A creature of legend and myths,
dragons exist in many different
shapes and forms all over the world.
The ancient Aztecs and Mayans
worshiped a dragon in the form of
a feathered serpent god called
Quetzalcoatl, whereas ancient
Mesopotamian mythology says
the world was created by the great
dragon Tiamat entangled with
countless snakes.
In Japan, there are tales of
a dragon known as Yamata no Orochi
with eight tails and eight heads.
In Korea, people believed in
the Cheongyong (blue dragon),
which protects the cardinal east
and also serves as the god of
trees, spring, rain, and clouds.
The second challenge for the month
of August is all about this mythical
creature that often looks like
a serpent or lizard.
It's the 'Dragon'
dragon / @Chuppylim
Mysterious Dragon / @QuirkyGirl
It is said that dragons were born
from ancient beliefs that worshiped
serpents or lizards.
Thus, it’s reasonable to assume that
people took the shape of large
snakes or crocodiles, then added
their imagination to create what
they believed was a dragon.
However, there are records that
clearly state dragons are different
from snakes or crocodiles, and some
even offer specific descriptions of
dragons.
This is why some people think
although dragons are extinct now,
they could have really existed
at some point in history.
Another theory is that dragons may
have been inspired by the stars
because in the past, astronomy was
particularly important for
agriculture
Guardian of the Dragons / @Aibehr
KennethlAltman's dragon cased out
/ @casebasket
European dragons and Asian dragons
look completely different.
Asian dragons have a long,
snake-like body with the legs of
an eagle,and the majestic mane of
a lion.
In Asian culture, the dragon was
a god with power over natural
phenomena such as rain and clouds,
and it also had the power to give
out blessings and punishments.
However, in European culture,
dragons look more menacing and
closer to a dinosaur with
the wings of a bat.
Dragons were considered a symbol
of wickedness, and there are several
legends where a hero vanquishes
a man-eating dragon.
It might be interesting to draw
what a dragon looks like
in your mind.
dragon / @swinokio
Air Raid / @2catsnow
Curiously enough, legends of dragons
are found all over the world.
More often than not, a country or
culture has tales of powerful giant
reptiles that can fly through
the air handed down generation
after generation.
That’s why dragons appear so often
in myths, legends, and novels.
In particular, today, artists use
dragons as a creature that
stimulates the imagination
across different media.
What’s your idea of a dragon?
Take on the challenge this month
and draw a dragon either from
a mythical tale or from your
own imagination!
This will be proceeded for 16 days.
from August. 16, Wed (GMT)
to August. 31, Thu (GMT).
The challenge is running based
on GMT.
Therefore, the start and end times
August differ depending on time zone
of each country, so please refer to
GMT time when uploading your work.
We look forward to your
participation and amazing works!
Thank you.
Fun, Express, Share!
PENUP - Share your drawings!
https://www.penup.com
-The PENUP Team
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