Perhaps you have wondered how many places there are where dragons can be positively identified with a real location that you could visit. Okay, theoretical dragons, legendary ones…or maybe just large, nasty beasts with bad tempers. It hardly matters—they’re all dragons for our purposes. This very condensed list describes many actual locations which may (or may not) have hosted a dragon in the past. As with most legends, these dragon tales have alternate versions…you’ll have to decide for yourself which ones you prefer.
Amazonia
Starting in Brazil, we have the Boiuna and the Boiarara, two dragon myths of the Tupi-Guarani tribe. The Boiuna is said to be more serpent like and lives in the Amazon River, while the Boiarara is more chimeric, with multiple heads and feathers and lives in the Amazon Jungle and its caves.
Asia/Oceania
Asian dragons are mostly ethereal things that haunt the skies and rivers. I read some good discussion of field dragons, ancestor dragons, and water dragons…even a recent dragon skeleton found sprawled across a field in central China. The Mongolians have their Horse Worm, a giant snakelike thing (so named because it looks like horse intestines) that will ambush you from beneath the Gobi sands. And from New Zeeland we have the Taniwa that lives in rivers, dark caves, or in the sea.
Atessa, Italy
Between two small villages, Ate and Tixa, lurked a nasty dragon that took tribute in the form of food and livestock. The villagers enlisted one Leucio, Bishop of Brindisi who had supposedly once killed a dragon in his own city. The Bishop entered the dragon’s lair alone and subdued it with invocations and prayer. Afterward, the two villages merged and a church was built over the (former) dragon’s lair to honor Saint Leucio. Even today, the church displays a bone taken from the dragon.
Bagradas River
256 BCE: The consul Atilius Regulus fought a stubborn and fierce battle with a serpent (dragon?) of extraordinary size, which had its lair near the Bagradas River (modern name: Medjerda River) in North Africa. When it was finally killed, its skin, a hundred and twenty feet long, was sent to Rome.
Brač, Croatia
Zmajeva spilja, or Dragon’s Cave is located on an island in Croatia. The cave takes its name from a dragon relief carving said to be from the 15th century. It depicts the dragon legends and folklore intertwined with the region’s history.
Cyrene, Libya
The tradition tells that a fierce dragon was causing panic at the city of Silene (possibly modern Cyrene), Libya. (Saint) George saved the King’s Daughter by slaying the dragon. A spring flowed where the dragon died with water that cured all disease. [Modern Cyrene lies in a lush valley in the Jebel Akhdar uplands. The city was named after a spring, Kyre, which the Greeks had consecrated to Apollo.]
Dinaric Alps
A network of caves extending from Italy through southwestern Croatia and Bosnia-Herzegovina are home to creatures called the Olm, which were thought to be baby dragons. These caves are so huge that many were considered dragon’s lairs.
Dinas Emrys (Dragon’s Den)
In Wales, there is a place called “Dinas Emrys” near Beddgelert, which is believed to be the site of the legendary battle between a red dragon and a white dragon. The red dragon represents the Welsh and is associated with King Arthur, while the white dragon symbolizes the invading Saxons.
Drachenfels
Siegfried – the hero of the Nibelungenlied – killed the dragon Fafnir, who lived in a cave in the hill, then bathed in its blood to become invulnerable. Hence, the hill is named the “Dragon’s Rock”, Drachenfels.
Dragon Hill
Located near Uffington in Oxfordshire, Dragon Hill is a small hill associated with the legend of St. George and the Dragon. According to the legend, St. George slayed the dragon, and the blood spilled on the ground, leaving a patch of bare white chalk where no grass grows.
Hastingues
Lou Carcolh from French Folklore is said to live in a cavern beneath Hastingues, France. It is described as a large, slimy snail-like creature with hairy tentacles (brr…I’m out).
Haugh Woods
The Mordiford Dragon (or wyvern) lived in Haugh Wood for some years. The poisonous creature terrorized the area until a local convict offered to kill it if he were given a pardon. He then went to the River Lugg where the wyvern drank and concealed himself in the barrel. Once the dragon arrived at the river, the convict shot an arrow through the creature’s heart. But as the dragon died, its poison killed the convict as well.
