This is a list of dragons in mythology and folklore.
African dragons
West African dragonsAyida WedoA lwa in Dahomey mythology who is married to Damballa. Ayida Wedo is also mentioned in Haitian Vodou.DamballaA lwa in Dahomey mythology who is married to Ayida Wedo. Damballa is also mentioned in Haitian Vodou.Nigerian dragonsOshunmareA serpent or dragon-like shape shifter from Yoruban traditions, associated with Ayida Wedo and Damballa. It is believed to bring fertility and rain storms.Ghanaian dragonsBidaA serpent or dragon of Soninke mythology. It is said to be a big, black serpentine creature with 7 heads. It is also said to have a long body with the ability to fly and possesses bat-like wings. Despite being the protectress of the Soninke, the Bida oppressed the people. The Soninke would force its captives to bring the Bida virgin women as sacrifices, in exchange for her ability to rain gold. This would lead to it being vanquished by a young warrior, often named Maadi or Mamani in different interpretations of the story. He does this to save his fiancee from being sacrificed, whom also has different names such as Siya Yatabare or Sia Jatta. Incidentally, Bida's death leads to the collapse of the kingdom. After it was slain, Bida's head would soar to the Golden Coast, where gold would be plentiful.Gambian dragonsNinki NankaNinki Nanka is a legendary creature in West African folklore. In Mande folklore, a version is said to inhabit the Niger River as far as the coasts of Guinea and Guinea-Bissau, called the "Ninimini". Descriptions of the creature vary. Some describe it as a river spirit, a river dragon or a swamp dragon, but most contend that the animal is reptilian and dragon-like. According to the Mandinka people, the Ninka Nanka is a dragon with a "large body and small legs". The Mandinka people have also used the term Ninki Nanka to refer to dragons.Egyptian dragonsApep or Apophis The giant Snake or Serpent of Chaos from Egyptian mythology. The Apep is a poisonous serpentine dragon which takes the form of a hooded cobra. who attempted to devour the sun God Ra. This resulted in an eclispe.OuroborosThe "tail-eater" snake or serpent. By consuming its tail, it represents eternity.NehebkauA serpentine dragon with the limbs of a man. It served the sun God Ra, and was said to be so big the world rested on it. It is believed that this is the reason why Denwen's tail rested in its mouth.DenwenA colossal serpent or dragon engulfed in flames. The Denwen was so fierce and powerful that he terrified even the Gods of Egypt. Furthermore, the Egyptians refer to him as the embodiment of evil, without any chance of redemption. He aimed to attack the divine realm as a symbol of rebellion against cosmic order. However, he was defeated by the spirit of the deceased Pharaoh.AkhekhA Dragon resembling the Griffin. Descriptions of it vary from being a serpentine creature with a crocodile snout, or having an antelope's body with large wings and a bird's head. Furthermore, the Akhekh has been described as a seclusive dragon of darkness. The term Akhekh has also been frequently cited as an Egyptian term for dragons.Ethiopian dragonsArwe or WainabaA serpent or dragon king in Ethiopian Folklore. It was killed by Angabo, the father of the queen of Abyssinia.Congo dragonsMokele-mbembeA legendary cryptid from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, rumoured to be a living dinosaur. It is often described as a "half elephant, half dragon" creature. The Pygmies of Congo Basin believe that the Mokele-mbembe is an amphibious, herbivorous water dragon with a large elephantine body. Additionally, various local reports have depicted the Mokele-mbembe as a dragon with three-clawed feet, a long neck and tail and a single horn on its head or tusk-like tooth.Nyanga dragonsKirimuA dragon from the Mwindo Epic. It is described as a large animal with black hide, teeth like a dog, a huge belly, the tail of an eagle and seven horned heads. It is said to dwell in a Virgin Forest. In the Mwindo Epic, it made a blood pact with Nkuba, the Nyanga lightning god. It was eventually slain by the eponymous protagonist of the tale, Mwindo.Southern African dragonsGrootslangAn elephant-sized serpent that dwells in a cave in Richtersveld, South Africa. Its name means "big snake" in Afrikaans.Sotho dragonsMonyoheA dragon-like serpent in Sotho mythology.NanaboleleA creature from the Thákane Epic, often referred to as a dragon or dragon-like. They are described as large crocodile-like, underwater monsters that glow in the night and always arrive in a cloud of smoke. Additionally, they are dangerous creatures which are feared throughout the land. In the epic, Thákane is tasked by her brothers to obtain the glowing skins of Nanaboleles, in order to create special clothes for them. To accomplish this, she slays a number of the Nanaboleles such as killing one in their sleep and chasing them down with village dogs.Tsonga dragonsMasingiA benevolent healer who resides in a clean dwelling.Zambia DragonsNyami NyamiA Zambezi River God or Spirit. He is said to be a dragon with the body of a snake and the face of a fish.IIombaA sea snake with destructive powers, featured in Lozi mythology. It is said to be the creation of a witch doctor.Zulu dragonsInkanyambaA legendary creature of Zulu folklore. It is often described as a giant dragon-like serpent, with the ability to control rain and storms.Namibian dragonsNamibian Flying SnakeA gargantuan winged serpent-like dragon. It is described as being a being is 25 feet in length, having a 30-foot wide wingspan, and a bioluminescent crest and horns. Furthermore, it is described as having the ability to camouflage. Locals have described the Namibian flying snake as having an inflated neck, a bright light emitting from its brow and bat wings. It is also believed to be black or brown with light spots. Additionally, the winged serpent is said to leap from a rock ledge, spread its wings, soar to the ground and land in a huge thump before slithering away. Another trait of the Namibian flying snake is that it is suspected to smell like tar. There have been various reported sightings in Namibia, dating back to 1942 and 1988, including the findings of an Ostriche's Pelvis which was initially believed to be the skull of the serpentine creature.
