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Celtic Dragons

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Dragons were an important part of Celtic lore and various types of dragon occur commonly in Celtic art.

The appeal of Celtic art is strong today and you can buy celtic dragon representations on posters, T-shirts and even jewelry.

Land & Water

The celts were highly attuned to the land and dragons were believed to influence the land, being connected with the rolling hills etc. Areas frequented by dragons were
believed to possess special power and regular dragon paths could become ley lines. There is a clear similarity here with the Chinese Feng Shui dragon.

As well as the earth, Celtic dragons were strongly associated with water. Many Celtic dragons are forms of sea serpent. They are often repesented as a huge winged serpent, however unlike many other other Western dragons they usually had no legs.

The Circle of Life

In Celtic art and legend dragons are often pictured with their tails in their mouths, similar to the Norse Jormungandr. This circular symbolism is believed to represent the cyclic nature of the world and immortality.

Power

Dragons are, of course, powerful creatures. The dragon was therefore often used as a symbol of power with the local chief. An example of this can be found in the name
Pendragon (most famously the king of England Uther Pendragon, father of King Arthur).

Irish Dragons

Dragons were extremely important in Irish mythology, however most of the legends were affected by the arrival of Christianity. Irish dragons were almost universally portrayed as evil satanic beasts and it is difficult to get to the original stories.

When Saint Patrick reached Ireland, according to Christian mythology, he began by ridding the country of snakes then went on to imprisoning the serpents and dragons.

One of the last dragons in Ireland was Paiste (Lig-na-Baste), a fire-breathing serpent from the beginning of time. He was still around when St Patrick died and was eventually subdued by the trickery of Saint Murrough. He still lives in the waters of Lough Foyle.

Celtic Dragons: Mythical Power Source

There is no more powerful symbol than Celtic dragons

To invoke such reverence from the Celts, who were one of the most fierce and rugged ethnic groups in ancient times, they must have been much more than just fire-breathing beasts.Although dragons are usually associated with Asia, these mythical creatures can be found in fairy tales and folklore all over the world, including Celtic Ireland.
In the secular world of Celtic chiefs and warriors, dragons are merely symbols of the power of the chief. Indeed the Celtic word for "chief" is Pendragon.
But in the esoteric world of spirituality, Celtic dragons represent much more...
What magical powers do these mysterious creatures possess that was so important that we can find tales including rituals of sacrifice to the mighty dragons?
According to Trevor Mendham of Dragonorama, "Dragons were an important part of Celtic lore. The Celts were highly attuned to the land and dragons were believed to influence the land.... Areas frequented by dragons were believed to possess special power."

Dragons have always been associated with the Power of the Land. Even today, in many esoteric rituals, people believe that invoking the "Eye of the Dragon" will increase their personal power. The ancient Druids believed the Earth itself was like the body of a dragon, and they built their sacred stone circles upon the "Power Nodes" of this body. They believed dragons connected us with the Earth's magnetism and healing waters.
Many of us have heard the mysteries of the "ley lines", especially in relation to the location of mystical sites such as Stonehenge and the site of many mysterious crop circles. What you may not know is that another way of saying "ley lines" is "Dragon lines".
In ancient Celtic Ireland, the "ley of the land" was not about the geographical, physical nature of one's surroundings. It had a much more powerful meaning than that.
To the ancient Celts, the "ley of the land" was a term describing how the Cosmic forces flowed through and influenced the area, as well as how the area itself affected those Cosmic forces. Dragons were thought to have a tremendous influence on the "ley of the land", hence the term "Dragon lines".
But far from the terrifying creatures we see in films, dragons were more than fire-breathing beasts with the power to destroy.
The Anglo-Saxon word "dragon" is derived from the Greek word meaning "to see clearly". They believed dragons had the gift of vision, wisdom, and prophecy. Dragons were considered the guardians of all knowledge and wisdom.
As Celtic artist Cari Buziak's design demonstrates, Celtic art often depicts Celtic dragons swallowing their tails in a never ending circle, symbolizing eternal life, much like the symbolism of knotwork and triskeles.
The dragons were revered like gods, believed to bring Earthly and Heavenly forces together. Celts believed dragons guarded the gate to both the Heavens and the Underworld.
As guardian spirits who protect the Earth and all living things, Celtic dragons are arguably the most powerful of all the Celtic symbols.