January 16th Blog

DEMIGOD

DISPATCH

Hello Heroes, Demigods, Mortals, and Monsters,

Happy January! This month, named after Janus, the god of doorways and new beginnings, contains National Appreciate a Dragon Day.

It’s a real holiday, we promise.

From the poisonous Hydra of Hercules’ twelve labors to the basilisk deep underneath Hogwarts, tales of monstrous reptiles with unique and deadly powers have struck a primal fear in us for a very long time.

And yet, there are many legends that tell of dragons that treat humans with benevolence and charity. The varied depictions of dragons and their fluctuations of cultural significance are fascinating to explore.

Whether in fear or wonder, we have had dragons in our stories for ages. To pay homage to these magical monsters on our minds, we present three tales of dragons from around the world that show the good, the bad, and the weird… of dragons.

Enjoy, and, as always, thank you for reading this edition of the Demigod Dispatch.

The Mother Dragon, Defender of Vietnam

According to legend, the ancient people of Vietnam were under attack from northern invaders shortly after they formed their country. The gods took note, and when asked who would defend these people, Mother Dragon and her children rushed down to Earth and rained fire upon the invaders.

After the battle, the emerald teeth of these dragons were scattered across the land. Over time, they grew and grew, until they became a chain of islands that formed a beautiful bay. In homage to their protectors, the people named the site of the battle Hạ Long Bay. Today, Hạ Long Bay is a World Heritage Site and Hạ Long translates to “descending dragon.”

The Piasa, “The Bird that Devours Men”

The Piasa was a creature that terrorized the Native people who lived along the Mississippi River. The creature’s body was covered in red and green scales with claws and wings like an eagle and a fish’s tail. Most terribly, it had a human face crowned with deer horns and red eyes. The Piasa devoured hundreds of warriors, swooping from the skies to carry off its prey.

The beast’s reign of terror ended when Chief Ouatoga and a band of warriors decided to come together to set a trap. The warriors poisoned their arrows and lay in an ambush while the Chief himself stood in the open as bait. When the Piasa, who could not resist the taste of such a fine warrior, dove down to attack Chief Ouatoga, the warriors overwhelmed it with their shots.

The tribe celebrated their victory over the Piasa by painting an image of the creature into the limestone over the river, where it can still be found today. The site has been maintained to this day by a succession of painters, and each time the responsibility has passed, a single arrow is shot at it in memory of the warriors who slew the dragon.

Ancient Egyptian Dragon Games

If you’ve ventured into the myths of Ancient Egypt, you may have heard of Apophis, the gigantic serpent of chaos that seeks to destroy Ra. You may be surprised to know that Apophis is only one of a handful of Ancient Egyptian serpent deities, and the most curious one of those is Mehen.

Mehen can be seen coiled around Ra’s flying boat in ancient art, and was said to protect him from harm. But the most interesting part of Mehen is that there was a board game featuring a snake-shaped board and snake pieces, also called Mehen. Modern scholars still don’t know the exact connection, or which came first, the god or the board game. Either way, a dragon with their very own ancient board game HAD to make our list for this newsletter.

Staff Spotlight

Cass Morris: fantasy author and podcaster!

This newsletter’s staff spotlight is on Cass Morris, Quest Director for CHB Richmond and Collaborative Research Editor on the Story Team. Cass lives her life at the intersection of education, performance, and storytelling. When she’s not immersed in quests, she’s often working on her historical fantasy series, The Aven Cycle, novels set in ancient Rome, incorporating magic inspired by the Roman pantheon. From Unseen Fire and Give Way to Night are available now, and she’s hoping to have Book 3, The Bloodstained Shade, out later this year!

Cass is the co-host of Worldbuilding for Masochists, an exploration of the creation and crafting of fantasy worlds, from the bones of geography to the intricacies of culture. We recommend Episode 44: Old MacDonald Had a Dragon.