European dragons This is a list of European dragons. Albanian dragonsBolla In the Albanian mythology * Bolla (also known as Bullar in South Albania), is a type of serpentine dragon (or a demonic dragon-like creature) with a long, coiled, serpentine body, four legs and small wings in ancient Albanian folklore. This dragon sleeps throughout the whole year, only to wake on Saint George's Day, where its faceted silver eyes peer into the world. The Bolla does this until it sees a human. It devours the person, then closes its eyes and sleeps again.Lurker, Manfred (1984). The Routledge Dictionary of Gods and Goddesses, Devils and Demons, Taylor & Francis e-Library. p.35 Bolla was worshiped as the deity Boa by the ancestors of Albanians, Illyrians. Bolla appears in the coat of arms of the House of Bua Shpata.Kulshedra In its twelfth year, the bolla evolves by growing nine tongues, horns, spines and larger wings. At this time it will learn how to use its formerly hidden fire-breathing abilities, and is now called a kulshedra or kuçedra (hydra). The kuçedra causes droughts and lives off human sacrifices. Kulshedras are killed by Drangue, Albanian winged warriors with supernatural powers. Thunderstorms are conceived as battles between the drangues and the kulshedras.Dreq Dreq is the dragon (draco) proper. It was demonized by Christianity and now is one of the Albanian names of the devil.Alpine dragonsTatzelwurmA lizard-like creature, often described as having the face of a cat, with a serpent-like body which may be slender or stubby, with four short legs or two forelegs.
Austrian: Tatzelwurm/ Praatzelwurm/ Linwurm/ Stutzn/ Bergstutz Swiss: Stollenwurm/ Tazzelwurm/ Stollwurm Slovenian: Daadzelwurm/ Hockwurm German: Daazlwurm/ Praazlwurm French: Arassas Catalan dragonsDrac Catalan dragons are serpent-like creatures with two legs (rarely four) and, sometimes, a pair of wings. Their faces can resemble that of other animals, like lions or cattle. They have a burning breath. Their breath is also poisonous, the reason by which dracs are able to rot everything with their stench. A víbria is a female dragon.Chuvash dragonsVěri ŞělenChuvash dragons are winged fire-breathing and shape shifting dragons, they originate with the ancestral Chuvash people. Celtic dragons Beithir In Scottish folklore, the beithir is a large snakelike creature or dragon. Depicted with different numbers of limbs, without wings. Instead of fiery breath, Beithir was often associated with lightning.Y Ddraig Goch In Welsh mythology, after a long battle (which the Welsh King Vortigern witnesses) a red dragon defeats a white dragon; Merlin explains to Vortigern that the red dragon symbolizes the Welsh, and the white dragon symbolizes the Saxons – thus foretelling the ultimate defeat of the English by the Welsh. The ddraig goch appears on the Welsh national flag. French dragonsDragon Authors tend often to present the dragon legends as symbol of Christianity's victory over paganism, represented by a harmful dragon. The French representation of dragons spans much of European history.
Guivres from Medieval France Graoully of Metz, symbol of Christianization over paganism.TarasqueA fearsome legendary dragon-like mythological hybrid from Provence, tamed by Saint Martha.Guivrea Dragon like creature from French mythology, with a venomous bite, Guivre meaning wyvern or wyrm, or even serpent which the creatures name is derived from.Peluda Also known as The Shaggy Beast, or La Velue, a legendary dragon from La Ferté-Bernard that shot deadly quills from its back. Germanic dragonsWyvern Wyverns are common in medieval heraldry. Their usual blazon is statant. Wyverns are normally shown as dragons with two legs and two wings.
Bignor Hill dragon, there is a brief mention of a dragon on Bignor Hill south of the village of Bignor near the famous Roman Villa, apparently "A large dragon had its den on Bignor Hill, and marks of its folds were to be seen on the hill". Similar legends have been told of ridges around other hills, such as at Wormhill in Derbyshire. Bisterne Dragon, the New Forest folktale states that the dragon lived in Burley, Hampshire, and terrorised the village of Bisterne. It was finally killed in Lyndhurst, Hampshire by Sir Maurice de Berkeley and its body turned into a hill called Boltons Bench. Though the knight survived, the trauma of the battle drove him mad, and soon after he returned to the hill to die, his corpse becoming a yew tree. Blue Ben of Kilve, in West Somerset is said to have once been home to a dragon called Blue Ben which the devil used as a steed. The skull of a fossilised ichthyosaur on display in the local museum is sometimes pointed out as belonging to Blue Ben. Green Dragon of Mordiford, of Herefordshire folklore Dragon of Loschy Hill, of Yorkshire folklore Unnamed dragon defeated by Beowulf and Wiglaf in the Anglo-Saxon epic poem Beowulf.Longwitton dragonOf Northumbrian legend.Worm hill dragon700 AD the Anglo-Saxons settled and called it "Wruenele" this translates as "Wruen" worm, reptile or dragon and "ele" hill. According to local folklore the hill at Knotlow (Derbyshire) was the lair of a dragon and the terraces around it were made by the coils of its tail. Knotlow is an ancient volcanic vent and this may explain the myth.KnuckerA kind of water dragon, living in knuckerholes in Sussex, England.St. Leonard's Forest dragonsOf Sussex folklore.Lindworm Lindworms are serpent-like dragons with either two or no legs. In Germanic heraldry, the lindworm looks the same as a wyvern. Fafnir, a dragon slain by Sigurd in Nordic mythology. Jörmungandr, a sea serpent or dragon in Nordic mythology.