A Literary History of Dragons

For tens of thousands of years, human beings have been using fictional devices to shape their worlds and communicate with one another. Four thousand years ago they began writing down these stories, and a great flourishing of human achievement began. We know it today as literature, a term broad enough to encompass everything from ancient epic poetry to contemporary novels. How did literature develop? What forms has it taken? And what can we learn from engaging with these works today? Hosted by Jacke Wilson, an amateur scholar with a lifelong passion for literature, The History of Literature takes a fresh look at some of the most compelling examples of creative genius the world has ever known.

Dragons! From ancient civilizations to modern-day movies, humans have spent millions of hours imagining these popular mythological creatures—and millions of words describing them. Jacke’s guest, Scott G. Bruce, has compiled the best of these words, explaining how dragons have appeared in literature. Avatars of the Antichrist? Servants of Satan? Cuddly pets? Couriers of the damned? Loyal allies? In this episode, we look at two thousand years of dragons in literature from around the world.

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