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Basic Dragon Information

Dragon Species

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There is a good deal of difference between Dragon Species and Dragon Types. Dragon Types are not specific; they merely describe the physical appearance of the dragon. Dragon Species are more specific, namely to certain areas. For instance, Eastern Dragon is a dragon type; whereas, Ying Lung is a Dragon Species.

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Agathos Daimon
Also known as Agathodemon, this creature can be found in the mythologies of Greece and Rome. Agathos in Greek meant "Good" and Daimon meant "Divinity,"1 and this creature was much like a guardian angel. Regarded as the "Good Divinity", Agathos Daimon was the gaurdian of the household or personal home, and in other accounts this creature guarded a person, hovering around them invisibly.2 For this protection, the people within the home would leave and reserve at least one glass of wine for this creature in thanks. Agathos Daimon is identified with Hermes.1

The Oracle of Trophonios, who resided in Lebadeia, could only be visited by people who followed strict rituals. These rituals involved Agathos Daimon. This is perhaps the Greek equivalent to the guardian angel, but in serpent form; they were depicted as winged serpents and in other forms as a giant snakes.1

Aitvaras
In Lithuanian Folklore, before Christianity came to Lithuania, the Aitvaras were seen much as gaurdian angels or the like, and they were immortal spirits in the wilds or the home. When injured, they would just have to touch the ground in order to repair themselves.33

Afterward Christianity touched the region, the Aitvaras were seen as creatures that brought wealth, or creatures that brought on luck. However, in order to get one of these, it must be purchased with a person's soul from an Evil much like the Devil. The Aitvaras had to be born from the egg of a seven-year-old cockerel, and it would be hatched within the home (usually, when someone brought this egg home, they would not know what it was).4 After the hatching, only a truthful, God-loving person could rid it from their home, otherwise, the creature would remain.

It is said that the Aitvaras was to make the owner of it rich by any means necessary. Therefore, this creature would steal, generally from neighbors, and give it to the owner of the house. Obviously, the Aitvaras would need to be fed - but that was the only thing it required - omelettes.3 The owner would usually amass wealth through stolen gold, corn, and so forth, and almost always at the expense of his or her neighbors.

The first recording of the Aitvaras was in 1547, when a villager's wealth was in question. A more detailed story (not the same recording) described a young wife who was curious about the fact that the corn barrel she had never ending or being empty. When she investigated, she found the Aitvaras, which left her house, for she was carrying a sacred candle.3

According to its environment, Aitvaras changed how it looked. Sometimes it could be a normal animal, such as a cat (usually black in color) within a home or dwelling. However, it was said to take the shape of a fiery serpent or a flying dragon while outside.20

Amphisbaena23
This creature is called "one that goes in both directions" because it has two heads: one at the neck and one at the tail. It can also roll around like a hoop if one head holds the other's neck.

Undoubtedly, the Amphisbaena originated in Africa. When females try to hide their eggs, they keep on head awake and alert so that she may protect her young. This dragon is show usually as a serpent with two heads. Sometimes, however, this creature may have additional limbs such as feet, arms, and wings.

Read more about Ampisbaena.

Aspises19
Also referred to as Aspis, these creatures are spoken of in medieval Europe mythology. While the word actually means "serpent", the creature is actually a dragon described as having two legs and sometimes with or without wings. These dragons were extremely poisonous and deadly. Being bitten by one would lead to death instantly and touching the skin of even a dead one would cause death.

The only way to avoid this creature's attack would be to sing or play music, which would tame the best and/or distract it. The Aspises did, however, create a bit of a counter reaction to music. They'd cover their ears (usually one ear would be to the ground while the other was plugged by its tail. Obviously, however, the creature could not attack in this position.

Basilisk
Known as the most deadly of all serpents, the name "basilisk" is derived from the word meaning "king". It is born from an egg laid by a rooster and hatched by a snake. Unlike other serpent-creatures, the basilisk does not crawl. Instead, it "hurls" itself forward by coiling up and pushing ahead.24 The basilisk was also said to be born from the blood of a Gorgon's eye in Greek mythology.21

Looking at the Basilisk's eyes would kill. Thusly, in Christian art, the Basilisk is depicted as an evil creature of death. Killing a basilisk involves getting it to see its own reflection. Weasels are said to have a special talent with killing them in battle as well. Other things that a basilisks avoid include the herb rue, a patch of which could kill one, and the sound of a cock's crow.5

Ch'i-lung6
Ch'i-lung dragons originate from China. They are said to be multicolored and hornless. Specifically, they have three colors: green, white, and red.

