Fire Dragon Stories

Mention dragons and a gigantic, scaly, serpentine, fire-breathing beast is usually the first thing that comes to mind. While there are many other types of dragons known to us (ice dragons, flying dragons, friendly dragons), the fire-breathing variety seem to have topped the popularity charts, leaving their nearest competitors far behind. Known as fire-breathing dragons or just fire dragons, these are one of the most common types of dragons referenced in literature and celluloid. Fire dragons are bedside story staples and have seen many generations of kids growing up on them. Let’s get to know them a little better.

Fire Dragons – The Good and the Bad

European dragons are usually of the fire-breathing kind and most of them are considered malevolent. Pick up any fairy tale with a dragon and you are most likely to find a fire dragon fighting the prince and posing to be a hindrance on his way to find his true love. One of the classic and most popular examples of this kind is found in the fairytale, SleepingBeauty. Known as Maleficient, the dragon in this fire dragon story guards the castle where the princess sleeps and fights hard to stop Prince Phillip from entering and breaking the curse. The vicious fire dragons are generally reticent beings who like to stay cooped in lairs deep in the forests and come out mostly after nightfall.

However, not all fire dragons are all evil. There are many on the other side of the spectrum too. While western mythology usually portrays fire dragons in negative light, the Welsh ones make an exception to this rule. The good fire dragons are known for their brave spirit and are often seen fighting evil for the common good. Welsh folklore is replete with fire dragon stories where the brave fire dragon teams up with the people of the village and fights a common enemy. The story of the fire dragon and the ice dragon fighting atop a mountain is a popular one.

Physical Attributes of Fire Dragons

As far as physical attributes are concerned, fire dragons do not differ much from the regular dragons. They have clawed feet, a long tail, two horns, bat-like wings and scales on their bodies. Most of them are red or orange in color. Though not necessary, the tails of many fire dragons are ablaze even when they are not breathing fire out of their mouths and nostrils. Fire-breathing dragons are also widely known for their fiery temperaments. Fire dragon stories also mention the adult dragon’s roar which is known to be powerful and heard from quite a distance. 

Now that you know more about fire dragons, what do you think - are they your favorite kind of dragons?