The World History of Dragons

Why did ancient civilizations, on every inhabited continent at different points in history independently decide the world was run by a giant scaled lizard? This week we break down humanity’s ultimate shared mythological trip—from our primate brains mashing big cats, raptors, and venomous snakes into an evolutionary super-predator, to the massive cultural clash between European knights stabbing subterranean gold-hoarders and Chinese emperors deifying benevolent, rain-summoning weather lords. Along the way, we explore ancient apothecaries grinding up dinosaur "dragon bones," Chinese magistrates roasting wooden water gods in the sun to end droughts, and the war between fantasy authors and modern Hollywood over how many legs a dragon is actually allowed to have. So strap yourself onto Falcor and prepare to get Historically High on Dragons. Patreon: patreon.com/HistoricallyHigh (bonus content, trivia, and perks) Instagram: @historicallyhighpod X / Twitter: @Historicallyhi Listen & Watch: Available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, Amazon Music, or wherever you listen Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.