Read more about Eastern Dragons.

Chiao6
These dragons can also be referred to as Chiao-Lung or Kiao. They originate from China and are some of the only scaled dragons that live there. They are fish-like dragons. It is said that these dragons are young for their species, and at the age of one thousand or so they grow to be more like Chinese dragons. (They are said to become Lung dragons.)

Read more about Eastern Dragons.

Cockatrice
This is a creature the mix of a cock and a wyvern. It hatches from a hen's egg so long as it has been incubated properly, by either a serpent or a toad.21 The creature possesses terrible powers. For instance, some can change things to stone with looks.25

Sometimes they are also referred to as a basilisk. They are depicted with cock's head, comb and wattles, and a dragon's tail. In addition, they usually poses poisonous breath.21

The only creature that can avoid the cockatrice's deadly gaze is the weasel. And, while the weasel can kill the cockatrice in a battle, it is most likely so that the weasel will perish along side of its enemy. The only other known way to kill on is by using a mirror. Should this creature see its reflection, it will die instantly. Touching its dead body can be deadly as well.25

Fuku-Riu6
Fuku-Riu dragons originate from Japan. Though little is noted about them, they are said to be the Japanese Dragons of luck and are venerated. As it is with all Japanese dragons, they have three toes.

Read more about Eastern Dragons.

Gowrow
From Ozark Native American Mythology, this was said to be a huge, dragon-like monster with tusks. It's size was estimated to be at least twenty feet. V. Randolf was said to have seen it in the Ozark Mountains in 1951.7

In the 1880s, the gowrow was blamed for the terrorizing Arkansas, namely rural areas. Fred Allsopp, who edited the Arkansas Gazette was said to have published many stories about the gowrow.2 Along with it's large size, reports said that it fed upon such creatures as goats and deer, and some say even humans.

In 1897, William Miller supposedly killed a gowrow, but no body was seen or reported to be seen. Miller's feat was reported in a newspaper. He waited for the monster near the gowrow's lair, and, when the creature appeared, people fled, as earthquakes announced its arrival. The gowrow emerged from the water, and then was killed.7

The Devil's Hole, near Boone Country, Arkansas, was a huge fissure. Since it was on his lands, E. J. Rhodes decided to explore it. When he could not do it alone, several men helped. They lowered a line with a piece of iron on it down into the fissure to see how far it would go, and it stopped around two hundred feet. This was no surprise - Rhodes had found a ledge in the fissure around that area before - but then strange things began to happen. There was a hissing noise that seemed to come from an angry animal. When they pulled the line up, the metal was bent. Three times, they tied a rock to the rope and threw it down, and, all three times, the rope was bitten in two. Legend had it that a dead Indian spirit was to blame, but others suspected the gowrow.7

Guardians of the Gates of the Underworld6
Some claim that these dragons represent the past gods of Egypt which were cast aside for the newer mythology of gods like Ra. As Ra journeyed, every night, through the underworld, he would meet two large doors. These doors were guarded by these dragons, and they varied from one to the other.

Most had snake bodies, but different attributes such as the head and tails would change. For instance, some had around three snake heads while others had four legs. Still, others had wings.

Through each was a little different in appearance, they all were similar in the quality of snakes. They had thin, slender bodies.

Guivre6
Guivre was the French equivalent of a wurm. They were completely limbless, and they inhabited woodlands, rivers, deep wells, forests, and streams. The breath of the guivre was especially toxic, and it tended to generate horrible, horrible diseases and plagues.

In France, if there was a Guivre there was death and destruction. It was by chance that man discovered how to defeat the Guivre's deadly ways. You see, the Guivre are extremely bashful dragons. While they never hesitated to devour a clothed man, the creature always fled from a naked one, and the Guivre would always be blushing from the site.

The Guivre seemed to have all but disappeared from France. Perhaps they died out or perhaps they migrated.

Hai-Riyo6
The Hai-Riyo are also known as Tobi Tatsu and Schachi Hoko. These hail from the Land of the Rising Sun, Japan. They are "Dragon-Birds". They have the claws and wings of the bird as well as a bird's body, but retain the other draconic qualities. Much like the Chinese Ying-Lung, the Japanese viewed these as the most evolved of all dragons.

Read more about Eastern Dragons.

Han-Riu6
This dragon type is from Japan. They are said to be over forty feet in length. Sadly, they are also said to be dragons that are incapable of reaching Heaven.

