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Dragons
I made a mistake of researching dragons. What started out as a simple curiosity about the difference between smiling dragons and mean ones, I fell into the wonderland of draconic lore. We all know what a dragon looks like. Don't we? It's like a big lizard, breathes fire and eats unsuspecting citizens. Right? Well...every region has its myths and lore. Every website has ideas about dragons and I'm not sure what would be deemed "accurate", but in surfing around, I found it very inspiring. Here were a few I found:
The Bunyip
A large mythical creature from Aboriginal mythology, said to lurk in swamps, billabongs, creeks, riverbeds, and waterholes. The origin of the word bunyip has been traced to the Wemba-Wemba or Wergaia language of Aboriginal people of South-Eastern Australia. However, the bunyip appears to have formed part of traditional Aboriginal beliefs and stories throughout Australia, although its name varied according to tribal nomenclature. In his 2001 book, writer Robert Holden identified at least nine regional variations for the creature known as the bunyip, across Aboriginal Australia. Various written accounts of bunyips were made by Europeans in the early and mid-19th century, as settlement spread across Australi
Chinese Dragons
The Chinese sign for the dragon appears during the Yin and Shang dynasties (from the 16th to the 11th century BC, the period of the earliest Chinese hieroglyphs), between inscriptions on bones and turtle shields. These inscriptions depicted a horned reptile, teeth, scales and sometimes paws as well. From the Han dynasty and on (206 BC-220 AD) dragons took a symbolic meaning based on their colors. Chinese dragons were often red or gold, turquoise or white. The turquoise dragon was the symbol of the Emperor, the East, the rising sun, and the rain as well as the fifth element of the Chinese zodiac. The white dragon on the other hand stood for the West and death.
Amphitere
This type of dragon can be found in Britain, the Middle East, Egypt, and several Latin American countries such as Peru. Their appearance is similar to that of a gigantic jade-colored snake with multi-colored feathered wings, and some also possess a single pair of front legs. In European and Middle Eastern countries, the Amphitere is known to possess all the secrets of the world save one, and are born with such fantastic powers as hypnotic eyes, which are usually invested in guarding the treasures of the land, like myrrh trees, gold, and other assorted riches. Even the body parts of an Amphitere are special. If its teeth are planted, an army of battle ready undead warriors will spring up, eager to help; its blood, when drunk, will give one the power to understand animals; and a potion of dried Amphitere eyes mixed with honey will cure the consumer's headache, even the vilest of migraines. The most famous of the Latin American Amphitere is "Quetzalcoatl," whose name means "most precious serpent." The quetzal bird, which has a beautiful multicolored tail of almost two feet long, was named for this well known dragon. The Latin American Amphitere has only a pair of wings and a jade, feathered serpentine body.
Basilisk
The king of snakes and all other reptiles, and even the word Basilisk is contrived from the Greek word for king, basileus. They are represented as a lizard a little less than three feet long with a large tuft on its narrow head representative of a crown, and thick bird-like legs. This beast is incredibly venomous, savage and destructive, and even its eyes carry the incredible power of being able to kill a full grown man instantly at a glance. The only three creatures that can kill a basilisk are a cock, whose crowing sends it into an unnatural and fatal fit, the weasel, which can bite it to death and itself if it happens to glance into a mirror or confront another basilisk.
Amphisbaena
An African dragon with two heads, one at the end of its long tail and at the head end. It has a curiously bird like body with the feet of a rooster, and by grasping the tail head with the other is able to travel by rolling around in this hoop. Usually portrayed as having a scaly body and a pair of feathered wings. The modern day lizard was named for this known dragon.
The Cockatrice
A very small dragon that ranges in size from about the length of one's finger to just under a foot. They bear a remarkable resemblance to the newly hatched drakelings of the western variety, but possess wings and are incredibly beautiful. They also can spit flame or breath fire should they choose, and some decide to take an easy life by disguising themselves as one of the children of an unwitting dragon parent.
The Gargouille
A dragon which rose from the waters of the Seine, the river in France. It spouted a tremendous blast of water from its mouth which flooded the countryside. It was called Gargouille or "gargler". The sign of the cross subdued it, and the people of France erected statues of the creature on the buildings to instill fear. The statues are known as gargoyles.
