T h e  M y t h

Are Komodo dragons anything at all like mythological dragons?

Into the sky
The dragon doth fly
A terrore of flame, fang and coil.
---From "The Archives of Rog"

Dragons have been part of the mythology of some Asian cultures for thousands of years. Western Europeans also picked up on dragons in the Middle Ages, but its depiction of dragons as fierce beasts was far different from the comparatively benign creatures that inhabited Asian mythology.

Eastern dragons, particularly those in Chinese art and literature, were animals that portended good luck instead of dread. Different colors signified luck, charity and a host of other fortuitous occurrences. Western dragons, on the other hand, were dark, winged animals that threatened towns and ate damsels in distress.

Komodo dragons, however, exhibit none of these tendencies. And while you may not want to be caught in a dark alley with one, they usually do not pose a large threat to any careful human.

In our research, it does not appear that Indonesia has any myths about dragons, possibly because they existed along side the real things for thousands of years. Eastern dragon mythology may have begun when Chinese sailors, blown off course, sighted the big lizards and took stories, maybe somewhat embellished, back home. For example, it's hypothesized that the idea of dragons breathing fire may have originated from the yellow tongue flitting out of Komodos' mouths. Western dragons simply borrowed and built upon Eastern tradition, albeit with a more insidious tone.

The REAL dragons were first reported by Westerners in 1910 by Lieutenant van Steyn van Hensbroek, a Dutch colonial administrator. Stories about gigantic lizards had been passed down by Dutch sailors ever since they began exploring and colonizing the area beginning in the 1600s. Van Hensbroek was the first to document them, however. He sent a photo and the skin of one back to a museum, thereby introducing the animal to Western science. The term "dragon-lizard" was coined by American Douglas Burden in an article in National Geographic following his expedition to Komodo in 1927. From that may have evolved the popular term, Komodo dragon, that we know them by today.

Even now, Komodo dragons still inspire a bit of mythmaking. Hard evidence about size has often been exaggerated and promoted. But despite it all, Komodo dragons are nevertheless reptiles worthy of awe.