http://smh.com.au/articles/2004/01/28/1075...l?oneclick=true

I had heard a rumor that the one who discovered it was an author promoting a book (if anyone knows if they were ever allowed to test it or if this rumor is true, please let me know).

My point for starting this article really isn't the pickled dragon, it's this: dragons appear all over the world, from Chien-Tang in China to Quetzocoatl in Mexico. They appear so often in so many cultures over such a wide range of time that it is hard for me to beleive that primitive man just "came up" with the idea of giant lizards that had mystical powers and/or could breathe fire.

So what inspired these myths? Did a dragon-king float down from heaven as the Aztecs say and give them writing and agriculture, before his cousins moved to Britain to trap fair maidens in their castles and sleep on beds of gold? Or did dinosaur bones and imagination inspire similar myths all over the world?

I find it hard to beleive that civilizations seperated by miles of ocean could come up with similar creatures without there being some truth to it.

http://www.weeklyworldnews.com/features/suspects/61244

Yes, it is amazing how different cultures from a long way away can have similer views to "Dragons". But the amazment stops. Dragons are just dug up dino bones that over time sparked legends. Over time, they flew. Then they breathed fire. It's like a rumour going around, the story alters through time. And the views are a little different for each culture. Theres a big difference between the medevil and the chinese dragons, possibly because they found different dinos.

Make sense?

http://www.cronaca.com/archives/002233.html

This guy has done his job. i want his book now.

Yes it does. But an argument i have heard and that i kind of lean to is that ancient man would have said, "Oh, look...old bones." and not, "I bet this was the one who came up with agriculture...yup, he had wings and feathers and..."

Assuming they excavated the bones and assembled them, i doubt they would know how to put them together right, which would explain alot of things.

Though it's confused me sometimes how the Western dragon, Quetzocoatl, and the Chinese dragons can be put in the same category. We classify them as the same species under the assumption they were distant cousins, but if they were myths, we can't do that, can we?

Well, their of course is a possibility that many of the islands, continents, and countries could have contained the same mythical creature. But also, a great mind of creativity could boost the popularity of the myth up. Say a myth could be made. Usually the myth would have to be based on something. So lets say they (people who wrote myths about the dragons) saw a komodo dragon. That was the first time they ever saw a strange animal like that. They learn about it, learn what it eats, etc. Then, they make entertainment out of it and include it in fictional stories like the talking komodo dragon. Then, it could be made into a myth with a little spice and exaggeration. And bam! there you have it, a myth that could be believed, that sounds real, and could be real. The komodo dragon was exaggerated into a lighter green, more scaled, fire-breathing (where superpowers could have been added for the fun of it to make it sound like an intimidating devil) monsterous monster. A group of travelers on the island heard about it. They traveled to conquer. Their new conquered friends were told about the myth and so on and on. It wouldn't happen like that (possibly it could) but I think you get the point I'm trying to make. Thats a suggestion I would have to make.

Animal Planet is having a show on dragons at the end of the month. ^.^ I'm so excited. From what it looks like, they're going, "Okay, this is a dragon *holds up picture of a dragon*. They appear so often, they might have existed. If they did, they would look/behave/eat/do this."

http://animal.discovery.com/convergence/dragons/dragons.html

I don't know man? That site (television episode) seems extreme to the max fictional. But I'll watch it, I just have to remember the date. But good find!

It is definately fake...but it's awesome. A book i got describes the Australian maruspial dragon.

While that is adorable...i doubt Australia has that many marsupials!

Well, the kangaroo is certainly (to me) the father of all marsupials becuase it looks like it has the biggest pouch, lol.

You should learn some information on the komodo dragon if your really interested in dragons and all. Do you know the bacteria on their teeth can kill a human in less than an hour!?

I was actually surprised when I saw the commercial for the dragon special coming up on Animal Planet. Perhaps the next thing they will make a special on is the chupacabra itself. Hurrah for cgi, the great fabricator!

Anyway, I'll watch it.. I've always enjoyed movies and stories on the mythical beasts.

But the unfortunate thing about dragons (personally to me) is I 99.9% believe its totall fictional.

Chupacabras have more of a 25% chance (personally to me) of being actually real. But I may be wrong.

I saw that somewhere on snopes, and it seemed interesting how detailed that thing was.
Anyways, although I agree that it is surprising how many differerent cultures have come up with types of dragons, weren't there a ton of differences?
Like, for instance, Quetzocoatl was just a big feathered serpent, right? And, if I remember correctly, up until around the 13th century, the bible mentions that there were huge scaly beasts that were in the Garden of Eden (that cold be interpreted as proof that the bible knew about dinosaurs before everyone else, but I won't go there.) Which could account for the creation of the European dragon.
And, I'm probably wrong, but wasn't the Oriental dragon something like a cow with a snake's tongue, deer's legs, and a lizard's tail or something like that? If not, the Komodo Dragon could account for those legends.
But yeah, that was an interesting way to promote a book.

Have you seen the photo of the dragon in the album? I suggest you look. It's coolies. Many people beleive its fake, but thats never been proven.

Cool

Very little survives a komodo bite. even if they dont get the animal the first go-round, they can fall the scent of infection and wait for it to die.

Komodo dragons have always been my favorite reptile

After being bitten by the Komodo your daed in no time with the infection... Imagine being the first person to land their by ship and then stting onto the Island to explore it... a coupld of miles in land you come across Komodos... damn that would have been frightening, they can swim, run and climb... early settlers must have been shocked?

They called them "dragon" for a reason!

Yeh... they resemble my Ex Wife... but we won't discuss that Crptid as it wuld freak you all out... back to the discussion board.

That pickled dragon was the MOST fake thing I so in my life!!! How people believed in that even for a moment is beyond me...

That sod actually got a deal with a publisher, although I would give him the "chair" for trying to be SO "clever".

Its sad how humanity rewards fraud (and very bad ones at that).

I belive dragons exist or at least existed at one point in time. Maybe they or breathe fire and maybe not, but a flying lizard like beast, yes. It might have even been in the time of dino's but at some point they were real.

Actually that dragon was never disproven.

I bet dragons are actually dinos,maybe they died out,maybe theiy still exist.Hmm,has anyone ever said that dragons could actually be thunderbirds?

I think you are right CR not sure about them being the Thuderbird though.

I don't think they're thunderbirds, but I think they may be dinosaurs.

But thunderbirds were around during the time of the dinos...

Big birds were but have we identified them as being what witness accounts see today... they also had those Pteradactyl thingys as well They seem more dragon like in appearence than a feathered bird... there sare still sightings of those today also.

The only reason I can take a dragon for truth is if to accept it as possibly a nickname for an extinct or still living flying dinosaur.

True to my siggy, i think they're something, even if just old dinosaur bones. I dont beleive they are a complete project of the imagination.

Oh I totally agree with you. Also, myths and legends could have come from the structure and body of the Komodo Dragon.

Possibly...but i thought that island was uninhabited before European settles came?

I could be wrong, though...

Natives from that island, and then spread by traveling, no?

yu guys certainitly dont believe in dragons that much. That dragon is real alright. If yu go to the pic, my explaination is there.

What picture - I want to hear your explanation, lol.