There are certain common symbols recognizable in most of the world's cultures, and the dragon is one of them. Yet, in different traditions it has acquired different connotations. Rachel Hajar writes in The World and I of the beliefs associated with the dragon. Today, we tend to dismiss mythical beasts as relics from a superstitious past. Yet, in modern fiction and art worldwide, dragons survive.
Myths are more than simple tales from a primitive past.
They are an important means of validating that our ways of governing and organizing ourselves are part of the natural order. Linking and incorporating a variety of perceptions and themes, myths can have multilayered meanings. Dragons figure prominently in recitals of the creation, maintenance, destruction, and restoration of cosmic order. Whether negative or positive, dragons remain potent symbols of nature beyond man's control. Besides reflecting the role of cosmic order in human affairs, there is another dimension to dragon lore, and that is our struggle to master the dark, demonic forces of our nature to attain harmony with our true inner self.