Heaven Dragon – Rio Rancho, New Mexico
From Norbert, the Norwegian Ridgeback of Harry Potter lore to Smaug, the greatest and most powerful of all dragons in The Hobbit, dragons are a familiar icon in modern literature, movies, music and pop culture. Dragons are symbols of fantasy, whimsy and magic, often representing ancient legends and far-off lands. They range from the malevolent, fiery tempered, scaly fire-breathers (insert your favorite mother-in-law reference here) to the affectionate benefactors of mankind. What could possibly explain the popularity of dragons? Could it be because dragons once existed? Stories of dragons are pervasive in such ancient cultures as the Chinese, Australian aborigines, Babylonians and Welsh. Ancient Chinese cosmogonists actually defined four types of dragons. The Heaven, Heavenly or Celestial Dragon (Tianlong) guarded…