Here be Dragons!

Dragons occur in myths from all around the world.  Some are concerned with the creation of the universe e.g. the biblical account of creation.  The words serpent and dragon are often used interchangeably. In the Bible dragons (or Leviathan) represent evil or the devil e.g. in the Book of Revelation.

Dragons were usually aggressive solitary creatures, which lived in caves, marshes or lakes or on hilltops.  They ate livestock and people.

Saints who were also dragon slayers include St Michael, St George, St Carantoc, St Margaret, St Petroc and St Dubricius.  The parish church in Porlock is dedicated to St Dubricius.   In Somerset dragons were also slain by a bishop, a knight, a landowner, a woodman and local villagers.

Somerset has more dragon legends that most British counties.  The stories were handed down through the generations and some have undoubtedly been lost.  

Most of the legends involve people killing dragons:

1. Norton Fitzwarren: a dragon lived on the Iron Age hillfort and was killed by a local man called Fulk Fitzwarin
2. Carhampton: a Celtic saint named St Carantoc defeated a dragon which lived on the marshes.
3. Bicknoller: there is a legend that a dying dragon will try and reach the sea, which is why there is a Dragon's Cross at Bilbrook.
4. Shervage Wood: the Gurt Wurm or Great Worm was cut in half by a woodman from Stogumber.  One part ran to Bilbrook and the other to Kingston St Mary.
5. Kingston St Mary: a dragon lived nearby and breathed out flames, which it used to cook its animal and human victims.  A villager rolled a large stone down a hill into its mouth and killed it.
6. Churchstanton: a dragon was slain by a valiant knight.
7. Castle Neroche: a dragon stole treasure from passing travellers but it was eventually drowned by local villagers.
8. Aller: there are several versions of the story.  One is that John Aller killed a dragon with a spear.
9. Dulcote: a dragon with the face of a woman was terrorising the area.  It was slain with a sacred sword from Glastonbury by Bishop Jocelyn of Wells. 
10. Kilve: a dragon called Blue Ben went into the sea to cool off but got stuck in the mud and drowned when the tide came in.

There are physical representations of dragons still in existence in Somerset from the 8th or 9th centuries to the present day.  Many dragons are to be found on or in churches.  The reasons for this may be any or all of the following:

1. To ward off evil spirits
2. To illustrate local legends
3. To illustrate the lives of the saints who were involved with dragons
4. Purely decorative
5. To represent the victory of Christianity over Paganism.

There are many different types of dragons:

1. Dragon: this has four legs, wings and a long tail
2. Wyvern: this has legs and wings but no arms
3. Cockatrice or basilisk: - this has the head and legs of a cockerel with the tail of a dragon. Cockatrices were small, dangerous and lived in underground holes.
4. Great Worm or Flying Serpent
5. Amphisbaena: this has two heads
6. Ouroboros: this is a dragon biting its own tail
7. Multi-Headed Dragon
8. Arachnidraco: this has the head of a dragon on an elongated neck, a body with 2 legs and a venomous stinging barb at the tip of its tail.
9. Sea dragon/serpent
10. Facie Humanusdraco: this has the face of a human (usually a woman) but the body of a dragon.

A dragon was adopted by Somerset County Council as its symbol in 1906.  It was officially registered in 1911 when a coat of arms was granted to the County Council.  Somerset County Council's dragon is a red dragon rampant holding an upright blue mace in its forelegs on a gold background.

 Wyvern Mosaic, Magdalen Lane, Taunton

Somerset County Cricket Ground, Taunton

 Flying dragon on a house in Mill Street, Watchet

By 2020 the Watchet dragon had been joined by a friend made from willow

Dragon on one of Wiveliscombe's "Totem Poles"

Taunton Library's dragon

Dragon slaying at East Stoke Church  

This is one of the earliest representations of a dragon slaying in Britain.  It is possibly Saxon but the identity of the dragon slayer is not clear.  It is thought that it is not St Michael, as he is always depicted with wings and it is too early to be St George.

Nettlebridge - dragon door hinges

Kingston St Mary Seat

Queen's College, Taunton

King's Arms, Staplegrove Road, Taunton

Dragon at Runnington

Runnington's only dragon?