The Guivre
A serpent dragon whose breath would generate plagues and disease. It was ashamed of nudity, so would flee in the presence of a nude person.
The Wyvern
A heraldic dragon of Wales, with the fore part of a winged dragon, and the hind end of a serpent or lizard. Has variations of body parts. Sometimes having two wings and two legs, other times having four legs. Other spellings include the Old English form, wyvre, and the Old French, wivre.
Quetzalcoatl
This Mexican winged dragon is known as an Amphiptere. He had the wings of a quetzal bird, and the tail of a serpent.
Hydra
The many headed dragon of Greek Mythology. Can either have wings, or be wingless. When one head is cut off, two more grow from the spurting blood. The most famous of the hydras was killed by Hercules by the burning of a magic flame.
Tiamat
The Babylonian story of creation, Enuma Elish, told of this serpent-like creature, the Mother of the gods. Her scales were tough, and could not be broken by weapons. She was slain by the man, Marduk. Many times she has been referred to the monster of air, relating to that element.
The Cuélebre
Asturias/Cantabria The Cuélebre is the Spanish variety of dragon, specifically, from the regions of Asturias and Cantabria. Serpentine, winged and with colorful scales, the Cuélebre are immortal and obsessed with pretty, shiny objects. They hoard treasure and fairy-like blonde nymphs. The legend relating how the Cuélebre originated goes like this: A beautiful but vain young woman disbelieves her family's warnings against combing her hair as she admires her reflection in a pool of water. Unfortunately, a powerful water nymph living in the pool observes as she neglects her tasks in favor of this activity. Once the girl ruffles the surface of the water, as one of her hairs drops in, the nymph takes the opportunity to teach her a lesson. The nymph curses the girl; she grows huge, her hair is replaced by crests and her skin by scales, and she sprouts wings. In true fairytale fashion the maiden can only be returned to her original state by meeting a knight "who is so brave that he is not afraid of you and has a heart so pure that he finds you beautiful." The Cuélebre hides in a cave by the sea and waits...
The Chuvash dragon
Chuvashia The Chuvash dragons come from Chuvashia, in the center of the European part of Russia. These dragons are the typical European winged fire-breathing sorts but with the ability to shapeshift from dragon to human (and vice versa). The ancestral people of the Chuvashians, who live there today, were Bulgars and told the tale of how when they founded the town of Bilar they came upon a large snake. The snake, which the Bulgars decided to kill, pleaded for peace and was given wings by Allah - which is how the dragon came to fly. Like the Yilbegän, the Chuvash dragons can be polycephalous. The most famous Chuvash dragon, though, is one called Veri Celen (literally, 'fire snake' in Chuvash) who was able to take human form in order to visit men and women in the night and sleep with them.
The Zmaj
Republic of Slovenia The Zmaj comes from the Slavic country Slovenia and has much in common with other Slavic dragons - three heads that may grow back if decapitated, green scaly skin, and fire-spitting abilities. Its name, Zmaj, is a masculine version of the word for snake, which is usually feminine. The Zmaj can also be called by a much older name of murky origin, Pozoj. Slovenic dragons are generally similar in disposition to other European dragons and are featured in Christian stories of St. George as well as pre-Christian stories in which they are tricked into eating sulphur-containing gifts and thus defeated. The dragon of Ljubljana is a notable exception - it once protected the capital city and is depicted on its coat of arms.
The Níðhöggr
Scandinavia The Níðhöggr is a one-of-a-kind dragon that exists within Norse legend. It lives below a giant ash tree, the Yggdrasil or World Tree, which binds the nine worlds of Norse mythology together. Níðhöggr is usually translated as meaning Malice Striker (sometimes as Striker in the Dark) and lives up to his name as he viciously gnaws at the root of the World Tree that keeps him trapped above Hvergelmir, a seething cauldron, in Hel (the Nordic Hel is roughly equivalent to the English Hell). If Níðhöggr chews his way through the root of the World Tree it heralds the arrival of Ragnarök and the subsequent destruction of the world. The serpent-like Níðhöggr is described in the poem Völuspá as one who 'sucks on the corpses of the dead.'
