Disclaimer: Below is meant to be a lighthearted, quirky read, with reader's mind voice. “The dragon flies off from King’s Landing, carrying the dead Daenerys to the East.” Yes, this story starts with a spoiler. DROGON is the most recent dragon many of us have seen, thanks to Game of Thrones. But did dragons actually exist on Earth? Do we have any evidence? Is it true that the Indian epic Ramayana includes stories about dragons? Which countries have a history involving dragons? And, who or what killed them? (No, not the Night King…) Let’s dive into the Ramayana. In the Thai version of the epic, there’s a reference to a sea dragon. While Hanuman (Reader’s mind voice: “One mythological figure per day, please!”) was building a stone bridge to cross the sea to Lanka, he realized the job was taking longer than expected. When he jumped into the sea, he discovered a sea dragon gobbling up the stones. (Reader’s mind voice: “Wait, a sea dragon that eats stones?”) Hanuman defeated it by opening its mouth and continued building the bridge. According to the story, Hanuman believed Ravana had sent the dragon to stop the construction. Dragons also appear in the Bible, where they’re often portrayed as evil creatures. In some Christian texts, they’re described as fire-breathing, child-eating, ten-horned representations of Satan. (Reader’s mind voice: “As if this guy has read the Bible…”) Speaking of “ten heads,” this reminds me of Ravana, which makes Hanuman’s assumption about the dragon make sense. Maybe Ravana and the dragon were, after all, related! Seems like the Bible backs Hanuman’s theory. In the West, dragons are seen as symbols of evil, fire-breathing monsters. But in China? They’re viewed completely differently. (No, not just because it’s “the East.”) In Chinese culture, dragons represent fortune, power, and god-like qualities. Fun fact: Bhutan, one of our neighboring countries, even has a dragon on its flag. The name Bhutan in Tibeto-Burman langauge means “Land of the Thunder Dragon.” So, how did dragons go extinct? Actually, they never did. They never existed in the first place. (Reader’s mind voice: “Wait, what? Then why did I just read all this?”) If dragons are mythological, what do we call the books that claim they existed? Storybooks? Comic books? No. We call them holy texts and epics. So, if you believe in those texts, should you believe in dragons too? Does that mean people who don’t believe in dragons are atheists, and those who do are theists? Where do you stand? Well, looks like the Chinese were right—dragons really are god-like creatures! Thanks for reading! And for those who skipped to the end… I curse you to be fire-bathed by a dragon ;) Regards, Gowtham