Dragons,
Mythology, and Romance
by Nancy Lee Badger for History Undressed
I
love dragons. Who doesn’t? Whether you consider them an extinct species, or
mythological hokum, there is mystery to dragons that make them work in a
paranormal romance novel. They fill books and songs, have been immortalized in
paintings, and their stories have been passed down through folklore. I have
written several books where one of my main characters is a Scottish dragon in
human form. Some have chosen to change into a human while others transform into
a dragon unwillingly.
If you were to open a dictionary, you might see
dragons described as mythical monsters that are traditionally represented as great in
size, having a lion’s claws and serpent tales. They usually have wings, some
have horns, and all are covered by scales. Of course, the word ‘dragon’ is
sometimes used to describe a fiercely vigilant or intractable person, or any of
various lizards, such as the Komodo dragon, or a flying lizard. Representations
of dragons appear in normal life since many countries have adopted them on
their flags, coins, statues, and other decorations.
Why
choose dragons when I could have just as easily wrote about shape-shifting
wolves or cheetahs? We know wolves and big cats are real animals, and people
would most likely relate to them more than to dragons, but I like that dragons
are naturally surrounded by mystery. Who are we to say they do not exist? This
possibility intrigued me. Unicorns give me the same warm feelings, since I love
horses, but I focused on dragons. Maybe a story filled with unicorns will pop
into my head next!
DRAGON Bites, my collection of several
Scottish dragon tales, includes Dragon’s Curse, the story of Draco
and Brianna. I searched maps and the internet for an island that would suit my
story. When I came across a video of Staffa, near the island of Mull, I saw a
huge cave. This cave has been the subject of paintings, and I immediately felt
it would be the perfect place for my hero to hide when in his dragon form.
In
Southern
Fried Dragon, I chose my story’s setting after I visited Fort Sumter in
Charleston Harbor, down in coastal South Carolina. Why couldn’t my heroine be a
Scottish dragon looking for love among a fort filled with soldiers while hiding
from a rogue dragon?
While
researching stories about dragons for these stories, I came across a listing of
Loch Ness. Folk lore says that the Loch Ness monster is a dragon? I was very
surprised since I always thought it might be a trapped dinosaur. The idea
formed into my award-winning short story, Dragon in the Mist. All three of
these stories are available individually in ebook form, but I recently bundled
them into one book that is also available in print.
You
can find more about dragons in books such as:
DRAGONS by Jonathan Evans
You can find information
on dragons at websites such as:
BOOK BLURB:
Dragon Bites
This
is a collection of three novellas. DRAGON’S CURSE, set on the Scottish island
of Staffa in the late 16th century, features a young man cursed to transform
into dragon at inopportune times and the woman he protects. SOUTHERN FRIED
DRAGON pairs a Scottish dragon-turned woman and a federal soldier at Ft. Sumter
on the eve of Civil War. DRAGON IN THE MIST is a contemporary love story on the
shores of Loch Ness.
More
About Nancy Lee Badger
She loves
chocolate-chip shortbread, wool plaids wrapped around the trim waist of a
Scottish Highlander, the clang of broadswords, and the sound of bagpipes in the
air. After growing up in Huntington, New York, and raising two handsome sons in
New Hampshire, she moved to North Carolina where she writes full-time. Nancy is
a member of Romance Writers of America, Heart of Carolina Romance Writers,
Fantasy-Futuristic & Paranormal Romance Writers, Triangle Area Freelancers,
and the Celtic Heart Romance Writers.
Connect with
Nancy:
DRAGON Bites, a 3book Collection of Dragon Tales
WIN
your own piece of dragon art: Nancy is giving away this beautiful double-sided
window sticker created by Jen Delyth to one person who leaves a comment. Please
include your contact info. Winner will be chosen Friday Oct. 18th.
6 comments:
Keep up these wonderful, informative discussions of dragons and their mythical status. I am sitting down tonight and reading your latest book, Dragon Bites.
Thanks for sharing the research on dragons. Helen
Loved the wonderful post on dragons. I love dragons, and I think there may be some hiding out there somewhere...
tiger-chick-1(at)hotmail(dot)com
Who is to say there isn't a dragon hidden away on some forgotten island or corner of our world? Like you Emily, I am hopeful, and a bit of the romantic.
I love dragons too... especially if they are hot shapeshifter dragons.. yummy!
Nikola
nformby1216@gmail.com
Thanks everyone for entering the contest!!! The winner is... BlondieNKF!
Post a Comment