The Penguin Book of Dragons

by The Penguin Book of Dragons (retail) (epub)

  The dragons of Phrygia when they are hungry, turn themselves towards the west, and gaping wide, with the force of their breath do draw the birds that flie over their heads into their throats, which some have thought is but a voluntary lapse of the fowls, to be drawn by the breath of the dragon, as by a thing they love, but it is more probable, that some vaporous and venomous breath is sent up from the dragon to them, that poysoneth and infecteth the air about them, whereby their senses are taken from them, and they astonished fall down into its mouth.14 But if it fortune the dragons finde not food enough to satisfie their hunger, then they hide themselves until the people be returned from the market, or the heard-men bring home their flocks, and upon a sudden they devour either men or beasts, which come first to their mouths; then they go again and hide themselves in their dens and hollow caves of the earth, for their bodies being exceeding hot, they very seldom come out of the cold earth, except to seek meat and nourishment. And because they live only in the hottest countries, therefore they commonly make their lodgings neer unto the waters, or else in the coldest places among the rocks and stones.

  They greatly preserve their health (as Aristotle affirmeth) by eating of wilde lettice, for that they make them to vomit, and cast forth of their stomach whatsoever meat offendeth them, and they are most specially offended by eating of apples, for their bodies are much subject to be filled with winde, and therefore they never eat apples, but first they eat wilde lettice.15 Their sight also (as Plutarch saith) doth many times grow weak and feeble, and therefore they renew and recover the same again by rubbing their eyes against fennel, or else by eating of it.16

  Their age could never yet be certainly known, but it is conjectured that they live long, and in great health, like to all other serpents, and therefore they grow so great. They do not only live on the land, as we have said already, but also swim in the water, for many times they take the sea in Ethiopia, four or five of them together, folding their tails like hurdles, and holding up their heads, so swim they over to seek better food in Arabia.

  We have said already, that when they set upon elephants, they are taken and killed of men. Now the manner how the Indians kill the mountain dragons is thus. They take a garment of scarlet, and picture upon it a charm in golden letters, this they lay upon the mouth of the dragons den, for with the red colour and the gold, the eyes of the dragon are overcome, and he falleth asleep, the Indians in the mean season watching, and muttering secretly words of incantation. When they perceive he is fast asleep, suddenly they strike off his neck with an ax, and so take out the balls of his eyes, wherein are lodged those rare and precious stones which contain in them vertues unutterable, as hath been evidently proved by one of them, that was included in the Ring of Gyges.17 Many times it falleth out, that the dragon draweth in the Indian both with his ax and instruments into his den, and there devoureth him, in the rage whereof, he so beateth the mountain that it shaketh. When the dragon is killed, they make use of the skin, eyes, teeth, and flesh; as for the flesh, it is of a vitrail or glassie colour, and the Ethiopians do eat it very greedily, for they say it hath in it a refrigerative power. And there be some which by certain inchanting verses do tame dragons, and rideth upon their necks, as a man would ride upon a horse, guiding and governing them with a bridle.

  Now because we have already shewed, that some dragons have wings, lest it should seem uncredible, as the foolish world is apt to believe no more than they see, I have therefore thought good to add in this place, a particular relation of the testimonies of sundry learned men, concerning these winged serpents or dragons. First of all Megasthenes writeth, that in India there be certain flying serpents which hunt not in the day, but in the night time, and these do render or make a kinde of urine, by the touching whereof, all the parts of mortal creatures do rot away.18 And there is a mountain which divideth asunder the Kingdom of Narsinga from Alabaris, wherein be many winged Serpents sitting upon trees, which they say poyson men with their breath. There be many pestilent winged Serpents which come out of Arabia every year by troups into Egypt, these are destroyed by a certain black bird called Ibis, who fighteth with them in defence of that countrey where she liveth, so that there lie great heaps of them many times destroyed upon the earth by these birds, whose bodies may be there visibily seen to have both wings and legs, and their bones being of great quantity and stature, remain unconsumed for many years after. These kinde of serpents or dragons, covet to keep about trees of frankincense which grow in Arabia, and when they are driven away from thence with the fume or smoak of stirax, then they flie (as is aforesaid) into Egypt, and this is to be considered, that if it were not for this stirax, all that countrey would be consumed with dragons.19

