Re: Medieval Dragons, dog/snake, Greek Dragons

--- In cybalist@yahoogroups.com, "Glen Gordon" <glengordon01@...>
wrote:

>
> Joao says strange things:
> >Chinese dragons could be crocodiles.
>
> Oh God, I don't even know why I'm acknowledging this statement
> but here we go.
>
> It's irrational to insist that mythological constructs are
> based on actual animals. Egyptian Seth, for example, is clearly
> a composite creature invented purely out of the imagination of
> the Egyptians who conceived it. The Chinese dragon is not
> a crocodile for the obvious reason that it doesn't even look
> anything like a crocodile nor do they fly in the sky. Even
> if we COULD associate the dragon with some actual animal,
> the specific function it plays in myth is still based on
> abstract _symbolism_, not on actual reality!

An exfception: The behemoth from Biblical and near-eastern folklore,
is widely beleived to be the representation of the pygmy hippopotamus
that once floursiohed in the region. Mythological monsters may have
abstract symbolism, but this is often derived from the properties of
the animals that are their building blocks. The griffin combines
aspects of both lions and eagles, which both have their own attached
symbolism and folklore that thusly help further define the role of
the composite griffin, even if the griffin has properties and roles
that extend past the eagle/lion atrributes.

>
> On the other hand, John states:
> >Regarding dragons there is also the dragon as guardian. Legged

serpents

> >appear on the walls of Babylon, [...]
> >Legged serpents also appear in Egyptian iconography.[...]
> >Local "priestesses" had the responsibility of catching the snakes

to allow

> >grain to be retrieved. Cretian statues show
> >Goddesses with serpents wound around their arms and European
> >myths are full of stories of dragons [...]
> >[yadayadayada...]
>
> WHAT IS YOUR POINT, JOHN?? We get the hint already! There are
> lots of dragon and serpent stories in world myths. So what?!
>
> Unless we deal with one story at a time and deal exclusively
> with actual "dragons", not just serpents, we'll get nowhere
> when it comes to answering the original question of the origin
> of the dragon concept. As I've said, I've linked it to "rain",
> which doesn't mean that every story ever mentioned in history
> with a reptile in it must relate to rain. We're getting losing
> focus here.
>
>
> >The association of woman, tree of life and serpent is thus a
> >very old one.
>
> That much I agree with, although we're far off focus from the
> original topic now. The reason for this particular link has
> nothing to do with dragon symbolism.
>
> The serpent here in _this_ instance only symbolizes water, water
> on the ground, particularly the never-ending seas from which the
> world was born. The tree of life is merely an abstract
> representation of the standing Goddess, the Creatrix with
> upraised arms holding up the skies. Just like Eve, her feet are
> bitten by the serpent -- which is another way of saying that she
> stands with her arms to the sky with her feet "bitten" below by
> the "waves of the sea" (serpent) below. Now you know the ancient
> pagan symbolism underlying the bible that everybody thinks is
> so hip nowdays.
>

Yes, but in the Greek myth it was the dragon Ladon guarding the
Hesperides, as well as the dragon Jason slew to obtain the goplden
fleece-The connection between dragon and tree is present, at least in
Greek myth. Also, there is a tradition that a virginal woman can tame
a dragon(not to menjtion the dragons' penchant for maidens and
princesses), suggesting that there is also a link between woman and
dragon.
It also emphasizes how dragons serve as guardians, as John Croft
mentioned erlier. The dragon, at least in Greek myth, seemed to be
particularly the guardian of sacred treasures. Could the etymology of
dragon based on sight be related to the dragon's role as a watchful
guardian?

Cort Williams