Dragon on a shield at North Cadbury Church

Two headed dragon at Crowcombe Church

Dragon slaying at Hatch Beauchamp Church

Hatch Beauchamp - this dragon appears to be defecating!

Dragon Slaying, Hatch Beauchamp

Amphisbaena or two headed dragon on a bench end in East Brent Church

Many thanks to Hazel and Jacob for finding the bench and taking this photo for me.

  

 Dragons guarding County Hall in Taunton

 Traditional Somerset County Council Dragon

Modern Somerset County Council Dragon, Taunton Library

Green Dragon Pub, South Street, Wellington

Dragons on the entrance doors to St Barnabas Church, Queen Camel

Sea serpents on the font at St Barnabas Church, Queen Camel

Cockatrice

Bench end, St Michael's Church, North Cadbury

This may be dragons hatching from eggs or possibly just two snails!

Bench end, St Michael's Church, North Cadbury

St Margaret escaping from a dragon

Bench end, St Michael's Church, North Cadbury

Dragon Slaying on a Misericord, Wells Cathedral

St George killing a dragon

Bench end in St George's Church, Dunster

St Michael killing a dragon:

Bench end in St George's Church, Dunster

St George and a dragon, pulpit at St George's Church, Dunster

Two amphisbaena dragons

Church of St Peter and St Paul, Churchstanton

This used to be a bench end but is now mounted on the front of the gallery

Dragon on a bench end at All Saints' Church, Alford

Wyvern on a stained glass window at All Saints' Church, Alford

Dragon weathervane on Kingston St Mary Village Hall

St George slaying a dragon in the middle of the war memorial in Crowcombe Parish Church

Dragon on the Norton Fitzwarren Village Sign

Close up of the Norton Fitzwarren Dragon

Green Dragon Pub at Combe St Nicholas

Green Dragon sculpture outside the Green Dragon Pub at Combe St Nicholas

St George and the Dragon on the noticeboard of St George's Church, Dunster

Dragon living in the Carpet Warehouse, Priory Bridge Road, Taunton

Golden dragon at Bridgwater and Taunton College

Wyvern - emblem of Queen's College, Taunton

Dragon mosaic on the side of Aller Village Hall

Somerset County Council's dragon on the Silk Mills Bridge in Taunton, which was opened in 2005 and built to replace a level crossing

The name of the Green Dragon pub in The Square, Wiveliscombe was changed to the White Hart in 1807

Plaque on the former George Inn, West Street, Wiveliscombe

Dragon on the stairs of the Bishop's Palace, Wells

Sleeping dragon in the gardens of the Bishop's Palace, Wells

Willow dragon by the River Exe at Exford

Dragon on the wrought iron gate at one of the entrances to the Orchard Shopping Centre, Taunton

Topiary dragon in the gardens of Dunster Castle

St George and the Dragon - stained glass window in St Decuman's Church, Watchet

Somerset County Council Dragon, County Hall, Taunton

Taunton's newest dragon, High Street, Taunton

This wooden dragon was unveiled on 11th February 2023 by the Mayor of Taunton, Councillor Sue Lees and the Chair of Somerset West and Taunton Council, Councillor Hazel Prior-Sankey.  It was created by local chainsaw artist Matthew Crabb from durable cedar and is 4 metres high.  It is located where two trees used to grow.  They had to be felled when they outgrew their brick planters. It was commissioned by Somerset West and Taunton Council  and is intended to be a legacy for them before the creation of the new unitary Somerset Council on 1st April 2023.

Taunton Dragon

Taunton Dragon

"Proud Heritage" Dragon from the 2014 Taunton Dragon Trail

He is currently residing in Norton Fitzwarren Village Hall, on loan from Dave Durdan, who was Mayor of Taunton Deane in 2014.

Dragon on the pulpit in St Mary Magdalene's Church, Exford

Somerset County Council Dragon on the Somerset Heritage Centre at Norton Fitzwarren

The names of all the parishes in Somerset are written on him in very small print.

Wooden carving of the Gurt Wurm, Shevage Wood

Pairs of carved wooden dragons on the beams of the nave roof of St Michael's Church in Somerton

Sundial with a dragon in the centre, Lady Smith Institute, Somerton