The Rest Is History cover image

461. Dragons

The Rest Is History

NOTE

The Tradition of Dragons in Literature

In Northern literature, dragons play significant roles as seen in the old English poem Beowulf and Tolkien's works. In Beowulf, the hero faces three monsters, including a dragon, and ultimately dies defeating it to protect his people. This heroic dragon-slaying theme is mirrored in Tolkien's The Hobbit, where Smaug guards stolen treasure, engages in a Riddle game with Bilbo, and is killed by discovering a vulnerable spot on his underbelly, similar to Beowulf's dragon.

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