The History of Dragons Explained

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  • čas přidán 17. 06. 2024
  • "When dragons flew to war… everything burned. I do not wish to rule over a kingdom of ash and bone."
    Dragons - the most compelling of mythical beasts - are one of the most vivid creations of all human imagination, and their enduring resonance is captivatingly displayed by their role in George R.R. Martin’s House of the Dragon and Game of Thrones. But how did the legend of the dragon, prominent across the world, evolve into the modern incarnation embodied by Rhaenyra Targaryen’s golden Syrax? And what is the difference between dragons, wyverns and wyrms, the traces of which persist in Damon’s reptilian Caraxes?
    Canonical dragons are the realisation of four main traditions: the serpents of the Greco-Roman World, the fortune-bringers of the Chinese emperors, the demonic beasts of the Bible, and the greedy gold-hoarders of Norse mythology, as seen in the tale of Beowulf.
    The most famous heir of this tradition is J.R.R. Tolkien’s avaricious Smaug, but as in Tolkien’s Middle Earth, the dragons in Martin’s Westeros represent the dangers of uncontrolled power and humans’ capacity to abuse it. Perhaps, then, they have long served as avatars for humanity’s deepest fears about the world, with their manifestation in every age and culture tellingly symbolic….
    Join Tom and Dominic as they interweave the many myths and traditions surrounding that most spectacular of beasts: the dragon, and trace its fascinating progression from the wingless creatures of early antiquity, to the mighty, complex creatures who fight for mastery of Westeros alongside their Targaryen riders, in George R.R. Martin's House of the Dragon.
    Watch House of the Dragon season 2 on Sky. Go to sky.com to find out more.
    ✅ Subscribe Here: ‪@restishistorypod‬
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Komentáře • 95

  • @Truffle_Pup
    @Truffle_Pup Před 14 dny +55

    Chuffed there is a new video, but not chuffed we haven't had episode 7 of Custer ☹

    • @kyle-7107
      @kyle-7107 Před 13 dny +9

      Spoiler Alert: Custer Dies

    • @michaelandrewsalomonenewje4107
      @michaelandrewsalomonenewje4107 Před 13 dny +1

      Exactly! We’re hooked; what’s up? I do want to hear the commentary on Custer’s bugler and aide John Martin too.

    • @benroper5049
      @benroper5049 Před 12 dny +4

      I've just looked- there are a bunch more episodes on Spotify!

    • @tmalone99
      @tmalone99 Před 11 dny +2

      all the Custer episodes are up in podcast form.

    • @Truffle_Pup
      @Truffle_Pup Před 11 dny +2

      @@tmalone99 If I click on podcasts it says 228 videos, the last being episode 6.

  • @rexmundi7811
    @rexmundi7811 Před 13 dny +6

    I did not know there were dragons at the Little Bighorn.

  • @GRIFFIN1238
    @GRIFFIN1238 Před 14 dny +8

    Mention of lidless eyes instantly reminded me of Sauron - "A great eye, lidless, wreathed in flame".

  • @bengray4149
    @bengray4149 Před 13 dny +5

    Mr Holland delivers an arrestingly camp take on all things dragon.

  • @LRG246
    @LRG246 Před 14 dny +11

    WHRRE HAVE YALL BEEN?!

  • @Dave_Sisson
    @Dave_Sisson Před 13 dny +5

    I have always believed that the Romans stopped their expansion into northern and eastern Europe when they encountered Dragons. As pragmatic sorts they knew it wasn't worth the trouble and expense of further expansion into areas that were the natural habitat of creatures that would be difficult to defeat. Besides dragons kept barbarians busy, so those barbarians had less time and resources to attack the frontiers of the empire.

    • @andersbjrnsen7203
      @andersbjrnsen7203 Před 12 dny +2

      So roman expansion corresponds with dragon habitats? But why would Germany be more dragon-infested than France, or say Scotland than Kent?

    • @Dave_Sisson
      @Dave_Sisson Před 12 dny +4

      @@andersbjrnsen7203 Countries with dragons usually have cooler climates than countries without dragons, plus food sources vary across different parts of Europe.

  • @caspervantonder
    @caspervantonder Před 13 dny +8

    I like this video format (filmed in the same studio) much more than the usual one.

    • @Dave_Sisson
      @Dave_Sisson Před 13 dny +3

      If you look at the full table shots, you can see the microphone cords leading down to the floor where... they are not plugged into anything.

