Article: Here There Be Dragons

Are dragons the new vampire? Doubtful, but they have certainly made a resurgence. This article from NPR chronicles places where dragons have made a comeback, including the Textile Museum in Washington DC, and on Merlin, with a nice quick blurb from John Hurt. 

 

From NPR:

"As the supernatural enjoys a pop culture resurgence — from vampires to fairy tales — there's also been a firestorm of fascination with dragons. This year alone the mystical creatures are being featured in two movies, a new book, video games and a museum exhibit.

Participants perform a dragon dance during the annual Chinese New Year parade in 2007 in the Chinatown section of Washington, D.C.

But then wasn't it always that way? Dragons are deeply entwined in the mythology of nations ranging from Egypt to South America, and in many Asian cultures, this is the year of the dragon. 

At the Washington, D.C., parade marking the auspicious occasion, Jalen Ahmad is among the crowd of grinning people standing along the route. Watching the multihued dragons prance sinuously down the street, Ahmad says the year of the dragon is exciting — and significant in the Chinese zodiac. 

"I feel like, for the dragon," Ahmad says, "it is very powerful, strong, courageous."

Six-year-old Micora DuBos, attending with her mom, thinks dragons are pretty but not very smart. But in fact, pop culture dragons run the gamut of personalities, which may be how they've wormed their way so deeply into our hearts. 

While Peter, Paul and Mary's song describes the friendly, playful "Puff the Magic Dragon," top-selling video game The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim features terrifying apparitions ruling the skies." (Full Article)