Most POWERFUL Dragons From Mythology!

From greedy princes turned into dragons as punishment to scary beasts that could destroy the entire world, here are 10 dragons from mythology! 10. DRAKON KOLKIKOS In Greek mythology, Jason and the Argonauts were sent on a quest to retrieve the Golden Fleece from King Aedes of Colchis. On arrival, he was given three tasks, the third of which was to defeat the sleepless dragon that guarded the fleece itself. This dragon, called Drakon Kolkikos, was a formidable enemy and had teeth that were harvested by the locals for their magical properties. When they were sown into the ground, for example, they would grow into an army of warriors known as Spartoi, who would relentlessly fight to the bitter end. Luckily for Jason, he was able to confuse them and managed to get them to turn on each other, clearing the way to defeat the dragon. To do this, he sprayed it with a potion that had been given to him by Medea, and it fell asleep, allowing him to sneak past and retrieve the fleece from the tree where it hung. In one alternative version of this story, though, this plan didn't work as intended and the dragon woke up to devour and disgorge Jason, showing the vindictive power of Drakon Kolkikos. 9. PIASA BIRD The Piasa Bird comes from Native American mythology and references to it have been found depicted in rock art, including a detailed image that was meticulously etched into a cliff overlooking the Mississippi River near Alton, Illinois. Unfortunately, the original wore away over time, but it became such an important landmark that it has been restored a number of times so as to not be forgotten. According to legend, the bird, whose name means the bird that devours men, lived in the cliffs and acquired a taste for human flesh after it scavenged corpses that were left behind after a war. It began to attack local villages and was ultimately slain by a nearby chief called Oatoga. He and his people were tired of the relentless attacks by the beast, so enacted a plan that had been given to him in a dream by the Great Spirit. He ordered his men to conceal themselves in one of the entrances to the Piasa Bird's cave, and he acted as bait to lure it out. When it began to fly towards the chief, the warriors released a volley of poison arrows which eventually managed to kill it. To commemorate the event and to mark where it happened, the mural was created so it would never be forgotten. 8. FAFNIR Fafnir was once a person, the son of the Nordic Dwarf King Hreidmar, and was known for his lack of fear and for having a very powerful arm. One day, one of his brothers, who looked like an otter, was killed by Loki, Odin, and Hoenir as they were hunting, and the gods took the skin to the home of Hreidmar. When the Dwarf King realized what had happened, he and Fafnir took the gods prisoner and forced Loki to gather a ransom that involved lining the otter's skin with gold. Loki did this with the cursed gold and ring of Antvari. The gods were released, but the curse began to take hold. Fafnir killed his father to keep the treasure for himself and became increasingly greedy and self-serving. He turned into a dragon, the Norse symbol of greed, to guard his treasure and poisoned the surrounding land to ensure that no one could get close. His brother, Regent, however, wanted to get revenge on him for killing their father, so sent his own foster son, Sigurd, to kill Fafnir. To do this, Sigurd dug a series of trenches along the path the dragon took to reach a local water source, and lay in one to wait for his approach. As the dragon walked over the trench, Sigurd plunged his sword into his shoulder and mortally wounded it. The story didn't end well for Regent either. After his stepson had retrieved the treasure from the dragon's lair, he planned on taking it all for himself. Sigurd found out about this plan and killed Regent too. And now for number 7, but first, be sure to subscribe and click the notification bell so you don't miss out on more videos like these!! 7. Kukulkan Kukulkan was a feathered serpent deity that was worshipped by the Maya civilization, along with others in South America, and was of such importance to them that one of the most famous structures from the time was dedicated to him. According to one story from legend, he was a boy who was born as a snake. As he grew up, he turned into a feathered monster, and was exiled to a cave where only his sister was allowed to care for him. Eventually, he became so large that his sister could no longer provide what he needed, so he flew away into the sea and caused a massive earthquake. To reassure his sister and to let her know that he's still alive, every year in July he would cause the ground to tremor. Other stories say that he was the pet of the sun god, or that he was linked to the rain god to help people predict when the rainy season was approaching. He was of particular importance to the people of the Itza state, and the temple at Chichen Itza was built in his honor. Stone carvings of serpents can be found around the stepped pyramid, and on the spring and fall equinoxes, the shadow cast by the sun across the structure gives the illusion of a giant serpent moving down the platforms from the sky to the ground. 6. Akek Akek, also known as Akeku, was a dragon-like beast from ancient Egyptian mythology. Described as having the body of a winged antelope and the head of a bird with three serpents on it, it was said to live in isolated regions of Egypt, particularly near the Nile Valley. Akek was believed to be an aspect of Set, who was the god of chaos and fire. The dragon, who is also described as being serpentine with four legs in some texts, was a physical manifestation of the god's powers, and would wreak havoc upon anyone and anything that got in its way. The dragon was mentioned in a series of hymns as being the creature that lurks in the darkness to consume all that passes it, and images were carved into stelae, which were monumental tablets used by the Egyptians to ward off dangers they faced from animals like serpents or crocodiles. The most famous and grandest one of these is known as the Magical Stella and is kept at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. One of its panels shows a king being pulled along in his chariot by Akek, which is walking over other dangers. 