Linton Worm
During the 12th century, the area of Linton was terrorized by a dragon-like monster known as The Linton Worm. William, Laird of Somerville, set out to put an end to the people’s predicament. He arrived at Linton Loch and slew the beast with a lance through the throat. A panel above the entry porch of a nearby church is said to celebrate the event.
Ljubljana Castle
Ljubljana Castle, situated in the capital city of Slovenia, has a dragon as its symbol and is closely tied to local mythology. The Ljubljana dragon is believed to have protected the city and can be seen on the Dragon Bridge and other landmarks in Ljubljana.
Mesopotamia
The mushkhushshu is possibly the oldest of the legendary dragons (dating from 2100 BCE or earlier). King Marduk of Mesopotamia even had the mushkhushshu as a servant or totem animal. The interesting thing about ol’ Mushki is that it had wings, in contrast with many of the western European dragons that were more wurms, beastes, or serpents. More on dragon physiology, etymology, diet, and possibly barbeque recipes (hmmm…maybe no recipes) in a later missive.
Mount Pilatus
According to Swiss folklore, the legendary dragon “Pilatus” once inhabited the caves and crevices of Mount Pilatus. In the summer of 1421 it is said that an enormous dragon flew to Mt. Pilatus and crashed to the ground.
Senegal/Gambia
According to tradition, the Ninki Nanka lives in the swamps of West Africa. The animal is said to be extremely large and very dangerous. A recent expedition (2009) to the Gambi River basin collected an oral history of the beast.
Rattlesnake Island
Ogopogo (n’ha-a-itk or lake demon in the First Nations’, Salish language) is the popular name for a lake monster or a huge water snake in Canadian Native American folklore, said to reside under Rattlesnake Island on Okanagan Lake in British Columbia. It was interesting to learn that “horned serpents” with various dragon-like characteristics (enormous, deadly breath, sometimes even wings!) are found across many of the North American Native cultures.
Rattlesnake Island
Ogopogo (n’ha-a-itk or lake demon in the First Nations’, Salish language) is the popular name for a lake monster or a huge water snake in Canadian Native American folklore, said to reside under Rattlesnake Island on Okanagan Lake in British Columbia. It was interesting to learn that “horned serpents” with various dragon-like characteristics (enormous, deadly breath, sometimes even wings!) are found across many of the North American Native cultures.
Spindleston Heugh
The Laidly Worm is a gender swapped Frog Prince story where the princess is turned into a dragon by a jealous witch until the hero kisses her three times. Then the witch gets turned into a toad and HEA. Unfortunately, the “Laidley Worm’s Cave” was destroyed by quarrying in the 19th century, but other artifacts remain.
Teotihuacan, Mexico
Quetzalcoatl, the feathered serpent was (is) a major deity of the Aztec, Mayan (Kukulkan), Mixtec, and other Meso-American peoples. Certainly a dragon in a few of its many aspects, Quetzalcoatl could be a topic for a whole discussion of its own. BTW, did I mention that Q dates from over 1,000 years BCE?
Via Ca ‘del Drago (Italy)
Over 1,000 years ago, a dragon lived where the Via Ca ‘del Drago is now in Rimini — at the time there was a very dense forest, called Belverde. Allegedly there are dragon bones kept in the basement of a nearby basilica. Seriously worth checking out.
Wantly Dragon (My favorite)
According to legends, a bat-winged, scaley dragon terrorized the villagers who lived near the region of Wantley (modern-day Wharncliffe Crags). The dragon was nearly invincible to any weapons, save for one rather sensitive spot. A knight by the name of Moore battled the dragon and delivered a fatal blow by kicking the monster in the…dragon balls.
And finally;
The Wawel Dragon
Beneath Wawel Castle in old Krakow, a fierce dragon is said to have preyed upon the local herds and flocks. According to legend, a staunch warrior named Cracus slew the dragon and freed the land of its predations. The cool thing is, you can journey to Krakow (named for Cracus, no less) and explore the Smocza Jama, the dragon’s den cave!
Or…you can read about it in my historical fantasy, “Half Sword.”
