Stories about dragons have been told since the earliest humans walked the earth.  Passed down from generation to generation, nearly every culture around the world has mythological dragon tales.  The mythology of dragons is still being kept alive today by the media in films such as Dragonheart. 

During the Chinese New Year Parades, it is common to see a representation of a dragon march down the street.  In Asian cultures the most commonly accepted body type of a dragon is that of a serpent.  Some Eastern cultures depict their dragons with limbs bearing claws, such as the Chinese Dragon, while in other cultures the serpentine body does not have limbs as is seen in the culture of Cambodia.  It is common among the Asian cultures to consider dragons to be divine beings many of which are benevolent and they may even have the power to grant wishes.  Many Asian mythological dragons are said to have multiple heads but few have wings.  Dragons are frequently associated with water in the Eastern cultures. 

We see the dragon in serpentine form again in the myths of medieval Europe, however it is common for European dragons to have wings.  Only rarely do the dragons of Europe have multiple heads.  Western mythology has given their dragons horrific attributes, such as the ability to breathe fire.  Arthurian legends frequently had heroic knights that fought and killed these evil creatures.  The European dragon is usually considered evil, but there are some that are protectors of certain places as we see in Greek mythology of the Golden Fleece.  On rare occasions, however, European dragons have been said to protect and serve a kingdom and possibly its monarch so fiercely that they were killed during the battle. 

The Americas also have their myths about dragons, many of which are serpentine in form.  Canada and the United States have a common dragon, Gas’hais’dowane or the “Horned Snake.”  It is claimed that this dragon will try to entice humans of the opposite gender into its lair, but has been said to rescue young women.  So it would seem that the Horned Snake is not all bad.    

Mesoamerica is well known for the dragon gods of the Aztecs and Mayas.  Quetzalcoatl or Kukulcan, the Feathered Serpent, depicted in a dragon like form in the art of Mesoamerica, was a powerful god to the Maya and Aztec cultures.  The myths of the Mesoamerican cultures tell stories of this dragon creating the earth and all on it so it appears that Quetzalcoatl or Kukulcan were benevolent dragons. 

South America, Haiti and Africa have a rainbow serpent dragon.  Called Aido Hwedo, this dragon would be another benevolent dragon.  It is said that Aido Hwedo was beneficial in the creation of the earth and supports the earth holding it in its proper place. 

The Pacific island cultures have stories of dragons, many of whom resemble serpents.  Since the Pacific islands, including Australia, are water locked, it would seem only logical that their dragons are associated with water.  Again many dragons of the Pacific Islands are said to be creator dragons and therefore beneficial to humans.  

As we have seen from this brief overview, the most common mythology about dragons around the world is that they are generally in serpentine form.  They may or may not have wings and/or limbs.  Some are good dragons and some are not.  What is known about dragons is that they are one of the oldest myths on earth.