Dragons and Beliefs

Sea snakes — aquatic cousins of dragons — were believed to have magical properties. The body of a dragon is a trophy in itself: Siegfried was assumed to have been made invulnerable by bathing in his dragon's blood, and Pliny the Elder, a scientist, believed that their skulls contained precious stones with special powers. The pearl in the throat of the Chinese lóng was supposed to bestow abundance as well as wisdom. Dragon eggs, dragon hearts and dragon scales abound in fantasy, especially in video games.