Dragon Heraldry

Apologies for being away for so long! Been doing stuff to do with the wedding all week, and I was busy over the weekend, and just stuff! Life! Keeps getting in the way like that!

Anyway, this weeks dragon topic is heraldy, the art of putting together symbols for knights, houses or other important people, often know as a coat of arms. Given the majestic and power behind dragons, it isn’t suprising that they are often featured in heraldry.

Dragons can take the form of the centre piece of the heraldry, or in one of the divisions if the shield is quartered (known as a charge), they can be a figure supporting a smaller shield, holding it upright with another figure, sometimes a dragon, sometimes something else (a supporter) or sometimes it’s a crowning figure, for instance on top of a helmet, a small figurine.

Dragon come in many differen colours and varieties, like metallic and chromatic. Whilst chromatic dragons are veiwed as martial or aggressive devices, often on the symbols of people who have made themselves known through battle, metallic dragons are the symbols of dominion and status, and they tend to be for deeds of loyalty and accomplishment. Although these are not hard and fast rules, there are some common elements that people tend to use for dragon heraldry:

• Adamantine Pride, immovability, or stocism. Heroes who defend places agaisnt all odds use this.
• Black Death, tragedy or terror. Usually a negative connotation, but families who endure curses, or heroes renowned for fearlessness use this colour dragon.
• Blue Ambition, superiority, knowledge. Usually associated with arcane magic, it can also suggest arrogance. Families with famous wizards and witches will use a blue dragon.
• Copper Wealth, Prosperity, or mercantile interests, or even good fortune or luck. Wealthy merchant families tend to choose copper dragons.
• Gold Divind right, nobility, or law. Gold is often the colour of the highest nobility in a land, and is reserved to royals or the highest nobility. If the absence of king or queen, religion will often use this for deities.
• Green Cunning, revenge, beauty, or fey. Families who are sworn to overturn an ancient wrong might bear this device, or families who have ties to elven or fey heritage.
• Iron Determination, courage, zeal. The iron dragon connotes single-mindedness and ardor for battle, but it can also stand for mercilessness.
• Red Strength, power, or destruction. Families that have gained through conquest will often bear the red dragon, or those who have often won in tourneys.
• Silver Honour, duty, or sacrifice. The silver dragon is a favourite of families of famous knights or paladins.
• White Rage, ferocity, or the hunt. The white draogn often represents a willingness to feud, or a refusal to overlook slights.

Variations of dragons also feature in geraldry, such as wyverns (two legs and wings) who were seen as creatures of valour and protection, and also had great eyesight which archers would favour. Wyverns were also put on a shield if a knight killed a dragon, or other great enemy. Drakes (four legs, no wings) isn’t featured so much, but is mentioned in Beowulf as a fire drake. Amphipteres are not usually prominent in heradry, but are often seen wrapped at the top of pole or spears. There exact symbology isn’t known, but given that they have wings, some have theorised that swiftness was the essence of the meaning.

Famous examples of dragon heraldry include Uther Pendragon, father of Arthur Pendragon, had a dragon on his crest, the welsh flag, and various royal crests with gold dragons.

If you made a coat of arm, what would you include on it? It doesn’t even have to be a dragon!

C – Colours of Dragon

This post is going to be about the various colours of dragons and what that can tell you about the dragon that you might be dealing with. There are two broad types of dragons: Chromatic dragons and Metallic Dragon. Chromatic dragons are found in the colour of the rainbow, but are usually evil dragon, driven by greed, rage, and other base desires. Metallic dragons echo the colour of various metals, and are good dragon who are driven to help and protect others instead of gathering treasure and hunting people.

Beware, this is going to be a long post, there are lots of colours! If you don’t want to read it all, then I recommend just going and finding your favourite colour. Chromatic dragons are first (Black, Red, Blue, Green and White), followed by Metallic Dragons (Brass, Bronze, Copper, Gold and Silver), then Rare Colours (Purple, Yellow, Grey, Rainbow).

 

Chromatic Dragons

Black Dragons: Are often vile and evil-tempered and will tend to eat people on sight rather than try to talk. Their dark colour makes it easy for them to hide in the night time and because of this they are primarily nocturnal creatures, who will lurk in the darkness, just waiting for the opportunity to strike. They will never fight fair or give you a chance. Because of their dark hide they prefer deeps caves or swamps as their home, and the one who live in swamps are said to live there because they enjoy the smell of slowly rotting corpses. Black is often considered to represent the absolute of a species, so in this instant black dragons form the archetypal dragon, one who is obsessed with gathering a hoard of treasure to sleep on, and devouring any prey that he might desire.

 

Red Dragons: Red is the colour of passion and fire, and these dragons have both in abundance. The fiercest warriors of all the dragons, their fire breath is the hottest of all of the colour of dragons, and they will use it when their territory has been violated, being fiercely territorial creatures. Whilst they won’t always go for the attack immediately like their black brethren, they are quick to anger and have very short fuses, but they do also love gathering treasure hoards. As creatures of fire, they are almost always found in warm environments, such a tropical islands, or even volcanic islands if they are lucky. Red dragon have been known to request virgin sacrifices off villages in their territory, for the simple reason that they enjoy fresh red meat, and that “virgins just taste better”.

 

Blue Dragons: Blue is the colour of the sea and the sky, and you can find dragons of this colour in either. Blue comes in many different shades, and you are likely to find light blue dragons roaming the sky, representing vastness and freedom, whereas dark blue dragons are more likely found in the deep calm waters of the seas and ocean’s. All blue dragons tend to be pensive, lawful, and more than a little vain, hence why you can find them admiring their own reflection in water a lot of the time, although he is far more likely to ambush you than you are him! They tend to be incredibly good trackers, and quick when springing an ambush, but they are some of the few dragons to have their own moral code and be lawful in their dealings. Not good, but definitely lawful. Blue air dragons tend to have lightning breath rather than the traditional fire breath.