  Neither have we in Europe only heard of dragons and never seen them, but also even in our own country, there have (by the testimony of sundry writers) divers been discovered and killed. And first of all, there was a dragon or winged serpent brought unto Francis the French king, when he lay at Sancton, by a certain countreyman, who had slain the same serpent himself with a spade, when it set upon him in the fields to kill him.20 And this thing was witnessed by many learned and credible men which saw the same; and they thought it was not bred in that countrey, but rather driven by the winde thither from some forain nation. For France was never know to breed any such monsters. Among the Pyrenes also, there is a cruel kinde of serpent, not past four foot long, and as thick as a mans arm, out of whose sides grow wings much like unto gristles.

  Gessner also saith, that in the year of our Lord 1543, there came many serpents both with wings and legs into the parts of Germany neer Stiria, who did bite and wound many men incurably.21 Cardan also describeth certain serpents with wings, which he saw at Paris, whose dead bodies were in the hands of Gulielmus Musicus. He saith that they had two legs and small wings, so that they could scarce flie, the head was little, and like to the head of a serpent, their colour bright, and without hair or feathers, the quantity of which was greatest, did not exceed the bignesse of a cony, and it is said they were brought out of India.22 Besides, a further confirmation of these beasts, there have been noted in all ages; for it is written in the Roman Chronicles, the times of their apparition and manifestation.

  When the river of Tiber over-flowed above the banks, then were many serpents discovered, and many dragons, as in the time of Mauritius the Emperor, at what time a dragon came along by the city of Rome, upon the waters in sight of all men, and so passed into the sea, after which prodigy there followed a great mortal pestilence.23 In the year 1499, the 26 day of May, there came a dragon to the city of Lucerne, which came out of the lake through Rusa, down along the river, many people of all sorts beholding the same.

  There have been also dragons many times seen in Germany, flying in the air at mid-day, and signifying great and fearful fires to follow, as it happened neer to the city called Niderburge, neer to the shore of the Rhene, in a marvellous clear sun-shine day, there came a dragon three times successively together in one day, and did hang in the air over a town called Sanctagoarin, shaking his tail over that town every time. It appeared visibly in the sight of many of the inhabitants, and afterwards it came to passe, that the said town was three times burned with fire, to the great harm and undoing of all the people dwelling in the same; for they were not able to make any resistance to quench the fire, with all the might, art, and power that they could raise. And it was further observed, that about that time there were many dragons seen washing themselves in a certain fountain or well neer the town, and if any of the people did chance to drink of the water of that well, their bellies did instantly begin to swell, and they dyed as if they had been poysoned. Whereupon it was publiquely decreed, that the said well should be filled up with stones, to the intent that never any man should afterwards be poysoned with that water; and so a memory thereof was continued, and these things are written by Justinus Goblerus, in an epistle to Gesner, affirming that he did not write feigned things, but such things as were true, and as
he head learned from men of great honesty and credit, whose eyes did see and behold both the dragons, and the mishaps that followed by fire.24

  When the body of Cleomenes was crucified, and hung upon the Crosse, it is reported by them that were the watch-men about it, that there came a Dragon and did winde it self about his body, and with his head covered the face of the dead King, oftentimes licking the same, and not suffering any Bird to come neer and touch the carkasse.25 For which cause there began to be a reverent opinion of divinity attributed to the king, until such time as wise and prudent men, studious of the truth, found out the true cause hereof. For they say that as bees are generated out of the body of oxen, and drones of horses, and hornets of asses, so do the bodies of men ingender out of their marrow a serpent, and for this cause the ancients were moved to consecrate the dragon to noble-spirited men, and therefore there was a monument kept of the first Africanus, because that under an olive planted with his own hand, a dragon was said to preserve his ghost.26

  But I will not mingle fables and truths together, and therefore I will reserve the moral discourse of this beast unto another place; and this which I have written, may be sufficient to satisfie any reasonable man, that there are winged serpents and dragons in the world. And I pray God that we never have better arguments to satisfie us, by his corporal and lively presence in our countrey, lest some great calamity follow thereupon. Now therefore we will proceed to the love and hatred of this Beast, that is observed with man and other creatures.

