Draconika

Welcome to Draconika Dragons

Draconika is a website all about dragons, fantasy, and role-playing.

Welcome, traveler, to Draconika Dragons. This site contains a number of articles on dragon information and a gallery of dragon pictures. Draconika was started as a project for a college English class in 2004. Since then, it has grown to be one of the premier websites about dragons on the Internet. I hope you will find this to be the best dragon resource on the web.

Dragons have long enchanted us through stories, artwork, and legend. The lion may be king of the jungle, but the dragon is king of mythology.

They also inspired many adventures in my favorite role-playing game, Dungeons & Dragons.

Find out more about these fantastic creatures of mythology and infamy by choosing a page from the menu.

Thanks for coming!
Kevin Owens

Start Here

New to dragons? These sections cover the basics, from ancient myths to modern games. Each one links to more detailed pages.

What is a dragon?

Dragons appear in the stories of almost every culture, but they don't all look alike. Some are fire-breathing, winged beasts that hoard gold; others are wingless serpents that bring rain. Our guide to what a dragon is explains where the idea came from and what most dragons share. You can also read about dragon anatomy and the long history of dragons in art and belief.

Dragon types and species

Wyverns, drakes, lindworms, and sea serpents are all part of the dragon family. Browse dragon types for an overview, or the dragon species list for dozens of specific creatures, from the Aztec Xiuhcóatl to the Chinese Yinglong. Separate pages cover wyverns, the basilisk, and the metallic dragons of modern fantasy.

Dragons around the world

A dragon in a European legend is usually a monster to be slain, while a Chinese dragon is a powerful, often helpful spirit of water and weather. Our section on dragons across cultures compares these traditions, with pages on Western, Welsh, and German dragons and on the dragons of the Bible.

Dragon legends

Read the old stories themselves. The dragon legends collection retells tales from Greece, Scandinavia, Japan, Lithuania, Poland, and more, including Saint George and the Dragon, the Hydra, and Beowulf's last battle. It also covers related creatures like the griffin, the phoenix, and the manticore.

Famous dragons

Some dragons are famous enough to have their own names. Meet them on our famous dragons page, from the eight-headed Yamata no Orochi of Japan to the Mesopotamian Zû.

Dungeons & Dragons

Dragons are half the name of the world's first role-playing game. Our D&D section covers the game's history and its dragons, with tips for running dragons, a fantasy name generator, a dragon name generator, and pages on D&D video games, miniatures, and more.

Dragon pictures

The dragon picture gallery collects dragon art in many styles, from fierce Western dragons to graceful Eastern ones. Click any picture to see it larger.

New Stuff

Legends and creatures

Dragons in culture

Famous dragons

Dungeons & Dragons

If you love fantasy, you'll love my other website, Valiant Candle, for which I create handmade fantasy candles.