Read more about Eastern Dragons.

Horned Dragon8
While the name "horned dragon" sounds a bit mundane and doesn't seem like a dragon type, it is a type of dragon for the Chinese. An older dragon, around two thousand years old, obtains horns. It is said that horned dragons look and act wiser than their younger counterparts.

Read more about Eastern Dragons.

Iaculi, The Egyptian Winged Serpent6
These are creatures that are depicted usually on tombs of the departed in Egypt. Many believe they are a symbol of those who are gone and that they are some sort of watchers. Still others believe they are related to Neheb-ka, which is a snake-headed goddess of the Egyptians.

For the most part, these creatures are a bit of a mystery. There is no reason for them to have wings. Some people believe they are similar to the Quetzalcoatl, but that dragon is found in a different culture from a different continent.

Having only two wings, they are said to be amphiptere-like in appearance. Very little is known about them.

Jaculus22
A jaculus is described as a large serpent having wings, and sometimes having two legs. Jaculi (plural form) were said to be quite terrifying. The word "Jaculus" mean "Javelin", which properly describes their means of attack. A jaculus would hide in a tree, awaiting a victim. When someone came by, this creature would spring down, land on the person's back, and then sink its fangs into the person's neck, thus killing them.

Ka-Riu8
The Japanese also mention this type of dragon. While many of the dragons of Japan were large, this one was only seven feet in size. However, this dragon was fiery red and indeed was powerful.

Read more about Eastern Dragons.

Kuniya9
From Australia and similar to the Naga, they were half-human, half-snake creatures. They fought with the Liru and produced many lands. (Also were noted as people of the dreamtime.) They guarded the Uluru Rock Hole and enabled it to release water from it into Mutijulu. The waterway was sacred.

Liru9
The Liru is another species from Australia. For most of their time, they fought the Kuniya. Much like Kuniya, too, they were dreamtime creatures. However, these were poisonous snake warriors. Southwest Uluru, there are scars and markings on the rocks, which were said to have been left by the Liru. The black-stained water ways near there were the works of these creatures as well.

Lung6
Sometimes the Lung are referred to as Li-Lung or Chih-Lung. This form of Chinese dragon is, as far as dragons go, "middle aged". They would have to be around a thousand or older to reach this form. They don't have horns, but they do symbolize the scholar. Before the dragon is in this stage, they are fish-like. However, when the Chinese dragon becomes Lung, they are much like the dragons people see depicted today.

Read more about Eastern Dragons.

Marakihau
Marakihau, while not being a species of dragon or serpent specifically, are carved representations of the formidable taniwha. Across New Zealand, meeting houses have Marakihau, which are generally depicted with fish-like bodies below the waist and heads similar to humans, save for the long, terrible, hollow tongues. The tongues are used to suck down fish, which taniwha do regularly, as well as people and waka (canoes). Taniwha, however, are described in stories as in the form of whales or sharks, and rarely do stories tell of taniwha having the hollow tongues present in Marakihau. This is why there is a separate term for each of them; but Marakihau often are part of retelling taniwha stories.16

Related Articles: Taniwha

Naga10
In Sanskrit, the word Naga means "Serpent". They were connected to many different things. For instance, in East India they were connected to both the Serpent Spirit and the Dragon Spirit. However, in India, Egypt, Central and South America they were a symbol of wisdom.

Naga seem to have come from India, and they are said to have lived underground in the Patala, a very watery region. They are semi-divine creatures, as they work with the gods.

They were patrons of clouds and water, and people seldom disturbed them. Why? They could cause droughts and flooding if they were displeased.

They are depicted as a serpent with the head of a human. They don't have wings, but they were sometimes know as shape-shifters, changing from humans to snakes at their will.

Read more about Nagas.

P'an-lung6
These dragons of China are unlike their draconic counterparts because they lack the ability to fly. While there are usually reasons for this, it is most probably because they are lacking one of the necessary parts for flying. (The Chinese believed that the dragons had chi'ih-muh or the po-shan which they used to fly.)

Read more about Eastern Dragons.

Palulukon26
From Hopi Native American Mythology, this is the class of the plumed water serpents. The world, as it is said, rests on the back of two of these magnificent creatures, which reside in the cosmic ocean.

When the Palulukon are mistreated by humans, natural disasters tend to occur. Springs and rivers cease to flow, and earthquakes sometimes arise. This is much like the dragons of China. Palulukons are seen as weather creatures, in control of nature. They aren't seen as evil or good deities, only powerful ones.

