Sunday, March 7, 2010

Day XCVII - Wyvern


Aggressive icon,
Medieval winged evil,
Dreadful Dragonet.


A distinct creature amongst the dragons of European legendary tradition, the Wyvern is a reptilian monster sometimes referred to as a 'Dragonet' due to the sense that they look like adolescent dragons. Identified by the beakish jaw, a pair of expansive wings and the fact that they only have a set of hind-legs (their wings act as forelimbs) Wyverns are cited as being very individual entities and are prominent in medieval bestiaries, heraldry and iconography. Said to be smaller but more actively aggressive than the average dragon, Wyverns can also be picked out thanks to their sharp, pointed tail (possibly poisonous) and their angular heads. Considered to inhabit cavern lairs just like conventional dragons, another distinctive feature of Wyvern nature is their lack of acute intelligence and thus it's believed that their treasure hoards are most likely to be filled with worthless junk rather than real valuables. Popular in the mythology of medieval Europe, the soaring serpentines were looked to as a symbol of strengthalchemical dabbling or as allegorical icons of Satan and the spread of pestilence. Altogether, Wyverns fly high as fantastic, enthralling mythical beings.

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