DragonFeed

Eragon

2007-04-23T23:55:00.000-07:00

Well I finally saw the movie "Eragon" and read the second book "Eldest". I didn't read the first book since I already saw the movie, but based on what I read behind the scenes on DVD and also the websites, I have the jist of it, enough to understand the second book.

It rocked! Of course, anything to do with a Dragon rocks! But Christopher Paolini really puts a lot of detail an soul into the second book. A lot of twists and turns that makes the book stand on its own from the first book. Without a doubt, I am looking forward to reading the third installment!

Now I have to say, that, based on what I saw in the movie and read in the book, I am a bit dissapointed that the underminded the elves and dwarves in the movie. If you didn't read the book you are at a loss to know who is who, and they purposely left it open for the sequel - if there is one.

But it is still worth renting or, in my case, buying the DVD. If you don't already have Eldest of the Inheritance series, pick it up! I think you will enjoy it!

Updated Story

2007-02-11T20:46:00.000-08:00

Here is the latest version of the book, The Dragonmaster of Ardd. I have the first part of the book shown below. Stay tuned for more!

Dragonmaster of Ardd - The Black Sword

Prologue

It wasn't just military discipline; it was a way of life, a state of mind, the might of magic. In all the land of Ardd, the Royal Bn’Dant was the only army that trained their soldiers in the art of battle and sorcery. A philosophy of mystic thoughts and ideals combined with the strength and disciplined training of battle and warfare.

Very little was known about the old mage Galdor. He had been a council to the royal family for three generations, but no one knew his origins. It was said he came from across the great mountains, a traveler without a past, into the court of the king, Minn Ra’Saad, the first ruler of Ardd.

His knowledge of magic and foretelling of the future kept peace and harmony throughout the land. It wasn’t until many years later that he began teaching the ways of the mystic arts to the royal army. Once he trusted their loyalty and integrity, he appointed a leader to the army and past on his experience and training through the preceding generations.

Master Galdor taught not only his philosophies, but also those of the ancient code of the Dragons. No one else dared to question his motives, as he was well known between Dragonkind and many times spent time with them in deep conversation. Galdor’s link with the Dragons was never fully understood. Many rumors about the old mage varied from conspiracy to gossip that he was a Dragon himself, but appeared only in human form.

Galdor never mixed his knowledge with gossip, and merely shrugged at odd questions and musings about his past. A peaceful and contented man, Galdor the Elder was difficult to infuriate, and never raised his voice in anger.

For decades Galdor the Elder continued to train the armies under the rule of Artrus Ra’Saad, alongside his son, Prince Turk Ra’Saad. It was said that Galdor’s apprenticeships were legendary, and many came from all over Ardd to participate in his instruction. The legends spoke true, for Ardd’s population grew within a short period of time. Most of those who lived in Ardd were from immigrants and the families that were raised there. Some left the armies or discontinued the teachings of Galdor, but remained in Ardd to pursue other careers, while many of the following generations lost interest in magic and warfare. However, a small number of immigrant soldiers still remained in the army to this day. Many young men of immigrant families, who grew up in Ardd, dreamed of the day when they too could join the military, just as their fathers and uncles had for decades.

Brul was very young himself when he entered the military, lying about his age to insure that his enlistment was accepted. It wasn't too difficult to convince the recruiter of his false age, since Brul's large, muscular frame and strong, mature attitude made him an instant apprentice.Almost at once Master Galdor took notice of the young warrior. His enthusiasm and ability to acquire the ways of the Mystic Arts moved the wise one to take Brul under his full attention. Galdor knew Brul was not as old as he claimed, but he never revealed that information to anyone.

In the following years they trained one-on-one, sparring, using the Bn’dant stance and practicing numerous spells and chants. In time they became very close. Brul learned to manipulate great energies, which surrounded them naturally to complete magical feats and protective shields.

Brul considered Galdor a father, like the one he lost in the Great Mystic Wars when just a boy. The old sorcerer thought of Brul as the son he could never have.

The Welsh Flag

2007-02-11T20:41:00.000-08:00

Y Ddraig Goch (Welsh for the red dragon) appears on the national Flag of Wales and is the most famous dragon in Britain.

In the Mabinogion story Lludd and Llefelys, the red dragon fights with an invading white dragon. His pained shrieks cause women to miscarry and animals and plants to become barren. Lludd, king of Britain, goes to his wise brother Llefelys in France. Llefelys tells him to dig a pit in the centre of Britain, fill it with mead, and cover it with cloth. Lludd does this, and the dragons drink the mead and fall asleep. Lludd imprisons them, still wrapped in their cloth, in Dinas Emrys in Snowdonia.

