How would you define dragon?

Post by **vampirehunter42** » Wed Aug 15, 2007 4:37 pm

A thought has crossed my mind a number of times while posting here.

What is your definition of "A Dragon"? As in when you see a creature walking down the street you can point at it and you know you are right.

With the number is different dragon looks from around the world, some of which don't really look alike. My thought of this is the idea of when you see a cat you will know that is was a cat, even comparing a large cat to a house cat they look about the same. But with dragons, you have a number of different body types, wings or no wings, aquatic, arboreal, legs or no legs, and may other things like that.

I really think, in the quest of finding a dragon, we need to know what we are looking for. Are we looking for a snake like creature, lizard like, or something in-between or something even stranger.

Blue Tiger · Post by **Blue Tiger** » Wed Aug 15, 2007 6:21 pm

Thats a good question, but for people who have been studying dragons, they will know a good amount of the types. But most people know (even if they are not interested in dragons) that it is a dragon if it looks like the western or eastern as they are most common. But all the dragons in between and the rare, most unheard of still have basic things that define them, they are all unlike any lizard seen before...

Post by **vampirehunter42** » Thu Aug 16, 2007 4:23 pm

Say wa........ With that in mind anything is a dragon, even a tree.

Ok, the idea is. If you were to make a list of "Dragons" and "Dragaon-Like" creatures. What will go where? Just because a creature is a giant serpent, is it a dragon? There has to be something which defines the creature.

Like with a mammal:

Mammals (class Mammalia) are warm-blooded, vertebrate animals characterized by the presence of sweat glands, including those that produce milk, and by the presence of: hair, three middle ear bones used in hearing, and a neocortex region in the brain. Most mammals also possess specialized teeth and utilize a placenta in the ontogeny. The mammalian brain regulates endothermic and circulatory systems, including a four-chambered heart. Mammals encompass approximately 5,400 species (including humans), distributed in about 1,200 genera, 153 families, and 29 orders, though this varies by classification scheme.

Phylogenetically, Mammalia is defined as all descendants of the most recent common ancestor of monotremes (e.g., echidnas and platypuses) and therian mammals (marsupials and placentals). This means that some extinct groups of "mammals" are not members of the crowngroup Mammalia, even though most of them have all the characteristics that traditionally would have classified them as mammals. These "mammals" are now usually placed in the unranked clade Mammaliaformes.

What I am trying to do is put together something like that for "Dragon".

Lillea · Post by **Lillea** » Thu Aug 16, 2007 7:07 pm

A dragon would be an ancient being, as smart as a human yet to us retaining a more "animal" look. Though humans so very rarely see a dragon, any description from a person will be dismissed as wild imagination due to logic and scepticism.
How would you define a dragon is indeed a good question. They would be along a completely different family of animals, in my opinion, as they range so widely in description, how could you tell which are true and which are false? From leathery skin to scaled skin or even both, with wings or no wings, long or short in body, they would probably be unlike any animal ever seen before, let alone unlike any reptile seen before, as, for example, their leg construction is more along the lines of a mammal's than a reptile's, yet still completely different again.
Thus, a dragon would be a creature unlike any other. That is how you would define a dragon.

Post by **vampirehunter42** » Thu Aug 16, 2007 8:11 pm

You do know writing like that won't work in collage.

Ok let me restate the question:
Without using double talk, how would you define "Dragon"?

Lillea · Post by **Lillea** » Sat Aug 18, 2007 9:04 am

for goodness sake vampire hunter youre very rude and irritating

Post by **vampirehunter42** » Sun Aug 19, 2007 3:21 am

Ok, I was a little ruff on that one. But I really hate double talk.

But this is a start of what I am wanting......

Dragon:
The dragon is a reptilian creature with a number of traditional forms. Manly with the count of the number of legs: none, two, four, or more. Most are known to have scaly bodies while some are known to have possible feathers. Other features some dragons are connected to are wings and even a breath weapon. But a number of them have neither.
Wingless dragons are normally leg-less and resemble large snakes. Most of these are seen in the waterways or swamps of their native lands. Most of these are seen in the early Americas both North and South.

