Historical Dragons....Myths and Folklore

Historical Dragons….Myths and Folklore






The serpent of Carthage
Marcus
Atilus Regulus, roman general, was heading with his army towards
Carthage at war with Rome (264-241 BC). When they reached Bagradas
(today the Medjerda oued) they faced a 37 m long snake whistling a
defeaning sound. After having killed more than 70 soldiers, a large
stone sent by a catapult eventually smashed his head.
The
body of the snake was exhibited during more than 100 years at the
Capitole in Rome and there are many written accounts of it. Strangely
the largest potential snake in Africa, the Python Tiger is no longer
than 8 m.
 
 
 
 
 
The Wilser Dragon
In
the region of Helvetia, near the town of Wilser, a dragon was
destroying the local area. There was a man, called Winckelriedt, who
had been banished from Wilser for manslaughter. He was told he would be
pardoned if he killed the dragon. He killed the dragon with a sword,
but as he raised the sword triumphantly above him, the dragon's blood
came down the sword onto him. As the blood touched him, he died.
 
 
England, Scotland, Wales, Ireland
  
 
 
 
 
The Lambton Worm of Durham
Origin: The Lambton Worm of Durham was known for its size, draping itself around Worm Hill, Durham, Scotland. 
Type : Worm 
Myth: 
this serpent was originally caught when it was a baby by a man named
Lambton while he was fishing. Disgusted by its appearance, needle-like
teeth, slimy, and evil, he threw it into a nearby well. Unknown to him,
it grew  to enormous proportions and thrived until it began to feed of
the villagers. The dragon had been in many battles and was hacked to
pieces, but has always managed by mysterious powers to heal again.
Lambton came back and discovered what had occurred. Under the
advisement of a witch, he wore a suit of armor covered in spikes and
chopped the Worm to pieces in the river where the pieces of the dead
worm drifted away and were unable to reform. The witch also told him
that he had also to kill the next creature he saw after the killing.
Unfortunately, he saw his own father, of whom he could not kill. It was
said that the Lambton family was cursed for the next nine generations,
and doomed to die abroad, and never at home.
 
 
 
 
The Dragon of Loschy Hill
The
Dragon of Loschy Hill in Yorkshire was slain by Peter Loschy. This
dragon was known for having a deadly tongue with a poisonous lethal
outcome and teeth that were reputed to be equal to the size of
pitchfork prongs. When Peter Loschy attacked the dragon he hacked away
at the tongue until it was dead, whilst his faithful hound carried the
pieces away. It is said that the hound was so happy to serve his master
that after completing the task he licked his master's face. Alas this
served as an ill-omen for both of them, with the poison taking hold.
 
 
 
The Meister Stoor Worm
In
Orkney, off mainland Scotland (UK), the 'Meister Stoor Worm' menaced
the local people but was finally overcome when an unnamed local threw a
blazing pitch tipped with a spearhead down the throat. According to
legend the corpse of the dragon was huge, so big in fact that as it was
dying it spat it's teeth out which became the Faroes and it's body
became Iceland.
 
 
 
The Dragon snakes of Penllyne (Wales)
Flying
snakes with beautiful feathers have been observed around 1812.
Unfortunately, local people killed them all because they ate all the
chicken around.
 
 
 
 
The Dragon of Knucker Hole
A
water dragon who lived at Knucker Hole at Lyminster, Sussex, England
caused many problems in the Lyminster area, carrying off animals and
people, and generally being a nuisance. Eventually Knucker was killed,
although there are several different versions of the story describing
this event.
In one
version the King of Sussex offered his daughter in marriage to anyone
who would kill the dragon. It was said that a wandering knight battled
Knucker, killed him, married the princess, and then settled in
Lyminster.
The
second version of Knucker's end said that Jim Pulk, a local farmer's
boy, outwitted the dragon. He cooked the dragon a poisoned Sussex pie,
which the dragon ate, then died. Knucker got his revenge in the end
though, because after Jim when off to celebrate he fell down dead.
Probably he hadn't washed his hands after baking the poisoned pie. The
third version also has a local man outwitting Knucker, in a similar
way. This man is called Jim Puttock, and comes from Wick. In this
version it is the Mayor of Arundel offering a reward. Unlike Jim Pulk,
Jim Puttock does not die at the end.
 
  
France
 
The Guivre
A
serpent dragon who's breath would generate plagues and disease. It was
ashamed of nudity, so would flee in the presence of a nude person.
 
 
 
The Gargouille
Around
520 AC a dragon which rose from the waters of the Seine ravaged the
local area of Rouen in Normandy. It spouted a tremendous blast of water
from its mouth which flooded the countryside. It was defeated by St.
Romain of the city Rouen and a criminal who has just been condemned to
death. As St Romain walk towards him and made the sign of the cross,
the waters stopped pouring out from the monster which became docile and
followed the two men to Rouen. The local people in fury eventually
burned it. The prisoner was graced and set free and in remembrance the
archbishop of Rouen was allowed to liberate one prisoner every year.
The monster gave his name to the statues that were erected on the
buildings to instill fear and collect the rain. The statues are known
as gargoyles.
 
 
The Tarasque
Long
time ago a huge monster emerged from the sea and chose the river Rhone
as its new home. It was a dragoness, half land mammal, half fish. She
outsized twelve elephants, had teeth like swords and a skin like iron.
Her father was the water dragon Leviathan, her mother the giant snake
Onachus, and her name was Tarasque.
Wherever
the beast appeared, she brought terror and destruction. All animals
fled her. She destroyed houses, and her breath was flames. Many heroes
tried to kill her, and perished.
After
seven years of ravage a farmer found the skin of the dragoness and
considered her dead. But the farmer had only found her cast-off skin
and after seven years the monster came back. The Tarasque had destroyed
all bridges and devoured everyone who wanted to cross the river. At
last the inhabitants of the troubled area tried to lure the dragoness
into a trap. Near the town Avignon there was a deep swamp. Whoever got
there was lost. So they bound animals to trees near the trail leading
to the swamp. The beast followed this line of prey. But when she
approached the trap, she turned around and fled back to the river.
After
21 years, Saint Martha boat arrived at Saintes Marie de la Mer (a
nearby port which was the departure of the first crusade and the place
of a famous gipsy black virgin) . When she heard of the beast, she went
out to Nerluc where the Tarasque was established. In her white dress,
barefooted, and with no other weapon than a jar of holy water, St
Martha caught the dragoness which followed her docile to the village
where the local people killed her.
The
citizens erected a new church in honor of St. Martha, and the town
changed its name to Tarascon (in Provence). There is a procession every
year at Pentecost to celebrate the event.
 
 
 
The Velue or Peluda
A
water dragon which was banned from Noah Arch but eventualy survived had
find refuge at La Ferté Bernard in France where it made havoc. It had a
dragon head, a green round tortoised like body that cast spears and a
long lethal tail. On top of that he naturally breathed fire. A man
whose lover was eaten or captured by the monster cut his tail and
killed it.