Our three labels
History: what records, historians and heritage bodies say, based on evidence. Literature: what a named poem, saga, history or book says, and when. Tradition: customs and local beliefs about people and places, recorded by a named source. Reading notes marked as our own comment are interpretation, not fact.
How we checked
Each labelled sentence on this site was checked against the text of the source it links to, by matching the exact wording in that source. Retellings are our own words; they follow the events in the named text and do not add new events. Quotations are short and come from public-domain texts.
Primary texts (public domain, free online)
- A. C. Fox-Davies, A Complete Guide to Heraldry, Project Gutenberg ↗
- Beowulf, trans. Francis B. Gummere, Project Gutenberg ↗
- E. T. C. Werner, Myths and Legends of China, Project Gutenberg ↗
- Jacobus de Voragine, The Golden Legend, vol. 3, in William Caxton’s English (first printed 1483), Fordham University Medieval Sourcebook ↗
- Joseph Jacobs (ed.), More English Fairy Tales, Project Gutenberg ↗
- Nennius, History of the Britons, trans. J. A. Giles, Project Gutenberg ↗
- Snorri Sturluson, The Younger Edda (the Prose Edda), trans. Rasmus B. Anderson, Project Gutenberg ↗
- The Story of the Volsungs, trans. William Morris and Eiríkr Magnússon (1888), Project Gutenberg ↗
- William Henderson, Notes on the Folk-Lore of the Northern Counties of England and the Borders (1879), chapter 8, Wikisource ↗
Historians, heritage bodies and reference works
- Amgueddfa Cymru – Museum Wales: National emblems (FAQ) ↗
- Britannica (Scholars): dragon ↗
- Britannica (Scholars): long (Chinese mythology) ↗
- Britannica (Students): dragon ↗
- Church of England: Celebrating St George, martyr and patron saint of England ↗
- English Heritage: 9 things you didn’t know about St George ↗
- English Heritage: History of Uffington Castle, White Horse and Dragon Hill ↗
- Hansard, House of Commons written answers, 23 February 1959: Welsh Flag ↗
- Isle of Man Guide: Dragon Cross (no. 117), Kirk Michael ↗
- Isle of Man Guide: Sigurd Slab (no. 122), Kirk Maughold ↗
- Isle of Man Guide: Sigurd’s Cross (no. 121), Kirk Andreas ↗
- Manx National Heritage: Learning about the Manx Crosses ↗
- National Trust: History at White Horse Hill ↗
- Visit Wales: The legend of the Welsh dragon ↗
When sources disagree
We show both sides rather than picking one silently.
When did the dragon join St George’s story?
History The dragon story post-dates the real George by several centuries. Pictures of George and the dragon survive from the 9th century, about 500 years after his death. English Heritage: 9 things you didn’t know about St George ↗
History The Church of England says the legend of George slaying a dragon (or sea-monster) only appeared in the 1200s. Church of England: Celebrating St George, martyr and patron saint of England ↗
English Heritage points to pictures from the 9th century; the Church of England says the legend appeared in the 1200s. Both agree the dragon came centuries after the real George, so we give both dates.
Who told Sigurd to dig?
Literature Regin told Sigurd to dig a pit on Fafnir’s path. An old man with a long beard told him to dig many pits, so the blood could run away. The Story of the Volsungs, trans. William Morris and Eiríkr Magnússon (1888), Project Gutenberg ↗
History The Isle of Man Guide tells the story with Odin telling Sigurd to dig a pit and wait for the dragon. Isle of Man Guide: Sigurd’s Cross (no. 121), Kirk Andreas ↗
The 1888 translation of the saga calls the adviser an old man with a long beard; the Isle of Man Guide names him as Odin. We quote each as its source puts it.
Four kinds of Chinese dragon
Tradition Werner lists four kinds: the celestial dragon, which guards the mansions of the gods; the divine dragon, which brings wind and rain; the earth-dragon, which marks out rivers; and the dragon of hidden treasures. E. T. C. Werner, Myths and Legends of China, Project Gutenberg ↗
History Ancient Chinese thinkers named four types of dragon: the Celestial Dragon (Tianlong), the Dragon of Hidden Treasure (Fuzanglong), the Earth Dragon (Dilong), who controls the waterways, and the Spiritual Dragon (Shenlong), who controls the rain and winds. Britannica (Scholars): long (Chinese mythology) ↗
Werner and Britannica give the same four kinds with slightly different English names, and they describe the earth dragon’s work with rivers differently. We show both wordings.
What happened to the Tudor dragon?
History From 1485 to 1603 the dragon was part of the arms of the Tudor kings and queens. James I replaced it on the royal coat of arms with a unicorn. Amgueddfa Cymru – Museum Wales: National emblems (FAQ) ↗
History The red dragon held up the royal arms of the Tudor kings Henry VII, Henry VIII and Edward VI. Elizabeth I changed its colour to gold. A. C. Fox-Davies, A Complete Guide to Heraldry, Project Gutenberg ↗
These are not in conflict: Fox-Davies says Elizabeth I changed the dragon’s colour to gold, and Museum Wales says James I replaced it with a unicorn.
No Manx dragon tale
We looked for a Manx folk tale about a dragon and did not find one in the sources we checked. The Isle of Man material on this site is about carved crosses, and every sentence about them is labelled History.
Pictures
All paintings, drawings and photographs are public domain or CC0, from Wikimedia Commons. See picture credits. An old painting shows how an artist imagined a story; it is not a portrait or a reconstruction.
Corrections
Found something wrong? Email info@reallybyte.com with the page and a source, and we will check it.