dragonlore

Dragonlore refers to the body of knowledge, stories, and traditions concerning dragons across cultures and historical periods. The term combines dragon and lore to denote dragon-related knowledge, including folklore, myths, literature, art, and popular culture. In scholarly contexts, dragonlore is studied as a facet of mythography and folkloristics, tracing how dragon imagery evolves and travels between cultures.

Dragons appear in diverse traditions. In European medieval texts, they are often fire-breathing monsters to be slain; in East Asian traditions, notably Chinese and Japanese dragons, they are typically powerful, benevolent beings associated with water and rain and imperial authority; in other civilizations they may be serpents, wind spirits, or guardian figures. Common features include a large serpentine or reptilian body, sometimes wings, a fearsome breath, and a hoard of treasure or guarded boundary. They often symbolize chaos, temptation, or existential danger, but may also embody wisdom, longevity, or guardianship.

Scholars examine dragonlore through motifs and patterns, such as the dragon-slayer narrative, the treasure hoard, the dragon as a boundary guardian, and the association with weather or cosmic order. The accumulation of dragon stories also tracks cultural contact and adaptation as myths travel along trade routes and through migration and modern media.

In modern times, dragonlore has been reshaped by fantasy literature, film, and games. Notable influences include J. R. R. Tolkien's dragons in the legendarium, George R. R. Martin's dragons in A Song of Ice and Fire, and various franchises in film and role-playing games, which have expanded the dragon's role from menace to complex characters. Dragonlore thus reflects human ideas about power, danger, wisdom, and the unknown.