Dragon expert Jasmine Elmer explores the ancient origins and diverse depictions of dragons, from myths to pop culture. The podcast delves into the symbolism of dragons in ancient civilizations, connecting them to natural phenomena and religious narratives. Topics include the fear of female dragons and their reproductive abilities, as well as the evolution of dragon lore in history and pop culture.
Dragons in ancient cultures showcased various appearances, symbolizing chaos and unknown territories.
Female dragons in medieval art embody reproduction and opposition to chaste figures, reflecting symbolic gender roles.
Deep dives
Origin of Dragons in Ancient Cultures
Dragons have been part of ancient cultures for centuries, with roots traced back to civilizations like Babylonian and Greek, showcasing a variety of appearances such as snakes and sometimes winged creatures.
Dragons Reflect Cultural Fears and Realms of Unknown
Dragons symbolize chaos and unknown territories, often dwelling on the periphery or boundaries, reflecting fears of the wild and embracing the monsters that lurk just out of reach.
Evolution of Dragons: From Ancient Symbols to Christian Representations
Dragons transitioned from ancient stories of myth and heroism into Christian narratives, representing the battle between good and evil, with malevolent dragons signifying darkness and the need for hero figures to vanquish them.
Female Dragon Symbolism and Gender Roles
In medieval art, many dragons are depicted as female, embodying aspects of reproduction and chaos, often positioned in opposition to chaste female figures, emphasizing symbolic gender roles and morality in Christian societal contexts.
Take dinosaur bones, snake poison, volcanic lava, fear of the unknown. Mix it all together and you have a dragon!
Today we're finding out about the ancient origins of dragons and why there used to be a much wider variety of dragon types than we see today. Our guide is dragon expert Jasmine Elmer. Jasmine's new documentary "Dragons: Myth & Reality" is out now on History Hit.
Edited by Tom Delargy, Produced by Freddy Chick, Senior Producer is Charlotte Long.
Enjoy unlimited access to award-winning original documentaries that are released weekly and AD-FREE podcasts. Get a subscription for £1 per month for 3 months with code AFTERDARK - sign up at historyhit.com/subscribe.