  • @philipdavies5195
    @philipdavies5195 Před 7 dny +1

    An entire episode on Dragons and no discussion on The Welsh Dragon/Y Ddraig Goch or Druk of Bhutan. Probably the two most important Dragons to modern day nations both with vast mythologies and fascinating histories. Utterly bizarre.

  • @patriciahammondsongs
    @patriciahammondsongs Před 14 dny +5

    I'm a massive sceptic, but growing up in the west coast of Canada, I spoke with three separate people (two extremely elderly, one less so) who had seen what sounded like a Plesiosaur. All three rarely told anyone about these sightings because it was just too annoying to be repeatedly not believed. If there had been a few lonely survivors I would have thought this particular coastline a likely place, full of nooks and corners and relatively recently populated by intrusive Europeans.

    • @secretsteven4535
      @secretsteven4535 Před 12 dny

      While I would not discount plesiosaurs existing in human times, however within living memory is improbable, though time slips?

  • @TheAnadromist
    @TheAnadromist Před 14 dny +8

    Thanks for draggin' us through this one. Before the Lord of the Rings and Game of Thrones the best cinema dragon was in the film Dragonslayer. The film was not a big success and the story was weak, but the dragon was the absolute pinnacle of classic stop motion animated screen dragons. Thanks for this one men. Lots of inspiration.

    • @plebius
      @plebius Před 14 dny +1

      Reign of fire, much better dragon 🐉

    • @Truffle_Pup
      @Truffle_Pup Před 14 dny +1

      @@plebius Such an awesome movie, great concept too.

    • @TheAnadromist
      @TheAnadromist Před 13 dny

      @@plebius I was talking stop motion not digital, and before LOTR. Have you seen Dragonslayer?

    • @samuelyeates2326
      @samuelyeates2326 Před 13 dny

      I'll always remember that last scene with the king stealing the credit.

    • @MrMarccj
      @MrMarccj Před 13 dny

      Groan! "draggin"!

  • @Samwise110
    @Samwise110 Před 12 dny +2

    Hello Tom - the dragon in Beowulf, the first dragon of English literature, is very much a flier - e,g, nihtes fléogeð, fýre befangen, 'he flies by night, in fire encircled' (ll. 2273b-2274a).

  • @ajclarke3978
    @ajclarke3978 Před 6 dny

    As a paying rest is history club member and a big youtube viewer, let me say - you have fantastic potential to gain a really good community on youtube, but not if you randomly black out on videos for a month and randomly miss out on a segment of series for no discernable reason. The quality of your content is great, but consistency is king!

  • @jackkelsey9326
    @jackkelsey9326 Před 14 dny +6

    I was disappointed that they didn't mention the Lambton Worm.

    • @jimb9063
      @jimb9063 Před 14 dny

      My Grandad had a wonderful myths and legends book with some wonderful artwork. Always remember the picture from that story!

    • @Truffle_Pup
      @Truffle_Pup Před 14 dny +2

      Ahhh Wisht Lads, had ya gobs! I'll tell yiz all an aaful story. Wisht Lads, had ya gobs, I'll tell ya boot tha wooooooorm!

  • @gosiachaaban2484
    @gosiachaaban2484 Před 13 dny +1

    There's a very old Polish legend about the dragon in Krakow, living in a cave, spitting fire and eating virgins, killed by a clever shoemaker, who prepares a meal of explosives sewn into sheep skin. And another creature similar to dragon, called Basilisk, Bazyliszek that dies when seeing its own reflection... a bit like Medusa.

  • @ginojaco
    @ginojaco Před 14 dny +3

    Of course dragons existed! Dragon is the name and interpretation that the ancients gave to the fossilised dinosaurs. The bones of things that, since they could be seen, could be real...

  • @keithscott1255
    @keithscott1255 Před 13 dny +2

    "Here be dragons"

  • @VaucluseVanguard
    @VaucluseVanguard Před 11 dny +1

    Can we take it that releasing the last Custer episode to CZcams has been dropped?

  • @milztempelrowski9281
    @milztempelrowski9281 Před 13 dny +2

    Is.. is this an ad?
    I don't mind. Just.. surprising.

  • @LeoneNut
    @LeoneNut Před 5 dny

    Always found it interesting dragons as mythical creatures exist in most parts of the world, from Europe through to China. But they even exist in Aztec & Mayan culture too.

