Dragons by many other names

Dragons by many other names; Or rather, many dragons by one name.
Topic Started: Sep 1 2009, 08:05 PM (72 Views)
Dusk Raven	Sep 1 2009, 08:05 PM Post #1
Posts: 25 Group: Members Member #10 Joined: Jun 6, 2009	It has been an observation of mine that the term "dragon" seems to be awfully broad, a "kitchen sink word" as my Latin teacher would put it. For instance, in the terms of folklore, a wide number of creatures, from the English Wyvern to the Hungarian Sárkány to the Chineese Lóng are all classified as dragons, even though there are quite a few differences between Western and Eastern dragons, and often quite a few differences within the Western and Eastern hemispheres. In fiction, meanwhile, writers/designers/etc. can often take quite a bit of liberty with dragonlike creatures, and many readers/viewers/gamers will still recognize them as such. On the flip side, if a writer dares to not label his creations as dragons, if the similarity is too great than some may simply label them as "dragons by another name." Where was I going with this? I dunno. But my point is... a dragon can be quite a few different creatures, much like vampires or trolls. I've found the term "dragon" too generic. Instead, I prefer to refer to dragonlike creatures by their folkloric names, and only use the name dragon for those genuinely unique to fiction that don't have names of their own, and even then I feel that calling them dragons just serves to... I dunno, take advantage of the reader's image of dragons or something by means of association. But really, the only reason to call something a dragon, I feel, is if it is the pure, undiluted form of the popular image of a "dragon" if such a thing even exists. And I don't like popular images. rant over
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Yamato K.	Sep 4 2009, 09:20 PM Post #2
Posts: 119 Group: Members Member #11 Joined: Jun 12, 2009	Agreed. Though I usually don't see many other dragons than the Long and the Ryu. Well, I blame having just been to Asia.



ProjectVenus	Sep 5 2009, 04:41 AM Post #3
Project Venus Blake Posts: 170 Group: Members Member #8 Joined: May 15, 2009	I don't see the significance of this, lol. Nobody complains about dwarfs and elves being too generically represented. Think of it as a category or common branch, a means of association, really.



Dusk Raven	Sep 5 2009, 04:32 PM Post #4
Posts: 25 Group: Members Member #10 Joined: Jun 6, 2009	ProjectVenus Sep 5 2009, 04:41 AM I don't see the significance of this, lol. Nobody complains about dwarfs and elves being too generically represented. Think of it as a category or common branch, a means of association, really. Some people I know complain about dwarves and elves, myself included. Seems like they're becoming practically a cliche. Difference is, there aren't quite as many varieties of dwarf or elf in folklore, whereas with dragons there are quite a few different types if you care to search for them. And I know the term "dragon" is a category, which seems to be the case in anthropology, but the common image is much more narrow.
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ProjectVenus	Sep 9 2009, 01:10 AM Post #5
Project Venus Blake Posts: 170 Group: Members Member #8 Joined: May 15, 2009	That is what happens when you have authors like John Tolkien renew and redefine the fantasy genre. All these years later and his work has only become more popular, especially with the LOTR Movies. Its only natural that we have come to stereotype and cliche these sort of things. This is how most western cultures operate, they kill and over simplify everything. Its not necessarily a bad thing....don't you simplify things you do not thoroughly understand? It seems likely that most people that refer to and think of dragons, elves, dwarfs etc. as whatever the mainstream depicts them as don't understand all of fantasy literature and mythology. I really don't see the importance. It doesn't effect you, or anyone else for that matter, in a harmful or detrimental way. Edited by ProjectVenus, Sep 9 2009, 01:11 AM.



Dusk Raven	Sep 11 2009, 04:06 AM Post #6
Posts: 25 Group: Members Member #10 Joined: Jun 6, 2009	Depends on what you define as "detrimental." I think my main problem would be if some young... individual believes that the stereotype of a dragon, the common image, is the truest form of a dragon, and indeed is what a dragon actually is, and who oppose calling anything that deviates too much from the stereotype a dragon. I've seen this happen with people talking about vampires or werewolves. Otherwise, I don't mind that the term dragon is a category or a stereotype, so long as people accept that there is more than the stereotype. If I don't make sense, it's probably because I've forgotten what point I was trying to make when I started this thread. I've had things like that happen before, where I think that I have this important question or thought, and later I look back and wonder what frame of mind I was in at the time. I once asked myself, "Is a black dragon a black dragon, or a dragon that is black?" Your guess is as good as mine. Edited by Dusk Raven, Sep 11 2009, 04:07 AM.
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