The Snowflake Chronicles

May 12, 2021 Fantasy

Research

https://mythus.fandom.com/wiki/Weredragon

Editor's Picks

1. Revised: Chapter 1: Treasure of Richard Green
2. There's No Magic in Oklahoma
3. Atychiphobia
4. Frida and Inca
5. Jack, the Beanstalk & the Gods
6. BaltSea
7.
8.
9.

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Drakenthrope

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Have you written a story about a drakenthrope?

Hook

Is one of you characters a drakenthrope?

About This Newsletter

Anyone who has ever watched Sleeping Beauty, by Walt Disney, probably knows or can guess what a Drakenthrope or Weredragon may look like. These creatures are from Middle Eastern and/or European mythology. Some--but not all--of the monsters we see in movies or read about in stories have their basis in the folklore and mythology of the varies cultures scattered across the Earth. If you do an internet search, you can find a lot of information about these were-creatures.

Letter From the Editor

I like the name drakenthrope better than I like weredragon. I am not sure why, perhaps its because drakenthrope sounds more exotic than weredragon. I have not read a lot of stories about weredragons. In the majority of stories I have read, the individuals were turned into a drakentrope because of a curse.

The story that stands out in my mind was about a maiden (why is it always maidens that end up in dragon stories) who was cursed into a dragon form. The curse was removed by a (you guessed it) kiss. That did not help her much, because at the end of the story she willingly chose to become a dragon again. She chose dragon form because she could better protect, her family's castle and the peasants working the land, as a dragon.

A drakenthrope can be either male for female. According the the research I have done, males have more armor than their female counterparts. However, the female drakenthrope are, apparently, larger and heavier because they are the ones who carry and/or lay the dragon eggs that produce the next generation.

Have you written a story about a weredragon? Have you used a drakenthrope as one of your characters in a story? Have you read any memorable stories about these were-creatures? Please, let me know your thoughts on these intriguing creatures.

Editors Picks

Invalid Item  This item number is not valid. #2036140 by Not Available.

Excerpt: Richard clung to the face of the cliff, as he reached out. He was still three inches short of the small plant specimen. He pulled back, grabbing the previous outcropping. He was not going to give up, not with less than a finger's length between him and success. He looked for another solid handhold that had an available toe-notch for his boot toe. A couple of promising spots did not give him a lot of confidence in success.

There’s No Magic in Oklahoma  (E) There is no magic in Oklahoma. Except...there is. (Magic Words Comp 05.21) #2249517 by Rhymer Reisen

Excerpt: As Trey Willabee pulled his shirt over his head and dropped it on the rock in a smooth swoop, he noticed the woods around the strip pit were quiet today, devoid of the usual songs from the scissor tails and mockingbirds, no calls of young grasshoppers in the early Oklahoma spring. The puffy, cotton clouds, blinding white at the top and dark gray underneath, buffered his skin from the scrutiny of the sun’s rays. The thick smell of water was in his nostrils, disappearing into the wind as the aromas of wild onions and sweet honeysuckle were ushered in. He stood on a rock overhang above the surface of the water, the occasional ripple disrupting the surface as a sluggish bass appeared near the top. The warm breeze offered no relief as it stirred the hot air. He closed his eyes, inhaled, and imagined the water as the rolling waves of an ocean, the oak trees as palms; if not for the dense humidity, he could have been in a tropical location.

Atychiphobia  (13+) A man must face an ally turned foe, and his worst fear may become realized #2249408 by Jray

Excerpt: The annual day is upon us once more in the great realm known as Pax Aeternam. The warm sea air has picked up; making my golden hair blow in the breeze. The strong smell of fish fills my nostrils as I walk down the damp wooden pier. I can sense the perplexed stares as I stroll down. It is to be expected, as what I have strung over my shoulder isn’t a feat that an ordinary mortal can accomplish.

Frida and Inka  (E) The tale of the first friendship between a human and a forest spirit. #2249020 by JarredH

excerpt: Inka wandered her forest near the human village. Few of her fellow forest spirits came to this part of the woods. They feared the humans. Inka was fascinated by them. They always seemed so serious and grim. She felt bad for them because she wondered if they were ever happy.

Invalid Item  This item number is not valid. #2249549 by Not Available.

Excerpt: Jack came home with beans
         which didn't please mum
         who threw them out

Invalid Item  This item number is not valid. #2183713 by Not Available.

Excerpt: I used my hand to keep the yellow fisherman hat on my head as I ran from the house's mud room to my backyard workstation. Meredith's ornamental bushes, heavy with rain, brushed against my clothes, splattering water everywhere. The gathering darkness of twilight hid this week's graffiti on the door.

Submitted by Readers

Activities, Groups, and Contests

Feedback "Fantasy Newsletter (April 14, 2021)" 

dragonwoman writes: Thank you for choosing to highlight "A Luck O The Irish Tail" in this newsletter. Caeli thanks you as she nurses her injured tail.

BIG BAD WOLF Feeling Thankful writes: A good idea might be to look up Anthros - you'd find plenty of crazy creatures.

s writes: I've had a couple of were-feline (Ailuranthrope) stories published. Editors/publishers like them as they are different and yet are really scary. I think the Indian subcontinent were-tiger is probably more frightening judging by the legends than the Western werewolf. Cool newsletter; thanks.

Feedback from "Fantasy Newsletter (February 17, 2021)" 

Starling writes: This was a very interesting article. I didn't know there was another name for these "creatures". Thanks for posting

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