  • @sazajac77z
    @sazajac77z Před 14 dny +1

    Another possibility, offered by Velikovsky, is that it was a comet that appeared to the world as a dragon. Possibly passing close enough to another planet to cause electrical arcing between them. (That comet becoming Venus)
    In fact, the Velikovsky Affair would be a great topic for the show!

  • @tommonk7651
    @tommonk7651 Před 13 dny +4

    Finally, a new episode…. Busy with election prep? Um, Custer?

  • @jackstewart753
    @jackstewart753 Před 13 dny

    Great episode, as always

  • @ginojaco
    @ginojaco Před 14 dny +2

    Apologies gents, but this is the first time I've seen you full-length and... I was immediately struck by the resemblance to Little and Large... 🤣

  • @warpigeonofdoom
    @warpigeonofdoom Před 13 dny +1

    In the same room? This might be reaching a critical mass of historian.

  • @andymcintosh3963
    @andymcintosh3963 Před 13 dny +2

    I want to know when riding a dragon became a thing.

    • @juvenalsdad4175
      @juvenalsdad4175 Před 13 dny +2

      Anne McCaffrey's 'Dragonriders of Pern' series of books in the late 1960's. I think.

  • @ropeburnsrussell
    @ropeburnsrussell Před 14 dny +19

    We want Custer!!!

  • @HomeFromFarAway
    @HomeFromFarAway Před 6 dny

    ancient dinosaur bones were definitely available to old civilisations, if not close by then certainly via merchants and travelers

  • @DunrobinOntario
    @DunrobinOntario Před 8 dny

    Snakes don't have eyelids, this is true, but like birds/reptiles/amphibians and a small handful of mammals like Beavers, they have nictitating membranes - a semi-transparent filter that can use to cover their eyes to protect them. It moves horizontally out from near their nose (or where a nose would be on a human) It's almost spooky to watch...
    Dragons, in theory, would have these too😅

  • @largesatsuma
    @largesatsuma Před 14 dny +16

    We had six friggin' episodes leading up to the Battle of the Little Bighorn and no battle? What gives?

    • @jimb9063
      @jimb9063 Před 13 dny +1

      He who pays the piper...

    • @707jette
      @707jette Před 13 dny +1

      its available in podcast form

  • @DisarmingLeviathanUSA
    @DisarmingLeviathanUSA Před 13 dny

    This episode is 🔥🔥🔥

  • @Conorp77
    @Conorp77 Před 13 dny

    There absolutely is an element of treasure with Greek dragons; the one guarding the Golden Fleece being the best example, one who never sleeps and whose teeth become soldiers. But Jason is no dragonslayer, and they charm the beast to sleep instead.

  • @MrMarccj
    @MrMarccj Před 13 dny +1

    Mmm, maybe the two legged dragon is reference to it once being humanoid?

  • @baarbacoa
    @baarbacoa Před 5 dny

    I'm going to guess that if dragon mythology emerged several different geographical locations at roughly the same time, that in actuality the myth goes far back in human history. And that all these cultures already had these myths and verbal form. We just think the myth emerged at that time when in reality it was just when it was first written down.

  • @scottstevens9533
    @scottstevens9533 Před 11 dny +1

    Is it true that Crazy Horse rode a dragon at the Little Big Horn?

  • @patrickbateson6341
    @patrickbateson6341 Před 6 dny

    snakes tend to be venous not poisonous

  • @frankknudsen842
    @frankknudsen842 Před 13 dny

    That may have been a Tolkien quote, but to me, that was an excellent Winston Churchill . Very evebif unintended was excellent. Thanks ever much

  • @Sumonebody
    @Sumonebody Před 14 dny +1

    do the Munity on the Bounty

  • @GillaneSeaborne
    @GillaneSeaborne Před 6 dny

    What about the Harry Potter books (and then films) which surely brought dragons into the mainstream before GOT???

  • @davepannekoek1562
    @davepannekoek1562 Před 13 dny +1

    Bloody heck Tom and Dom (TomDom? DomTom? I am hearing a Tolkein rhyme building..) Did the bloody Draco eat Custer? Did Crazy Horse actual transform in to Dreki and consume the 7th Cavalry??? Are you going to push the final Custer installment to CZcams????

  • @hnnsy
    @hnnsy Před 13 dny

    These historians are reassuringly middle-aged.

