Featured image: St. George’s Hall, Liverpool, England
Legends and stories from all over the world describe humans or human-like gods killing dragons, serpents, or other reptilian creatures. The humans or gods are invariably portrayed as heroes while the dragons or reptilian beings are depicted as malevolent and threatening to human life. The collection of images below is a small sampling of the countless depictions of men battling monstrous reptiles.
I find it more than curious that these images have repeated themselves again and again over the ages. Enormous, vicious reptilians seem to play a major role within the collective human consciousness. Why? What’s the real story behind this deep-seated fear or need to conquer which humans apparently harbor against these beings? Who are they? Are they still here? Did someone program us to despise these beings? How can we resolve this age-old conflict?
The story is not over, folks. These images represent something much more profound than trivial fantasies to be dismissed. The damaging cycle will simply repeat itself in one form or another until the parties involved are able to acknowledge each other and willingly shift into a new, healthier relationship.
Sumerian tablets describe the mother goddess Tiamat’s defeat by Marduk, one of her descendants.
The hero Bahram Gur kills a dragon in a poem by Nizami Khamsa (Iran).
Sigurd, a hero of Norse legend, kills the dragon Fafnir, bathes in his blood, and eats his heart.
St. George, an early Christian martyr, was supposed to have rescued a woman from a hungry dragon.
Medieval church carving of St. Michael slaying a dragon.
The Japanese storm god Susanoo slays the Yamata no Orochi.
Link battles Volvagia in Legend of Zelda, Ocarina of Time.
Bahamut is a recurring boss who must be defeated in the Final Fantasy game series.
Players battle dragons in the Skyrim video games.
In Egypt, Apep was the arch enemy of the sun god Ra and could never be completely destroyed, only temporarily defeated.
The Vedas describe the god Indra vanquishing the dragon Vritra and his mother Danu.
In the Old English epic poem Beowulf, the hero battles a fire-breathing dragon.
Greek god Apollo slays the python dragon at Delphi.
Greek god Hercules kills the Hydra.
Greek hero Perseus kills Medusa.
Humans fighting giant reptilian Godzilla.
Prince Charming kills Maleficent in Disney’s Sleeping Beauty.
Bard the Bowman kills Smaug in Tokien’s The Hobbit.
Quinn faces male dragon in Reign of Fire.
Erin MacMichael is a visionary science fiction author and artist, creator of the T'nari Renegades series of novellas, novels, covers, and artwork. Her lifelong quest has been to explore past the boundaries of conventional thinking and figure out what really has transpired on this planet. She has traveled extensively throughout the world and lives in the Pacific Northwest with her marvelous offspring.
2 Comments
Featured image: St. George’s Hall, Liverpool, England
Legends and stories from all over the world describe humans or human-like gods killing dragons, serpents, or other reptilian creatures. The humans or gods are invariably portrayed as heroes while the dragons or reptilian beings are depicted as malevolent and threatening to human life. The collection of images below is a small sampling of the countless depictions of men battling monstrous reptiles.
I find it more than curious that these images have repeated themselves again and again over the ages. Enormous, vicious reptilians seem to play a major role within the collective human consciousness. Why? What’s the real story behind this deep-seated fear or need to conquer which humans apparently harbor against these beings? Who are they? Are they still here? Did someone program us to despise these beings? How can we resolve this age-old conflict?
The story is not over, folks. These images represent something much more profound than trivial fantasies to be dismissed. The damaging cycle will simply repeat itself in one form or another until the parties involved are able to acknowledge each other and willingly shift into a new, healthier relationship.
Sumerian tablets describe the mother goddess Tiamat’s defeat by Marduk, one of her descendants.
In Egypt, Apep was the arch enemy of the sun god Ra and could never be completely destroyed, only temporarily defeated.
The hero Bahram Gur kills a dragon in a poem by Nizami Khamsa (Iran).
The Vedas describe the god Indra vanquishing the dragon Vritra and his mother Danu.
Sigurd, a hero of Norse legend, kills the dragon Fafnir, bathes in his blood, and eats his heart.
In the Old English epic poem Beowulf, the hero battles a fire-breathing dragon.
Greek god Apollo slays the python dragon at Delphi.
Greek god Hercules kills the Hydra.
Greek hero Perseus kills Medusa.
St. George, an early Christian martyr, was supposed to have rescued a woman from a hungry dragon.
