- Shopping Bag ( 0 items )
Other sellers (Paperback)
-
All (10) from $3.40
-
New (5) from $31.96
-
Used (5) from $3.40
More About This Textbook
Overview
From J.R.R. Tolkien's treasure-hoarding Smaug to the bright red beasts of the Chinese New Year's celebration, this magnificent, fire-breathing creature is ingrained in our culture. But where did the dragon originate? And how is it that people from Africa to China to America picture it the same?
An Instinct for Dragons is anthropologist David E Jones's account of his search for the mysterious birth of this ubiquitous monster. In a vast synthesis of art, mythology, history, and anthropology, Jones finds that the dragon is in fact a universal image. Not only does every culture in the world have a name for it smok in Polish, tatsu in Japanese, unktena in Cherokee but dragons everywhere share many of the same characteristics: multiple heads, talon-like claws, blazing breath.
Jones spans dragon lore from the Loch Ness monster to the Internet, as well as dragon inscriptions on cave walls, cliffs, and pots. His conclusion is stunning: not only is our fear and fascination with dragons a direct resultof the predators who threatened our evolution - eagles, leopards, and pythons - but humankind is essentially hardwired to believe in this creature.
Captivating and eloquent, An Instinct for Dragons decodes the ancient puzzle of the oldest and fiercest monster.
Editorial Reviews
Library Journal
Jones (anthropology, Univ. of Central Florida) contends that the dragon, a universal image of a creature that does not exist, is a direct result of the evolutionary process. Guided by the tenets of biocultural anthropology, Jones postulates that the dragon is a construct of the three predators that most threatened humankind in its infancy: the raptor, the snake, and the large cat. Allowing for the "cultural and individual artistic lenses" of world societies, Jones demonstrates the incredible similarities in the appearance and behavior of dragons in the lore and legend surrounding them. He examines the political and economic patterns that led to the sighting of dragons and their defeat by cultural heroes. While Jones's theory is just that, it is certainly interesting and convincingly presented, with numerous cultures cited. Recommended especially for academic libraries but also for school and public libraries with strong folklore collections.--Katherine Kaigler-Koenig, Ellis Sch., Pittsburgh, PA Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information.Product Details
Related Subjects
Table of Contents