Palulukon, entwined and holding up the world. Graphic commissioned for The Circle of the Dragon.
Palulukon from Hopi Native American Mythology, holding up the world. © Donna Quinn.

P'eng-niao6
P'eng-niao appear in China. They are part-dragon, but mostly birdlike in appearance. Some sources cite these creatures as being half-bird and half-dragon, however. The P'eng-niao seldom appear in mythology, however.

Read more about Eastern Dragons.

Pa Snake
Pa Snakes are gigantic water serpents that live in areas where elephants dwell, in parts of India, Africa, and Western China. They strive to defeat the majestic mammal, who is their mortal enemy.6 The description is best set by Pliny in Natural History.

"Within Ganges, a river of India... Statius Sibosus reporteth as strange a thing besides, namely, that in the said river there be certaine wormes or serpents with two finnes of a side, sixtie cubits long, of colour blew, and of that hew take their name [and be called Cyonoeides.] He saith moreover, that they be so strong, that when the Elephants come into the river for drinke, they catch fast hold with their teeth by their trunkes or muzzles, and maugre their hearts force them downe under the water; of such power and force they are.

--Pliny, Book IX Chapter XV13

Apparently, when pa snakes consume an elephant, it takes three years for them to spit up the bones from digestion. 6

Alternative Names: Azure or Blue Snakes, Cyonoeides13, 14

Pa Snakes, the gigantic serpents of the East who feast upon Elephants. Graphic commissioned from Donna Quinn for The Circle of the Dragon.
Pa Snakes, the gigantic serpents of the East who feast upon Elephants. © Donna Quinn.

Peist27
These dragons originated from Ireland and are primarily water-dwelling. They are seldom seen because when St. Patrick went to Ireland he ensnared them in their home: the water.

Peist, the serpents of Ireland before St. Patrick chased them off. Graphic commissioned from Donna Quinn for The Circle of the Dragon.
Peist, the serpents of Ireland before St. Patrick chased them off. © Donna Quinn.

Puk28
These were small, four footed dragons. It had a primary job of stealing goods for its master. It is said that they originated in Britain or Scandinavia.

There are many alternative spellings for this dragon. These include: pukys, pukis, and puuk.

Puk, crafty thieves for their masters. Commissioned from Donna Quinn for the Circle of the Dragon.
Puk, from British or Scandanavian mythology, keeping a pile of treasure. © Donna Quinn.

Taniwha
Taniwha are huge water lizards spoken of in Polynesian mythology. They each have many manifestations, but some are more powerful than others.15 The form taken generally reflects the current environment of the taniwha. While in the ocean, taniwha often appear to people in the form of whales or sharks, sometimes together in a school. While in rivers and lakes or inland waters, they may be as large as a whale, but generally take on the form of a gecko or tuatara lizard. And, some in lakes appear, curiously, as a floating log, which reveals itself a taniwha by either moving against the current or not moving in a current.18

Taniwha are sometimes called the spirits of the water, since the majority of them live in either the oceans or within inland waters. While some can move over, or sometimes through, the earth, they generally settle in watery homes.17

Depending on time and circumstances, taniwha might save those thrown from ships or fallen into the sea. Of course, at other times, the taniwha might be the reason the person is dragged to the depths and drowned.18 Taniwha can be very vengeful dragons and when angered turn outright deadly en masse.15

According to traditions across New Zealand, taniwha carved harbors and opened up channels to the sea throughout the islands, even creating new mountains and canyons inland on their travels. Yet, it is also known that such powerful beings also cause destruction. Some have been known to cause landslides, and some natural disasters are still attributed to particularly angry taniwha. There are also many cases of humans battling taniwha, generally as part of war or to protect the local population from a vengeful taniwha that cannot be appeased, and always the humans win with numbers, despite the mythical powers of the taniwha.17

In Māori tradition, most taniwha are associated with humans, because every people have a taniwha of their own. Specifically, many famed taniwha arrived from Hawaiki, the mythological homeland of the Maori people, because they traveled with the waka, or canoe, and settled in Aotearoa (the new land) with the descendants of the vessel's crew.17 Taniwha, in general, behaved benevolently towards their own people, acting as guardians, sometimes even warning the people of storms, attacks, and so on. As part of guardianship, however, the taniwha also ensured that their local people followed the tapu (taboo, restriction) law placed on them, which sometimes included restricted foods and limited allotments of gathered resources. Should a protectorate of a taniwha break any tapu, the taniwha would be the guardian that enforced it, lashing out until the people made an appeasement and apology.17

