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.

It’s the limb issue that scuppers the idea for me.

You need four legs and two wings- six limbs- to call it a dragon. Otherwise it’s just a lizard of great size a dinosaur, pterosaur, bat or bird.

You have, you just didn't realise it.
In many cultures there are strangely similar figures and objects in their ancient art

Dragons are mentioned in the bible but dinosaurs are not.
So that would bunk that theory.

Considering all our birds are related back to dinosaurs, it is very possible that dragons did exist, probably not fire breathing but definely big flying animals of course it is possible

I’ll believe it when I see a dragon fossil skeleton. I assume people may mean pterodactyls. They existed, definitely. Maybe they were in cave paintings and stories handed down and somehow morphed into dragons that we think of today? I doubt they breathed fire (definitely not, actually), but probably a case of exaggeration over many generations, thousands of years.

And you sound rude.

… and toasted marshmallows.

Based on Stargate theory you certainly did 😁

This is an excellent point...

It is very interesting that so many cultures have stories and artwork that features dragons.

I’ve always thought that. Because there wasn’t internet to share ideas … 🐉 🤔

Dragons are mentioned in the bible but dinosaurs are not.
So that would bunk that theory.

Check your logic there... if the people thought dinosaur bones were from an animal they called a 'dragon', then of course they'd mention 'dragon' and have no need to also have a word for 'dinosaur'.

I think it IS interesting! Because if I had to invent a slightly scary animal, I wouldn't have come up with a dragon. But it's quite a universal theme.

A few issues with bringing the Bible into the discussion. One, it was written at a time where there was far less factual information of the world. Secondly it was written by people in the Middle East where fossils of large lizards are less likely to be found, though they would have integrated older mythology from surrounding areas such as Egypt, Greece and pre-Christian Rome. In fact googling the biblical dragon reads very much like a hydra creature from mythology.

Well, if they don't exist, how come everyone knows what they look like? Every child can draw a dragon, because they've seen pictures of them in books. But who illustrated the books and how did they know what they looked like?

Also, have you never seen Shrek? Completely believable

And for the harder of thinking amongst us, all questions rhetorical, I'm just being silly.

But they don't all look the same. There's dinosaur bones and various reptiles all over the world.

Chinese 'dragons' aren't the same as western 'dragons' (eg don't breath fire) - the fact that we use the same English word for a lóng in pinyin is presumably just because some westerner decided to do so,

@TheDefiant Firelizards, how I would love one of these especially as I doubt I would be able to impress a dragon

Loved the books as a teenager, they plot did start to get a bit samey in the very later books especially when her son continued on her legacy

Considering all our birds are related back to dinosaurs, it is very possible that dragons did exist, probably not fire breathing but definely big flying animals of course it is possible

So ... pterodactyls and archaeopteryx?

I’ve just remembered that I’ve got a dragon tattoo on my back so they must be real. How on earth did I forget that!

Thank you for the suggestions of books, dragon gifts and toasted marshmallows.

Idris

Of course they exist those of us who live in Wales know this
This is my sons hatchling from this year

Is your friend 7 years old?

I'm pretty sure dragons in some capacity did once exist. I would bet my Cockatoo on it.

How big will that get?

Your DH is a legend.

🙄