 

Green Dragons: Across the world green is associated with the vegetation of the earth, and that is where you will find the green dragons – deep in the forests of the worlds. The bigger the trees are, the better for these dragons. The green dragon does not rely on strength to catch his prey out, but rather his cunning and wits which he uses to concoct elaborate schemes which will bring him what he wants with the minimum of effort on his part. These dragons are also omnivores, and whilst they will eat animals, they also eat shrubs and small trees. Green dragons symbolise the cycle of birth, growth, death and rebirth, and in this vein some of them have poisonous breath. Green dragons sometimes also have splashes of brown colouring on them, as the other colour associated with the earth.

 

White Dragons: White dragons tend to be the smallest of all the colours, associated with ice and snowy climates, they live as high up as they can, in the coldest place on the earth, making the Arctic and Antarctic perfect for them. White dragon are very intelligent, but they prefer to live alone, away from any civilisations or other dragons, and be alone with their thoughts. They have wide and sharp claws, which are perfect for walking on ice or digging into the sides of mountains. Their favourite food is anything that has been frozen, but they have been known to be slightly cowardly, and if you are imposing enough, you might be able to stop them from making you their next meal.

 

 

Metallic Dragons

Brass Dragons: Brass dragons are born a mottles brown colour and only get their turn shine after spending a lot of time in the sun, which helps develop their scales. For this reason, you will find Brass dragon in hot and dry environments, deserts being perfect for them, where they like to bask on rocky formations or the hot sand. Brass dragons are best for their conversation and are the most talkative of all dragons. You will be able to engage a brass dragon in conversation without fear of being eaten, if you can stand the climate that they like to make their home in.

 

Bronze Dragons: Bronze dragons have a very strong sense of justice, and will not allow any cruelty or anarchy to go on around them or in their territory. Powerful and sturdy, their bronze scales are hard and almost impossible to penetrate, and are the only one capable of giving red dragons a run for their money in a fight. Unlike their red brethren however, the a very inquisitive, and find human fascinating. If you abide by their sense of justice, a bronze dragon will often become a protector of what it considers to be a worthy settlement. They prefer warm climates, but like to have water nearby, so coastal areas or islands are perfect for them.

 

 

Copper Dragons: Copper dragons have a reputation as pranksters, jokers and riddlers that precedes them, and it is well earned. They love to have fun with whoever is available, whether it is by posing jokes and riddles to be answered, or setting up a prank on them that will cause amusement for the dragon and others. Like brass dragon, they are born with dull scales and grow into their true colour, although some people suspect that they develop their colour as they play more jokes on people. They like living in narrow caves, or rocky uplands and mountains where they get to practice their excellent jumping and climbing skills.

 

Gold Dragons: Gold dragons are the epitome of good, champions against evil and foul play. They appoint themselves to stand between the world and evil and will undertake any quest that will promote good in the world. When not out questing they like to have their law in secluded places where they can rest, recuperate, and recharge before going out on another quest, making deep gorges or high plateau’s ideal for them. The are warriors as well, and whilst not a fierce as a red dragon, or as hard as a bronze dragon, they are the blend of both which allows them to undertake any challenge with confidence that they will be able to achieve their aims. Their golden colour means that they are associated with the sun, for the warmth and security they bring, and wealth, though they have no wish for gold.

 

Silver Dragons: These dragons have curious healing abilities and because of their silver colour are often associate with the moon. Like Gold Dragons, they are champions, but they choose to champion the meek and the needy, and will use their healing abilities on whomever needs it. They are said to be the most sensitive of all dragons, and empathise with anyone in pain. When not helping people they very much enjoy the open sky, and will sometimes spend hours upon hours just flying and soaring for the sheer joy of the experience. They are the only dragons that avoid combat whenever they can and are non-violent towards everyone. They make their homes on high places for the view of the open skies, but will come to wherever they talents are needed, when they are needed.

 

 

Rare Colours: These colour are said to exist, but are seen so rarely that many doubt they do.

Purple Dragons: Purple dragons are said to symbolise wealth and royalty. Since they are a blend of the colour red (passion) and blue (reason) they also represented the balance between opposing forces, the yin and the yang, and the transition between the two. The are also said to appear during great times of mourning and grief, leading to the belief that purple dragons have kind hearts to grieve with the people.

Yellow Dragons: Most people are argue that there are no yellow dragons, only gold, whereas other people take the stance that gold and yellow are different colours, and that we mistakenly label yellow dragons as gold, since we do not get a close enough look to truly distinguish between the two. The real argument comes when talking about pale yellow dragons, which is usually an ill omen as pale yellow is the colour of cowardice, ill health and weakness. Not a good sign to anyone. Darker yellow dragons are signs of wealth and prosperity, and are greeted with as much enthusiasm as gold dragon are, especially if they are thought to be a gold dragon.

Grey Dragons: Is grey a natural colour of dragons, or is it a result of a dragon of great age, like when a humans hair turns grey? We aren’t sure. But the few tales of grey dragons indicate that if you treat them with politeness and respect, they treat you with the same courtesy, and will help you find your destination if you are travelling.

Rainbow Dragons: All but a few considered these dragons to be myth. But those who do believe, say that if you look really closely when it rains and the sun is shining, you might just be able to see a dragon frolicking in the rainbow that ensues.

 

And there you go! A run down of dragon colours and what it means. I consider these to be the core colours, I’m not going to say that this is an exhaustive list, because I know that there are more out there (like gemstone dragons, where they born like that, or did they roll around in gems so much that the gemstones became embedded in their hides?). But I hope you enjoy the post, and are having fun with you own a to z challenge if you are doing one 🙂