Dragon Slayers in Ancient Myths, the original Science Fiction and Fantasy stories:
They
come with as many types, sizes and shapes as dragons themselves come. Some of
them are might demigods while others are humble peasants. They use everything
from guile to magic weapons to simple tricks to try to overcome their mortal
enemies.
Whenever there's a dragon, there usually is an accompanying hero, or
dragon slayer.
Hercules
was perhaps one of the mightiest dragon slayers recorded in myth. The son of
Zeus, the king of the gods, Hercules started his career by killing two serpents
sent to his cradle by the jealous Hera, Zeus's wife. Hercules's mightiest feat
involving dragons was the slaying of the Hydra, the nine headed dragon.
Hercules, though possessing strength no other mortal possessed, nevertheless
found it was insufficient to perform the task, since every dragon head he
killed, two new heads sprang up. Hercules had to use his head. He cauterized
with fire every neck stump of the dragon and thus made sure it could not rise
again.
In a
Japaneses tale, Susanoo, a son of the mighty Sun Goddess, also found that power,
even the power of a god, was insufficient to kill a might dragon with eight
heads and eight tails. Sunsanoo had to use his head. He constructed an elaborate
trap and tricked the dragon, where simple force would not have been sufficient
to finish that mighty monster.
Hercules
was finally killed by a cloak wet with blood poisoned by the Hydra's blood, thus
making that nine headed dragon an accomplice in the demise of the
demigod.
Though
Susanoo was victorious over the might dragon with eight heads and eight tails,
Japan still suffered because the dragon returned and stole the grass cutter
sword, one of three artifacts given to the Japanese people by the Sun Goddess
herself.
Of course, Apollo was also a victim of a dragon, Python, but this will be told in another post.
Of course, Apollo was also a victim of a dragon, Python, but this will be told in another post.
From
these examples we can learn that sometimes it takes a demigod to best a dragon,
but beware! Even a dead dragon can sometimes have its revenge. Of course, this is the place really good science fiction and fantasy will have their field day ...
