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Dragons of France
The dragons of France are mostly associated with water, usually dwelling in large caverns beneath various bodies of water. Usually the dragon tales regard to the kidnapping of children as food for the dragon. Other tales are those of dragon's stealing women to feed their hatchlings. Apparently the hatchlings could only be fed from the breast of a mortal woman.
Tarasque
One of the most well known of french dragons was the Tarasque. Covered in armor plated scales and walking on six legs, this beast breathed fire, ate men and beasts alike and was said to have cause great floods by whipping it's tail through the Rhone River. Common weapons couold not kill the beast and it was eventually subdued by a young girl named Martha who later became a saint. She used a cross to subdue the creature then cut off her braided hair and used her braids to tether the beast and brought it back to a village where the townsfolk prompty beat the beast to death. The town Tarascon is said to be named after the Tarasque.
Drac
Living in the river Rhone during the 13th century was a winged monster called Drac. Killing over 3,000 villagers and knights, this dragon aimed most of it's attacks at the village of Beaucaire. Dozens of armies undertook the campaign to slay this creature but none were successful.
One myth is that a young woman was taken by the dragon to care for her hatchlings. She was under a spell that made her forget her mortal life for seven years as she cared for the hatchlings. She and all mortals were unable to see the dragon unless the dragon wanted them to. But while the woman was rubbing a dragon cream on the hatchlings under her care she got some in her eye causing her to be gifted with draconic sight and she was able to see the dragon. After being returned to her village after the seven years the woman tried to warn the townspeople of the dragon but they did not believe her. When the dragon discovered that the woman could see her she returned and ripped out the woman's eye so that her prescence could no longer be revealed.
Early french and germanic histories tell of the fights and campaigns against this dragon, Ocino, Ragnarold, and Umberto of Guineve all attempted to kill this dragon. Unfortunately they were unsuccessful and it is supposed that this dragon died of old age.
Gargouille
The River Seine also had its own fire-breathing monster that attacked the town of Rouen and comsuming beasts and man alike. It was killed in the 7th century by St. Romanus, the archbishop of Rouen.
Melusine
One of the most well known dragon myths is that of Melusine. Melusine was a dragon that took on the form of a beautiful human maiden who eventually married Count Anjou and lived happily with him and bore him children. Unfortunately the townspeople found out and wished to destroy her and so she shifted back to her draconic form and taking her children she flew away.
Vouivre
High in the Alpin regions of France dwelled this dragon named Vouivre. A quite beautiful dragon, it's scales sparkled like diamonds and it wore a crown decorated in pearls. In the center of its head was an enormous red ruby that served as it's only eye. The gem was so bright and luminous that it looked as if the dragon was surrounded by fire as it flew through the night sky.
The dragon lived in the mountainous ruins of an old abbey and was invulnerable to attack except for one night a year. It is said on that one night that the dragon would fly to a stream of a lake and remove the gem from it's forhead thereby rendering it blind as it entered the waters to bathe.
Pagan beliefs held the dragons as creatures of the elements, beings that worked with the forces of nature. As Christianity appeared it turned those beliefs. Dragons instead of being creatures that lived as many animals do were now creatures of evil and in league with the forces of Satan. Perhaps the dragons of France have fled to the highest reaches to escape persecution from those that would not understand or perhaps they lie sleeping in their watery caves waiting for a chance to take to the air once more as great beasts of mystery and magnificence.
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(Information provided by Time Life Books:Mysteries of the Unknown, Transformations 1989, Baring-Gould: The book of Werewolves,Cohen, Daniel: Werewolves,Daniel Cohen Douglas, Adam: Beast Within, Adam, Douglas Otten, Charlotte: Lycanthropy Reader: Werewolves In Western Culture, Pijoan, Teresa: White Wolf Woman and other native America transformation myths.
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