BBC Radio 4's In Our Time never disappoints and today I am listening to an exploration of Dragons.*
"Melvyn Bragg and guests explore dragons, literally and symbolically potent creatures that have appeared in many different guises in countries and cultures around the world.
Sometimes compared to snakes, alligators, lions and even dinosaurs, dragons have appeared on clay tablets in ancient Mesopotamia, in the Chinese zodiac, in the guise of the devil in Christian religious texts and in the national symbolism of the countries of England and Wales.
They are often portrayed as terrifying but sometimes appear as sacred and even benign creatures, and they continue to populate our cultural fantasies through blockbuster films, TV series and children’s books.
With: Kelsey Granger, Post Doctoral Researcher in Chinese History at the University of Edinburgh, Daniel Ogden, Professor of Ancient History at the University of Exeter and Juliette Wood, Associate Lecturer in the School of Welsh at the University of Wales.
Producer: Eliane Glaser"
Location; BBC Radio 4
Picture; Doris the Dragon or Doris the Dinosaur, 2020, from the collection of Andrew Simpson
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