During the middle ages, many new cultural and societal shifts began to occur. From this shift came a number of things, such as a strong central religion, distinct new art styles, and a great development in literature and storytelling. From these new art forms came myths, legends, art, and even sometimes fear of a great and powerful mythological creature – the dragon. Dragons, legendary reptilian monsters that usually represent destruction and evil (“Dragon” 1), began to rise in popularity during the European middle ages. The popularity of dragons in medieval Europe had an effect on many aspects of that time period. Stories, religion, and art were among the most impacted. As myths and legends spread, the formula for medieval European dragons …show more content…
Many Europeans were strong believers of the faith and had many legends and stories about different religious aspects. Around the same time, dragons were becoming increasingly popular in European culture, which made them open to be used in religious storytelling and art. The word “dragon” even comes from the old Latin word draco, meaning snake or serpent; the word’s association with dragons, which slightly differ from serpents, was due to Christianity’s negative connotation with snakes and serpents, which are famously connected to the Devil in the Bible (“Dragons”). A famous example of dragons in medieval religion is the leviathan, a “fearsome fire-breathing sea dragon whose scales could not be pierced by swords or spears” (“Dragons in Paradise”) that was spoken of in the Bible. It was one of the most popular types of dragons in the Middle Ages. Because this type of dragon in particular was so popular, even outside of the Bible, leviathans became associated with Satan in Christianity (“Leviathan”). In medieval times, books containing information on various animals called bestiaries were kept, and were “almost undoubtedly used as religious texts” (McShane). These books, kept by churches and used as serious sources of information, included dragons in their compilations; in the bestiaries, dragons were called “evil, deadly, and a bad omen for …show more content…
One of the most famous art forms at the time that often featured dragons were medieval Coats of Arms, symbols worn by knights to relate them to a certain family or state. Coats of Arms often depicted animals or plants. Dragons were especially popular symbols to use, as dragons on Coats of Arms represented “brave warriors and the guardians of treasures” (“Heraldic Symbols”). Saints were also popular depictions in medieval art, and much of said art depicted the saints slaying dragons. Perhaps the most popular of saints illustrated in medieval art was Saint George, a soldier and martyr. He is shown in a great number of medieval paintings and sculptures in which he is slaying dragons. A painting depicting Saint George as a Roman knight riding a white horse battling a dragon was illustrated by the famous artist Raphael (Ogden 247); however, Raphael’s depiction is simple and small compared to other works of art during the Middle Ages. A colossal statue, for example, of Saint George clad in a suit of golden armor slaying a dragon stands in a cathedral in Stockholm, Sweden. This statue was done in the late 1400s by an artist by the name of Bernt Notke (“A History of Dragons in Art”). Even miles away in a small village in Wales, there is a spectacular painting of Saint George slaying a dragon inside a church; the painting has been called “one of the largest and most
The dragon is portrayed as the undefeatable evil. He is nearly invincible, breathes fire, and manages to fatally wound the ultimate hero of the poem. This makes him the ultimate evil Although Beowulf does defeat the dragon, the battle ends in a tie, since both sides perish, which shows the never ending balance between the two extremes: good and evil. The theme of loyalty is also explored here. When the battle between Beowulf and the dragon first begins, “[his] hand-picked troop/ broke ranks and ran for their lives” (1129). This is a common archetype that allows the hero to face the antagonist alone, all while having assistance during the journey leading up to the final battle. The author used this to emphasize the Anglo-Saxon belief of fate. Beowulf was supposed to face the dragon alone, thus his comrades had to disappear. The two ways to do this would have been to have Beowulf go alone, which would conflict with the belief of Warrior Culture, or portray his allies as cowards which would also help reinforce the Anglo Saxon values regarding courage. Thus by adding in the archetype of the cowardly allies, the author creates an emphasis on the important parts of Anglo-Saxon culture without relying on
Dragons lie in the realm of fantasy; legendary creatures who are deeply rooted in magic and have captivated audiences for centuries. The depiction
Constellations have helped many people for many years. Draco the Dragon is by far the coolest constellation in the sky. The things that make draco the dragon interesting is the facts and myths.
In contrast, Beowulf is seen as a hero, even when exemplifying the violent and dangerous qualities the dragon is feared for. Anglo-Saxon society prized loyalty, personal valor, and fame. In order to be a hero, one must recognize the need to act, and not shy away from it. The dragon, based on that definition, embodies the Anglo-Saxon idea of a hero: it is loyal to its cause, it is a good warrior, and it recognizes the need to act. It even has a sense of justice and a sense of wrong, shown by the way it reacted to the theft of the chalice. The dragon becomes vengeful and defensive, using cruelty as a means to correct the wrong. Described as “the guardian of the mound” (2302), the dragon’s intent is identical to Beowulf’s. Beowulf is seen as a hero not only because of his actions, but because he is human. The only thing that makes the dragon different is its inhuman qualities, and therefore it is a monster, a “ground-burner” (2713). Heroism in Anglo-Saxon society is a concept embodied by warriors and guardians, who would vie to be the most well-known. Heroism, to the Anglo-Saxons, is an excuse to use cruelty as a way to further one’s fame. It is a social crutch of sorts, leaned on for the vain chance to be immortal. When Beowulf agrees to fight the dragon, it is to have a heroic death, so he may be remembered. In the battle, just as with Grendel and Grendel’s mother,
Pagan symbols such as ravens, dragons and monsters, and poison can be found throughout the epic of Beowulf. The raven was a symbol from Norse mythology; it was the messenger for a war god named Odin. We find the reference to this pagan symbol after Beowulf defeats Grendel's mother. He and "the Geats slept till a black-feathered raven sang his cheerful song" (Norton 1587). This reference to such a pagan symbol is just the first piece of evidence for the paganism of the epic. We also know that Beowulf is a story based on the defeat by a warrior hero of two monsters and a dragon. However, dragons and monsters are not part of the Christian religion, so if the story were Christian, there would be no Grendel, his mother, or the dragon at all. Yet the entire story is based around these three characters. We cannot dismiss the fact that these beings are present in the story, nor can we ignore the fact that these beings are in no way Christian. Fin...
