Dragons Of The World

Dragon's legendary cousin: Basilisk and Switzerland Scott No. 8, designed by Swiss graphic artist Adolf Flückiger (1894-1970), printed by photogravure (Courvoisier S.A.), and issued by Switzerland on March 11, 1971 to publicize the NABA National Postage Stamp Exhibition, held in Basel, June 4-13, Scott No. 527. The appearance of the basilisk is described as "like a cock with dragon's wings, the beak of an eagle and the tail of a lizard." The basilisk is the guardian creature and traditional symbol of Basel.

- nethryk

Wow, more fantastic posts in the topic! Welcome, Alexey, thanks for your wonderful postal items and photos depicting dragon history from Russia ans Scandinavia - beautiful Norse ships, please show us more! St George really inspired people from many parts of the world. Also more fascinating dragon images and items from BAYERN1kreuzer, this topic's "China expert" And great stamp images from nethryk as usual: fantastic contributions, thanks to all. In my "D&D" days, a basilisk would turn you to stone with its stare. Or something like that.

I want to tell you about some dragons - the cavalry: Dragoons - the name of the form of cavalry, able to operate on foot.
Word of dragoons is the first time in the XVI century: Marshall Brissak during the occupation of Piedmont in the years 1550-1560 put on the horses selected, the brave soldiers and gave this order called the "Dragoons" and used it for quick raids. But Dragoons fought on foot. There are several theories about the origin of the term "Dragoon": the name of a short rifle or a dragon was on the banner of these groups.
The first commander, who gave them to the present value of dragoons, was the Swedish King Gustavus Adolphus. In the 17th century dragoon regiments were all European armies. That's Dragoons of the Prussian army the mid-18th century:



But since the French dragoons looked at Napoleon:



In the Russian army for the first time they appeared in 1632 and consisted of European mercenaries. When Peter the Great, the dragoons were already the basis of the Russian cavalry, like this Russian dragoons appeared in the 18th century:



A characteristic feature of the dragoons was their ability to fight on foot, on my photo: Column Russian dragoons on the Borodino-field today:




On the post card can be clearly seen a bayonet on his belt from a Russian dragoon.



But by the 19th century in Russia and the dragoons were still strong cavalry, cuirassiers of equal status. They were the same as for cuirassiers helmet with a crest of horse hair and straight sword – palash (rus.), the weapon of heavy cavalry.

Here is an image of a stamp depicting a dragon's head from the Oseberg Viking longship, designed by Henry Welde, engraved by Knut Løkke-Sørensen, and issued by Norway on June 7, 1972, Scott No. 588, Facit No. 674.

- nethryk

Hi nethryk and Alexey - thanks for the great stamps and images, and another perspective on world dragons; now we have Oriental, European, and Nordic. I wonder if there are dragons in American, African, or Pacific mythology?

From Wikipedia about Dragoon:



Here is the challenge, Alexey: we need a stamp featuring a dragoon holding a "dragon's head" carbine...

It never gets old (for me, at least): Here is an image of a stamp depicting Saint George and the Dragon, designed by Swedish graphic artist Waldemar Bernhard (1890-1965) after a sculpture, Sankt Göran och Draken (1489), attributed to German painter and sculptor Bernt Notke (1435-1509), located in Storkyrkan (aka Stockholm Cathedral), engraved by Czeslaw Slania, and issued by Sweden on September 24, 1962, Scott No. 615, Facit No. 536, plus a photo of the sculpture.

- nethryk

And here are a few little DRAGONflies, these predators -- dragons among insects, beautiful stamps of Belarus

A Japan personalized stamp of a dragon.
Cut close but with personalized stamps where only 20 or so are made of each design sometimes,, you take what you can get.

I have a few dragons

Here's one from Canada in 2000, the previous Year of the Dragon:




And one from GB - where one is never far from dragons:



-Mary

Hi Puzzler, Tefloncinco and Mary - great dragons from around the world, and from literature! Thanks for posting.

(Off topic: can't wait to see The Hobbit film - or is it films - Martin Freeman is one of my favourite actors. I wonder how they will animate the dragon? I think there is a trend away from CGI these days.)

Here is an image of a New Years Greetings stamp depicting an Okinawan traditional dragon bingata cloth pattern, printed by photogravure, and issued by Ryukyu Islands on December 10, 1963, Scott No. 117.

- nethyrk

In ancient Greek mythology, Triptolemus, King of Eleusis, was a demigod associated with Demeter, the Greek goddess of the harvest. Demeter gave Triptolemus a chariot with winged dragons in which he traveled over the earth with seeds of wheat acquainting man with the blessings of agriculture. Here is an image of an airmail stamp depicting Triptolemus riding in his dragon-chariot, designed by "Biscinis" (per SG), engraved and printed by Thomas De La Rue & Co., Ltd., and issued by Greece on November 10, 1935, Scott No. C28.

- nethryk

A dragon fighting a leopard from the 1970 Polish set of 16th century tapestries in Wawel Castle.

People who want to see some amazing (and alas, expensive) dragon stamps should go to stamp auction network and look at the Scarsdale match & medicine sale lots 773-778 and the Rumsey sale lots 463-472. Those items will open a few eyes to those who have never seen them before.

http://stampauctionnetwork.com/y/y103030.cfm
http://stampauctionnetwork.com/sr/sr4824.cfm#54