Re: First Dragons as shapeshifters story?

From	David Johnston <Davidjohnston29@yahoo.com>
Newsgroups	rec.arts.sf.written
Subject	Re: First Dragons as shapeshifters story?
Date	2016-10-17 02:49 -0600
Organization	A noiseless patient Spider
Message-ID	<nu23am$giv$1@dont-email.me> (permalink)
References	<e6in9kFgpkqU1@mid.individual.net> <055f4d44-ef24-4a23-a1d7-9e47e5f30d88@googlegroups.com>

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On 10/17/2016 12:51 AM, Robert Carnegie wrote:
> On Monday, 17 October 2016 02:19:59 UTC+1, Ted Nolan <tednolan>  wrote:
>> Of course, dragons have been in fantasy forever, but what whas the
>> first story to use the current "dragons can take human form" trope?
>>
>> The first that comes to mind is C.E. Murphy's "Negotiator" series,
>> but that was 2007, and I'm sure it predates that.  I think it postdates
>> Dickson's "Dragon & George" books though and that was 1976..
>
> I think it's normal in Chinese tradition - _Journey to the West_
> for instance - but I'm not sure.  I suppose that "western"
> dragons are more "dangerous animal" originally than
> "magical being" - but, no, hang on, aren't some of those
> the children of Greek / Roman / Norse gods?
> Indeed <http://www.dragonsinn.net/middle_east4b.htm>
> offers "Famous Babylonian Dragons" which apparently
> are
> the gods.  And fought almost like Kilkenny cats.
> Or rather like _Highlander_; one left.
>

Middle Eastern "dragons" are actually quite distinct from both western 
and eastern dragons.

Thread

First Dragons as shapeshifters story? ted@loft.tnolan.com (Ted Nolan <tednolan>) - 2016-10-17 01:19 +0000
  Re: First Dragons as shapeshifters story? David Johnston <Davidjohnston29@yahoo.com> - 2016-10-16 19:38 -0600
  Re: First Dragons as shapeshifters story? Ahasuerus <ahasuerus@email.com> - 2016-10-16 18:44 -0700
  Re: First Dragons as shapeshifters story? hamish.laws@gmail.com - 2016-10-16 18:45 -0700
    Re: First Dragons as shapeshifters story? Kay Shapero <kay@invalid.net> - 2016-10-16 20:11 -0700
      Re: First Dragons as shapeshifters story? Moriarty <blues95@ivillage.com> - 2016-10-16 20:30 -0700
  Re: First Dragons as shapeshifters story? wollman@bimajority.org (Garrett Wollman) - 2016-10-17 02:00 +0000
  Re: First Dragons as shapeshifters story? Lynn McGuire <lynnmcguire5@gmail.com> - 2016-10-16 21:28 -0500
    Re: First Dragons as shapeshifters story? hamish.laws@gmail.com - 2016-10-16 19:37 -0700
  Re: First Dragons as shapeshifters story? Moriarty <blues95@ivillage.com> - 2016-10-16 19:59 -0700
  Re: First Dragons as shapeshifters story? Butch Malahide <fred.galvin@gmail.com> - 2016-10-16 22:00 -0700
    Re: First Dragons as shapeshifters story? Don Kuenz <g@crcomp.net> - 2016-10-17 13:48 +0000
  Re: First Dragons as shapeshifters story? Quadibloc <jsavard@ecn.ab.ca> - 2016-10-16 22:50 -0700
  Re: First Dragons as shapeshifters story? Robert Carnegie <rja.carnegie@excite.com> - 2016-10-16 23:51 -0700
    Re: First Dragons as shapeshifters story? Quadibloc <jsavard@ecn.ab.ca> - 2016-10-17 00:10 -0700
    Re: First Dragons as shapeshifters story? Robert Carnegie <rja.carnegie@excite.com> - 2016-10-17 00:11 -0700
    Re: First Dragons as shapeshifters story? David Johnston <Davidjohnston29@yahoo.com> - 2016-10-17 02:49 -0600
  Re: First Dragons as shapeshifters story? Robert Carnegie <rja.carnegie@excite.com> - 2016-10-17 14:31 -0700
    Re: First Dragons as shapeshifters story? David Johnston <Davidjohnston29@yahoo.com> - 2016-10-17 15:49 -0600
      Re: First Dragons as shapeshifters story? Robert Carnegie <rja.carnegie@excite.com> - 2016-10-18 11:14 -0700
        Re: First Dragons as shapeshifters story? ted@loft.tnolan.com (Ted Nolan <tednolan>) - 2016-10-18 19:56 +0000
          Re: First Dragons as shapeshifters story? Robert Carnegie <rja.carnegie@excite.com> - 2016-10-18 14:31 -0700
          Re: First Dragons as shapeshifters story? Ahasuerus <ahasuerus@email.com> - 2016-10-18 16:21 -0700
      Re: First Dragons as shapeshifters story? Lynn McGuire <lynnmcguire5@gmail.com> - 2016-10-18 15:05 -0500
        Re: First Dragons as shapeshifters story? David Johnston <Davidjohnston29@yahoo.com> - 2016-10-18 14:40 -0600

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