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Dragons and Dragon Lore by Ernest Ingersoll, Introduction by Henry Fairfield Osborn.

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DESCRIPTION: Softcover: 228 pages. Publisher: Book Tree; (1999). “The dragon”, observes author Ernest Ingersoll, “is connected with the powers and doings of the earliest gods, and like them is vague, changeable, and contradictory in its attributes, maintaining from first to last only one definable characteristic, association with and control of water”.

Rich with facts and fascinating lore, Ingersoll’s well-researched book not only describes many of the myths surrounding one of the world’s oldest, most elusive, and power mythological creatures, but also teems with information about specific aspects of these mystical beasts, from grotesque serpents of the deep to land-roving, fire-breathing monsters that first appeared in creation myths of ancient civilizations.

Dragons in China, Korea, and Japan are covered, as are those in Babylonia and Egyptian legends, and in Welsh, English, Irish, and French tales from the West, with specific details on draconic prototypes, the birth and wanderings of the dragon, the dragon as a rain god, “the men of dragon bones:, the dragon’s invasion of the West and association with the holy cross, and other related subjects.

Of wide interest to students of history and mythology, “Dragons and Dragon Lore” will appeal to anyone fascinated by folklore and primitive religion. This book is a republication of the 1928 edition.

CONDITION: NEW. New oversized softcover. Unblemished except EXTREMELY slight edge/corner wear to the covers. Just the normal slight wear expected in a new book shelved next to others. Very minimal wear consistent with new stock from an open-shelf book store. Pages are pristine; clean, crisp, unmarked, unmutilated, tightly bound, unambiguously unread. Satisfaction guaranteed. In stock, ready to ship. No disappointments, no excuses. #2063.1a.

PLEASE SEE IMAGES BELOW FOR SAMPLE PAGES FROM INSIDE OF BOOK.

PLEASE SEE PUBLISHER, PROFESSIONAL, AND READER REVIEWS BELOW.

PUBLISHER REVIEW:

REVIEW: Books on dragons have long proved popular with Dover readers, from studies in mythology and witchcraft to coloring books and pictorial archive collections. This fascinating, well-researched book teems with information about creatures that include powerful serpents of the deep and land-roving, fire-breathing monsters that first appeared in the creation myths of the ancient Far East. Dragons in China, Korea, and Japan are covered, as are those in Babylonian and Egyptian legends, and in Welsh, English, Irish, and French tales from the West.

REVIEW: The dragon is a mythical creature typically depicted as a gigantic and powerful serpent or other reptile with magical or spiritual qualities. As with every mythological creature, dragons are perceived in different ways by different cultures. Dragons are sometimes said to breathe and spit fire or even acid or ice (depending on the type).

They are commonly portrayed as serpentine or reptilian, hatching from eggs and possessing extremely large, typically feathered or scaly bodies; they are sometimes portrayed as having large yellow or red eyes, a feature that is the origin for the word for dragon in many cultures, and are often (but not always) portrayed with a row of dorsal spines, keeled scales, long crested ears, slitted eye pupils, leathery bat-like wings and fiery breath. Some dragons do not have wings at all, but look more like long snakes, such as Asian versions of the dragon, sometimes called the Lung.

Dragons can have a variable number of legs: none, two, four, or more when it comes to early European literature. Modern depictions of dragons are very large in size,up to 50 miles in length, but some early European depictions of dragons were only the size of bears, or, in some cases, even smaller, around the size of a butterfly or even a flea.

Although dragons (or dragon-like creatures) occur in many legends around the world, different cultures have varying stories about monsters that have been grouped together under the dragon label. Chinese dragons, and Eastern dragons generally, are usually seen as benevolent, whereas European dragons are usually malevolent (there are of course exceptions to these rules). Malevolent dragons also occur in Persian mythology (see Azhi Dahaka) and other cultures.

Dragons are particularly popular in China, and along with the phoenix, the 5-clawed dragon was a symbol of the Chinese emperors. Dragon costumes manipulated by several people are a common sight at Chinese festivals.

Dragons are often held to have major spiritual significance in various religions and cultures around the world. In many Eastern and Native American cultures dragons were, and in some cultures still are, revered as representative of the primal forces of nature, religion and the universe. Many pre-Columbian cultures were fascinated by the power of dragons. The Moche people depicted dragons frequently in their ceramics. They are associated with wisdom - often said to be wiser than humans - and longevity. They are commonly said to possess some form of magic or other supernatural power, and are often associated with wells, rain, and rivers. In some cultures, they are also said to be capable of human speech.

The term dragoon, for infantry that move around by horse yet still fight as foot soldiers, is derived from their early firearm, the \"dragon\", a wide-bore musket that spat flame when it fired, and was thus named for the mythical creature.

REVIEW: Table of Birth of the Dragon.

2) Wanderings of the Young Dragon.

3) Indian Nagas and Draconic Prototypes.

4) The Divine Spirit of the Waters.

5) Draconic Grandparents.

6) The Dragon as a Rain-God.

7) Korean Water and Mountain Spirits.

8) \"The Men of the Dragon Bones\".

9) The Dragon in Japanese Art.

10) The Dragon\'s Precious Pearl.

11) The Dragon Invades the West.

12) The \'Old Serpent\' and His Progeny.

13) Welsh Romances and English Legends.

14) The Dragon and the Holy Cross.

15) To the Glory of St, REVIEW:

REVIEW: Fascinating book teems with information about powerful serpents of the deep and land-roving, fire-breathing monsters that first appeared in the creation myths of the ancient Far East. Dragons in China, Korea, and Japan are covered, as are those in Babylonian and Egyptian legends, and in English, Irish, and French tales.

REVIEW: Ingersoll became intensely interested in dragon worship and the dragon myth during a journey in China and Mongolia. In the royal city of Peking appears the apotheosis of the dragon in every conceivable form of symbolism and architecture. Dragons leading up the steps of temples and palaces of the Manchu emperors and the superb dragon screen guarding the approach to one of the royal palaces are but two of the numerous examples of the universal former belief in these mythical animals, and of the still prevailing beliefs among the common people of China. The present work will arouse a widespread interest among students of animal form and history on one hand, and of folk lore, primitive religion and mythology on the other.

REVIEW: I became intensely interested in Dragon Worship and the Dragon Myth during my recent journey in China and Mongolia in support of the Central Asiatic Expeditions of Roy Chapman Andrews. Especially, in the royal city of Peking appears the apotheosis of the Dragon in every conceivable form of symbolism and architecture. The Dragons leading up to the steps of the temples and palaces of the Manchu emperors, and the superb dragon-screen guarding the approach to one of the royal palaces, are but two of the innumerable examples of the universal former belief in these mythical animals, and of the still prevailing beliefs among the common people of China.

For example, one night in a far distant telegraph station in the heart of the desert of Gobi, I overheard two men pointing out Leader Andrews and myself as ‘men of the Dragon bones.’ On inquiry, I learned that our great Central Asiatic Expedition was universally regarded by the natives as engaged in the quest of remains of extinct Dragons, and that this superstition is connected with the still universal belief among the natives that fossil bones, and especially fossil teeth have a high medicinal value.

Not long after my return from Central Asia, I suggested to my friend, Ernest Ingersoll, that he write the present volume, preparing a fresh study of the history of the Dragon Myth which, now largely confined to China, once spread all over Asia and Europe, as dominant not only in mythology but entering even into the early teachings of Christianity, as so many other pagan myths have done. I knew that the author was well-qualified for a work of this character, because of his remarkable success in previous volumes for old and young, and in his original observations on various forms of animal life, from the American oyster to many birds and mammals.

He is especially versed, perhaps, in regard to one very interesting question which is often asked, namely, how far the animals of myth and of legend, like the Dragon, the Hydra, the Phoenix, the Unicorn and the Mermaid, are products of pure imagination, and how far due to some fancied resemblance of a living form or to the tales of travelers. For example, it occurred to me, while examining the giant fossil eggs of the extinct ostrich of China (now known under the scientific name Struthiolithus, assigned by the late Doctor Eastman), that it may have given rise to the myth of the Phoenix or of the Roc. On this point, the author sends me the following very interesting notes:

“I have not studied the Unicorn. . . . The Mermaid is usually attributed to somebody’s story of seeing a dugong nursing its baby, but I guess the idea goes back to the time when old Poseidon was half man, half fish, and had plenty of watermaidens, half woman, half fish, disporting around him. The first time anyone saw Mistress Venus she was in that ‘semi’ shape if I remember rightly. . . . I do not find the Roc indigenous in the Far East, and I greatly doubt whether anywhere it had a ‘physical’ progenitor, or was suggested by any big, extinct, ratite egg. I have discussed this in my “Birds in Legend, Fable and Folklore,” and conclude it to be a figment of an ancient boasting storyteller’s fancy.”

“The only other imaginary form of importance in China is the Feng–a pheasant-like ‘bird’ analogous to the Phoenix–and probably hatched in the same sun-nest. . . . As to your query about ‘mythical’ and ‘legendary’ animals: My whole thesis in regard to the Dragon is that it is entirely imaginary; and I regard the Hydra (absent from the Chinese mind) as merely an extravagance that arose in the West, perhaps by confusion of snake and octopus.”

I feel confident that the present work will arouse a widespread interest among students of animal form and history on the one hand, and of folk-lore, primitive religion and mythology on the other. (Henry Fairfield Osborn, American Museum of Natural History, December 20, 1927).

READER REVIEW:

REVIEW: This rare and fascinating book is filled with incredible information about the oldest mythological story in the world; that of the dragon. Similar stories exist worldwide, in all cultures, of this elusive and powerful creature. The author, Ernest Ingersoll, has slated that the dragon \"is connected with the powers and doings of the earliest gods, and like them is vague, changeable and contradictory in its attributes, maintaining from first to last only one definable characteristic; association with and control of water”.

The strong point of this book is that it is so all-inclusive. China, India, Korea, and Japan are covered in the East, as well as Babylonian and Egyptian legends, while Welsh, English, Irish, French, and other tales of Christendom are covered in the West. Other topics like the origin of the dragon are found, plus a complete overview of the dragon as being \"the divine spirit of the waters\" and \"the dragon as a rain god”. Ingersoll contends that the dragon mythology was actually born in the East, then carried to the West later.

The ancient gods of the Eastern world played both good and bad roles, which caused the legends of dragon and dragon-slayer to spring up. Many of the early gods were strongly associated with dragons and serpents, as the walls of many ancient temples will attest. When the evil dragons of prehistory were carried over to the Western world, we found ourselves with \"Satan,\" who inherited the dragon\'s horns, red color, tail, cloven hoofs, and wings.

This was no coincidence. The name of Satan (Shatan) also came from an Oriental language of the East; out of Persia. Most of us in the West have no idea of the depth and magnitude of dragon lore in the Eastern world, but that is the most important part of the dragon story. This book is rich with facts and is extremely well researched. It will cause one to wonder why so many dragon stories from so many separate places around the world seem to have so much in common.

REVIEW: I\'ve read others of Ingersoll\'s books and they are always scholarly, well-written and treat the topic in a interesting and entertaining fashion. This book is no exception. As a student of occult lore and esoteric mythology from all over the world, Ingersoll\'s book would be a necessary addition to any true student\'s library. It is full of information, some of it I\'ve not seen published before, and treats the subject with a serious but very readable respect.

REVIEW: Full of facts about dragon mythology. From early history to the far east and finally a mention of the dragon in medieval times as the legend relates to St. George. Overall a good read and solid basis for dragon history.

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