The Origins Of Your Favorite Monster Myths

Dragons are a marvel of myth making. They appear in virtually every culture, in every corner of the globe. From Sumer to China, Beowulf to the Bible, no ancient civilization was left untouched by these brutal beasts. So how did each culture, with their own rich histories and unique circumstances, all happen upon these monsters?

Well, Othenio Abel, an Austrian paleontologist, subscribes to one popular theory. Namely, bones. From sperm whales to pterodactyls, Ice Age woolly rhinoceros to ancient giraffes, there are a wide variety of extinct creatures that could easily have confused and inspired ancient men to make up these myths. Cave bears, for instance, had skulls that resembled the characteristics of a dragon-like head. They were found in caves, where much of dragon lore was centered, and some even formed big calcite crystals, which could have given rise to the bejeweled forehead many dragons were famous for.

Add in some real world reporting from the likes of explorers, like Marco Polo, who came back from China telling tails of real, live dragons, which most likely were just crocodiles, and you've got yourself a long-lasting, globe-spanning myth.

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