Dobrynya Nikitich and Zmey Gorynych

A modern interpretation of Dobrynya and Zmey Gorynych by AlexanderYatskevich.

When Dobrynya was still a young man, his mother gave him four pieces of advice. ‘Don’t ride to the Saracen Mountains. Don’t trample baby dragons there. Don’t rescue Russian captives, and don’t bathe in the Puchai River.’ Of course, being a valiant young man and a seeker of adventure, that’s exactly what he did. Slipping away from home one day, Dobrynya walked up into the craggy peaks of the Saracen Mountains. During his trek, he went out of his way to stamp on any baby dragons that he passed, ensuring that they would never grow up into monsters. He also moved a boulder away from the mouth of a cave, releasing some travellers who had been captured there by a dragon. Finally, Dobrynya made it high into the mountains, near the source of the Puchai River. Tired from his excursions, he decided to take a bath.

While Dobrynya was bathing naked in the river, he felt a rush of wind and looked up to see a mighty three-headed dragon swooping down upon him. In a panic, he swam to the shore and cast about for a weapon. There was nothing there but an old hat of the type worn by Greek pilgrims. He snatched this up as the dragon landed in front of him. As the dragon’s middle head reared back, preparing to belch fire, Dobrynya ducked around its heads, leapt upon its back, and used the old hat to clamp its mouth shut. Man and dragon wrestled hard, until they rolled over Dobrynya’s clothes that were laid out by the riverside. In that instant, Dobrynya grabbed hold of his knife and put it to the dragon’s throat.

‘Hold Dobrynya, Nikita’s son,’ said the dragon. ‘Let us make a pact! You will not come into the Saracen Mountains, nor trample baby dragons, nor rescue Russian captives, nor swim in the Puchai River. In return, I will not fly to Holy Russia. I will not take any Russian captives. I will not carry away any Christian people.’

Dobrynya lowered his knife and rolled away from the dragon. ‘I will hold you to this, Zmey Gorynych. Now go and keep your promises.’ With that, the dragon beat its mighty wings and leapt into the sky, flying out of sight.

Several years passed. The story of Dobrynya’s fight with the dragon had spread around the country. The young man had become a regular at the court of Prince Vladimir, who ruled from his capital at Kiev. Although still not officially honoured as a bogatyr, the prince often called upon Dobrynya to serve as his messenger, especially when courtesy or cunning was required.

Then one day, while Vladimir’s niece, Zabava, was out walking in the garden, the three-headed dragon, Zmey Gorynych, swooped down from the sky and grabbed the princess in his claws. Before anyone could react, the dragon was gone, flying home to its lair in the mountains. The court was in uproar. Many brave bogatyrs rushed for their arms and clamoured for the honour of rescuing the princess, but Prince Vladimir went first to Dobrynya.

‘The stories tell that you have bested this dragon before, Dobrynya Nikitich. Go now to the mountains and bring my niece and the dragon’s head. If you succeed, you’ll be made a bogatyr and greatly rewarded. If you return in cowardice without her, it will be your head that is mounted over the city gate.’

So Dobrynya left the court, weighed down with responsibility. He went first to see his mother and told her of his plight. His mother, that wise woman, said he must have a horse. So she gave him the horse, Burko, who had carried both his father and his grandfather on many adventures. She gave him also a whip of seven silks, and told him to use the whip to drive Burko forward. Finally, she gave him a Tartar spear with which to fight. Thus equipped, Dobrynya set off to face the dragon.

He rode up into the Saracen Mountains, and as he rode, the baby dragons attacked Burko’s legs. The poor horse trampled them into the dirt, but more and more emerged from the rocks to snap at his fetlocks. When it appeared that Burko might be pulled down by the nasty little creatures, Dobrynya took out his whip and snapped it on the horse’s flank. Burko sprang forward, shedding the baby dragons and charging up the slopes.

Near the mountaintop, by the banks of the Puchai River, Dobrynya found the dragon once more.

