.
Battling a dragon has, historically, been a sign of courage, though, as Friedrich Nietzsche warned, "The man who fights too long against dragons becomes a dragon himself."
Famous Dragon Tales
Often, dragons are most famous for having been slain by a great warrior, such as St. George (above).
The story of St. George and the dragon circulated during the Crusades. According to one version of the story, a dragon built a nest in a spring that supplied the water for a town. The only way the locals could get water was to offer the dragon human sacrifices, who were chosen by lot. When a princess had the misfortune of being selected, her father the king was beside himself with grief. As she was about to be offered, St. George showed up, slayed the dragon and rescued the princess. As a result, the townsfolk abandoned paganism and became Christians.
Another famous link exists between Christianity and dragons. The Book of Revelations talks of the Red Dragon (said to represent Satan). Revelations says the Red Dragon has "seven heads and ten horns, and on his heads seven crowns. His tail drew one third of the stars of the sky, and threw them to the Earth."
The 1805 painting "The Red Dragon and the Woman Clothed in Sun" by William Blake (shown below) is one of four depictions of the Red Dragon included in a series of more than 100 Bible paintings the artist produced. Blake claimed the ideas for his paintings came to him in visions.
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