5. MUSHUSU Marduk, or Marutuk, was one of the most important gods of ancient Mesopotamia and was the patron deity of the city of Babylon. He was associated with the planet Jupiter and, as well as having divine weapons, had an incredibly strong animal companion, a dragon called Mushusu. As a hybrid of multiple creatures, the dragon had hind legs that were the talons of an eagle, the forearms of a lion, a stretched neck and tail, horns on its head, the tongue of a serpent, and a crest. The most famous representation of the creature can be seen on the Ishtar Gate of the city of Babylon, which was built about 2,600 years ago as a grand entrance to the city. It shows that Mushusu was an important part of folklore at the time, and that the people believed that it was guarding their city along with their gods. Very little survives of how powerful the dragon was, though. In images of it, parts that are colored red are meant to suggest anger, and there's the implication that it was a vengeful beast, but beyond that, its temperament is unknown. It was also once the god of Eshnunna because of its respect amongst the other gods, but again why it became linked to Marduk instead of being an entity on its own remains unclear. 4. DRUK In Tibet and Bhutan, the Druk was a thunder dragon and became central to the mythology of both countries, particularly Bhutan. The first accounts of the dragon appeared in a sect of Buddhism called the Drukpa lineage. Apparently, their founder had begun building the Ralung Monastery and a powerful storm rolled over. Thunder, or the voice of the clouds, was seen as emanating from dragons, and he saw this as a sign, renaming his monastery Druk Ralung, which means thunder dragon. Those disciples of the monastery are known as the Drukpa, meaning those of the thunder, and their significance can be seen throughout Bhutan. It's the dragon on the country's flag, for example, which is holding jewels to represent wealth. The leaders of Bhutan are known as the Druk Gyalpo, or dragon kings, and in Dzongkha, the language spoken in Bhutan, they call the country Druk Yul, which translates to mean the land of the dragons. 3. STOOR WORM The Orkney Islands, off the coast of Scotland, have a rich history of mythology, and one of the most important beasts in their lore is the Mestor Stoor Worm. It was a topic of debate where the dragon first originated from, but most sources claim it was hatched by an evil spirit. It lived in the ocean, destined to become one of the nine curses that plagued mankind, and would cause havoc to those it targeted. It had poisonous breath, a huge forked tongue, and a huge mouth that could devour anything, including cities. It would apparently wake up every Saturday and yawn nine times. It would then demand seven virgins from the local villages to eat, and the people had no choice but to comply with its wishes. As time passed, they grew tired of this continual sacrifice, and so the king called for heroes to help with the monster. One stepped forward, a young farmhand who had a plan, and on the next Saturday, he sailed on a small boat to where the dragon was asleep. When it woke and yawned, the boy and his boat were sucked into its throat, through dark winding passages, and eventually settled inside. He was able to set fire to the beast's liver, and escaped just in time before its whole body was alight. In one last gasp, the storm worm grabbed onto the moon with its tongue, but couldn't hold tight and crashed back to Earth. This, according to legend, is how the Baltic Sea was formed. As it continued to writhe around, its teeth came loose and fell to the ground, which is how the Orkney and Shetland Islands were formed, and then, just as the dragon died, the Faroe Islands fell from it, and it landed in the water to form Iceland. Once everything had cleared, the young hero was celebrated, and married the king's daughter. Of course. 2. Vishap The Vishap is a water dragon that originates from Armenian mythology, and is often shown as either simply a snake with wings, or combined with body parts from other feared animals. It was said to live on Mount Ararat, and was seen as the reason why the peak would erupt, and for the earthquakes that often happened in the area. Vishap would descend from the skies, and bring with it storms and whirlwinds, and could even absorb the energy of the sun to cause an eclipse. He would also regularly steal children from local communities, and replace them with evil spirits that could take on their form. Because of the immeasurable pain and suffering that Vishap inflicted upon the people of Armenia, it was finally slain by the god of fire, Van, who was a lauded dragon hunter. 1. Ryujin Ryujin is one of eight dragon kings from Japanese mythology, who was the lord of the sea and of serpents. He possessed magical jewels, which he used to influence the tides from his palace beneath the waves. Rarely making a direct appearance himself, Ryujin used snakes as messengers, and being linked with death and thunder, their presence was seen as a bad omen. It was thought that Ryujin lived in Lake Biwa, which is to the northeast of Kyoto, but he wasn't all bad. He was said to possess great magical powers and medicines, and could use these to help people, such as by granting them a long and healthy life. There are shrines throughout Japan that are dedicated to this dragon king, particularly in regions that were reliant on fishing and rain for their livelihoods. He is often depicted in art, too, where he is a giant sea dragon that's usually carrying his magical jewel. Thanks for watching! Which dragon was your favorite? Let me know in the comments below and also if you'd like to hear more about dragons! Be sure to subscribe and I'll see you soon!