Ancient Dragon Stories and Dinosaurs
by Owen Borville
Ancient stories including dragons are known from around the world, not only from Europe, but from China, India, and the ancient Americas. These ancient stories have inspired literature of many styles since ancient times, and have even inspired the literature of today. Ancient Mesopotamian literature includes references to dragons and artwork from Mesopotamia features illustrations of serpentine bodies, front legs like a lion, and back legs like a bird. Egyptian mythology describes giant serpents who were slain by the gods while the ancient Greek literature describes dragons as huge serpents with no wings or legs. The Leviathan is a dragon-like sea monster that breathes fire and smoke and is referenced in the Old Testament books of Job, Psalms, Isaiah, and Amos.
Flames stream from its mouth; sparks of fire shoot out. Smoke pours from its nostrils as from a boiling pot over burning reeds. Job 41:19-20
Many ancient dragon stories feature a god-like hero that slays a dragon or giant serpent and is commonly associated with water. In the New Testament Book of Revelation, a vision of a Great Red Dragon with seven heads, ten horns, seven crowns, and a massive tail is described. Old Norse mythology describes giant serpents battling with Thor, the Norse god of thunder, while the Old English epic Beowulf describes battles between warriors and a dragon. Medieval western European literature continued to include dragons stories along with eastern European literature.
While some Asian literature describes giant serpents and their battles with the gods, Chinese literature describes friendly relations with serpent dragons, which have been a large part of their culture and customs, even in modern times. Creationists who believe in the young earth have postulated that these ancient dragon stories could give cultural evidence for the existence of dinosaurs and their coexistence with man. Most creationists believe that dinosaurs and man coexisted or lived at the same time and have since became extinct.
Evolutionists, however, believe that dinosaurs went extinct 65 million years ago between the Cretaceous and Tertiary time periods of the old-earth geologic time scale after a meteor hit the Earth. So therefore, if men from ancient times lived with dinosaurs, why didn't they speak of them or mention them in ancient writings? The answer is that men from ancient times did mention dinosaurs in their writings, in the form of dragons.
The word "dinosaur" was not invented until the 1800's when Sir Richard Owen proposed the word "dinosauria" in 1841, which is derived from the Greek deinos, meaning "terrible or fearfully great," and sauros, meaning "lizard." A common ancient and historical word to describe "terrible, powerful, and wondrous lizards" had already been in use: dragons. Therefore, before the term "dinosaur" became commonly used, writers used the term "dragon" which is familiar to most people today from historical and ancient literature. Could references to dragons and dinosaurs be referring to the same thing? Many creationists believe so.
Because of the existence of dinosaur fossils today, we know that dinosaurs existed in the past and if the term dragon was used to refer to the same thing, then we know that many ancient writers referred to dinosaurs in their literature. While people today have been taught that dragons are mythological creatures that never existed, many creationists believe that the ancient cultures were referring to various types of dinosaurs that existed on earth. These large, reptile-like creatures were much larger than today's reptiles, and some could fly while others spent much time in water. Ancient cultures have reportedly discovered dinosaur fossils in the past, and without knowing the term "dinosaur" likely assumed these to be fossils of dragons.
It has been known for a long time that some extinct animals of the past were much larger than their modern counterparts, simply by examining the fossil record. Some of these extinct reptiles could breathe fire, just a some animals today, such as the bombardier beetle. This beetle can mix chemicals inside its body which produces a hot chemical spray that is released as a defense mechanism. Therefore, if a beetle can breathe fire, a large reptile could most certainly breathe fire.
In addition, some creationists have explained that many dinosaur skull fossils have unique hollow cavities near the nasal area which could be the location of the fire-breathing process. Because so many cultures from around the world have ancient stories that refer to dragons with similar characteristics, such as serpent-like features and fire breathing capability, this gives greater evidence that these creatures were in existence at one time in history.
by Owen Borville
Ancient stories including dragons are known from around the world, not only from Europe, but from China, India, and the ancient Americas. These ancient stories have inspired literature of many styles since ancient times, and have even inspired the literature of today. Ancient Mesopotamian literature includes references to dragons and artwork from Mesopotamia features illustrations of serpentine bodies, front legs like a lion, and back legs like a bird. Egyptian mythology describes giant serpents who were slain by the gods while the ancient Greek literature describes dragons as huge serpents with no wings or legs. The Leviathan is a dragon-like sea monster that breathes fire and smoke and is referenced in the Old Testament books of Job, Psalms, Isaiah, and Amos.
Flames stream from its mouth; sparks of fire shoot out. Smoke pours from its nostrils as from a boiling pot over burning reeds. Job 41:19-20
Many ancient dragon stories feature a god-like hero that slays a dragon or giant serpent and is commonly associated with water. In the New Testament Book of Revelation, a vision of a Great Red Dragon with seven heads, ten horns, seven crowns, and a massive tail is described. Old Norse mythology describes giant serpents battling with Thor, the Norse god of thunder, while the Old English epic Beowulf describes battles between warriors and a dragon. Medieval western European literature continued to include dragons stories along with eastern European literature.
While some Asian literature describes giant serpents and their battles with the gods, Chinese literature describes friendly relations with serpent dragons, which have been a large part of their culture and customs, even in modern times. Creationists who believe in the young earth have postulated that these ancient dragon stories could give cultural evidence for the existence of dinosaurs and their coexistence with man. Most creationists believe that dinosaurs and man coexisted or lived at the same time and have since became extinct.
Evolutionists, however, believe that dinosaurs went extinct 65 million years ago between the Cretaceous and Tertiary time periods of the old-earth geologic time scale after a meteor hit the Earth. So therefore, if men from ancient times lived with dinosaurs, why didn't they speak of them or mention them in ancient writings? The answer is that men from ancient times did mention dinosaurs in their writings, in the form of dragons.
The word "dinosaur" was not invented until the 1800's when Sir Richard Owen proposed the word "dinosauria" in 1841, which is derived from the Greek deinos, meaning "terrible or fearfully great," and sauros, meaning "lizard." A common ancient and historical word to describe "terrible, powerful, and wondrous lizards" had already been in use: dragons. Therefore, before the term "dinosaur" became commonly used, writers used the term "dragon" which is familiar to most people today from historical and ancient literature. Could references to dragons and dinosaurs be referring to the same thing? Many creationists believe so.
Because of the existence of dinosaur fossils today, we know that dinosaurs existed in the past and if the term dragon was used to refer to the same thing, then we know that many ancient writers referred to dinosaurs in their literature. While people today have been taught that dragons are mythological creatures that never existed, many creationists believe that the ancient cultures were referring to various types of dinosaurs that existed on earth. These large, reptile-like creatures were much larger than today's reptiles, and some could fly while others spent much time in water. Ancient cultures have reportedly discovered dinosaur fossils in the past, and without knowing the term "dinosaur" likely assumed these to be fossils of dragons.
It has been known for a long time that some extinct animals of the past were much larger than their modern counterparts, simply by examining the fossil record. Some of these extinct reptiles could breathe fire, just a some animals today, such as the bombardier beetle. This beetle can mix chemicals inside its body which produces a hot chemical spray that is released as a defense mechanism. Therefore, if a beetle can breathe fire, a large reptile could most certainly breathe fire.
In addition, some creationists have explained that many dinosaur skull fossils have unique hollow cavities near the nasal area which could be the location of the fire-breathing process. Because so many cultures from around the world have ancient stories that refer to dragons with similar characteristics, such as serpent-like features and fire breathing capability, this gives greater evidence that these creatures were in existence at one time in history.
