Types of Dragons:
Amphisbaena - An African dragon with two heads, one at the end of its long tail and at the head end. It has a curiously bird like body with the feet of a rooster, and by grasping the tail head with the other is able to travel by rolling around in this hoop. Usually portrayed as having a scaly body and a pair of feathered wings. The modern day lizard was named for this known dragon.
Amphitere - This type of dragon can be found in Britain, the Middle East, Egypt, and several Latin American countries such as Peru. Their appearance is similar to that of a gigantic jade-colored snake with multi-colored feathered wings, and some also possess a single pair of front legs. In European and Middle Eastern countries, the Amphitere is known to possess all the secrets of the world save one, and are born with such fantastic powers as hypnotic eyes, which are usually invested in guarding the treasures of the land, like myrrh trees, gold, and other assorted riches. Even the body parts of an Amphitere are special. If its teeth are planted, an army of battle ready undead warriors will spring up, eager to help; its blood, when drunk, will give one the power to understand animals; and a potion of dried Amphitere eyes mixed with honey will cure the consumer's headache, even the vilest of migraines. The most famous of the Latin American Amphitere is "Quetzalcoatl," whose name means "most precious serpent." The quetzal bird, which has a beautiful multicolored tail of almost two feet long, was named for this well known dragon. The Latin American Amphitere has only a pair of wings and a jade, feathered serpentine body.
Basilisk - The king of snakes and all other reptiles, and even the word Basilisk is contrived from the Greek word for king, basileus. They are represented as a lizard a little less than three feet long with a large tuft on its narrow head representative of a crown, and thick bird-like legs. This beast is incredibly venomous, savage and destructive, and even its eyes carry the incredible power of being able to kill a full grown man instantly at a glance. The only three creatures that can kill a basilisk are a cock, whose crowing sends it into an unnatural and fatal fit, the weasel, which can bite it to death and itself if it happens to glance into a mirror or confront another basilisk.
Bunyip - An Australian dragon, the Bunyip is considered one of the largest types of dragons and may be one of the strangest looking as well. It has the body of a cow, the tail of a whale, and the head of a bulldog ~ with horns!
Cockatrice - A very small dragon that ranges in size from about the length of one's finger to just under a foot. They bear a remarkable resemblance to the newly hatched drakelings of the western variety, but possess wings and are incredibly beautiful. They also can spit flame or breath fire should they choose, and some decide to take an easy life by disguising themselves as one of the children of an unwitting dragon parent.
Drake - A dragon resembling the traditional western type that possesses no wings. It looks a great deal like the wyrm except for the fact that it retains its fore and back legs. They cannot fly, and range from 4 to 40 feet in length, depending on their environment.
Eastern Dragon - The Eastern dragon is representative of wealth and good luck, unlike its western cousins. As to appearance, the dragon deities of China are believed to have a camel head, cow ears, piercing and powerful eyes, a snake neck, clam belly, tiger feet, eagle claws, and is covered with one hundred seventeen carp scales in which eighty one are of yang essence and thirty one of ying. Males are often represented as having extra scales on the neck, a pearl under the skin and several small wings. The eastern dragon is also believed to go through seven forms in their lifetimes of three thousand years, and the most commonly seen of these forms is the sixth. Many of these dragons will freely bless the righteous person with happiness and wealth, and are represented as guardians of the water. There is a dragon in every bit of water, from the tiniest rain drop to the largest ocean. They are often invisible to mortal eyes, although one can sense their presence or hear their voices through gongs and the jingling of coins. They also sometimes take the shape of a newt or snake so as to visit our world without causing panic. Most fly by using the earth's magnetic current to soar, and are representative of these currents much like the French Wouive. Only the Royal Celestial Chinese dragons have five claws on each paw, and live in and guard the palaces of dead nobility and the gods.
Elemental Dragons - There are several divisions of different types of elements, namely water, fire, stone, earth, wind/air, energy, star/infinity, shadow and trinity (combination of any three elements).
Faerie Dragon - A very small dragon of only a couple inches long with a pair of multi- colored butterfly-like wings. They also have large eyes for their face, and some have a long, aardvark shaped nose with a long, straw like tongue. The faerie dragon is very rare, but the diligent true believer may find them deep within the forests, usually within glens and glades. Faerie Dragons, as the name suggests, will be found near faerie mounds, faerie rings and only the most beautiful places of the forests.
