Dragon portraits

(and some links)

Witches are a common motive in the drawings of Hans Baldung Grien, a german artist of the 16th century. They commonly were accused to have sexual intercourse with the devil. Hans Baldung depicted a more discreet scene. The devil is represented by a dragon, and flames from his mouth should symbolize the fire of voluptuousness.
Hans Baldung genannt Grien Junge Hexe mit Drache (young witch and dragon) 1515 from: HALBEY, M. (Ed.): 66 Hexen. Kult und Verdammung. - Die biliophilen Taschenbücher, 518 p., (Harenberg Kommunikation), Dortmund 1987.

Quetzalcoatl (mural), Mexico D.F., © J. Georg Friebe

Of course this mural (which I found in Mexico City on the wall of a building destroyed in the 1986 earthquake) does not represent a dragon s. str.
It shows Quetzalcoalt, the Plumed Serpent, god of life and death in Aztec and Toltec culture.

An early two-legged, winged dragon from the book of snakes by Conrad Gesner (Zürich, 1589).

During the 17th and 18th century the first "museums" (or better: collections of curiosities) were established. They often contained "dragons", compiled from all sorts of animals. You might think that the curators have been fooled. Wrong ! They were quite aware that these "animals" were man-made. But scientists considered it possible that dragons might live somewhere in a remote place. And so they collected those artefacts as examples of yet unknown but perhaps real creatures.

Another dragon (or rather a flying serpent) from the book of snakes by Conrad Gesner (Zürich, 1589).

Here be Dragons !
What are dragons? Where do they come from? What is their history?

Der Drachenstich zu Furth im Wald
The historic play "Drachenstich" (= slaying of the dragon) is the oldest folk play in Germany.

D.R.A.G.O.N.S.
Draconic Research Alliance for Gainful Observations also Non-lucrative Society.
Biological description and physiology of dragons.

The Quedlinburg Unicorn, reconstructed by Urs Oberli, St. Gallen (CH) (15 kb)

Elfwood
Fantasy art by amateurs

Rolozo Tolkien
Featuring the artwork of Alan Lee, John Howe Ted Nasmith and others

Boris Vallejo and Julie Bell
High quality fantasy art for sale

The ouroboros
A serpent biting its tail - symbol of eternity.

Legends and myths from Austria (in German).

Sommerland
The homepage of the Dragon Caverns RPG group,
but also a fully-fledged dragon site.

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© MCMXCVI - MMIII by J. Georg Friebe
Erstellt 1996 - Inhaltliche Änderungen 15.12.2000
Aktuelle Version (Links) 15.04.2003