Beowulf outlines turmoil between three opponents: Grendel, Grendel’s mother, and the Dragon. These separate discords each serve to fulfill different metaphoric purposes. Grendel’s character epitomizes the adverse persona of how an Anglo-Saxon warrior should not be. His mother represents everything that a woman during the time era should seldom be. Lastly, the Dragon embodies all the values that an Anglo-Saxon king should not dare retain. Without a doubt, the symbolic implications of the monsters in Beowulf bring the context to a new level of understanding.
The Dragon is the evil in the story that is to hard to defeat. It takes Beowulf a while to fight with the dragon, but in the end the dragon ends up killing Beowulf. In the end Beowulf wants to have a lighthouse to be build so that people could remember who he was and how he was to his people. This kind of evil isn’t something that you can fight and win over, its something that takes your life away. The evil that nobody can win over it will always win and in the end there is no stopping this evil from winning. It's the hardest type out of this whole story, the dragon gets woke up from somebody taking a cup from its home and Beowulf is the one who ends up losing his life over him. He fights the dragon and doesn’t end up killing his. This little man who Beowulf invited to help kill the dragon showed up while all the other people run away in fear. He is the one who kills the dragon after it kills Beowulf. Clearly this kind of evil is that worst kind there is nobody can fight it or win against
entertainment. There are many precedents for dragons in medieval literature, two of the most prominent
In the dark ages people were always looking for a deeper meaning in everything and rightly so, seeing as the authors of that time often wrote in allegories. Lacking technology and education, information was best spread through stories that could be easily recited. Different groups would use different influences, full of deep symbolism, to better illustrate their message. The monks flooded the pagan epic Beowulf with christian influence and reserved the last books as an allegory of Christ’s crucifixion. In this epic, the monks used uncanny and deliberate parallels with the crucifixion of Jesus Christ such as Beowulf’s twelve warriors abandoning him, his sacrificial death, being martyred for the will of God, and being a humble king whose followers offer them praise and glory.
In many European traditions, dragons are viewed as villains because they represent the antithesis of a good king. Good kings share their wealth; dragons hoard it. However the dragon’s actions against society in Beowulf can be justified. After Beowulf becomes the ruler of Geatland and all seems well and peaceful, the dragon enters the story. His appearance is provoked: one day while the dragon quietly guards his ancient hoard, an unnamed Danish slave manages to enter the hidden lair and awaken the dragon’s dormant rage.
“Beowulf,” a heroic epic passed down by word of mouth until the 6th century, tells of a brave soldier who gained glory by defeating different beasts. Beowulf, King of the Geats, chased riches and treasures every chance he got. His pride and desire for glory led him to Denmark to defeat the dreaded Grendel- a demonic beast who seeked vengeance for the intrusion of the Danes. Beowulf
Translating literature from different time periods can be difficult, but when successfully done the comparisons of the two pieces of literature can be amazing. During the Medieval period in times people feared mythical creatures such as dragons. People would have houses built to protect and save them from these creatures. These mighty mythical creatures were rarely seen and told about, but there were some who finessed in the destruction of these mighty beasts. During the More Modern era people do not have to worry about ginormous beasts, but they have to worry about war. Nowadays people build homes to look nice and make them best fit for themselves. There are no gigantic beasts that people must worry about in the present. Even though the two
A huge famous sculpture he did was Gattamelata. That statue was supposed to represent a no ruler (“Donatello “par 2, 4). His statue called St. George was so good that even Michelangelo complemented it (Hale 109). John Pope Henessy, a great author, he noted that he was one of the greatest sculptors that ever lived. Following his sculptor called St. Gorge, he made St.Gorge and the dragon. St George was his first attempt at portraying a three dimensional scene on a flat surface (“Donatello” par 5, 7).
Pictures drawn by monks allowed illiterate medieval people to develop thoughts of right and wrong. Beowulf is an example of a dramatic tale preserved by the Christian monks. The dramatic tale was a model for the medieval people to practice their piety. Since, Beowulf fought against a monster, ogre, and a dragon he becomes a warrior and this demonstrate his display of piety because as an old man he kills the dragon. The tale of Beowulf is a valuable story to the medieval people because the values shows warriors in the story of Beowulf being loyal serving their king till his death. Plus, it shows practices of the warrior piety to the king. Adding to this the tale allows society to take upon having piety since the king Beowulf was rewarding the warriors for their
Throughout the old world, people had feared creatures with the body of a large lizard, snake-like eyes, large wings, and that can emit fire from their mouth. They was thought to be the embodiment of evil, greed, lust, violence, and the dark side of humanity. These mythical creatures are called dragons, but the dragon have a different reputation in the Eastern world. In China it was highly respected in the kingdom, a fairly common motif in eastern art for its heavenly related background.