Dragons
Where does one start when talking about dragons? Many would say to start from the beginning. But there is a problem with doing that. You see, for dragons, there was no beginning. At least, that is what the first book of the Inheritance Trilogy, Eragon, tells the audience. So it's best to stick with talking about what we know. Unfortunately, there isn't a lot of information about these gigantic beasts to begin with. However, that doesn't mean Christopher Paolini kept us in the dark completely.
Like stated before, dragons have no beginning that we know of, unless it rests with the establishing of Alagaesia itself. They suffer as the land does, leading us to believe that their end will more than likely be at the time of the world's conclusion. Dragons, like the dwarves, are true inhabitants of the land. The two races lived in peace and their world was unchanging until the Elves sailed over to Alagaesia. The Elves, not recognizing the dragon's potential, began slaughtering them for food and sport. They made the mistake of believing that the enormous creatures were nothing more than ordinary animals. Before long, the dragons grew tired and war began between the two groups. Both sides attacked each other with vigor and many were killed on both sides.
During the war, an elf by the name Eragon, stumbled upon an abandoned dragon egg. Seeing it as an opportunity to bring an end to the war, Eragon kept the egg and raised the dragon in secret. Once the dragon became mature, the two embarked out together in order to convince the dragon race to cease fighting with the elves. After a short time, treaties were formed, and all aggression had vanished. In order to maintain peace, the Elves, as well as men, teamed up with the dragons to form a group of leaders to help keep war out of Alagaesia. These people came to be known as the Dragon Riders. They formed strong bonds with their dragons, both emotionally and mentally. This allowed the Rider to be able receive strength from the dragon whenever necessary. It also allowed the dragon and Rider hear each other's thoughts.
Dragons are hatched from eggs about the size of a fist. They were the exact color that the dragon would have been once they hatched. The eggs of a dragon were very strong and smooth. They lived inside their eggs for hundreds of years until the right person came in contact with them. Once the dragon was hatched, the first person to have touched it became its "rider." They are described as enormous, reptilian creatures. Most were larger than a house with wingspans of over hundred feet or more. Some of the ancient ones could have even passed for large hills. Dragons had millions of tough scales that shielded their bodies. Those scales shined like gems and came in every color and shade. They could not breathe fire until they matured. Maturity came when they were around five to six months old. This is about the same time they could begin mating. The older the dragon was the longer he could breathe fire. The oldest ones could keep it up for several minutes.
These magical beings often lived for a long, long time. They lived forever as long as the Rider did not die and the dragon was not killed. They were magical and affected everyone and everything around them. One of the many examples is the extended life that many Riders experienced. They were very intelligent and incredibly powerful. Hardly any of the Rider's great deeds would have been possible if it hadn't of been for the dragons.
That is what we know about dragons according to the book. But what about the dragons mentioned in mythology and modern day stories? Though the Latin is draco and draconis, it has been supposed by some scholars, that the word dragon comes from the Old English word draugr. This word literally means a spirit who guards the burial mound of a king. Many others assume the word dragon comes from the ancient Greek word derekesthai, meaning 'sharp eyed', referring to the dragon's legendarily keen eyesight.
In European mythology, a dragon is a serpent-like creature. They were sometimes called by the Nordic word, wyrm (Germanic wurm). Though a winged creature, they were generally found in lairs, caves that distinguished the dragons as ancient creatures of the earth. Although today we associate dragons with fire, medieval legends often associate them with water, as guardians of springs and living under water. Roman mythology talks about how, in the Bible, the book of Revelation written by John describes Satan as "a great dragon, flaming red, with seven heads and ten horns." Much of John's literary inspiration is Late Hebrew and Greek. Many dragons are mentioned in the mythology of the Germanic people, but one of the most famous is the dragon encountered by Beowulf. In Beowulf, the serpents guarded mountains of ancient treasure. The treasure was cursed and brought ill to those who later possessed it.
The dragon of the modern period is characteristically depicted as a giant, horned dinosaur-like creature, with leathery wings and the ability to breathe fire. It typically protects a cavern filled with gold and treasure and is usually associated with a great hero, who attempts to slay it. In The Hobbit by J. R. R. Tolkien, a dragon stands guard over the dwarfs' treasure inside old castle ruins, and its up to a young hobbit to rise up to slay it. Other modern stories represent dragons as being extremely intelligent creatures, some with the ability to use magic. Dragon's blood often has magical properties.
Compared to modern-day movies about dragons, books can seem to be closer to the truth. Movies often over emphasize the fierceness and violence that a dragon possesses. Most of the films depict dragons either as evil or of virtue. In the movie Reign of Fire, a young boy witnesses the awakening of a centuries old dragon. Twenty years later, dragons have destroyed the Earth and most of civilization. But in The Neverending Story, The Luck Dragon, Faelcore, helps a young boy named Bastion accomplish his quest. Regardless of all the differences among the legends found in books, movies, and mythology, there is one thing that they all seem to have in common. All of them mention the amount of intelligence that the dragons posses.
