Mythologis
Dragons: The Complete Guide to Dragon Myths and Legends from Around the World

Mythical Creatures Mythology

Dragons: The Complete Guide to Dragon Myths and Legends from Around the World

The Serpents, Wyrms and Winged Beasts of World Mythology

The complete guide to the dragon across every culture: the fire-breathing wyrms of Europe, the rain-bringing dragons of China, the cosmic serpents the gods fought at creation, and the dragon-slayers who made their names killing them.

180 pagesPDFEnglishMythologis Library

$14.99

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Inside this book

What you will read

  • 11 chapters, primary sources
  • Instant PDF download
  • Original ink illustrations
  • Dragons of Europe, China, India and the Near East
  • Designed for print quality
See all chapters  +
  1. 01The Most Universal Monster
  2. 02What Is a Dragon? Serpent, Wyrm and Drake
  3. 03The Chaos Serpent: Tiamat, Leviathan and Vritra
  4. 04Dragons of the Ancient Near East
  5. 05The Greek Drakon: Python, the Hydra and the Guardians
  6. 06Fire and Gold: The Dragons of the North
  7. 07Saint George and the Dragon-Slayers of Christendom
  8. 08The Celestial Dragon of China
  9. 09The Dragon-Kings of Japan and the East
  10. 10Dragons of India, Persia and the Wider World
  11. 11The Dragon Reborn: From Myth to Modern Fantasy

About this book

About this Mythical Creatures mythology guide

The same scaled, serpentine monster coils through nearly every mythology on earth. This is the complete guide to the dragon, from Tiamat to Beowulf to the celestial dragons of China.

No monster is more universal than the dragon. The same vast, scaled, serpentine beast coils through the myths of nearly every people on earth, and yet it is never quite the same beast twice. In Europe it hoards gold and breathes fire, and a hero must kill it. In China it brings the rain, commands the rivers, and an emperor is proud to be born under its sign. Underneath them all lies an older creature still: the serpent of chaos the gods had to defeat before the world could begin.

This is the complete guide to the dragon, told across the cultures that dreamed it. The fire-drakes of Germanic legend, Fafnir and the worm of Beowulf; the rain-dragons and dragon-kings of China and Japan; the many-headed serpents the storm-gods fought at the dawn of creation, from Tiamat to Leviathan to Vritra; and the long roll of dragon-slayers, from Saint George to Sigurd, who built their fame on the body of a worm.

Why did so many separate peoples invent the same monster? The book follows the dragon from Babylon to Beowulf to Beijing, drawing on the epics, the bestiaries and the sacred texts that recorded it, and every chapter cites its sources.

Delivered as a print-quality PDF within 24 hours of purchase.

What you will discover inside

  • Why nearly every culture on earth independently dreamed up the dragon
  • The chaos-serpent the gods had to kill before creation: Tiamat, Leviathan, Vritra
  • The fire-drakes of the North: Fafnir, the worm of Beowulf, and the cursed hoard
  • Why the Chinese dragon brings rain and good fortune instead of terror
  • Saint George, Sigurd and the long tradition of the dragon-slayer
  • How the medieval dragon became the dragon of modern fantasy

Mythical Creatures mythology book at a glance

TraditionMythical Creatures mythology
Chapters11 chapters
Length180 pages
SourcesDrawn from the primary sources, cited inline
Reading levelBeginner-friendly. Every name and place is explained from scratch
FormatPrint-quality PDF
DeliveryPDF within 24 hours

Formats and editions

EditionWhat you getPrice
Instant PDFPrint-quality download, readable on any device. PDF within 24 hours.$7.99
PaperbackA paperback edition is on the way. Sign up on this page to hear when it lands on Amazon.Coming soon

About the author

Guillaume Henry, founder of Mythologis

Guillaume Henry

Founder & Editor-in-Chief, Mythologis

Guillaume Henry founded Mythologis to make the world's mythologies readable without losing what makes them strange. Every Mythologis book draws on the primary sources first, cross-references multiple translations, and avoids inventing details that aren't in the originals.

More about the author

Questions about the Mythical Creatures mythology book

When will I receive my PDF?

Within 24 hours of purchase. Your download link arrives in your inbox automatically.

Does it cover both Western and Eastern dragons?

Yes. The fire-breathing, gold-hoarding dragon of Europe and the benevolent rain-bringing dragon of China and Japan each get full treatment, along with the older chaos-serpents of the Near East and the dragons of India and Persia.

Is this book based on primary sources?

Yes. It draws on the Babylonian Enuma Elish, the Hebrew Bible, the Rig Veda, Hesiod and Apollodorus, Beowulf and the Volsunga Saga, the Golden Legend, and the Chinese classics, with references to the standard translations.

How long is the book?

Eleven chapters, around 180 pages depending on the final layout.

Will there be a paperback on Amazon?

The PDF is available immediately. A KDP paperback edition follows once the book has been validated by readers.

What formats is this book available in?

Every title is available as an instant PDF, downloaded the moment you buy it: the link appears on the confirmation page and lands in your inbox. Selected titles also have a paperback edition on Amazon. Where the paperback is not out yet, you can sign up to be notified the day it does.

What is the return policy?

The PDF is delivered instantly by Mythologis. If a download ever fails or a file looks wrong, get in touch and we will make it right. Paperbacks bought on Amazon are handled under Amazon's own returns and refund policy.

Can I order from outside the United States?

Yes. The PDF is a digital download, so it works instantly anywhere in the world, with nothing to ship. Where a paperback edition exists, it is sold across Amazon's international marketplaces, with shipping rates and delivery times depending on your country.

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