The Evolution of the Dragon

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Smith, Grafton Elliot, 1871-1937

Language:

English

Physical Description:

1 online resource : multiple file formats

Place of Publication:

Salt Lake City, UT : Project Gutenberg,

Summary:

"The Evolution of the Dragon" by G. Elliot Smith is a scholarly examination of ancient mythological and cultural developments, likely composed in the early 20th century. The work focuses on the complex origins of dragon myths, exploring their connections to ancient Egyptian practices, primarily mummification and the life-giving attributes of water. The author delves into wide-ranging topics, drawing correlations between various deities, myths, and cultural practices across civilizations. The opening of the work serves as an introduction to the author's lectures presented at the John Rylands Library, outlining his intent to weave together a narrative concerning the evolution of dragon mythology. Smith discusses the origins of significant cultural practices such as the burning of incense and libations, illustrating how they have far more intricate histories than commonly assumed. He posits that much of early civilization's religious and political structures stem from a combination of practical needs and the symbolic interpretation of life, death, and the natural world, setting the stage for a deeper investigation into the mythology of dragons and their significance in human culture. (This is an automatically generated summary.)

Contents:

Incense and libations

Dragons and rain gods

The birth of Aphrodite.

Credits:

Produced by Colin Bell, Dave Maddock and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file made using scans of public domain works at the University of Georgia.)

Notes:

Reading ease score: 56.0 (10th to 12th grade). Somewhat difficult to read.

Release date is 2007-07-10