Many cultures and civilizations have counted the Dragon in their repertoires of myth and lore. As a consequence, the Dragon has assumed many forms and fulfilled many functions throughout the millenia of its existence. There have been Dragons on a scale so vast, and of a power so unrestrained, that they have threatened the Gods and the very universe itself with annihilation. There have been middling Dragons, a mere four or five miles long, ruling over empires beneath the seas or bearing celestial palaces upon their backs. There have been Dragons small enough to coll around a tree, guarding hoards of treasure for the joy or sake of it. There have been two-legged, four-legged and legless Dragons; Dragons with wings and without: serial Dragons and Dragons of the earth; Dragons of river and ocean; of lake, marsh, desert, cave and subterranean cavern There have been Dragons of Chaos and ultimate Evil, delighting in destruction, whom only the Gods or Divine Heroes might oppose. And there have been Dragons greatly benign, sent by the heavenly powers to establish harmony and order; to father Emperors and lay the foundations of Imperial dynasties. There have always been Dragons, since the first epochs of recorded history down to our own day and age, from Tiamat to Smorg. And, whether well-disposed towards mankind or an implacable adversary, they have always been supreme symbols of elemental and supra-human power. In his essays on the Western and Eastern Dragon, Charles Gould details the appearance of this fantastic creature in the natural histories and records of the Ancient World, including also studies of the Serpent and Winged Snake. The appendices present a selection of materials from Classical and Chinese authors, together with later pieces devoted to the medieval and mythical Dragon.
Softcover, 104pp., 21x30cm., ills. in b/w., in very good condition (covers with light traces of use).
21x30cm
104 pp.
Wildwood House 1977 London
