- Origin
- Greek Mythology
- Source
- The
Dragon of Boeotia
- (Monsters of Mythology Series)
- Bernard
Evslin
- Chelsea House, New York: 1987
- The Story
- The story constructed from pieces in Greek mythology of the Dragon of
Boeotia and Cadmus the dragon slayer is related. Many other famous characters
from Greek myth, including Zeus, the Three Fates, Prometheus, and Arachne
are introduced.
- The Dragon of Boeotia was once an ambitious and
cruel prince named Abas, crown prince of Eleusis. For mocking Demeter,
Goddess of the Harvest, he was turned into a helpless lizard. When the
Three Fates recommended him to be the destruction of mankind, he was
turned into the fierce king of dragons by feasting on the shoulder
bone of the buried Uranus. This flesh fed and nurished Abas who became
the king of all dragons.
Cadmus, prince of Phoenicia, received
instructions and help from Prometheus and the Smith God Hephaestus, on
the quest to slay this dragon. The weak and peaceful prince used the
reflection from the shield of Abas himself for a surprise attack and the
dragon was so taken aback that he gasped -- which means he swallowed his
own firing breath. That's the end of the dragon.
- However, the
teeth of the dragon were
planted by Cadmus and soon grew into a giant army of soldiers. Before
Cadmus died by the attack of these dragon-men, he realized his real
mission of life: to capture sounds and make a written language, the
Cadmean alphabet.
-
Comments
- This male dragon is described as a flying crocodile as big as a ship
with brass wings: its hide made of sliding brass scales; its long, thick tail
bristled with iron spikes; feet with brass claws. And, from its
jaws, spurts hot, red fire.
It is evil and ruthless, not possessing
any humanity and is designed to bring doom to the whole world.
The story here seems to be fabricated out of the imagination of the
author and differs greatly with other versions of Cadmus stories I have
encountered. For a comparative note, see The
Serpent's Teeth |
Introduction/Index