Humans and Dragons *contains spoilers for Liveship and Tawny Man books*

[Farseer]

Fascinating, isn't it?! That makes so much sense! I have always wondered why cultures the world over have invented dragons, even without any contact between them whatsoever.

Great addition to the thread, Chrischa! I did previously add some things about dragons in human history etc to my bearded dragon post but, as they seem to have disappeared, I will try and touch on it again...

I also think it's interesting that cultures throughout the world have invented dragons and it puts me in mind of (I love that saying...so Hobb-like !) the Fool. I think it was in AQ where he asked if Fitz believed in dragons or if he'd ever wondered how it was that Elderlings knew to create simulacra and other artworks in the forms of dragons if dragons had never existed in the world...that surely real-life dragons had been the inspiration for such imaginings.

I find that I tend to agree with this viewpoint (that all mythical creatures have their foundations in reality) even if dragons have only been made as an extension of, say, dinosaurs. In saying that, just because the remains of a true dragon-like creature have never been found, doesn't mean to say that they have never existed, just that there has never been anything unearthed to prove their existance .

Mason's ideas do make lots of sense and are wonderfully thought-provoking!! As far as the human mind depending on animals, it is well-known that a person can make significant improvements in their physical and mental health if exposed to a relationship with an animal/pet of some kind...that humans with an animal companion tend to experience happier, more fulfilling lives.

I could also see his point in how we would need to create something outside of ourselves to express our various fears, particularly with the example of aliens - love it!

As for rituals when killing animals, these have most likely been put in place mainly due to our history of animal sacrifice which was/is usually undertaken as part of a religious-type rite, as a way to appease gods etc. As far as I am aware though, the sacrificial rituals related to animal sacrifices DO still happen in many modern cultures and though it no longer forms a part of everyday life for most of society, rituals at the point of death are STILL an important part of some cultures when animals are slaughtered for the consumption of meat.

An example of this latter point would be Halal slaughter which takes place in many Australian abattoirs (and I imagine many other abattoirs throughout the world). During Halal slaughter (though I am by no means an expert!), the person conducting the stunning of the live animal is a trained slaughterman and the person undertaking the ritual slaughter is a Muslim slaughterman. The Muslim slaughterman chants a prayer as he severs the beast's windpipe and carotid artery and also each time there has been a break in the slaughtering process.