Because taniwha operated as both protectors and menaces, any place that was known to be home to one of them is given a particular respect. Often these places are inaccessible to humans anyway; places of strong currents or dangerous breakers tend to prevent people from traveling. However, should one travel over the home of a Taniwha, it is best to have an appropriate offering and chant ready to appease the creature, who will guard hearth and home ferociously.17

Rarely, a person who had associated with taniwha might become one after death, to continue to help and to protect people. A person could be associated to taniwha in many ways: the person may be a medium for the taniwha's communication, the person may have married a taniwha, or perhaps the person formed a bond of friendship with one.

Related Articles: Marakihau

Taniwha, the wrathful dragons of Polynesia. Graphic commissioned from Donna Quinn for The Circle of the Dragon.
Taniwha the wrathful dragons of Polynesian Mythology. © Donna Quinn.

Tatsu6
Tatsus are said to be "common" Japanese dragons. They are associate with the sea, always have three toes, and are depicted in the Japanese zodiac. However common they may be, they are a symbol of the Mikado. Tatsu commonly live in lakes and springs, and they are looked upon for imperial and spiritual power.

Read more about Eastern Dragons.

Xiuhcoatl11
These creatures were said, by the Aztecs, to be the ones who aided Huitzilopochtli in his defeat of his two siblings. They were fire-serpents in their own right. They could breathe fire and withstand even the most scorching of heat.

Sometimes these creatures are represented as one. When this happens, it becomes a symbol of scorched earth. It is still unknown whether or not this was a singular creature, or several creature, though it is thought more often that the Xiuhcoatl were plentiful.

Ying-Lung6
In China, dragons that manage to live to the age of two thousand are transformed into Ying-Lung. They never have scales, which makes them very different from the rest of the Chinese dragon world, and furthermore they have wings.

It is also important to note that this dragon type is also referred to as the Proper Conduct Dragon. The Ying-Lung are seen as guardians of the waters of the earth, and they are often seen and associated with the heavens and the clouds.

Read more about Eastern Dragons.

Zaltys12
From Baltic tradition, these dragons are minions of Saule, goddess of the sun and guardian of fire. The Zaltys are guardians of the home, and they live by the stove.

The zalciai were harmless and were protectorates. Sometimes it was said that, if you met a Zaltys, it would predict a marriage or a birth. They also helped with the fertility of the marriage and of the land.

A zaltys is never to be killed, as they are a symbol of life energy. Should anyone ever encounter one, they should simply let it pass in peace. Furthermore, they posses knowledge of healing and herbs.

To this day, Lithuanian women tend to carry dried snakes or pieces thereof for protection of diseases and to restore their eyesight. Roof crossbeams might also have carvings of these dragons.

Footnotes

  1. Agathos Daimon. Link Defunt: <http://www.sacredspiral.com/beastiary/A/agathos.html>
  2. Rose [Monsters] 6
  3. Lithuanian Folk Tales by Stepas Zobarskas
  4. Rose [Monsters] 10
  5. What is a Dragon?
  6. Illiana the Golden Dragon (defunct)
  7. The Bear Went over the Mountain: Tall Tales of American Animals by R. B. Downs
  8. Eastern Dragons
  9. The Kuniya and Liru
  10. Naga: The Serpent. Link Defunct: <http://www.thelema.net/ramsey/naga.html>
  11. Macmillion Profiles: Myths and Legends. New York, Macmillion Library Reference. 2000.
  12. Ophiolatreia. Link Defunct: <http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Oracle/2810/zaltys.html>
  13. Holland, P. Translator. Natural History. Pliny. Book IX Chapter XV.
  14. Pliny: Natural History: Book IX Chapter 15
  15. Rose 352
  16. Orbell 76
  17. Orbell 149
  18. Orbell 150
  19. Rose [Monsters] 28
  20. Nigg [Dragons] 122
  21. Nigg [Dragons] 40
  22. Nigg [Dragons] 43
  23. Rose [Monsters] 16
  24. Rose [Monsters] 41
  25. Rose [Monsters] 84
  26. Rose [Monsters] 286
  27. Rose [Monsters] 288
  28. Rose [Monsters] 300

For more information on references and footnotes, please see the Bibliography.

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Last updated: 6 November 2010

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