Get Access. Best Essays. The Development and Usage of Gas Warfare. Read More. Living in the World of Spirits. The Harlem Renaissance. Satisfactory Essays. The Hallyu Wave. Good Essays. How Writing Has Changed over the Centuries. The dragons of India and Ethiopia are more likely giant snakes that are truly non-toxic.
Komodo dragon have poison glands in their mouths, as well as large amounts of bacteria in their saliva, obtained from rotting meat. It was long believed that the bacteria cause blood infections in wounds, killing the prey.
While it is now known that the lizard's venom plays a more significant role in killing prey than bacteria, the myth of dragon fire may have emerged from the aforementioned belief. Parasitologists suspect that the Guinea worm Dracunculus medinensis , the vector of dracunculiasis, could be responsible for the description of " fiery serpent "s in the Bible. The parasite is a long and thin worm, entering a person's body through drinking water, which then manifests itself as worm-infested copepods in the larval stage.
The female worm can grow to 3 feet long. It travels under the surface of the skin, usually around the lower limbs. About a year later the female breaks the skin and emerges from the body, forming a painful, burning blister at the leg or foot.
The swelling leaves part of the worm exposed. To relieve himself of the intense burning sensation, the victim seeks the nearest water source often small ponds or wells, used in villages for bathing and drinking , where the parasite releases up to a milion larvae. The infected people experienced burning pains, which probably earned the Guinea worm its title of the "fiery serpent". Interestingly, the Latin genus of the worm, Dracunculus , means "little snake" or "little dragon".
A sea serpent expels blow. Whales release blow when emerging from the waters, which is water-enriched exhaled air. It looks like steam and could have been assumed by sailors as such. Some old illustrations show sea serpents that emit water or blow from the mouth or the blowhole. This is an obvious explaination for the occurance of dragon fire especially in the few cases of fire-breathing species of water dragons such as the Leviathan.
Yet another possible explanation would be Bioluminescence. It is the ability of an organism to chemically produce light, usually through bacteria. Jonathan Whitcomb suggested that the Bible's accounts of "fiery serpents" are based on bioluminescent animals, whose light was commonly associated with fire. This interpretation lead to the belief that fiery serpents could spit fire. According to Whitcomb, the animal this belief is based on is the Ropen, a cryptid pterosaur from Paupa-Neuguinea [17].
However, this explanation is higly unlikely for a couple of reasons. First, there are no bioluminescent animals except for the Ropen, whose existence would contradict itself and is thus very unlikely. Second, the translation "fiery serpent" is just one of several possible interpretations of the bible text Whitcomb is talking about.
The word for fiery, seraph , could also mean venomous , which is much more likely for a serpent. Also, seraph is a type of angel featured in the bible [18]. To breathe fire, an animal must be protected from its own flame. Dragons of fantasy are often even completely immune to fire.
In Dragon's World, it is theorised that the inside of a dragon's mouth is armored, to protect itself from its own flame. As a result, this combination of rock-grinding and intestinal gas storage creates the perfect conditions for fire-breathing. It can only help the victims of dragon raids to understand the physiological processes by which they spout flames from their mouths.
If the people of Berk in How to Train Your Dragon were better educated about this subject, perhaps they might have been able to protect their villages from being razed so often before Hiccup stepped in and made friends with Toothless, that is. Images courtesy of movies. Mayo Clinic staff. Search Why-Sci. Home What is Why-Sci Now how? Now how. Western dragons tend to be apocalyptic serpents that threaten to scorch anyone who happens upon the golden cache in their lairs, while Eastern dragons crackle with power gifted by the divine.
While their powers may vary, their temperaments do not. As the Monster Science video above explains, dragons tend to be a greedy, foul-tempered lot with flaming breath. Sure, a chosen few are tamed by fair maidens or innocent adolescents, but most? They'd just as soon cook you as be your pet. What makes dragons able to command fire in a way that the rest of the natural world cannot?
One theory playfully posited by paleontologist Henry Gee contends dragons harness oxygen, then create a spark — either with ingested rocks in their gizzard, or mineral coatings on their teeth — and create a high-pressure blast fueled by diethyl ether, a colorless, flammable organic compound.
The ability to master the flame made people commanders of the animal kingdom, keepers of glowing campfires and sizzling foodstuffs. But for the dragon, flames are an innate ability that people simply cannot replicate.
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