Hydra - The Hydra is usually represented as an immense dragon with thick legs and a even thicker tail with multiple heads. This dragon is a living symbol of the fertilizing powers of water due to its ability to regenerate itself when hurt or even killed. The earliest accounts of the Hydra can be seen on a Syrian seal which dates back to the fourteenth century BCE. According to Ancient Greeks, the Hydra possesses nine heads atop nine snaking necks, one of which is immortal. When any of the other eight are cut off, another two will grow in its place. The second labor of Hercules consisted of having to kill the Hydra of the Lerna swamp, and finally succeeded only in having his nephew Iolus searing each neck at the base with a burning stick as its head was cut off, and burying the immortal head under a rock. He then cut up the remainder of the Hydra's body to prevent regeneration, and dipped his weapons in its gall so the least wound from one of them would be fatal. The Christian Bible speaks of probably the most infamous hydra in history, which is portrayed in The Apocrypha as a huge red dragon with seven heads with a crown topping each head, and ten horns. This dragon fought a war with Michael and his angels, and was then cast, with his followers, out of Heaven and back onto Earth. The open mouth of this dragon is portrayed in Christian myth as the gateway to hell.
Lindworm - The Lindworm is believed to be an offspring of the classic wyrm. This is one of the few dragons native to the Americas, discovered by Marco Polo, who wrote of them in great detail in his journals. They have powerful forelegs which they use to push themselves across the soil, and a long, muscular tail that can be used like a whip as a weapon. One of the dangers of the Lindworm is they immensely enjoy eating horses, and will often kill a rider in the simple attempt to make the horse buckle to its knees. These reside in streams and under the earth, and have very sharp eyes which enable them to see in the dark as well as any cat. The Lindworm is a semi-dragon whose ancestors consist of both lizards and wyrms.
Naga - These are thought to be huge snake-like dragons with human faces which live in Patala, an under water region beneath the earth. This type of dragon originates from Pakistan, from the legend of the Naga Apala, a god who was able to keep evil dragons away in exchange for offerings from the locals. However, when they gradually forgot to do this, he changed himself into a poisonous dragon and became the plague of the countryside himself in punishment to the humans of the area for abandoning their god.
Peluda - A wingless neo-dragon with a back like a porcupine.
Salamander - In medieval times, the Salamander was known to be part dragon and therefore immune to fire. Some believed that the hissing and popping of the fire was a Salamander singing to them, or perhaps even casting a spell over their house. Through this, the Salamander soon became associated with witches, and a true witch was believed to be able to escape the fire by turning into a Salamander and escaping to his/her gods where she/he was given a new form.
Serpent Whale - A water dwelling dragon that is similar to the legendary Loch Ness monster, but does not possess a neck. They range from dolphin to whale size and are found only in the open oceans.
Tatzelworm - This dragon has the appearance of a snake with the forearms of a cat. Many Sicilian farmers say they have seen the Tatzelworm, and a few even claim to have killed one. They consider it a threat to both themselves and the over-all well being of their farms.
Western Dragon - When most people think of dragons, this is what comes to mind. The traditional western dragon is a four-legged, winged, gigantic fire-breathing reptilian dragon with a nasty temper and an affinity for chaos and gold. Like humans, some have been the scourges of the country side, demanding tribute for their protection, but others are fair and just. Some kings, such as Uther Pendragon of legend, King Louis XIV, and many others, have chosen to make these dragons their symbols. The western dragon is thought to symbolize sovereignty, ancient wisdom and knowledge.
Wyrm - The most ancient of dragons, the wyrm looks basically like a huge snake with no legs or wings, with a bushy head resembling the mane of a lion. They originate in England, and perhaps the most famous of these is the Lambton Wyrm.
Wyvern - The Wyvern is a dragon with a single pair of wings (which sometimes act as arms), a tail, and a pair of forelegs. The word "Wyvern" originated from the French word wyvere which means both serpent and life. The French Wyvern is known as Vouivre or Wouive, is portrayed as a serpent with the head and body of a beautiful woman with a ruby or garnet set between her eyes. This jewel is used to guide her through the mortal underworld. She is the protector of the earth and all living things, and as one author poetically put it, she is ‘the spirit that breathes or inspires." The Wouive is a personification of the magnetic currents that, which even then the ancients knew, span the earth. (These currents are known to the experienced magick user as ley lines.)
Dragon is one of my totem animals, so I was delighted to read your article.
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