The Korean dragon
North/South Korea The Korean dragons are derived from the Chinese ones, are given very similar cultural status, and look much the same. Where the Chinese dragon has five toes and the Japanese three, the Korean has four - the dragons are said to have lost toes as they moved south. The Korean dragon has a long beard and no wings. Like other Asian dragons, the Korean variety was supposed to be peaceful and kind creatures that were strongly associated with water and agriculture. They are mostly said to live in watery places such as rivers, ponds, lakes, and oceans. Korean dragons differ from others in that history records them as being sentient and capable of understanding concepts like devotion, gratitude, and kindness. Before a Korean dragon is a dragon it can be a creature called an imoogi. Depending on which account you read, imoogi are immature dragons that must live for 1000 years before becoming a dragon or, alternatively, cursed, hornless beings that are unable to become fully-fledged dragons.
The Yilbegan
Siberia The Bakunawa is actually a deity that was represented as a serpentine dragon, according to Filipino mythology. He has two sets of wings, whiskers, a red tongue, and a mouth 'the size of a lake.' The Filipinos once thought that the Bakunawa lived in the sea at a time when the world had seven moons and that the dragons, being fascinated by their light, would rise out of the sky into the sky and consume the moons. Thus, the dragons were the cause of eclipses. To prevent the world from becoming dark the people would run out of their homes, taking their pots and pans, to make the most noise they could in order to scare the Bakunawa so they would stop eating the moons and give them the moonlight back. Interestingly, the name of the dragons, Bakunawa, can be translated as 'moon eater' or 'man eater,' the latter being atypical of Asian dragons.
The Bakunawa
The Republic of the Philippines The Bakunawa is actually a deity that was represented as a serpentine dragon, according to Filipino mythology. He has two sets of wings, whiskers, a red tongue, and a mouth 'the size of a lake.' The Filipinos once thought that the Bakunawa lived in the sea at a time when the world had seven moons and that the dragons, being fascinated by their light, would rise out of the sky into the sky and consume the moons. Thus, the dragons were the cause of eclipses. To prevent the world from becoming dark the people would run out of their homes, taking their pots and pans, to make the most noise they could in order to scare the Bakunawa so they would stop eating the moons and give them the moonlight back. Interestingly, the name of the dragons, Bakunawa, can be translated as 'moon eater' or 'man eater,' the latter being atypical of Asian dragons.
The Naga
Republic of India Naga is a wingless type of Indian dragon found in Hindu and Buddhist culture. Although the word Naga is often ambiguous the Mahabharata (an epic Sanskrit poem that is an important Hindu text) tells us that the Naga possess the traits of both snakes and humans. In Hinduism, the Naga are portrayed in similar fashion to the Chinese family of dragons, being natural spirits that are associated with water sources but can also be European-style guardians of immense treasure. Naga are also found in Buddhist tradition - as polycephalous (multi-headed) serpents that can magically transforms themselves into human shape. Like the Naga of Hindu legend, the Buddhist version prefers watery dwellings. They particularly like to eat frogs and drink milk.
I hope you find this den of dragons inspiring. Write on!
This month's question: What is your favorite kind of dragon? Send in your reply below! 
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#1027912 by Not Available. |
Excerpt: Swiveling its enormous head around to look at me with one great golden eye it regards me with amusement, "Little sister, I have waited for you to become of age, and now the time is at hand. You will have a choice if you will take this mantle." His voice resonates in a deep baritone in my head almost hypnotic.
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#1526079 by Not Available. |
Excerpt: Turning onto his shoulder, Teucer forced his swollen eyes open and blinked back the tears which threatened to spill. No. No. This cannot be! His jaw fell slack in disbelief as his vision focused in the flickering torch light. The prisoner squinted through the glass of the square jar that imprisoned him. 'No!' he wailed pitifully. The soldier forced himself to calm, fearful his thudding heart would explode from shock.
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#1277022 by Not Available. |
Excerpt: Dragons really did exist. Warring countries initiated cease-fires, because everyone was instantly captivated by the television footage. The dragons were magnificent, and they really could fly. The ones that had fallen to the ground were small. Some of these dragons had wingspans estimated over a mile across with tails trailing off like ribbons for miles.