  And first of all, although dragons be natural enemies to men, like unto all other serpents, yet many times (if there be any truth in the story) they have been possessed with extraordinary love, both to men, women and children, as may appear by these particulars following. There was one Aleva a Thessalian Neatherd, which did keep oxen in Ossa, hard by the Fountain Hemonius, there was a Dragon fell in love with this man, for his hair was as yellow as any gold, unto him for his hair did this dragon often come, creeping closely as a lover to his love: and when he came unto him, he would lick his hair and face so gently, and in so sweet a manner, as the man professed he never felt the like, so as without all fear he conversed with him, and as he came, so would he go away again, never returning to him empty, but bringing him some one gift or other, such as his nature and kinde could lay hold on.

  There was a dragon also which loved Pindus the son of Macedo, king of Emathia. This Pindus having many Brothers most wicked and lewd persons, and he only being a valiant man of honest disposition, having likewise a comely and goodly personage, understanding the treachery of his brethren against him, bethought himself how to avoid their hands and tyranny. Now forasmuch as he knew that the kingdom which he possessed, was the only mark they all shot at, he thought it better to leave that to them, and so to rid himself from envy, fear, and peril, then to embrew his hand in their bloud, or to lose his life and kingdom both together. Wherefore he renounced and gave over the government, and betook himself to the exercise of hunting, for he was a strong man, fit to combate with wilde beasts, by destruction of whom, he made more room for many men upon the earth, so that he passed all his days in that exercise. It hapned on a day that he was hunting of a kind-calf, and spurring his horse with all his might and main in the eager persuit thereof, he rode out of the sight of all his company, and suddenly the hind-calf leaped into a very deep cave, out of the sight of Pindus the hunter, and so saved himself. Then he alighted from his horse, and tyed him to the next tree, seeking out as diligently as he could for a way into the cave, whereinto the hind-calf had leaped: and when he had looked a good while about him, and could finde none, he heard a voice speaking unto him, and forbidding him to touch the hind-calf, which made him look about again, to see if he cold perceive the person from whom the voice proceeded, but espying none, he grew to be afraid, and thought that the voice proceeded from some other greater cause, and so leaped upon his horse hastily, and departed again to his fellows. The day after he returned to the same place, and when he came thither, being terrified with the remembrance of the former voice, he durst not enter into the place, but stood there doubting and wondering with hiself, what shepheards or hunters, or other men might be in that place to diswarn him from his game, and therefore he went round about to seek for some, or to learn from whence the voice proceeded. While he was thus seeking, there appeared unto him a dragon of a great stature, creeping upon the greatest part of his body, except his neck and head lifted up a little, and that little was as high as the stature of any man can reach, and in this fashion he made toward Pindus, who at the first sight was not a little afraid of him, but yet did not run away, but rather gathering his wits together, remembred that he had about him birds, and divers parts of sacrifices, which instantly he gave unto the dragon, and so mitigated his fury by these gifts, and as it were with a royal feast, changed the cruel nature of the dragon into kinde usage. For the dragon being smoothed over with these gifts, & as it were overtaken with the liberality of Pindus, was contented to forsake the old place of his habitation, and to go away with him. Pindus also being no less glad of the company of the dragon, did daily give unto him the greatest part of his hunting, as a deserved price and ransome of his life, and conquest of such a beast. Neither was he unrequited for it, for Fortune so favoured his game, that whether he hunted fowls of the air, or beasts of the earth, he still obtained and never missed. So that his fame for hunting procured him more love and honor, then ever could the imperial crown of his countrey. For all young men desired to follow him, admiring his goodly personage and strength, the virgins and maids falling in love, contended among themselves who should marry him; the wives forsaking their husbands, contrary to all womanly modesty, rather desired his company then the society of their husbands, or to be preferred among the number of the goddesses. Only his brethren inraged against him, sought all means to kill and destroy him. Therefore they watched all opportunities, lying in continual ambush where he hunted to accomplish their accursed enterprise, which at last they obtained; for as he followed the game, they enclosed him in a narrow straight neer to a rivers side, where he had no means to avoid their hands, they and their company being many, and he alone, wherefore they drew out their swords and slew him. When he saw no remedy but death, he cryed out aloud for help, whose voice soon came to the ears of the watchful dragon, (for no beast heareth or seeth better) out he cometh from his den, and finding the murtherers standing about the dead body, he presently surprised and killed them, so revenging the quarrel of Pindus, and then fell upon the dead body of his friend, never forsaking the custody thereof, until the neighbours adjoining to the place, taking knowledge of the fact, came to bury the bodies. But when they came and saw the dragon among them, they were afraid, and durst not come neer, but stood afar off, consulting what to do; till at last they perceived that the Dragon began to take knowledge of their fear, who with an admirable curtesie of nature, perceiving their mourning and lamentation for their dead friend, and withal, their abstinence from approaching to execute his exequies, or funerals, began to think that he might be the cause of this their terror, and far standing off from the dead bodies, wherefore he departed, taking his farewell of the body which he loved, and so gave them leave by his absence, to bestow upon him an honorable burial, which they performed accordingly, and the river adjoyning, was named by the name of Pindus-death.

