Episode #367: Dragons of Legend with Matt Shy

Matt Shy joins us again with a presentation on another kind of legendary giant: dragons. We look at ancient depictions of dragons and giant serpents across the world from Sumer to China. We talk about the significance of the Ouroboros, about ancient artifacts depicting dragons and serpents, about the many ancient gods who were depicted as serpents, or had serpent or dragon-like aspects.

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Chapters

00:00 Welcome to the Brothers of the Serpent Podcast 06:02 New Year Reflections and Podcast Plans 12:06 Ancient Chinese Dragon Depictions 18:05 The Ouroboros and Its Significance 24:04 The Candle Dragon and Protruding Eyes 29:00 Concluding Thoughts on Historical Artifacts 34:11 Cosmic Serpents and Their Symbolism 37:02 Indra and the Slaying of Vritra 39:33 Agency of Nature: Serpents and Spirits 42:05 Cognitive Dissonance and Perception 44:29 Shesha: The Cosmic Serpent 46:40 Tiamat: The Dragon of Chaos 49:10 Feathered Serpents in Mesoamerica 58:19 Quetzalcoatl and the Temple of the Feathered Serpent 01:00:22 The Serpent as a Symbol of Wisdom 01:03:07 Psychedelics and Altered States of Consciousness 01:06:56 Mythical Creatures and Their Symbolism 01:09:49 Historical Accounts of Serpents and Dragons 01:12:41 Pterosaurs and Native American Legends 01:15:34 The Evolution of Dragon Myths 01:18:31 The Serpent in Religious Texts 01:21:52 Epic Tales of Heroism and Dragons 01:32:08 The Value of Knowledge 01:32:59 Mythical Creatures in Gaming and Literature 01:34:03 The World Serpent and Its Symbolism 01:36:05 Arthurian Legends and Their Origins 01:36:57 Saints and Dragons: A Historical Perspective 01:37:56 The Legend of Loch Ness 01:39:11 St. George and the Dragon 01:39:56 Japanese Dragons and Their Significance 01:41:58 The Concept of Dragons in Civilization 01:44:08 The Role of Dragons in Different Cultures 01:47:01 Slavic Dragons and Their Mythology 01:49:11 The Connection Between Dragons and Kingship 01:51:01 Dragons as Ancient Demons 01:53:02 The Serpent as a Symbol of Knowledge