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    Dragon Tattoos: An Exploration of Dragon Tattoo Iconography from Around the World
    Dragon Tattoos: An Exploration of Dragon Tattoo Iconography from Around the World
    Dragon Tattoos: An Exploration of Dragon Tattoo Iconography from Around the World
    Ebook237 pages53 minutes

    Dragon Tattoos: An Exploration of Dragon Tattoo Iconography from Around the World

    By Doralba Picerno

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    About this ebook

    Dragons have gripped the collective imagination for centuries, appearing in ancient mythology, religion and fantasy universes. Some of the most striking examples of these fearsome creatures are found in contemporary skin illustration.

    This beautifully illustrated, full-color book presents a gallery more than 150 stunning dragon tattoos. These range from traditional European and Eastern examples to the modern variations of fantasy dragons, hybrids and chimeras. Tattoo expert Doralba Picerno delves into the different folk lore and mythologies behind these popular icons, in their many iterations, and why many choose to get them as skin illustrations.

    Dragon Tattoos will appeal equally to both prospective and seasoned tattoo enthusiasts as well as those simply interested in immersing themselves in this intriguing decorative art, showcasing the very best in modern as well as traditional dragon tattoo art.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherArcturus Publishing
    Release dateMay 24, 2013
    ISBN9781782126669
    Dragon Tattoos: An Exploration of Dragon Tattoo Iconography from Around the World

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      Book preview

      Dragon Tattoos - Doralba Picerno

      INTRODUCTION

      M

      ovies, tattoos, fairy tales, manga, religious icons, political thrillers, role-playing games, fantasy artwork and TV shows . . . images of dragons are everywhere and have been for so long that you could be forgiven for believing they are not mythical, but real. Their longevity poses an interesting question: how does a creature that has never been proven to exist maintain such a hold on our collective imagination?

      We will examine this, but first – what does a typical dragon look like? Dragons are widely regarded as having the appearance of a massive winged reptile, an enormous flying lizard that exhales fire and smoke. Interestingly, different cultures have variations on this basic appearance; some dragons are more snake-like than lizard-like, for example. Most dragons are an amalgamation of two or more animals, and as such they are the best-known example of a chimera, a monstrous creature with parts from multiple animals. Other chimeric beings include griffins, sphinxes, unicorns and so on, which we’ll discuss later in this book.

      The Komodo dragon is probably the closest living relative to the dragon of myth.

      An intimidating statue typical of European dragons. Originating in France, carved stone gargoyles representing mythical dragon-like creatures were used on churches and sacred buildings as waterspouts to throw off the rain.

      The origin of dragons

      The dragon’s enduring appeal as an icon and symbol of supernatural power has been strengthened by the mystery surrounding it. Many people have a deep desire to connect with myth and the idea that such a remarkable creature might have walked the Earth feeds this need. So is there any evidence that dragons ever existed? They do bear a striking resemblance to the pterosaur, a flying reptile that has been extinct for the last 65 million years. A descendant of the pterosaur, the ropen, is said to live in Papua New Guinea, although sightings are rare. The ropen is a cryptid, which means its existence is alleged but not confirmed, unlike the Komodo dragon, the large monitor lizard found on certain Indonesian islands. Undisturbed by predators and unchanged in size for the last 900,000 years, the Komodo dragon is as close as we get to a living relative of the legendary dragon.

      Centuries of storytelling have resulted in numerous adaptations of these creatures and their elevation to magical status. Dragons are present in many creation myths from different cultures, so they certainly play a significant role in the human subconscious.

      If we accept that dragons are indeed the result of the human imagination we need to look at the qualities we seek to invest in them. These are usually present in the animals that make up the dragon chimera (in China dragons are composed of nine animals, while in Europe they are hybrids of several animals, but not necessarily nine).

      Dragon creation myths

      The dragon appears in creation myths the world over, from Babylon’s Tiamat to India’s Nāga serpent deities, and including the Bunyip of Australian Aborigines, North America’s Piasa, the Aztec god Quetzalcoatl and West Africa’s Aido Hwedo, also known as the Rainbow Serpent, who embodied both genders in one supernatural body.

      In Babylon, the cradle of civilization, a goddess called Tiamat (tellingly, a female creature who embodied primordial chaos) was in turn represented as a sea monster and a dragon. Tiamat was the inspiration for one of the villains in the game ‘Dungeons and Dragons’, where she is represented as a five-headed dragon. She was closely linked to another monstrous sea creature, Lotan, a giant seven-headed serpent, probably an early incarnation of the Hydra. Lotan is believed to have evolved into what we know as the Leviathan, which dates from the time when the Israelites came into contact with these earlier myths and assimilated them into their own.

      The Leviathan, present in the Old Testament Book of Job, is a monstrous sea creature whose power and strength highlight man’s weaknesses. Today, the word Leviathan is used to describe any enormous sea creature or structure, but in Biblical times it was a metaphor for the Egyptians, powerful enemies of the Israelites,

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