09/12/2025
The new issue of “Anthropos” (120/2: 2025) is about to be published. You will find here the article by Micheal T. Michael titled “Beyond Origins. The Case for a Multiperspectival Approach to the Study of Dragons.” Robert Blust (2000) argues, the author says, that the origin of dragons can be traced back to myths of rainbow serpents, which, in turn, emerged from our ancestors’ construal of rainbows as serpents in flight. In his view, Blust’s theory effectively answers the question of the origin of dragons. However, Michael contends that it does not fully address the question of why dragons are universal, as it falls short of providing a comprehensive explanation for the enduring and widespread prevalence of dragon stories throughout history. He argues that this question cannot be settled by a unitary answer. Instead, a multifaceted approach is necessary, encompassing at least three different kinds of explanation: naturalistic (as exemplified by Blust), cultural, and psychodynamic. The last of these categories may be the most controversial, but, as Micheal argues, it is likely the most important.
(Pic. 2 does not belong to the article. Source: https://shop.fish.asn.au/blogs/news/rainbow-serpent-art-traditional-and-contemporary-interpretations?srsltid=AfmBOoqQeA5tkciiiaES_mTbgSiRb_hQfgWA2_TsrqPaSRqZuctU2dwf).
