Celtic Dragons: a brief look at their history

The dragon is often thought of as a Celtic symbol, though it came to Celtic lands relatively late. Dragons, of course, are important mythic symbols in China and other Asian lands. In the West, they tend to have a darker image, often associated with evil.

Today Celtic dragons are best known as symbols of Wales. The red dragon of originally represented Wales, who was fighting the white dragon, which represented the Saxons.

When you look at ancient Celtic art, however, you don’t find dragons. These magical creatures were probably introduced to the British Isles by the roaming Vikings. By the Middle Ages, dragons were a symbol used in many European lands, including Ireland, where they can be found in the Book of Kells.

The dragon is still a sort of ambiguous symbol, admired in some ways but feared as a destroyer. Tolkien, who based his sagas at least partly on Celtic legends, cast his dragons as villains, as in the Hobbit. It is likely that the Christian influence, which associates reptiles in general with evil (going back to the Garden of Eden), has made Europeans suspicious of dragons.

In recent years, however, dragon lore has been undergoing a kind of renaissance, with dragon tattoos, sculptures, role playing games, fantasy novels and so on capturing the imagination of people everywhere. Dragons have also, along with faeries, been recast as benevolent protectors in certain neo-Pagan circles (which is closer to how they have long been seen in the East). Dragons often appear in Celtic tattoos, jewelry, t-shirts and other decorations.

It seems that the dragon, whether as a Celtic symbol, a relic of medieval days, or a Far Eastern transplant has undergone a kind of rehabilitation and is increasingly admired for its beauty and courage, as well as its ability to spark our imaginations.