‘Hail Dobrynya, Nikita’s son,’ spoke the dragon. ‘You have failed to keep your promise. You’ve rode in to the Saracen Mountains, and you’ve trampled baby dragons. No doubt you’ve come to rescue Russian captives here.’

Dobrynya responded, ‘Hail Zmey Gorynych. Was it I or you who broke the faith? Did you not swoop down and take the princess, a virtuous Christian woman, and carry her away as your captive? For this treason you must die.’

Without further words, the battle was joined. For three long days the brave warrior and the mighty beast battled. The dragon blew fire and bit with its three snake-like heads. Dobrynya dodged and parried, looking for openings to drive in his sharp spear. On and on the battle raged, around the River Puchai, through the rocks of the mountains, and even into the caves underneath it. Both man and monster received and dealt many wounds, until both were covered in bloody cuts. Dobrynya began to despair of ever defeating the dragon, until a voice, carried by an angel from heaven, spoke into his ear. ‘You have fought for three days, Dobrynya, fight for three more hours and you will have victory.’

So the fight continued for another three hours, until Dobrynya found himself unhorsed and battling the dragon in a small crater on the mountainside. There, the dragon finally made a mistake. Rearing up in its anger, the dragon exposed its soft underbelly. Dobrynya took his chance and drove his Tartar spear deep into the unprotected flesh. The dragon cried out in pain, as Dobrynya ripped the spear free in a spray of blood. The dragon staggered and then collapsed, its weight falling upon Dobrynya and pinning him to the ground.

Dazed, Dobrynya looked about and saw that everything below his waist was pinned under the dragon. All around, the dragon’s blood flowed from the monster’s many wounds, filling the shallow crater. Over three more days, the blood came up to Dobrynya’s ears. Bereft of strength after his long battle, he knew that he would soon drown in his enemy’s blood. He laid back and prepared for his own death.

Then the angel’s voice came to him again and said, ‘Do not give up Dobrynya. You have won a great battle. Drive your spear into the earth and go free.’

In that moment, energy once again filled Dobrynya’s limbs. With a prayer, he drove his spear down into the earth, allowing it to soak up the dragon’s blood. With the spear firmly planted, he used it to pull himself free of the dragon’s corpse. Covered in blood, he staggered up from the crater and saw the princess, Zabava, standing by the mouth of the dragon’s cave, surrounded by numerous other captives that he had rescued.

Courteous knight that he was, Dobrynya checked upon the captives to make sure that they were well. Then he did one more thing. Removing his blood-soaked armour and clothes, Dobrynya bathed in the waters of the River Puchai one more time.

Dobrynya Nikitich and Zmey Gorynych is one of the most popular Russian byliny, the traditional folk songs of medieval Slavic culture. Thanks to a major cultural conservation effort in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, Russia has preserved a huge body of byliny, including over seventy versions of the Dobrynya and the dragon story. This story is only one of the many tales to include Dobrynya, who is considered one of the ‘big three’ bogatyrs (knights-errant) of Russian folklore, the other two being Ilya Muromets and Alyosha Popovich.

While the stories of the bogatyrs mostly exist in the land of fairytale, there are some who argue that both Dobrynya and his confrontation with the dragon have a historical basis. Dobrynya was the name of the uncle of Vladimir I, who ruled as Grand Prince of Kiev from 980–1015. It was during this reign that much of the population is thought to have been Christianized, and this may have included a mass baptism in the Pochaina River. Thus, some argue that the story is a metaphor for the rise of Christianity against the pagan dragon, which also explains why the story contains a Greek pilgrim’s hat and the voice of heaven. However, it is just as possible that these Christian elements were later additions to an older, pagan tale.

While Dobrynya remains relatively unknown in the west, he is still a popular hero in Russia, where he continues to serve as the subject of numerous artworks. In 2006 an animated movie, Dobrynya Nikitich and Zmey Gorynych, was released in Russian cinemas.

