© Getty Images

The entrance to hell -

Fire-breathing dragons derive from medieval depictions of the mouth of hell. The entrance to hell was often depicted as a monster's literal mouth.

© Shutterstock

Origin of the word -

The word dragon comes from the ancient Greek word draconata, meaning to watch or to see. The root may refer to a dragon's reputation for guarding treasure, either real or metaphorical.

© Shutterstock

Speculations on the belief of dragons -

Ancient discoveries of dinosaur bones may have led people to believe in dragons. It was a logical choice for those who had no knowledge about the ancient beasts.

© Shutterstock

Chinese dragons -

Dragons have existed in Chinese culture and folklore for centuries. They symbolize wealth, power, and leadership. Ancient emperors were believed to be descendants of dragons.

© Shutterstock

Dragons from the East and West -

Dragons from Eastern cultures are more often depicted as kind, wise, and benevolent. While dragons from Western cultures typically are fire-breathing, and symbolic of the battle between good and evil.

© Shutterstock

How to kill a dragon -

In medieval lore, the proper way to kill a dragon was to throw the lance into the dragon's mouth, because scales protected the rest of the dragon's body.

© Shutterstock

Greedy beasts -

In Old English literature, dragons were depicted as greedy hoarders. In the epic poem 'Beowulf,' a sleeping dragon is awakened when a cup is stolen from its pile of treasure. It then goes ballistic!

© Shutterstock

The dragon slayer -

Of all the dragon slayers in literature and mythology, St. George, the patron saint of Catalonia and England, is the most known.

© Getty Images

Nordic dragons -

In Germanic and Norse mythology, dragons were depicted as giant sea serpents. They encircled the kingdoms and the surrounding sea.

© Shutterstock

Dragons in the Bible -

The Bible mentions a dragon in the Book of Revelation, chapters 12–14, where it's seen as the devil. The King James translation of the Bible mentions dragons at least 35 times.

© Shutterstock

The magical properties of dragon blood -

In many stories, dragon blood often has magical properties. One example is in Richard Wagner's epic music drama 'The Ring,' where dragon blood allows Siegfried to understand the language of the Forest Bird.

© Getty Images

Dragonet -

A little dragon is called a dragonet. However, don't be fooled by their size. In mythology, smaller dragons were often more fierce and deadly than larger ones.

© Shutterstock

The dragon in the Chinese zodiac -

In the 12-animal Chinese zodiac, the fifth year is the year of the dragon. Couples often try to plan their pregnancies to coincide with the Year of the Dragon, as it's a year particularly fortunate for babies.

© Shutterstock

Smaug -

One of the most iconic dragons in literature is the treasure guarding Smaug, from J.R.R. Tolkien's classic novel 'The Hobbit.'

© Shutterstock

They didn't always fly -

In early dragon literature, before flying became popular, dragons would attack by dropping out of trees onto people's heads.

© Shutterstock

St. Margaret of Antioch -

In medieval folklore, St. Margaret of Antioch was imprisoned for her Christian beliefs. In prison, a dragon swallowed her, but according to legend, God helped her burst out of the dragon's stomach, killing it.

© Getty Images

The Uroboros -

The Uroboros, also known as the tail-biting dragon, symbolizes the eternal circle of life. It was also an important symbol for medieval alchemists.

© Shutterstock

Viking ships -

Some Viking longships had carvings of dragon heads on their prows. The Vikings called these ships drakkar, meaning dragon ships.

© Shutterstock

Dragons in 'Game of Thrones' -

Dragons featured in the books and TV adaptation of George R.R. Martin’s 'Game of Thrones.' They are called Drogon, Rhaegal, and Viserion.

© Shutterstock

Female dragons -

In Greek mythology, a female dragon is called a drakaina, which is the feminine form of the ancient Greek word for dragon, drakon.

© Shutterstock

Dragons in feng shui - In feng shui, the dragon is a powerful symbol of yang, meaning the male energy. It's the counterpart to the phoenix, which is yin, the feminine energy.

© Shutterstock

Japanese folklore -

For the ancient Japanese, dragons were regarded as water deities, who were bringers of destruction. In Japanese folklore, dragons could be appeased with precious metals, but they could also kill with them.

© Shutterstock

The Welsh flag -

Since 600 CE, the red dragon has been a symbol of Wales. Historically, the greatest Welsh warriors were dubbed pendragon, meaning "dragon head" or "leader."

© Shutterstock

Harry Potter -

In the Harry Potter universe, the heart string of a dragon can be used as the core of a wand. Also, a wizard or witch who sells dragon eggs is called a dragon dealer. The practice is, however, illegal.

© Shutterstock

Dragons in ancient Greece and Rome -

The ancient Greeks and Romans believed dragons had supernatural powers. The first mention of a dragon was in Homer’s Iliad. In their literature, the mythical beast generally brought death and chaos where it went.

© Shutterstock

Dragon stones -

Red-colored stones are sometimes called dragon stones. This is because they were believed to be hardened lumps of dragon blood.

© Shutterstock

Babylonian sea dragon -

According to a Babylonian creation myth, Tiamat, a giant sea dragon, was murdered and his body cut in two, creating the sky and earth. From the dragon's blood came the first human.

© Shutterstock

Dragonologists -

A dragonologist is a person who specializes in the study of dragons, from dragon history to mythology from around the world.

© Shutterstock

The snapdragon -

The flower called a snapdragon is named so because its shape resembles a snapping head of a dragon. It's native to the rocky areas of Europe, North Africa, and North America. 

Sources: (Live Science) (FactRetriever)

See also: Mythological figures similar to Jesus

© Shutterstock