Dragon Facts for Kids

This page is about the mythical creature called dragon. For other meanings of the word, see Dragon (disambiguation).

Paolo Uccello's "the dragon"

A dragon is a legendary creature found in many myths, stories, and fantasy worlds. People have told stories about dragons in China, Europe, South America, and many other places for a very long time.

Dragons often look like dinosaurs or other animals that are now extinct. This might be why people imagined dragons to look the way they do.

Different cultures have many kinds of dragons. But usually, people imagine dragons with some common features:

Dragons often have zero to four legs, claws, and scales. They might also have spikes.
Many dragons have wings and can fly.
Some dragons look like large snakes with wings or like big lizards.
Dragons usually have a long tail and a long neck.
They often have a wide mouth with big, sharp teeth.
Some dragons are shown with horns or even hair.
A famous dragon power is breathing fire or other dangerous things.
Dragons often have other special powers too.
In many stories, dragons live in caves.

In popular stories like The Hobbit or Beowulf, dragons are often dangerous. They might attack humans or guard treasure. However, in other stories, like those by Anne McCaffrey, dragons can be helpful. They might even need help themselves. Some old religious stories also mention a dragon, often seen as a symbol of evil.

Amazing Facts About Dragons

Dragons are fascinating creatures with many interesting details in different cultures.

In China, dragons are very important symbols. They stand for wealth, power, and strong leadership.
Ancient Chinese emperors were even believed to be descendants of dragons.
A baby dragon is sometimes called a "dragonet."
In old myths, a female dragon is called a drakaina. This word comes from the ancient Greek word for dragon, drakon.
In the Harry Potter stories, a wizard or witch who buys and sells dragon eggs is called a dragon dealer. It is against the law to trade dragon eggs in their world.
Some Viking longships had dragon heads carved on their prows (the front part). The Vikings called these ships "drakkar," which means "dragon ships."
Red-colored stones are sometimes called "dragon stones." People once believed these stones were hardened lumps of dragon blood.
The Uroboros is a symbol of a dragon biting its own tail. It stands for the never-ending circle of life. It was also an important symbol for medieval alchemists, who tried to turn metals into gold.
People who study dragons are sometimes called dragonologists.

Images for kids

Illustration of a winged, fire-breathing dragon by Friedrich Justin Bertuch from 1806
Qing-era carved imperial Chinese dragons at Nine-Dragon Wall, Beihai Park, Beijing
Dragon-shaped bows on ships in Ystad, Sweden resembling Viking longships
An early appearance of the Old English word dracan in Beowulf
Several bones said to belong to the Wawel Dragon hang outside of Wawel Cathedral, but they actually belong to a Pleistocene mammal.
Illustration from an ancient Egyptian papyrus manuscript showing the god Set spearing the serpent Apep as he attacks the sun boat of Ra
A dragon from the Nine Dragons Scroll by Chen Rong, AD 1244
Illustration of the dragon Zhulong from a seventeenth-century edition of the Shanhaijing
The Welsh Dragon is a heraldic symbol that represents Wales and appears on the national flag of Wales.
Hongwu Emperor with dragon emblem on his chest. c. 1377
Head of a dragon from a Chinese dragon dance performed in Helsinki in the year 2000
The Blue Dragon mural depiction at the Goguryeo tombs
Painting of a Japanese dragon by Hokusai (c. 1730 – 1849)
Nguyễn dynasty dragon, Imperial City of Huế
The mušḫuššu is a serpentine, draconic monster from ancient Mesopotamian mythology with the body and neck of a snake, the forelegs of a lion, and the hind-legs of a bird. Here it is shown as it appears in the Ishtar Gate from the city of Babylon.
The Destruction of Leviathan (1865) by Gustave Doré
Rustam kills the dragon, folio from Shahnameh of Shah Ismail II, attrib. Sadegi (Beg), Iran, Tabriz, c. 1576 AD, view 1 – Aga Khan Museum – Toronto, Canada
Head of the dragon-god Pakhangba depicted on a musical instrument from Manipur, India
Attic red-figure kylix painting from c. 480–470 BC showing Athena observing as the Colchian dragon disgorges the hero Jason
Ancient Greek mosaic from Caulonia, Italy, depicting a cetus or sea-dragon
Fifteenth-century manuscript illustration of the battle of the Red and White Dragons from Geoffrey of Monmouth's History of the Kings of Britain
MS Harley 3244, a medieval manuscript dated to around AD 1260, contains the oldest recognizable image of a fully modern, western dragon.
Manuscript illustration from Verona of Saint George slaying the dragon, dating to c. 1270
Zmey Gorynych, a three-headed dragon from Russian folklore
Illustration of the Wawel Dragon from Sebastian Münster's Cosmographie Universalis (1544)
Modern fan illustration by David Demaret of the dragon Smaug from J. R. R. Tolkien's 1937 high fantasy novel The Hobbit
Silk painting depicting a man riding a dragon, dated to 5th–3rd centuries BC
Tang dynasty painting of a dragon boat race attributed to Li Zhaodao
Dragon sculpture on top of Lungshan Temple, Taipei, Taiwan
Members of the Chinese Youth Society of Melbourne performing for Chinese New Year, at Crown Casino, demonstrate a basic "corkscrew" routine
John Tenniel's illustration of the Jabberwock for Lewis Carroll's Through the Looking-Glass, showing the dragon as a myopic professor
Fire-breathing statue of the Ukrainian Ironbelly from Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2 at Universal Studios Florida
Representation of a dragon as it appears in the role-playing game Dungeons & Dragons

Dragon facts for kids

Amazing Facts About Dragons

Images for kids

See also