T-rex's tiny ancestor could hold clue to predator's dominance, scientists say

The horse-sized primitive tyrannosaur Timurlengia euotica from the middle Cretaceous (ca. 90-92 million years ago) of Uzbekistan.

The fossils of a newly discovered, smaller ancestor of the Tyrannosaurus rex may hold clues as to why the iconic dinosaur rose to the top of the food chain, scientists say.

The comparatively tiny Timurlengia euotica — yet to receive the notoriety and catchy nickname of its larger descendant — was similar in size to a horse as opposed to the elephant-sized T-rex.
But it had already developed the large brain needed to track and devour prey.

Researchers said the previously unknown relative was just one in a long lineage of animals, but should help illustrate how small tyrannosaurids evolved to become smarter and larger over time, and eventually the undisputed top predator at the of the food chain.

"The ancestors of T-rex would have looked a whole lot like timurlengia, a horse-sized hunter with a big brain and keen hearing that would put us to shame," Steve Brusatte from the University of Edinburgh's School of GeoSciences said.

"Only after these ancestral tyrannosaurs evolved their clever brains and sharp senses did they grow into the colossal sizes of T-rex.

"Tyrannosaurs had to get smart before they got big."

New discovery part of a missing link
The first tyrannosaurs appeared about 170 million years ago and was about the size of a human.
Until now, researchers had little evidence of how the iconic predator grew to become one of the largest carnivores to ever roam the Earth before dinosaurs became extinct 65 million years ago.

The bones of the Timurlengia euotica were uncovered in Uzbekistan, where it lived about 90 million years ago.

By the Late Cretaceous Period, between 66 and 80 million years ago, the Tyrannosaurus rex was the king of the big lizards, weighing up to seven tonnes.

But a study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences said little had been known about how the T-rex got so big, "largely because of a frustrating 20-plus-million-year gap in the mid-Cretaceous fossil record, when tyrannosauruses transitioned from small-bodied hunters to gigantic apex predators but from which no diagnostic specimens are known."

The new discovery is "the first distinct tyrannosauroid species from this gap".

The specimen was discovered between 1997 and 2006 by a team of palaeontologists, led by researchers at the University of Edinburgh, working in the Kyzylkum Desert in northern Uzbekistan.
"The early evolution of many groups like tyrannosaurs took place in the coastal plains of central Asia in the mid-Cretaceous," Professor Alexander Averianov of Saint Petersburg State University said.

Timurlengia's skull was much smaller than that of the T-rex, suggesting it didn't grow as large, but its skull shape reveals "that its brain and senses were already highly developed," the report said.

"Timurlengia was a nimble pursuit hunter with slender, blade-like teeth suitable for slicing through meat," said professor Hans Sues of the National Museum of Natural History in Washington.

"It probably preyed on the various large plant-eaters, especially early duck-billed dinosaurs, which shared its world."

'Pre-historic foreplay': Dinosaurs may have danced like modern birds to woo mates

Artist's reconstruction of dinosaurs engaging in scrape ceremony display activity, based on trace fossil evidence from the Dakota Sandstone, Colorado. Scientific Reports/Xing Lida

Fancy footwork similar to that of modern birds may have been involved in some prehistoric mating rituals, researchers say.

Physical evidence of large scrapes made by the feet of theropod dinosaurs has been discovered at four sites at Dakota Sandstone, a single Cretaceous rock unit in Colorado.

The scrapes are similar to those made by some modern ground-nesting birds — including Atlantic puffins and ostriches — during breeding season.

The behaviour, known as nest scrape display, involves males showing off their ability to provide for females by excavating fake nests.

The largest site discovered by the team, led by palaeontologist Martin Lockley from the University of Colorado Denver, was about 750 square meters and contained at least 60 traces of scrapes.

The display arenas contained marks of different sizes and depths, meaning they were likely used by different species of therapods.

"These are the first sites with evidence of dinosaur mating rituals ever discovered, and the first physical evidence of courtship behaviour," Professor Lockley said.

