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Project Topic Research

The Celtic Dragon Myth
(St. George by Gustave Moreau Public Domain Image)

This story has elements about dragons that I think would be interesting to use in my own stories. Not only does it contain dragons but other mythical creatures such as giants, mermaids, and fairies. It also has a lot of symbolism that would be very interesting to use in my own writing, such as the significance of the number 3 and black horses and dogs.  I want to compare dragon myths and tales from many cultures and this Celtic story was very interesting in that regard.

Source: The Celtic Dragon Myth by J.F. Campbell (1911)

How Beowulf Overcame the Dragon

GIF
(Dragon GIF created with Giphy from Beowulf (2007))

This story has so many interesting points that I could use to weave new stories. I always like turning the perspective of stories around so maybe I could write a story from the Dargon's perspective - making Beowulf the villain and the dragon the hero.

Source: Stories of Beowulf Told to the Children by H.E. Marshall (1908)

The Dragon and the Prince 

(Slavic Dragon from Rodnoverie)


This story was interesting to me because it shares many common elements to The Celtic Dragon Myth. There are 3 princes in this story who battle a dragon, and there were 3 fisherman's sons in the Celtic story. There is also elements of the strength of a legendary creature lying within other creatures - in the Celtic myth the strength of the mermaid "is not in her, and it is easy to take. It is in an egg, which is in a fish, which is in a duck, which is in a ram, which is in a wood, under a house on an island, in a lake." In this Serbian tale, the strength of the dragon "is a long way off, and you cannot go thither. Far in another empire under the emperor's city is a lake, in that lake is a dragon, and in the dragon a boar, and in the boar a pigeon, and in that is my strength." I feel like there are plenty of elements in this story that I can make my own.

Source: Sixty Folk-Tales from Exclusively Slavonic Sources by A.H. Wartislaw (1890)

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