Most of the better known are in the from of most European dragons, which have four legs, two wings and normally breath fire. Most of these dragon are thought about the size of a large bear or smaller. But many of the dragons are in this area also take the form of snake like, snake like with wings, wyverns (The wyvern can be regarded as a type of or similar to a dragon. Depictions often include two legs and two wings. Sometimes there are eagle's claws on the wingtips. The rest of its appearance can vary, such as appearing with a tail spade or with a serpent-like tail.), and many other variations on the shape.........

I'll work on some more later. But I hope you get the idea.

Blue Tiger · Post by **Blue Tiger** » Tue Aug 21, 2007 4:26 pm

Weldone, youve just answered your own question

Basically, all I can say is that people define dragons as the features that they are renowned for, Everyone knows what a dragon is and what they look like, the only mistake they will make is identifying it as a large lizard or bird, but there are still obvious features that most people will know that it makes it a dragon. You will just know.. from stories, legends, pictures and movies...

Lillea · Post by **Lillea** » Tue Aug 21, 2007 6:38 pm

yeah, quite. everyone knows what a dragon is, even though each person imagines dragons a tiny bit differently to how other people would... sorry bout the double talk again

its just me

Falconer · Post by **Falconer** » Thu Aug 23, 2007 3:24 pm

I think when we hear "Dragon" we think of the "ideal" dragon. (I use Plato's idea of the "ideal", that is everything in the world has an ideal form, like, say, "bed". We recognize beds because they look like our concept of "bed".) It would be a large, reptilian creature, but I can't be anymore specific.

werewolves · Post by **werewolves** » Fri Aug 24, 2007 4:36 pm

a dragon is defind by the culture and religon for example; a dragon of the christian religon would be 500foot tall lizard with four legs and wings
but a dragon of indian culture would be a long serpant with a human head.
so it depends. happy?

Araki · Post by **Araki** » Fri Aug 24, 2007 9:55 pm

If you where to ask 100 people to describe a dragon you would get 100 different descriptions varrying in physical appearance to how good or evil they may be depending on the person's religios beliefs.

Jishdefish · Post by **Jishdefish** » Sat Aug 25, 2007 8:51 am

Genus: Draconis
General Description: Interpreted in a verity of ways, it is generally a cross between a very large lizard and a snake with the abilities of several other creatures. These beings, being divided into many subgroups can stretch from the wingless, four-clawed Chinese species to the European fire-breathing, winged species that riddle English text. Most have some ability or another including a breath weapon, the ability to fly or swim rapidly, or some other type of power or a combination of many. This genus is so far widespread and prevalent that it isn't much like a genus at all then an entire family of creatures wiped clean off this Earth.

That's the best I can come up with. Anyone want to top me?

Jishdefish · Post by **Jishdefish** » Sat Aug 25, 2007 8:53 am

Deleted.

Post by **vampirehunter42** » Sat Aug 25, 2007 3:32 pm

Jishdefish wrote:Genus: Draconis

I like it other than the Genus part. I just don't think that sounds right.
Maybe more like this
Kingdom: Animalia
Subkingdom: Eumetazoa
Phylum: Chordata
Subphylum: Vertebrata

Then maybe a class to their own, or as a subclass off or reptiles. This will allow for the different shaped creatures. A genus is more exact, than what we are saying here. Now a European dragon will fit into its own genus, and then split the slight differences into the species as from different areas give. And even The European dragons, come in (leg-less) snake like forms.

But we are getting closer to an answer.

Silentiea · Post by **Silentiea** » Sun Aug 26, 2007 3:18 pm

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Dragon
Order: {Reptilian}, (Avian)
Family: {Winged+large, (winged+small), [wingless]}, (some other subcategories...?)
Genus:
Species:

I think if we are going to classify dragons together, they can't all be put under reptiles, but I don't know if the best way is as I have it. I think the families under reptilian are good, though past that...

