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Here be Dragons
Dragons are everywhere in the British countryside! They are woven into the folk history of villages and hamlets, they snarl from church decorations and they survive in mumming plays and other pageants. Tracing their remains, in whatever form they are to be found, is no only a fascinating pastime but a glimpse into how our rural forefathers thought and behaved, for dragons played the vital role of representing evil and destruction in the pantheon of the country dweller.
Ralph Whitlock has found almost 200 places in England, Scotland and Wales where there is evidence of a dragon tradition. He describes every one in a comprehensive Gazetteer, and also provides in his long introduction an examination of dragon legends throughout history and in other lands. He examines, too, the ways in which the Church made use of dragon lore to put across its ideas - an intriguing example of the meeting of pagan and Christian.
The text is illustrated by 59 engravings and photographs, and will be an important source for folklorists as well as providing hours of fascination for would-be dragon-hunters.
Ralph Whitlock has found almost 200 places in England, Scotland and Wales where there is evidence of a dragon tradition. He describes every one in a comprehensive Gazetteer, and also provides in his long introduction an examination of dragon legends throughout history and in other lands. He examines, too, the ways in which the Church made use of dragon lore to put across its ideas - an intriguing example of the meeting of pagan and Christian.
The text is illustrated by 59 engravings and photographs, and will be an important source for folklorists as well as providing hours of fascination for would-be dragon-hunters.
165 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1983
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February 16, 2026
It’s been a while but I got another book from Kickstarter! Illustrated by Rowyn Ellis, Here Be Dragons is a beautiful book that collates various dragon stories and carvings from across England.
Here Be Dragons opens with a substantial introduction to dragons, where they are found, and what they could possibly be. The introduction is wide-ranging and goes beyond England to talk about dragons in other parts of the world. The second, main part of the book contains a list of dragon stories and carvings organised by area. Some of the entries are a sentence, others are more substantial and relate myths and legends. I appreciated the fact that apart from the original illustrations by Rowyn Ellis, there were also many photos of the entries scattered throughout the book – I never would have guessed that some of the carvings were meant to depict dragons!
If you remember the Penguin Book of Dragons, this would be a great follow-up to it as it contains a lot more information about dragons in England. Another good companion book to this would be Hollow Places, which delves deeply into one of the entries in the book.
Honestly, I’m really happy with this! It’s a beautiful and surprisingly substantial book that I’m definitely going to enjoy going back to again and again.
This review was first posted at Eustea Reads - This review has photos of the books, including the drawings inside.
Here Be Dragons opens with a substantial introduction to dragons, where they are found, and what they could possibly be. The introduction is wide-ranging and goes beyond England to talk about dragons in other parts of the world. The second, main part of the book contains a list of dragon stories and carvings organised by area. Some of the entries are a sentence, others are more substantial and relate myths and legends. I appreciated the fact that apart from the original illustrations by Rowyn Ellis, there were also many photos of the entries scattered throughout the book – I never would have guessed that some of the carvings were meant to depict dragons!
If you remember the Penguin Book of Dragons, this would be a great follow-up to it as it contains a lot more information about dragons in England. Another good companion book to this would be Hollow Places, which delves deeply into one of the entries in the book.
Honestly, I’m really happy with this! It’s a beautiful and surprisingly substantial book that I’m definitely going to enjoy going back to again and again.
This review was first posted at Eustea Reads - This review has photos of the books, including the drawings inside.
Displaying 1 of 1 review