I have found myself thinking a lot about dragons lately. They seem to be very misunderstood creatures, or at least they are always a little bit incomplete in any account you can find. They range from Toothless to Smaug or Dragon Tales to Game of Thrones. They are either very whimsical or intrinsically violent and evil.
In Tolkien's writings, it is clear that dragons are fearful things, and they are powerful and old. Yet there seems to only be vague and few instances where they are described. Even their form is a bit disputed as the Ages pass by. They begin as Wyrms and then slowly build to large, imprssive winged creatures that leave people around the world in awe.
I suppose my conflict lies mostly with Smaug, seeing as he was the last known great dragon to inhabit the pages of Tolkien's books. It is suggested that there are still other dragons out there, but they wouldn't have the power to lay siege the same way. This leads me to wonder if perhaps we could stop looking at "serious"dragons (those that aren't intended for friendly children's shows) as villians. Yes, Smaug in particular was destructive and hoarded treasure for many years, but is that really much different from the Dwarves? It seems to me that in many cases it isn't WHAT wrong thing you are doing, but rather the scale of it. So that's why it's ok to start a war over one Arkenstone, but goodness forbid I should nap on a treasure for many years (this is mostly a joke/sarcasm)
In conclusion, I would love to see more dynamic and involved dragons in the world. I want them to have more complex aspirations than mountains of gold. I want an explanation behind their colors and anatomy. I want to be able to identify with them and cheer them on (like we do with Elves and Hobbits) even when they make poor choices #FreeSmaug
{Nienna}
2 comments:
Hi Nienna,
I love this post! I find that on most days I leave class with a mind full of thoughts, so I am glad you are sharing yours even if it is unrelated to what we talked about last class period!
It is true that dragons are all characterized differently depending on their author. Most of the time they are strong and powerful, but their personalities, habits, and intelligence vary greatly. One dragon that you forgot was Donkey's partner (named Dragon) from the Shrek movies. She starts out mean, guarding a treasure, and ready to kill but then falls in love, blushes, and takes care of her and Donkey's babies. I do see what you would be conflicted over Smaug's characterization and the way he is often perceived. He really isn't all that much different than the dwarves when it comes to his hoarding of treasure. I would love to see a more understood and concise perception of dragons as well! Thanks for sharing!
-Melian
Dragons are intrinsically evil in Tolkien’s work for several reasons. The first and foremost of these is the fact that they are not just another animal from the beginning of the world, but rather an abomination created/corrupted by Morgoth. They are like Trolls or Orcs in that they were made from the start as monsters and instruments of death and destruction. Glaurung is probably the most evil dragon character in Tolkien’s works (that I have read). The following reasons make him an antagonist:
1) He was created as the first dragon by Morgoth (as explained above).
2) He kills Elves and Dwarves in battle - the Dagor Bragollach and the Nirnaeth Arnoediad.
3) He destroys and inhabits Nargothrond (similar to Smaug with Erebor).
4) He causes destruction and ruin wherever he goes, fouling places once beautiful (the pools of Ivrin).
5) He manipulates the minds of the characters with horrible results (He holds Túrin entranced while the Orcs carry off the victims of Nargothrond; he makes Nienor forget who she is)
6) He poses a threat to the very existence of the settlements of Men such as Brethil (akin to Smaug and Laketown).
So you can see there is not just greed for treasure, but widespread destruction, threat of defeat, and worse a much deeper malice for tormenting Túrin and the other people of the First Age.
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