Airis_the_Great · Post by **Airis_the_Great** » Mon Sep 03, 2007 6:12 pm

Thats just it. you are trying to have people explain the unexpalinable. Dragons cannot be classified with one animal or another. They are makings of magic and earth, bound to no one ecxept the person called rider. Their forms take on different shapes, big and small. no one knows where they came from, because they have been on this earth longer than time itself. Each person has a rendering of their ideal dragon, but a skykings true nature and being is hidden to all but one. Ask that one, classifed as the rider. If you are lucky, they will tell all.

+ Silver - Orbs + · Post by **+ Silver - Orbs +** » Tue Sep 04, 2007 5:13 am

Dragons: A race of mythological predators with the intelligence and natural power that far outspans anything that humanity can think up. A dragon cannot be classified by physical appearance, for each culture and time of the world has portrayed them differently. All however, describe a predatory creature of either benevolent or violent nature, raw power and unharnessed potential.

And that's from someone who doesn't believe in them physically

And Airis: Why would something that is, as you say, a skyking, base itself to allowing something far smaller and almost parasitic to ride it? No human is pure. *shrugs* And I say parasitic in the manner that humanity seems to suck the life out of the plant instead of, like other animals, adapting.

Airis_the_Great · Post by **Airis_the_Great** » Tue Sep 04, 2007 7:46 pm

I admit that, compared to dragons, humans are small but I would not say parasitic. It is a partnership, a mutual relationship, it you will where dragon and rider benefit from one another.

Silentiea · Post by **Silentiea** » Wed Sep 05, 2007 1:33 am

And what benefit does the mighty gain from the meek? The king of the sky from the pawn?

+ Silver - Orbs + · Post by **+ Silver - Orbs +** » Wed Sep 05, 2007 6:26 am

Pff,t if I was a dragon I'd have an vast menagerie of creatures at my bidding- humans damage the Earth far too much. And I am human, abet with a slight physical defect and nothing more.

Airis_the_Great · Post by **Airis_the_Great** » Wed Sep 05, 2007 5:28 pm

The dragon population is saved by the bond of their human. humans get the PARTNERSHIP of the dragon for protection ect. No one is ruling over eachother but they work together to keep the dragon population growing and the human pop from destroying the world. Non magical folk do not see the harm they are causing. But you cannot balme them, for they are hundreds of years behind us magical rulers

Araki · Post by **Araki** » Wed Sep 05, 2007 11:49 pm

Airis_the_Great wrote:The dragon population is saved by the bond of their human. humans get the PARTNERSHIP of the dragon for protection ect. No one is ruling over eachother but they work together to keep the dragon population growing and the human pop from destroying the world. Non magical folk do not see the harm they are causing. But you cannot balme them, for they are hundreds of years behind us magical rulers

in away I agree to that. I cringe when ever I see the damage being done to the world by technology. While I will admit that not all technology is harmful to the environment and id probably go crazy with out a computer having been used to having one so long.

Post by **vampirehunter42** » Thu Sep 06, 2007 3:35 pm

Airis_the_Great wrote:Thats just it. you are trying to have people explain the unexpalinable. Dragons cannot be classified with one animal or another. They are makings of magic and earth, bound to no one ecxept the person called rider. Their forms take on different shapes, big and small. no one knows where they came from, because they have been on this earth longer than time itself. Each person has a rendering of their ideal dragon, but a skykings true nature and being is hidden to all but one. Ask that one, classifed as the rider. If you are lucky, they will tell all.

Ok, where did you get this information? So far nothing in the legeonds and myth I have read say anything like that.

+ Silver - Orbs + · Post by **+ Silver - Orbs +** » Thu Sep 06, 2007 3:36 pm

Airis_the_Great wrote:But you cannot balme them, for they are hundreds of years behind us magical rulers

US magical rulers? Please explain.

Claiming that you're a magical ruler online tends not, unless you're heavily into role-playing, to get a very good response. In the Otherkin commute, it's called 'Elvin Princess syndrome'. I am not trying to be nasty to just you, but that statement has just irked me a touch. What makes you think that you're better than us mortals?