What is the most iconic representation of dragons in literature?

Ah, dragons. Probably one of the most popular mythical creatures, rivaled only by unicorns. Definitely one of my favorites. And, being so popular, they end up in a lot of stories. Our Dragons Are Different exists for a reason, after all.

But what would you folks say is the most iconic portrayal of dragons in fiction? When you think of books about dragons, what's the first thing you think of? What do you think most other people think of?

I ask partially out of my own curiosity, since I'm an unabashed dragon lover and wonder what other people think of when they think "dragon," and partially because I have this idea kicking around my head, but I want to know what the most iconic dragons are.

I'm primarily interested in fiction, not mythology. So works with a definite, attributable author.

For the record, when I think of books about dragons, the first thing that comes to mind is the Dragons series, followed by the Pit Dragon Trilogy. (Which is now four books strong. Go figure.) But if I had to guess the dragons most people would be familiar with, I'd guess Smaug from The Hobbit, or maybe Dragonriders Of Pern.

Sorry to be incredibly obvious, but probably The Hobbit.

The first thing I think of is the legend of Saint George and the Dragon, but for books with authors it would be The Two Princesses of Bamarre or Narnia.

Other famous works with dragons people might recognize are Beowulf, Earthsea, Eragon, Journey to the West, and Harry Potter, and The Neverending Story.

I'm not sure which one would be the most iconic representation because I'm always surprised which books are famous with people who don't read fantasy. I know my friend who has Harry Potter memorized isn't familiar with Mc Caffrey or Le Guin, but the dragons are minor in Harry Potter.

It'll be easily be The Hobbit after the movie.

I think my first exposure to dragons was a picturebook retelling of St. George and the Dragon. Don't remember who the author or artist was, but the pictures were quite vivid so I'm sure I'd recognize it if I found another copy of the book.

The Hobbit, for me.

<sings> Puff the magic dragon, lived by the sea, and frolicked in the autumn mist in a land called Honah Lee.

edited 5th Jan '12 7:53:10 PM by TheEmeraldDragon

Definitely Smog in The Hobbit. Though, and this may be weird but, Anne Mc Caffrey's scifi version of dragons in The Dragonriders Of Pern is a close second.

edited 5th Jan '12 10:26:07 PM by NoirGrimoir

Smaug from The Hobbit. Who shares much of his being with Beowulf which was one of Tolkien's favorite works.

Without a doubt, as has been repeatedly mentioned, Smaug. Or to go further back, the dragon in Beowulf.

Though I will say I am not sure if most others think of Smaug himself and know that he is Smaug. I've noted that the popular image of a dragon is very similar to the Smaug character which again is very similar to Beowulf's dragon. Many are aware that there is a dragon in The Hobbit though I will say that. Even if their mind isn't drawn to the particular dragon himself most people's minds are drawn to a figure very similar to him. That is to say a monstrous greedy thing that hides away with treasure and wrecks towns if disturbed. This tends to be what dragons are presented as in fiction as well in my experience. The idea's an old one and Tolkien's helped cement this particular vision in our culture.

Eastern dragons by and large all fit one particular image in the West's populace. There's other sorts of creatures from the east that could be considered dragons, but the popular image remains of a creature I call The Chinese Dragon. You know what he looks like. You might not be certain as to what he does. But you know what he looks like and you know he isn't like your dragons!

The other common sort of dragon is the "Boy and his Dragon" form of dragon. This type is often viewed by others in the story as being a Smaug type when in reality he's actually Sean Connery and pretty awesome. Or a little trouble making type like those seen in How to Train your Dragon and The Dragonling. The trouble makers tend to be portrayed as young dragons in my experience. Or at least the ones vital to the story. This is in large part a response to the Smaug type though. Which falls into "WE'RE DIFFERENT". Which is the plot of many such stories.

Hmm, this is actually a bit difficult, now that I think about it. The first time I heard the word "dragon" was actually a lot late in my childhood and probably came from an animated fairy tale. Before that I had only heard of Zmey and Lamya, which are very similar creatures but from Slavic Mythology, so that won't count (plus, I don't remember if the stories were from any particular author or just collections).

Overall, I'd have to say The Hobbit probably provides the most iconic and wide known representation of a dragon. After all, Tolkien is pretty much the inspiration for most (if not all) modern fantasy fiction.

Yeah, even if you've never read Hobbit, chances are your idea of a dragon is Smaug.

In my experiance, there aren't a lot of people who know there is a dragon in The Hobbit, even though it is required reading in every high school around here. He just played such a small part so far to the end of the book, I suspect most people just skimmed over it.

That said, I've always been more fond of the Sean Connery style dragon. People tend to demonize things they don't understand, framing them as monsters, even when the animals in question are very real (ala wolves, tigers, etc.). Smaug is just a very one note character, a rose by any other name as it were. He's just not that interesting.

Wait, that doesn't make sense.

No-one would skim the bit with Smaug, because the whole book is leading up to it. It's like one of the big draws from the very beginning. The Dwarves come and harass Bilbo and there's going to be a goddamn dragon and it's the climax of the quest (although a false climax for the book).

If you're reading The Hobbit and you don't know there's a dragon in it, then you've not just skimmed the dragon bit, but the beginning and every single mention of it. Given it's the big obstacle at the end, you have to be an extremely careless reader to miss it.

... Hobbit's required reading around you? Lucky.

But yeah, Smaug's the whole motivation for the plot.

I know whenever something came up and they needed to occupy us in elementary school, they threw on The Hobbit film. I've seen that movie so many times it's crazy.

I always think of the dragons in the Enchanted Forest Chronicles first and foremost because those were the first fantasy books (except for some picture books about unicorns) that I read. That I recall, anyways.

I like that they use princesses as housekeepers. No idea why since I'd think that princesses wouldn't make the best housekeepers, but oh well. Maybe it's for aesthetic reasons.

Welcome to Texas, where people read Spark notes, pass the test, and completely forget the book exists.

Bur, because it is the proper and right way of things. =D

edited 6th Jan '12 6:42:40 PM by TheEmeraldDragon

We do that in Illinois, too. Makes it a lot easier. XD

I imagine most people's idea of dragon is pretty much the same as Smaug, although they may not be aware of Smaug himself.

The hobbit. Just about every dragon since is vastly similar. The gem-coated stomach is about the only thing that is often changed. everything else, a horde of gold and jewels, very smart, breaths fire, ect. is really common.

Okay, harder question: what is the most archetypical good dragon? I don't think Pernese dragons are it; too world-specific and hegemonic, plus they have weird eyes. Honestly, though, I think I got my "good dragon" archetype from '90s Adopt-A-Dragon sites, so I'm not one to talk.

no idea. I cant even think of one right now, outside of Eragon.

The dragon in Dark Lord Of Derkholm is the best literary example that occurs to me - big on alien codes of honor and such - but I don't think enough people read Diana Wynne Jones.

I think finding the most well-known literary good dragon is more or less pointless. Dragons are meant to be symbols of vileness and death, and their power makes them excellent villains. In Christian medieval tales, dragons were Satan's physical influence on earth.

In the East, on the other hand, dragons were often neutral or good. You may be better off looking at East Asian folklore for a prominent literary example of a good dragon.