"These huge scrape displays fill a missing gap in our understanding of dinosaur behaviour."
The discovery supports theories about the nature of dinosaur mating displays, which, until now, scientists could only speculate about.

"This is physical evidence of pre-historic foreplay that is very similar to birds today," Professor Lockley said.

The findings were published in Scientific Reports.


 

Pyromalfic

Pyromalfic, known in Shyr as Grymvane, was a weakened dragon that lived in the Castle of the Keys until he was consumed by his brother Everblight.

Like the rest of the dragons, Pyromalfic was spawned by the Dragonfather Lord Toruk when he divided his athanc to create a brood dragons as servants in his image. Unfortunately, Toruk’s sons were too similar to him and were unwilling to bow down to anyone, including their father; and they turned on him. Toruk eventually destroyed many lesser dragons, and the rest fled. From that point forward, Toruk sought to hunt the dragons down and gather the pieces of his athanc to undo his mistake.

By 2100 BR, Pyromalfic blighted and enslaved a sect of Iosans, who seized the fortress called the Castle of the Keys, on the mountains of the Bloodstone Marches. He created his lair beneath the fortress complex.

In 1000 BR – by the time Toruk has already consumed three dragons – Pyromalfic participated in an alliance of dragons organised by Blighterghast to drive Toruk from mainland Immoren. The dragons ambushed Toruk, forcing him to retreat to the Scharde Islands southwest of Immoren.

In 230 BR, an Orgoth expedition into the Castle of the Keys decimated the Iosan cult serving Pyromalfic but was defeated by the dragon. A fragment of an Orgoth tome detailing this encounter suggests Pyromalfic was somehow poisoned or cursed.

Several centuries after that, Pyromalfic was reportedly destroyed in a clash with another dragon, Scaefang; though the rumours carrying details of that battle have been questionable. In truth, Pyromalfic retreated deep in the ruins of the Castle of the Keys to recover from his injuries. However, in the centuries following, Pyromalfic’s injury healed only bit by bit, and he became convinced something weakened his regenerative ability, perhaps a problem with his athanc, which weighted on his mind for years.

Pyromalfic’s lair was eventually discovered by the Iosan Ghyrrshyld Vyre, who later became a Cryxian lich in service of Lord Toruk. However, he never revealed this information to his master.
In the spring of 607 AR, the newly-formed Legion of the disembodied dragon Everblight, having been revealed the location of Pyromalfic’s lair by Goreshade, march upon the Castle of the Keys intent on defeating Pyromalfic, consuming his athanc and greatly increasing the Legion’s power.

Pyromalfic is eventually discovered and roused to battle by a small group of Everblight’s minions led by the blighted ogrun Thagrosh, host to the largest portion of Everblight’s athanc. He immediately ascends from his lair and quickly gets swarmed by myriad of Everblight’s spawn: angelius, seraphim andharriers. Pyromalfic’s claws rip through them with ease, but there were too many, and he falls towards the courtyard before his athanc is cut out by the Legion warlock Rhyas. Thagrosh then climbs back to the surface, takes Pyromalfic’s athanc and swallows it whole, forcing it down his jaw and throat.

Even after being defeated, Pyromalfic still tries to convince Thagrosh that he isn’t an adequate vessel and Everblight will discard him as soon as he can, though his efforts prove futile. Pyromalfic’s mind and essence are later fully devoured by Everblight, his athanc and power added to the other dragon’s. Pyromalfic only continues to exist as glimmers of a shattered consciousness that once in a while invade Thagrosh’s mind.

Pyromalfic’s death and consumption alert the threat Everblight proves to the other dragons, and soon after Blighterghast, informed by the blackclad Krueger the Stormlord on the events at the Castle of the Keys, calls the other dragons again, this time not against their father, but against the new threat of their upstart brother.

