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by Ernest Ingersoll (Author), Henry Fairfield Osborn (Introduction by), Paul Tice (Preface by)
This rare and fascinating book is filled with incredible information about the oldest mythological story in the world -- that of the dragon. Similar stories exist worldwise, in all cultures, of this elusive and powerful creature. The author, Ernest Ingersoll, has slated that the dragon "is connected with the powers and doings of the earliest gods, and like them is vague, changeable and contradictory in its attributes, maintaining from first to last only one definable characteristic -- association with and control of water." The strong point of this book is that it is so all-inclusive. China, India, Korea, and Japan are covered in the East, as well as Babylonian and Egyptian legends, while Welsh, English, Irish, French, and other tales of Christendom are covered in the West. Other topics like the origin of the dragon are found, plus a complete overview of the dragon as being "the divine spirit of the waters" and "the dragon as a rain god." Ingersoll contends that the dragon mythology was actually born in the East, then carried to the West later. The ancient gods of the eastern world played both good and bad roles, which caused the legends of dragon and dragon-slayer to spring up. Many of the early gods were strongly associated with dragons and serpents, as the walls of many ancient temples will attest. When the evil dragons of prehistory were carried over to the Western world, we found ourselves with "Satan, " who inherited the dragon's horns, red color, tail, cloven hoofs, and wings. This was no coincidence. The name of Satan (Shatan) also came from an Oriental language of the East -- out of Persia. Most of us in the West have no idea of the depth and magnitude of dragon lore in theEastern world, but that is the most important part of the dragon story. This book is rich with facts and is extremely well researched. It will cause one to wonder why so many dragon stories from so many separate places around the world seem to have so much in common.
