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"When dragons flew to war\u2026 everything burned. I do not wish to rule over a kingdom of ash and bone."\nDragons - the most compelling of mythical beasts - are one of the most vivid creations of all human imagination, and their enduring resonance is captivatingly displayed by their role in George R.R. Martin\u2019s House of the Dragon and Game of Thrones. But how did the legend of the dragon, prominent across the world, evolve into the modern incarnation embodied by Rhaenyra Targaryen\u2019s golden Syrax? And what is the difference between dragons, wyverns and wyrms, the traces of which persist in Damon\u2019s reptilian Caraxes?\xa0\nCanonical dragons are the realisation of four main traditions: the serpents of the Greco-Roman World, the fortune-bringers of the Chinese emperors, the demonic beasts of the Bible, and the greedy gold-hoarders of Norse mythology, as seen in the tale of Beowulf.\xa0\nThe most famous heir of this tradition is J.R.R. Tolkien\u2019s avaricious Smaug, but as in Tolkien\u2019s Middle Earth, the dragons in Martin\u2019s Westeros represent the dangers of uncontrolled power and humans\u2019 capacity to abuse it. Perhaps, then, they have long served as avatars for humanity\u2019s deepest fears about the world, with their manifestation in every age and culture tellingly symbolic\u2026.\n\nJoin Tom and Dominic as they interweave the many myths and traditions surrounding that most spectacular of beasts: the dragon, and trace its fascinating progression from the wingless creatures of early antiquity, to the mighty, complex creatures who fight for mastery of Westeros alongside their Targaryen riders, in George R.R. Martin's House of the Dragon.\xa0\n\n\nWatch House of the Dragon season 2 on Sky. Go to sky.com to find out more.\n\n\n\nTwitter:\n@TheRestHistory\n@holland_tom\n@dcsandbrook\n\nProducer: Theo Young-Smith\nAssistant Producer: Tabby Syrett\nExecutive Producers: Jack Davenport + Tony Pastor\nLearn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices