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Why have people believed in dragons, and what were they actually? Is there a difference between Western and Eastern dragons, in a global perspective, and if so, why?
Has the Western attitude to dragons changed in the modern era? Did Christianity give rise to a different idea of what a dragon should be? These are the questions that this lecture sets out to answer.
This lecture was recorded by Ronald Hutton on 14th February 2024 at Barnard’s Inn Hall, London
Ronald is Gresham Professor of Divinity.
He is also Professor of History at the University of Bristol.
The transcript and downloadable versions of the lecture are available from the Gresham College website:
https://www.gresham.ac.uk/watch-now/dragons
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Finland doesnt have an enormous seacoast, they have a little bit of ocean that comes from the tiny gap between Denmark and Sweden. lack of this, and that the finnish arent really seafarers will naturally cause a lack of this kind of creatures. Also theres other dragons in scandinavian culture, like fafner
A new video with Ronald Hutton is always well appreciated 🧡🧡🧡
I met a huge and ancient Pterosaur inside Silbury Hill. I suppose that counts as a Dragon. It really helped me. Embrace your Dragon ✨🫶🏻✨
My own opinion on the origins of negative Dragon lore, in the Christian countries at any rate… Many dragon/serpent/reptilian-like beings are often perceived in Otherworld experiences. Christianity understandably wanted to transform that knowledge to Christian belief instead, demonising the Dragons as a necessity.
Will be interesting to see if Prof. Huttons thoughts on this run along the same lines once I get to the end of his delightful lecture.
Always a delight ❤️
I wish I could have had this gentleman as a college prof. I could listen to him all day!
Where's Africa in all this?
Fascinating mythology
Are all of your lecturers atheist?
Great Lecture Ronald. Met you a few times at conventions 👍
Where is Ervinken? Norseman 😂
Uwielbiam wykłady Profesora Huttona 🌹🌹🌹
Dragons sound like Fuelal lords or modern day politicians.
Very interesting lecture!
In the category of lake monsters I'd like to add that especially in Central and Eastern Europe there are stories about giant catfish (3-4 meters long) eating people and cattle. The story is that they grab you when you come close to the water and then drag you down, they will hide the body in some underwater pit and feed on you. In my experience, these stories are much less known in Western Europe. From what I've understood, there are some credible historical anecdotes about catfish eating human children, but the stories may be very exaggerated. Either way giant catfish might be the source for some lake monster stories. 🙂
Wait till people find out there's a gaurdian dragon watching over the earth.. she's peaceful if you leave her alone. Not greedy. Likes to help people and has had food and resources brought to people in need. Got some water flowing and green growing in the deserts. They're not all bad.
A sturgeon can look like a serpent in the water. And it can be in really cold water so that could explain what people are seeing now.. like they one video of the ice moving and it looks serpentine. Giant scales on the body that's like armor. I can see it. Alligators and crocodiles have skin so tough, there's only one place it can be pierced which is the third eye area on the top of the head. Komodo dragons have bacteria in their mouths that's almost like venom and the way it acts on the body of its food. Then you got the little flying dracos.. they're cute bc they're small. There's a bird that mimics the dragon. And i think dinosaurs are really dragons but called dinosaurs bc they didn't want it to be known.. there be dragons. Some indigenous say they use to work with the dragons in harmony. And there's a temple that was built long after the "dinosaurs" were gone that has the picture of one on it. I mean way after they were gone. It's less than 12,000 years old. Thanks for the great video😊
Huttons remark about his favorite dragon reminded me of an early-modern, low-german legend (from the collection of Richard Wossidlo) about the last dragon in Mecklenburg – he also was sat upon for quite a while and was convinced to disappear (he withered into nothing, if I remember correctly).
This is clearly risky 😂
Surely some, or most of these stories began with Comets entering our solar system.
Not so much as reverence but cautious respect for Coyote the trickster. Apache here and taught by my Grandfather. Ya'ta'hay!
I love this man
On a hike with our little daughter of 3or4, we crossed paths with a little snake spitting his tongue – our little daughter said he spit fire. Odd coincidence.
Your narration was so enjoyed,more because of your perfect enunciation. Lovely speaking voice.
Saw him first doing Cunk on Britain. He is engaging. Thanks, rob
I really appeciate I can watch your lectures. And it was great to hear Prof. Hutton again.
Scamp.
There’s a number of ‘worms’ in Scotland, I live near a place called Wormit, across the Tay in Dundee there was another one with a n area named after the battle, Strathmartin, meaning ‘strike Martin’.
There is a red dragon and a white dragon in the Mabinogi Welsh/British myth, that fight to the death; perhaps the source for Tolkien's battle of Fire and Ice when Gandalf fights the Balrog.
dimensional perception is a quantum shift of persisting illusion dragons are in hibernation is my 60th year alive as a wood dragon scorpio and cometh the fire phoenix
Dragon = Fossils
Ahhhhhh… Science.
"There's facts in them there Myths!" Our minds, (when open) can allow the Greater Facts to emerge. 🦋
Perhaps "Puff" would be our favorite Dragon.
🔺Part 9f the facts are the use of Serpant and Dragon in reference to Bloodlines and King Line, the Symbology of Wisdom.
Those in favor of the Dragon are the followers of that particular King line, those opposed are the advisary of that group/civilization.
This subject is best understood by begining History studies with the earliest know recirds, the Cuneiform Tablets of Ancient Sumer/Babylon. Copies available through (one of the California Universities, UCLA or USC, website, Im spacing the certain resource).
Depth of Research used by a few Authors, including the late Sir Laurence Gardner, a Researcher and Authir employed by Queen Elizabeth for her own details of lineage and other History interests.
I continue to find validations for Laurence's works, miss him here in the Physical World.
Best Thoughts …
Love this historian! New Zealand has no snakes.
Hutton and Dragons! You beauty!
Ms. Anne McCaffrey was an American, aka U.S. citizen, of Irish extraction who moved to Ireland after she became successful. Incidentally she was the first woman to win both the Hugo and Nebula awards. So am I being pedantic, yeah, but… Netflix we need a Dragonriders of Pern series!