Saturday 8 July 2017

Serpentine dragons

In modern days, we often imagine dragons like modern medieval fantasies describe them: a hybrid creature with lizard-like body, bat wings, sometimes horns, etc. But in folklore, dragons were often "worms", or, to be more precise, snake-like in their appearance.

I had the chance to see one of these types of dragons in Bute Park in Cardiff. It was near the camouflaged one. While the snake-like dragon was not nearly as impressive, I still noticed it before the other and could not resist take a few pictures of it too. His face is more benign, but like all serpents. I suspect it is a ruse. He looks very dubious and I am certain he has a few nasty tricks up his sleeve: he is long enough and thick enough to ensnare a human being and choke him to death, he can maybe crush his bones in the meantime. His mouth is wide enough to swallow a child and, like most dragons, it must breath fire when needed. Oh how I wish we had such creatures in the parks where I was growing up!

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