Dragons

Stories about dragons have been around for the longest time. Nearly all cultures have their own take on this mythical beast, leading scientists to search for the closest living animals they think old civilizations based the dragon legend on. Thanks to technology however, dragons have come to life through computer-generated imagery and animation in movies.

A recent movie that featured dragons is Eragon, a film based on the book of the same name. Set during medieval times in a fictional universe, the movie revolves around a farm boy named Eragon and Saphira, a dragon that he discovers. An evil king, a former dragonrider, wants to capture the dragon and sends his men after Eragon and Saphira, who are forced to flee and look for a band of rebels called the Varden to ask their help to take the king down.

The word dragon means giant serpent. In many stories, dragons are described as huge, scaly creatures that breathe fire and have wings. In Europe, dragons are romanticized as terrible creatures that terrorize villages. In China on the other hand, they describe the dragons as serpent-like creatures that fly and possess magical powers.

Different cultures however, may regard dragons differently, but they still garner a sense of respect and admiration. In Europe, dragons were a symbol of strength and courage, and are used as a sign of royalty. The Chinese use the dragon as a symbol of luck and prosperity, saying that people who are born on the year of the dragon naturally have good fortune.  

Many have related these animals to dinosaurs, after all, dragons and dinosaurs both have very similar physical descriptions. The closest we can get to see a real life dragon is through large reptiles, especially the saltwater crocodiles and Komodo dragons. These animals resemble the dragon very closely with their scales and big sizes.

Dragon Painting Video