DRAGONS
The word makes most people’s skin crawl. Images of huge beasts, or in some cases, gentle lion-like serpents, fill the mind and the senses.
Why? What is the human fascination with these gigantic beasts? Where did they come from? How did they begin?
Anthropoligists have determined that stories of dragons go as far back as human cultures; well beyond 4,000 BC.1 They show up at the dawn of cultures all over the world. They appear in our earliest attempts at literature.2
Despite the fact that no evidence of a real dragon actually exists, many people, more than 55% of them, actually believed in them at one point or another during their lifetime. Most children believe in dragons. Some are afraid to come upon one. There are actually some adults who still believe dragons exist.
Whether you believe in dragons or not, dragons are a part of almost every culture in the world. Today, while most people don’t believe dragons are real, they continue to be fascinated by them in literature, art, religion, and games. Human beings still actively engage with the huge beasts, whether they are looking for good luck, fighting with a sword, or just looking for a companion.
In the following pages, we’ll explore a little more about dragons - the myths, the legends, the real ones, and the gaming kind. Let’s go!