  • @CalledTurnAGundam
    @CalledTurnAGundam Před 15 hodinami

    The History of Dungeons > The History of Dragons
    Just sayin.

  • @d.c.8828
    @d.c.8828 Před 9 dny

    Y'all sure dragon this Little Bighorn thing out, huh...? 🤠🐉

  • @billyo54
    @billyo54 Před 11 dny

    What! No mention of Pete's Dragon? 😂

  • @jimb9063
    @jimb9063 Před 14 dny

    Thanks gents.
    Heard an interesting theory on why dragons are hostile in European myth but friendly in East Asian. No apex predators left in Europe while tigers remained in Asia, fuelling the need for a mythical replacement frightening creature which stole cattle and fair maidens.
    The Silmarillion draws heavily on the differing appearance and abilities of dragons. Some with no fire, some no wings. Glaurung and Turin's encounters are very recognisable too.
    I think the last word should go to Orwell. Four legs good, two legs bad. Have all you damn Wyverns got that?

    • @andersbjrnsen7203
      @andersbjrnsen7203 Před 12 dny

      Brown bears and wolves? They were around on most of the continent at the times dragons were "invented"?

    • @jimb9063
      @jimb9063 Před 12 dny

      @@andersbjrnsen7203Yes, especially so in Scandinavia. All enquiries to Prof Ronald Hutton.

  • @johnhaynes9910
    @johnhaynes9910 Před 14 dny

    I guess I'm all dragoned out now !

  • @VaucluseVanguard
    @VaucluseVanguard Před 13 dny

    Can we have the last Custer episode please rather than this.

  • @Janika-xj2bv
    @Janika-xj2bv Před 13 dny

    I have a dragon tattoo on my shoulder blade.

  • @alphasierramike2091
    @alphasierramike2091 Před 13 dny +1

    What nothing on the Commodo dragon?

  • @dearestsimone
    @dearestsimone Před 13 dny +1

    Where is the last episode on Custer? Was it not released?

  • @johndavenport8843
    @johndavenport8843 Před 13 dny

    Herodotus spoke of seeng the skeletons of winged snakes.

  • @d.c.8828
    @d.c.8828 Před 9 dny

    "Carl Soggen" 🤦‍♂️

  • @humblescribe8522
    @humblescribe8522 Před 13 dny +2

    Where are the last Custer episodes?

  • @frasegfunk9790
    @frasegfunk9790 Před 13 dny

    The 1405 Bures Dragon

  • @carveraugustus3840
    @carveraugustus3840 Před 19 hodinami

    Dragons and ep 7 Custer v Sitting Bull. Hazzah

  • @bedofromkokstad9034
    @bedofromkokstad9034 Před 4 dny

    You didn't mention any bestiaries... The Greek Physiologus or Aristotle's Historia Animalia, etc. Only later, there were medieval religious bestiaries....

  • @Sheylashorts
    @Sheylashorts Před 12 dny

    If you really like history videos, i really recomend my channel!!!

  • @stephendaisley8645
    @stephendaisley8645 Před 13 dny +1

    Was there a dragon at the Battle of Little Big Horn??

  • @miamithijs3579
    @miamithijs3579 Před 14 dny

    Maybe a spoiler alert is in place? I stopped listening when i heard something that could be a spoiler since i havent finished house of the dragons yet.

    • @JamesDeBall
      @JamesDeBall Před 14 dny +3

      They don’t mention anything besides season 1

  • @h____hchump8941
    @h____hchump8941 Před 13 dny +3

    This is a ridiculous topic - dragons don't even exist! And they haven't for centuries.

  • @micu1544
    @micu1544 Před 11 dny +1

    Dragonologist... lmao

  • @CR7Ashironaldo
    @CR7Ashironaldo Před 14 dny

    thank god finally something i can listen rather than whatever that custer thing is

  • @JoshAkers-cd1zj
    @JoshAkers-cd1zj Před 14 dny

    🐲🐲🐲

  • @malicant123
    @malicant123 Před 14 dny

    Primo!

  • @stephendaisley8645
    @stephendaisley8645 Před 13 dny +1

    I think you blokes have made a huge miscalculation NOT giving us the final chapter of the Battle of the Little Big Horn. Are you related to the British Post Office mentality? Your arrogance is appalling....Read the bloody comments!!!!