Western dragons or Eastern dragons?
>>16886701western dragons look cooler
Iberian
>>16886701retarded terminologythere is no uniform "western" conception of a dragon
>>16886701Modern western dragon is bastardised, christianised, demonised version of pagan European dragon that was closer to eastern dragon
>>16886701Western dragons are better for children but eastern are better for sophisticated adults
>>16886713These wyrms, they're not sending their best
>>16886873Nithhoggr is also a serpent like Fafnir, and he's explicitly called a "dragon" (Norse: Dreki, cognate with drake, dragon) in voluspa stanza 66. Fafnir must then also be a dragon.
>>16886946Drake, dragon, etc. come from the same root meaning "serpent", older conceptions of dragons were serpentine creatures associated with water. That's why in folklore they usually live in the sea, a lake, or a river. What's really interesting is that it's a cross-cultural motif that appears in both Indo-European and semitic mythology, like in Greek myths you have multi-headed Hydras, in Hittite mytholgoy you have the serpent who battles the storm god, in Canaanite mythology you have the multi-headed Litan who battles the storm god Ba'al (cognate with the Biblical Leviathan), in Babylonian mythology you have Tiamat who battles the god Marduk, and in Vedic mythology you have the serpent Vritra who battles the storm god Indra.Seems like a primordial idea of a destructive sea-serpent fighting a storm deity, maybe from primitive people being in awe of sea storms and imagining them as divine battles.
>>16887243Oh I forgot Zeus fighting Typhon who has multiple serpents heads and ends up being thrown into the sea.
>>16886701New World dragons.Also all the traditional dragons, including those in the west were serpentine, just look at the dragons of antiquity.Modern "western" dragons basically came during the middle ages because some faggot found a dinosaur and decided this is what dragons actually looked like. The primordial terror, the subject of humanity's collective fear, is the great serpent.
I remember checking out this book from my Elementary Schools Library, andd in particular it explains the differences between Eastern, Western, and New World Dragons. It's obviously intended for children, but this thread reminded me of that book. IIRC it described New World Dragons as consisting of things like the Native American Firebirds and Thunderbirds.
>>16886701I think they're both cool.
>>16887312The modern western dragon is based on the Demiurge (lion-snake).
eastern "dragon" is a misnomer. lungs have nothing to do with western dragons other than extremely superficial features.
>>16887342Yoooo
>>16887342>IIRC it described New World Dragons as consisting of things like the Native American Firebirds and Thunderbirds.
Why not wyvern
>>16886701Western dragons are actual animalsEastern dragons are just lightning bolts
>>16886713>>16886776>>16887243>>16887312The creature most people picture as "western dragon" (like pic related) really only appeared in late medieval Europe, specifically in heraldry. Most so-called dragons in mythology are just giant snakes. This includes famous ones like the Hydra, Fáfnir, the one killed by Beowulf an St. George etc. Almost all the non-European "dragons" are just serpents, usually just big ones, sometimes they have some weird features (feathers, extra heads, horns). The only two dragons that look like a different animal, not just a big or kitted-out snake are Chinese and European dragons. Chinese ones are somewhat snake-like too, but have enough distinguishing features to qualify them as their own thing.Even in medieval European art, dragons that are more lizzard-like creatures with wings are extremely rare. There are few wingless reptilian monsters (Nidhoggr was depicted as basically a snake with two legs) and a few weird chimerical ones with feathers, ears, fur etc.Coincidentally, both Chinese and European dragons' unique looks were developed by heraldry, being symbols of rulers' power.
>>16887745>There are few wingless reptilian monsters (Nidhoggr was depicted as basically a snake with two legs)I've only seen depictions of nithhoggr with legs in christian manuscripts, which are obviously not super reliable sources for pagan mythology, especially when they're in conflict with authentic pagan sources like voluspa, which never describes Nithhoggr as having legs, but he does specifically say that he "bears corpses in his wings"
>Calling two entirely different groups of creatures from different continents as the same thing despite the two not having much in common other then having some reptilian qualities
>>16886873Wyrms are dragons, just like wyverns you retarded faggot.Your shitty video games mean nothing.
I like combing the twoA dragon that visually resembles a western dragon or wyvern, but is wise and erudite like an eastern dragon
>>16887635Wat the fuck I remember this book.So 4 legged dragons are more recent creation? Does anyone know the earliest example?
>>16887813What does "dragon" mean if not "reptilian mythological creature"?
>>16886701Slifer the Sky Dragon. So both I guess.
