With so many fantasy books through the last few decades focusing on dragons to some degree (and I'll even mention dear old Puff), dragons, lately, have gotten 'safe'. Even when they're burning up the whole world and leaving nothing but ash, they are known- and since we fear the unknown, dragons are just another monster to deal with.
So much, that they usually aren't monsters anymore. They're allies and mentors and friends.
We don't have that fear, that wonder- that fear-of-god awe that dragons used to inspire. "Here there be dragons"- the uknown at the edge of the map, the edge of the world. The creature the size of a mountain that could hunt down the roc and leviathan that might- oh fear!- might notice us.
Humans have filled in those edges of the map, and did our best to tame anything that could be called a dragon- and I think in doing so, we've lost our respect for anything unknown and greater than ourselves. Considering what we've done to the world, I think we still need that.
why do I not have a dragon icon?
So much, that they usually aren't monsters anymore. They're allies and mentors and friends.
We don't have that fear, that wonder- that fear-of-god awe that dragons used to inspire. "Here there be dragons"- the uknown at the edge of the map, the edge of the world. The creature the size of a mountain that could hunt down the roc and leviathan that might- oh fear!- might notice us.
Humans have filled in those edges of the map, and did our best to tame anything that could be called a dragon- and I think in doing so, we've lost our respect for anything unknown and greater than ourselves. Considering what we've done to the world, I think we still need that.
*snugz* Thank you for reminding me of it.