Dragons' World

Dragons are an integral part of many modern fantasy stories, so it’s no surprise that we should find them in the classic forerunner of the genre. I refer, of course, to J.R.R. Tolkien’s collection of writings, known as the “Middle-earth legendarium,” which includes The Lord of the Rings, The Hobbit, and more. In 1938, Tolkien delivered a lecture called “On Fairy Stories,” in which he explained his fascination with dragons in the legends of myth from a young age. It’s no surprise that he later focused on Beowulf’s final nemesis in his paper “Beowulf: The Monsters and the Critics,” as well as in his fiction.Naming was always very important to Tolkien, given his love of languages and ancient legends. Within his stories, he referred to dragons, drakes, and worms, and divided the creatures based on details like their method of movement or whether they could breathe fire. The latter were referred to as Uruloki, or “fire-drakes.” Despite Tolkien’s careful attention to detail, he only gives the name of four different dragons in the history of Middle-earth. Perhaps he was trying to maintain some element of the magic and mystique which fascinated him in Beowulf and the King Arthur tales? (more…)

Many people remember 1977 as the year Star Wars was born. Disney also released The Rescuers, one of the first animated films in the ’70s to gain considerable acclaim. That same year, Disney slipped in an oft-forgotten but charming entry to the world of dragons in fictionPete’s Dragon.The film’s plot is a now-familiar take on how a child (unsurprisingly an orphan) retreats into imagination to deal with his difficult surroundings. Even Alice in Wonderland featured a similar premise, so it’s not hard to believe that the film was based on a short story written at least twenty years before the release. What makes Pete’s Dragon so fun to watch is the interaction between the real-life child star Sean Marshall (Pete) and his animated dragon, Elliot (voiced by Charlie Callas). (more…)

Dragons in modern fiction are generally featured in fantasy novels intended at least for young adults, if not older (like the complex Lord of the Rings series). In her children’s series “How to Train Your Dragon” (named for the first installment), Cressida Cowell has captured the magic of dragons in a way that can be enjoyed by young and old alike.The recent Dreamworks film loosely adapts the plot of Cressida’s first novel. In the film, a young Viking named Hiccup tries to win the acceptance of his father and the love of his fierce peer, Astrid, but finds both more difficult when he chooses to save one of the dragons that his tribe is fighting against. Hiccup names the dragon Toothless, but finds it increasingly more difficult to keep the pet a secret as his own stature rises in the tribe.The film (by directors Chris Sanders and Dean DeBlois) has become a critical and financial success. What’s next? A sequel, television show, and live tour are in the works. Cowell’s eighth book was released the year before the film, so hopefully we can expect another work from her in the near future.