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#1517815 by Not Available. |
Excerpt: A ray of light from the setting sun touched Alma's cheek, and she realized the door to her cage must be open. The young girl put down her sewing, crept over and poked the door outward, thus exposing the great room that made up the biggest part of the dragon clan's house. It was empty. She remembered her owner telling her about the Dance of Life, when the whole clan went off to the sky dance. They must have been in a rush and left her cage door open. Still, it would probably be safer not to go out.
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#1743289 by Not Available. |
Excerpt: All Elwin could see around him were jagged mountains. Enormous, black and frightening, they loomed high above him, making him feel small and insignificant. Somewhere in the distance, a dragon roared, the echo of the mountains making it sound more ominous than it already was. Hearing it, he smiled. He knew he wasn't dreaming. Most people thought that dragons weren't real, but he knew the truth. He's seen many strange things in his journey towards becoming a sorcerer, some of those things were breathtaking in their beauty, some horrible. He knew that dragons existed, but had never seen one before.
| |  | Bob (13+)
A humorous short story about...well, Bob.
#945322 by Harry  |
Excerpt: Long, long ago in a place far, far away there was an age of chivalry, a time of royalty, of gallant knights and fair ladies who were always getting themselves in distress and needing to be saved (seems like a clever dating technique to me, but whatever), of wizards and magic, and, of course, of dragons needing to be slain. It was a land of castles, fine clothing and jewels, great feasts, and live dinner entertainment with much dancing and music making...but not for Bob.
Excerpt: Somewhere, deeper in the forest, the erratic cry of a Mountain Cat brought a shiver to Averil's spine. Some say it sounded like the cry of a baby, others, the voice of the devil. To Averil it was simply a reminder of one of the dangers she had faced in life. She rubbed the scars on her upper arm from her one and only encounter with a Cat. She had been lucky. Most don't live to tell the story, let alone emerge from the forest with the Cat's pelt. She had been very young then and had made the pelt into a warm winter coat for her mother. Now, here she was once again in the forest, traveling deeper than she had ever gone before, maybe deeper than anyone had, searching for an even rarer coat, a Dragon Skin coat. Only this time the coat was for her, to help her in her upcoming battle with the Demon Elf.
Excerpt: The man's lover traces the curve of the dragon's body, she murmurs, "This is so gorgeous and eerie." She scrutinizes the tattoo of the naked woman and concludes the woman is too skinny, a flaw. She stares at the mirror next to the woman, "The scroll? It's written in the mirror!" She squints, and reads the Chinese characters aloud, "Awake, King of Dragons!"
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#1767321 by Not Available. |
Excerpt: This will be a short fantasy contest 2000 words or less.
Excerpt: DreamTime, my dragon muse here, loves to invent, read and write tales of all types. Your challenge is to do the same. In each round you will be given a dragon prompt to create a specific poem or tale. So listen carefully to dragonspeak as you look him in the eye. He is very telepathic!
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This month's question: What is your favorite kind of dragon?
Last month's question: Do find an outline or time line helpful in edit?
StephBee  answers: Yes, I outline all the time. It really helps to keep me straight!
Kylin  reveals: Something I find what helps is making notes on the writing on the side (or between lines) as to the detail to action ratio and just keeping in mind what is important and keeping detail where it should be.
BIG BAD WOLF is Howling  sent in: I just go with the flow.
Soulhaven submits: Yes! I began putting a timeline together in Word. It was a bit tricky. Have since found FreeMind (open source mind-mapping software), thanks to SF author Simon Haynes. It is very handy for nutting out ideas, as I can see the whole picture more clearly.
percy goodfellow says: I am a big fan of outlines. They allow the writer to set the whole story up in concept and allow the author to come at it in bite size chunks.
billwilcox replied: I never use a time line, outline, or any other line (except when fishing). I just kind of wing it, although I'm sure, if writing a longer work, one of those lines would be most effective.
Dustin LeBise comments: My answer is a partial yes. I am not much of an outliner, but I do find that time lines are useful during an edit and use them as an ad hoc style sheet.
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Action/Adventure: May 04, 2011 Issue [#4377]
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