  By which story may appear, that these savage dragons are made loving and tame to men, by good turns and benefits bestowed upon them, for there is no nature which may not be overcome by kindenesse. And yet I may not leave this matter thus, nor from these two examples alone, conclude the practice and possibility of love betwixt men and dragons: I will therefore add some three or four examples more.

  There was a dragon the lover of Aetholis (as Plutarch writeth) who came unto her every night, and did her body no harm, but gently sliding over her, played with her till morning, then also would he depart asson as light appeared, that he might not be espied. The maidens friends came to the knowled
ge hereof, and so removed her far away, to the intent the dragon might come no more at her, and thus they remained asunder a great while, the dragon earnestly seeking for the maiden, wandered far and neer to finde her out. At last he met with her, and not saluting her gently as he was wont, flew upon her, binding her hands down with the spire of his body, hissing softly in her face, and beating gently with his tail her back-parts, as it were taking a moderate revenge upon her for the neglect of his love by her long absence.

  Another like story unto this is reported by Aelianus, of a great dragon which loved a fair woman, beloved also of a fair man, the woman oftentimes did sleep with this dragon, but not so willingly as with the man, wherefore she forsook the habitation of her place for a month, and went away where the dragon could not find her, thinking that her absence might quench his desire.27 But he came often to the place where he was wont to meet with the woman, and not finding her, returned quietly back again, and came again another time: at last he grew suspicious, and like a lover failing in his expectation, grew very sorrowful, and so continued till the month was exspired, every night visiting the accustomed place. At last the woman returned, and the dragon presently met with her, and in an amorous fashion, full of suspicion and jealousie, winding about her body, did beat her as you have heard in the former story: and this (saith Aelianus) happened in Judea, in the days of Herod the King.

  There was a little dragon-whelp bred in Arcadia, and brought up familiarly with a little boy from his infancy, until the boy became a young man, and the dragon also became of great stature, so that one of them loved another so well as man and beast could love together, or rather two play-fellows from the cradle. At last the friends of the boy seeing the dragon grow so great in so short a space, began to be suspicious of him; whereupon they took the bed wherein the boy and the dragon were lodged, and carryed the same into a far remote place of woods and wildernesse, and there set down the bed with the boy and the dragon together. The boy after a little while returned, and came home again to his friends; the dragon wandered up and down in the woods, feeding upon herbs and poison, according to its nature, and never more cared for the habitation of men, but rested contented with a solitary life. In the length of time it came to passe that the boy grew to be a perfect man, and the dragon also remained in the wood, and although absent one from the other, yet mutually loving as well as ever. It hapned that this young man travelled through that place where the dragon was lodged, and fell among theeves, when the young man saw their swords about his ears, he cryed out, and the dragons den being not far off, his cry came to the dragons ears, who instantly knowing the voice of his play-fellow, answered the same with another, at whose hissing the theeves grew afraid, and began to run away, but their legs could not carry them so fast, as to escape the dragons teeth and claws; for he came speedily to release his friend, and all the theeves that he could find, he put to cruel death, then did he accompany his friend out of the place of peril, and returned back again to his den, neither remembering wrath, for that he was exposed to the wildernesse, and there left by his play-fellow, nor yet like perverse men, forsaking their old friend in danger.