Dragon
c. 3000 BCE – 2026 CEattested
attested across Eurasia
- Widespread
Not one creature but a convergence: the Chinese dragon is a benevolent water-bringer, the European one a hoarding reptile to be killed. Both are called dragons in English and share almost nothing.
Known for
- serpentine
- associated with water or fire
- guardian or bringer of rain
Dates are estimates. A great deal of what this atlas covers is only datable to within a century.