The tale is taken up by Nennius in the Historia Britonum. The dragons remain at Dinas Emrys for centuries until King Vortigern tries to build a castle there. Every night the castle walls and foundations are demolished by unseen forces. Vortigern consults his advisers, who tell him to find a boy with no natural father, and sacrifice him. Vortigern finds such a boy (who is later, in some tellings, to become Merlin) who is supposed to be the son of a demon. On hearing that he is to be put to death to solve the demolishing of the walls, the boy dismisses the knowledge of the advisors. The boy tells the king of the two dragons. Vortigern excavates the hill, freeing the dragons. They continue their fight and the red dragon finally defeats the white dragon. The boy tells Vortigern that the white dragon symbolises the Saxons and that the red dragon symbolises the people of Vortigern. If Vortigern is accepted to have lived in the fifth century, then these people are the British whom the Saxons pushed back to the edges of Britain and who are today called the Welsh.

New Dragon Fantasy Book

2007-01-22T01:38:00.000-08:00

For many years I have been writing and re-writing a book about a warrior and a Dragon who share adventures together. Now, finally, I think I have come to a final version! Now of course, there is still much proofing to do, but, it's almost there! Just to tease you a bit, here is a small sample from the prologue...

Dragonmaster of Ardd: The Black Sword

Prologue

It wasn't just military discipline, it was a way of life, a state of mind. In all the land of Ardd, the Royal B'nat was the only army that trained their soldiers in the art of battle and sorcery - a
state of mystic minds and ideals. Master Galdor’s teachings were legendary throughout the land. For decades Galdor the Elder trained the armies under the rule of Artrus Ra’Saad, now ruled by his son, King Turk Ra’Saad, the youngest of the Ra’Saad family ever to hold that title.
Brul was very young himself when he entered the military, lying about his age to insure that his enlistment was accepted. It wasn't too difficult to convince the recruiter of his false age, since Brul's large, muscular frame and strong, mature attitude made him an instant apprentice.
Almost at once Master Galdor took notice of the young warrior. His enthusiasm and ability to acquire the ways of the Mystic Arts moved the wise one to take Brul under his full attention.
For years they trained closely together, sparring and practicing numerous spells and chants. In time they became very close. Brul considered Galdor a father, like the one he lost in the Great Mystic Wars when just a boy. The old sorcerer thought of Brul as the son he could never have.
Eventually the Master would come to show the young man his inner most secrets of sorcery, the most powerful commands of the mind and spirit. The power to use his mental will to communicate with the Great Dragons of Lake Landarr, and the royal Mountain Dragons, and the tremendous discipline that came with such a gift. Manipulating great energies which surrounded them naturally to complete magical feats and protective shields.
To call a Dragon a friend was something that no one had ever truly accomplished. The resident Dragons of the land, never known to be subjugated - or ruled, were rarely a threat, and always to be avoided. Yet Brul was about to discover for himself how close he came to meeting the Dragons...
Stay Tuned for More!

New Dragon Cartoon

2006-12-18T23:37:00.000-08:00

Enjoy!

Dragons Made Real

2006-12-18T11:04:00.000-08:00

Dragons: A Fantasy Made Real, by the people at Discovery Channel and Animal Planet, is an incredible tale of a perfectly preserved Dragon found in the ice. The show is made using various Hollywood techniques and state of the art CGI to bring the mythology and stories about Dragons to life! A must for any Dragon fan!

I highly recommend seeing this when it comes on again. Or you can by the DVD here. Here is a bit more about the show from the Discovery Channel website:

Take a scientific look at the animal kingdom's most imaginative creature in
this stunning, "what if?" special.
Ruling a make-believe world of fantasy and fairy tales, these terrifying, winged predators never existed in real life – but what if they had?
Stunning computer-generated imagery from the same graphics company that created thrilling effects for Walking With Dinosaurs, Walking With Prehistoric Beasts and the latest Harry Potter movie provides a unique look at these creatures from the inside out. Learn how dragons would have evolved into a number of different species through the ages – Prehistoric, Marine, Forest and Mountain Dragons – and how each dragon species was endowed with physical adaptations and behaviors specialized for its environment.

Top 3 Dragon Movies

2006-12-10T22:07:00.000-08:00

1. Dragonheart - 1996

The last dragon and a disillusioned dragonslaying knight must cooperate to stop an evil king who was given partial immortality.

