Human idealism has been the offspring of hundreds of mythical creatures, creating representations and symbolism with each new beast. The creatures became the living embodiment of values ​​held in high esteem, often falling into folklore involving human interests. One of the most used and globally recognized creatures in our history is the dragon. A creature that not only appears in a variety of cultures, but has individual symbolism and traits attuned to each. Even today, each individual's idea of ​​what a dragon is may differ. Although most people nowadays believe that all dragons are fire-breathing terrors, this is a misconception of the idealism behind dragons. Dragons have taken many forms, from fire-breathing monsters to divine spiritual bringers of wisdom and rain. While dragons are ingrained in today's pop culture, where did the idea of ​​dragons actually originate from? While the English name for dragons comes from the Latin word dracon, which stood for serpent (All About Creation 2). The general appearance of dragons usually consisted of tough metallic scales, razor-sharp claws, and the ability to fly (Spring Skylar). While the true origin of dragons and their naming, what is different about dragons is how each culture has viewed the beasts as their own. In our society, the idea of ​​the evil fire-breathing dragon is the dominant trait associated with dragons. Western civilizations often viewed dragons as embodiments of evil in human qualities (Quote C). Dragons probably acquired this characteristic of evil motives from the lifestyle of serpents, creatures that were often used to symbolize the devil (Cite). They often appear as antagonists to the heroes; they were the difficult goal to overcome to reach a... middle of paper... ds, but in the palaces and homes of humans. While the Western dragons presented the evil of the world and the trials needed to overcome them by force; and the eastern dragons were the protectors of the Chinese people (Layton Robin). They fell into the realms of mythology like many other creatures, all created to symbolize something significant in human thought. Unlike the others, they created an identity alongside humans, an identity of their own that was unique only to them. Works Cited http://www.woodlands-junior.kent.sch.uk/customs/stgeorge2.html http://www. draconika.com/history.phphttp://pictures.linkmesh.com/dragons/celestial_chinese_dragons.phphttp://hassam.hubpages.com/hub/Chinese_Dragonshttp://pictures.linkmesh.com/dragons/dragon_history.phphttp:// www.allaboutcreation.org/dragon-history-5.htmhttp://hassam.hubpages.com/hub/Western-Dragon-Mythology