Dragons of the West

For thousands of years fabulous serpents and dragons have been the stuff of myth and traveler's tales. The dragon has held the attention of people for centuries, and continues to do so. The dragon is more than a beast of tall stories, myth and folk-tale, for it is a symbol of the awesome power of nature which appears in many variant forms, but which we can understand only in symbolic or allegorical form. Thus, it appears in religious symbolism, alchemy, medicine and geomancy as well as in the more lyrical tales of bards and storytellers. Ultimately the dragon is a product of the human mind, for there are dragons of various kinds lurking deep within us all. This book explores Western dragon and dragonslayer traditions, not just legends, but living festivals and rituals surviving today.