Perhaps the best Dragon movie of all time! Sean connery does an incredible job as the voice of Draco in this fun filled, humorous and poignant "tail" of the last Dragon.

Bowen (Dennis Quaid) portrays a knight of a corrupt king who, shortly after his death and the injury of the king's son Einon (David Thewlis), goes on a rampage against the Dragon who was supposed to heal Einon.

Bowen now believes the Dragon has corrupted Einon and gives up his knighthood to be come a Dragon slayer.

Draco (Sean Connery) meets up with Bowen in a dual and after a long battle and stalemate, they decide to make their new partnership work to their advantage.

I have to admit, Dina Meyers as Kara, was the first time I had a crush on this actress! She plays a great part, being the feisty daughter of a slave, and the love interest to Einon, whom she despises.

If you ever have to see one Dragon movie, this is it!!

2. Reign of Fire - 2002

A brood of fire-breathing dragons emerges from the earth and begins setting fire to everything, establishing dominance over the planet.

Now granted, this is a movie about "bad" Dragons, but considering the special FX, the cast and the overall story line, it rocks!

Matthew McConaughey as Denton Van Zan is literally pumped up as a reckless and angry Marine bound and determined to defeat the Dragons at all costs! His role in this movie is very different than anything he has done prior, and I didn't even know it was him until the credits rolled!

The destruction and feeding frenzy of the Dragons that are reborn from the Earth, makes for a hard and deadly life for those who survive over the next twenty years. Christian Bale plays the leader of a survival group in England who is tortured over the thought that the Dragons being released is his fault. Definitely a watcher!

3. Dragonslayer - 1981

A King has made a pact with a dragon where he sacrfices virgins to it, and the dragon leaves his kingdom alone...

Even though this was made in the early eighties, this film is all about the magick, wizardy and Dragons of olde. It is well worth watching, and the battle of magickal beings is right up there with Lord of the Rings, in my opinion.

The tale of an old, grumpy Dragon terrorizing a kingdom, and the wizard, apprentice and townspeople who stand up to Her. It's gritty, dark and the Dragon is not interested in being noble, benevolent or sharing Her land with the kingdom. Both Her and the wizard know, their time is done. Next time you see this one on TV, tune in!!

Poetry - The Dragon’s Ballad

2006-12-10T20:50:00.000-08:00

The Dragon’s Ballad (The Heart’s Cry) - By Unknown
Where the river foams and surges to the sea,
Silver figures rise to find me;
Wise and as daring,
Following the heart’s cry;
I am that deep pool,
I am that dark spring.
Warm with a mystery,
I may reveal to you in time;
Time holds the heart’s key;
Key to everything is Love;
Love makes the heart flower;
Flowers into a deep desire;
Passion in the hearts fire;
Passion and desire.
See the Dragon rise above the open plain,
Golden in the morning air;
Weaving and soaring,
Watchful and protecting;
I am your shelter,
I will enfold you.

Poetry - Ode to the Dragons

2006-12-10T20:47:00.000-08:00

Ode to the Dragons - By John Alex Golden

Your beauty surpasses that of anything on Earth
Your strength that of ten-thousand knights
Agile are your wings of power
Gliding you across the night sky
Your wisdom is inequaled by man
No magic can ever defeat you
You are the greatest of all beings
And yet also the most hunted
You are the Dragons, the mighty ones
The most wonderful of all creatures
And a world without you, in life or spirit
Is a world more deprived than any other

The World of Dragons: A Natural History

2006-12-10T20:14:00.000-08:00

Wyverns

Serpent - like Dragons. They have enormous wing spans, with brightly colored scales and no forearms. They use the talons at the tip of their wings instead of the forearms like their brothers

Western Dragons

The commonly known Dragons. They have forearms and back legs, both which have a lot of strength. They are fire breathers, come in many colors, and are more aggressive than most....but not to everyone.... like maidens for instance. They are friendly for the most part, but do not cross them !!

Eastern Dragons

Found mostly in the East...China, Japan, Korea....These Dragons represent royalty and strength among the Asians. They are long and serpent - like, with bright metallic - colored scales, gold representing the highest of royalty. Most have a thick mane running along their backs instead of fins, and are known for their kindness.

Prehistory

As we know, the Age of Reptiles was filled with thousands of dragon-like reptiles, which ended approximately one hundred million years ago.

