Could dragons really exist?

[ThatBrightHelper]

I am friends with someone of viking descent, and she told me that her ancestors were friends with dragons, just like How To Train Your Dragon! I find that really cool that dragons might not be that imaginary.

Of course you can - you can easily trace Scandinavian heritage using dna tests. Although ‘viking’ is/was not an ethnic group but a job description so I suppose you are correct in that sense, we can’t say for certain why people came over - most of them were farmers/traders rather than raiders.

The friend wasn't there either. There is absolutely no evidence of dragons, dinosaurs went extinct 65 million years ago and there is evidence of them. People believed mermaids existed at one time do you believe in them too? Do you just believe anything anyone says?

People should question everything and not just blindly believe a load of nonsense.

Yes they hide up in the mountains here in Wales and occasionally have been seen flying over Cardiff castle on Saint David's day. Rumour has it they only understand Welsh and their favourite food is Welsh rarebit followed by a Welsh cake. You can spot a Welsh dragon easily because it's red like on our flag.

My brother works with them in Romania
Of course they are real

You should read the books about Pern by Anne McCaffrey.

They have little dragons in them.

Look on Quora, using the question
Is it scientifically possible for a Pegasus to exist

It doesn't just cover pegasuses (pegasi?) but dragons too. Lots of explanation as to why you cannot have flying animals above a certain size, the fact that the animal would need six limbs, which only happens with insects, etc.

I'm very much real.

Hey, misery guts.
Chill

Yes come on OP. Dragons are just small fry compared to the alien deities! 🤔

People believe in gods...

I listened to a podcast last night (Infinite Monkey Cage) in which they postulated that in the 17th century when dinosaur and other fossils were being found, they tried to fit the bones to prevailing folklore of the time.
So, reasonable to think that a big, sod-off dinosaur bone was from a dragon or other mythical creature

😁

Apparently belief in elves is common in modern day Iceland.

I know people who believe in all host of magical / supernatural creatures like boggarts.
i love all that stuff. I’d like to believe in tree spirits and a whole host of woodland folk.

i don’t believe it, but I still like the idea of it!

I don’t consider it to be possible in the literal sense of dragons as animals which walked the Earth. Had that been the case they would almost certainly be part of the fossil record, and there would be evidence of their impact on other animals which we do know existed. We also know from our understanding of biology and physics that the physical characteristics of dragons - e.g. being large flying reptiles which breathe fire - are not scientifically explicable.

Dragons form a significant part of the mythology of many countries. They capture our imaginations and play an important role in helping us define ideas about ourselves as humans, and our relationship to the world. Things don’t have to be literally true to tell us sincere truths about the world.

If you’re interested in the idea, the Earthsea books by Ursula le Guin are wonderful reads and portray a really interesting perspective on the mythological relationship between humans and dragons.

They’re mythological creatures. It’s possible that Vikings or other ancient races could have found dinosaur bones and labelled them as the magical creatures we know as dragons. But they were venerated as symbols for things, like strength for example, rather than being actual creatures they would fly. I mean Vikings are known for being seafaring aren’t they.

Also a lot of other stuff existed and was used, like hallucinogenic herb products etc.
Might explain the 🐲 dragons.

Ahh I've not caught up on latest series, thanks I'll listen!

I've noticed some really odd posts lately. I am usually oblivious to most things, wrapped up in my own world, but even I am starting to think this is how they are training AI in what is "normal".

Or like actual Toothless in the books.

There are words for dragon in many diverse cultures, so IMO some large, lizard-like reptile that’s long since died out (except for the ferocious Komodo) did give rise to the myth. It’s often thought that a forked tongue darting in and out would have resembled a flame.

I dare say a lot of old folk myths are based in the dim and distant past, well before anything was written down, on fact.

I find it incredibly interesting that the Cyclops legend likely sprang from dwarf elephant fossils - the trunk cavity on the skull was mistaken for a massive eye, the eye sockets relatively insignificant.

https://www.reddit.com/r/Damnthatsinteresting/comments/r7ewnt/cyclops_was_likely_inspired_by_pygmy_elephant/?rdt=40789

Not to be a terrible pedant, but there were no flying dinosaurs 😬

There were flying reptiles during the same era as dinosaurs, called pterosaurs. Although sharing characteristics, the two groups were distinct from one another.

@OAPapparently - my chickens do that but in 20 years have yet to become fire breathing. I’ll tell them to try harder.

I think your DH was winding you up. Or was drunk at the time.

God bless you, @ChocolateTelephone, for that! It was niggling me too.