Lexicanum Immoren

Help Build the Warmachine Encyclopedia

Epistle on Dragons (St. John Damascene)

The main purpose of St. John Damascene is to persuade his readers that dragons are real living creatures and not mythical personages like ghosts, werewolves and so on. To confirm this idea, St. John describes their birth, development, size, behavior, and refers to the catching of a dragon and the measuring of his hide.

Some people contrive that dragons can both take the human form and turn into serpents, sometimes small, sometimes huge, differing in body length and size, and sometimes, as was already stated above, having turned into people, start to associate with them, appear to steal women and consort with them; so we would ask [those who tell such stories]: how many intelligent natures did God create? And if they do not know the answer, we will respond: two – I mean angels and humans… So He created the two intelligent natures; but if a dragon changes its form while associating with people, becoming at one moment a serpent, at another a man… so it follows with all possible clarity that dragons are intelligent beings exceeding men greatly, which has not [ever] been true, and never will be.

Let them also say who in particular tells about it. For we trust the teaching of Moses, and, more exactly, the Holy Spirit, having spoken through [the prophet]. This [teaching] reads: And God brought them unto Adam to see what he would call them; and whatsoever [Adam] called every living creature, that was the name thereof (cf. Gen. 2:19). Hence, a dragon was one of the animals. I am not telling you, after all, that there are no dragons; dragons exist but they are serpents borne of other serpents. Being just born and young, they are small; but when they grow up and get mature, they become big and fat so that exceed the other serpents in length and size. It is said they grow up more than thirty cubits; as for their thickness, they get as thick as a big log. Dio the Roman (A.D. 155 – 236) who wrote the history of Roman empire and republic, reports the following: one day, when Regulus, a Roman consul, was fighting against Carthage, a dragon suddenly crept up and settled behind the wall of the Roman army. The Romans killed it by order of Regulus, excoriated it and sent the hide to the Roman senate. When the dragon’s hide, as Dio says, was measured up by order of the senate, it happened to be, amazing, one hundred and twenty feet long, and the thickness was fitting to the length.”

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The “Dragon-Slayer” Saints of the Eastern Orthodox Church

St. Marina of Antioch (4th c.) is swallowed and exploded from the dragon’s belly at the same time.

According to the version of the story in Golden Legend, she was a native of "Antioch" and she was the daughter of a pagan priest named Aedesius. Her mother having died soon after her birth, Margaret was nursed by a pious woman five or six leagues from Antioch. Having embraced Christianity and consecrated her virginity to God, she was disowned by her father, adopted by her nurse and lived in the country keeping sheep with her foster mother (in what is now Turkey). Olybrius, Governor of the Roman Diocese of the East, asked to marry her but with the price of her renunciation of Christianity. Upon her refusal she was cruelly tortured, during which various miraculous incidents occurred. One of these involved being swallowed by Satan in the shape of a dragon, from which she escaped alive when the cross she carried irritated the dragon's innards.

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Tolkien--Concerning the Origin of Dragons

By Randall Johnson, cogitemusaccurate.blogspot.com

Introduction

Of all the mysteries that Tolkien left for us to solve, the origin of Dragons ranks somewhere in the middle. While more wars have been waged over the nature of such characters as Tom Bombadil and Ungoliant, fewer debates are sparked over the shoe-size of Hobbits (that is, if they wore shoes). The origin-of-Dragons debate is closer in popularity to the debates of how many Balrogs existed, how Orcs breed, and why the Eagles did not simply carry Frodo and the Ring to Mount Doom.

In this paper, I will briefly outline the cosmogony of the world created by Tolkien, especially concerning the taxis of created spiritual beings; then I will discuss the raiment of these spiritual beings shortly. Then I will explain the metaphysics of evil in Middle-Earth. Next, I will categorize the corruptions and perversions of the evil spirit, Melkor. Finally, I will classify the various theories of Dragon ontology, analyze them, and eliminate all but the best theory. I intend to prove that Dragons, though not Maiar themselves, originated from the union of Maia and beast. 

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