The smaller wings of the early Dragons could not allow flight, limited or otherwise, and is believed to have served merely as an attention getter, or for mating rituals. The skeletal structure of these early Dragons, however, still resemble that of the more current type of common Dragons we see today. Originally rather small, the early Dragons, or "ProtoDraco", was not much longer than five feet from nose to tail, weighing in about one hundred and fifty pounds.
The teeth were small, and geared more for eating the vegetation of that era. The wings themselves on both sexes could not be more than three feet long.

After existing for about seven million years, the ProtoDraco gave way to the more advanced MesoDraco. The wings had become longer and more functional, less like forearms - the rear legs became smaller and more muscular.

The MesoDraco had increased in size - ten feet long from nose to tail and weighing approximately seven hundred pounds. Although the wings had doubled in size, they could only fly for short distances; mainly from jumping off a small rise, but not for ground take-off.
At this time, another of the ProtoDraco ancestors had formed. The PteroDraco. This is not to be confused for the Pterodactyl, which had only one bony finger at the ends of their wings, where the PteroDraco had four. Still resembling a forearm. It was at this time it was thought the early Dragons gave up vegetation and became meat-eaters.

According to some fossil remains, the early PteroDraco measured a forty feet wingspan, weighing up to several hundred pounds!

Eventually, the MesoDraco gave way to a new kind of Dragon - the modern Dragon - known as NeoDraco. This Dragon species, even larger yet, was a totally flightless Dragon. The three species of NeoDraco were as follows:

American Flightless Dragon - NeoDraco americana
European fire-breathing Dragon - NeoDraco pyrogena
Oriental mist-breathing Dragon - NeoDraco pluvialis

All three Dragons had one thing in common - they were all vegetarians. Their diet was rich in heavy wood, vegetation and starches for quick energy. Due to the bacteria in the stomachs needed to digest such raw foods, the fermentation process produced a horrible smelling gas, which in some cases, was exhaled as a form of defense - sometimes the Dragons would gnash their teeth together while exhaling, causing sparks to fly, igniting the gases into the familiar fire-breathing form we all know.

The European Fire-breathing Dragon

Dragons have resided in Europe for thousands of years. In the Book of Job, there was a mention of a Leviathan who breathed fire, had eyes like the sun and great scales which were impervious to attack.

Eventually, the Christian movement related the peace-loving Dragons to their serpents-of-evil. This was compounded by the fact that the Dragon was said by them to have given the apple to Eve. Because of this, the Dragon has gotten a bad rap over the years. Since that has been the case, there is little unbiased and credible information on the history of the Dragon.
According to history and recent sightings, the European Dragon ranged in size, getting as large as sixty feet in length at adulthood.

The hind feet are very large and muscular used mostly for mobility. The front feet were smaller and used for grasping. Some Dragons also had wings on their forearms. These Dragons are more popularly known as Wyverns.

The snouts are long and rounded attached to a very large head. The tongue is forked. The eyes are very well equipped for seeing even in the dimmest light, as in a cave. Between the eyes there appeared to be a third eye, usually in the form of a gem. This has been a popular myth of the Dragon, that tells of its psychic and telepathic powers.

The scales tend to be very green with a yellow underbelly. Much brighter in the female of this species. The use of the wings and the ability to breath fire is the European Dragon's main form of protection.

The Oriental Mist-breathing Dragon

Oriental Dragons are not known to be fire breathers, but can, on rare occasions do so. Their main form of protection is a mist-like breath which can cause rain clouds and stinging of the skin and eyes.

Oriental Dragons, which can be found in groups of nine...considered very lucky, have a row of eighty-one scales running down the dorsal spine representing the square of a lucky number. There are nine types of Oriental Dragons, which includes an ancient Dragon seen in bronze sculptures:

The horned Dragon, the winged Dragon, the Celestial Dragon (protector of the
Gods), the spiritual Dragons (generates beneficial wind and rain), the Dragon of
hidden treasures (guards concealed wealth), the coiling Dragon (lives in water),
and the yellow Dragon (which rose from the water and presented the emperor Fu
Hsi with the elements if writing. The final Dragon is the Dragon king which
there are four represented by the four directions of the seas; north, east,
south and west.

Welcome!

2006-12-10T18:20:00.000-08:00

Welcome to the wonderful and magickal world of Dragons !!

Dragons have been around for thousands of years. Living in our dreams, our fantasies, our hopes and our lives and in our very world....yes....even today !
If you look carefully around you, they are everywhere, in assorted colors, shapes, sizes and types.

My intent with this site is to share my love of Dragons in pictures, stories, poetry and more! If you have stories or poems you wish to share, please let me know!

Enjoy!