Medieval church carving of St. Michael slaying a dragon.
The Japanese storm god Susanoo slays the Yamata no Orochi.
Prince Charming kills Maleficent in Disney’s Sleeping Beauty.
Bard the Bowman kills Smaug in Tokien’s The Hobbit.
Humans fighting giant reptilian Godzilla.
Quinn faces male dragon in Reign of Fire.
Link battles Volvagia in Legend of Zelda, Ocarina of Time.
Bahamut is a recurring boss who must be defeated in the Final Fantasy game series.
Players battle dragons in the Skyrim video games.
Erin MacMichael is a visionary science fiction author and artist, creator of the T'nari Renegades series of novellas, novels, covers, and artwork. Her lifelong quest has been to explore past the boundaries of conventional thinking and figure out what really has transpired on this planet. She has traveled extensively throughout the world and lives in the Pacific Northwest with her marvelous offspring.
Erin MacMichael is a visionary science fiction author and artist, creator of the T'nari Renegades series of novellas, novels, covers, and artwork. Her lifelong quest has been to explore past the boundaries of conventional thinking and figure out what really has transpired on this planet. She has traveled extensively throughout the world and lives in the Pacific Northwest with her marvelous offspring.
2 Comments
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Albert on June 12, 2018 at 7:24 am
“what really has transpired on this planet.”
Sadly, we are in the same boat as the other animals. We will never know. That is the most difficult aspect of existence to accept. To not know exactly how we got here and why are we here, makes life seem pointless. But here we are. I run the fool’s errand anyway, not much else more worthy to do.
I enjoyed your post. You are definitely onto something. The title of my version of “Depictions of Gods or Humans Killing Reptiles” would read “Depictions and Ancient Writings Regarding the Humanoid Dog-Headed Race.”
Thinking about the two, canines and reptiles, in ancient times leads me to wonder if the modern canine and reptile are the results of ancient punishment from another “god?” Maybe it has nothing to do with punishment and it’s only a result of manipulation of DNA? The ancient spirits know and are among us but will never tell.
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Erin MacMichael on June 12, 2018 at 10:26 am
Hi Albert, thanks for your comment. Yes, I agree with your thoughts. It has always been a bit frustrating for me to see scattered pieces of a messy puzzle that someone else made and wonder what happened and why. I believe many of the answers lie within our bones and blood, and much can be deciphered if we teach ourselves to read our own codes.
I’ve also wondered about the dog-headed races, as well as cat-, bird-, lizard-headed races for a long time, and I believe there are distinct signs of possible punishment or even genocide connected to some of those beings (i.e. the decimation of wolves). I have incorporated a dog-headed race as well as others in my fiction along with speculation about blood codes and creator “gods,” although my themes are so broad in scope that it will take a bit of time for my theories to become fully visible in my books.
Hang in there and keep speculating, Albert!! That’s how we’ll discover our roots. 🙂
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“what really has transpired on this planet.”
Sadly, we are in the same boat as the other animals. We will never know. That is the most difficult aspect of existence to accept. To not know exactly how we got here and why are we here, makes life seem pointless. But here we are. I run the fool’s errand anyway, not much else more worthy to do.
I enjoyed your post. You are definitely onto something. The title of my version of “Depictions of Gods or Humans Killing Reptiles” would read “Depictions and Ancient Writings Regarding the Humanoid Dog-Headed Race.”
Thinking about the two, canines and reptiles, in ancient times leads me to wonder if the modern canine and reptile are the results of ancient punishment from another “god?” Maybe it has nothing to do with punishment and it’s only a result of manipulation of DNA? The ancient spirits know and are among us but will never tell.
Hi Albert, thanks for your comment. Yes, I agree with your thoughts. It has always been a bit frustrating for me to see scattered pieces of a messy puzzle that someone else made and wonder what happened and why. I believe many of the answers lie within our bones and blood, and much can be deciphered if we teach ourselves to read our own codes.
I’ve also wondered about the dog-headed races, as well as cat-, bird-, lizard-headed races for a long time, and I believe there are distinct signs of possible punishment or even genocide connected to some of those beings (i.e. the decimation of wolves). I have incorporated a dog-headed race as well as others in my fiction along with speculation about blood codes and creator “gods,” although my themes are so broad in scope that it will take a bit of time for my theories to become fully visible in my books.
Hang in there and keep speculating, Albert!! That’s how we’ll discover our roots. 🙂