dragon | Live Pterosaur

January 15, 2013January 2, 2014

Modern Flying Dragons

Cover of a nonfiction paleontology book about pterosaurs and their fossils

How do flying dragons relate to pterosaurs? Old stories and ancient history—those contain the word “dragon,” and some of the accounts involve large creatures that fly, and sometimes those flying creatures resemble pterosaurs, at least to some extent.

Peter Wellnhofer works at the Bavarian State Collection for Palaeontology and Geology in Munich, a research institute. He is recognized as the foremost pterosaur-fossil expert in the world. I mention this to illustrate the depth of the pterosaur-extinction assumption, that it is not confined to common paleontologists. It seems like all of them assume universal extinction.

I also mention Peter Wellnhofer because of what he wrote in his book, The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Pterosaurs, regarding old records about flying dragons. I am fortunate to own a copy of his book.

The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Pterosaurs

Published by Salamander Books, Ltd., in 1991

Large hardback, 192 pages

In general I highly recommend this book as a reference to fossil discoveries of pterosaurs and what has been learned about these amazing flying creatures of the past. I do not, however, feel any need to adopt his assumption about universal extinction of pterosaurs or to adopt his assumption about many millions of years of age for the fossils.

Today I read an interesting proposition in this paleontology book:

“Dragons of the Myths”

If we pursue the history of the investigation of pterosaurs, the flying saurians of prehistoric times, there is a natural link in our minds with the myths and legends of dragons. . . .

For 16th and 17th century scholars dragons were still a reality. For example, in the Schlanganbuch (Snake Book) by the famous Swiss naturalist and town doctor Conrad Gessner, dating from 1589, there is a chapter called “Von den Tracken,” in which he describes and illustrates various dragons.

He also describes a battle between a Swiss called Winkelreid and a dragon which took place near the Swiss village of Wyler. The scholarly Jesuit father Athanasius Kircher provided a picture of this fight in his great work on natural history Mundus Subterraneus (The World Below the Earth) in 1678. According to this the dragon had a long neck and tail, four legs, and wings.

The Viennese paleontologist Othenio Abel suggested in this context that the drawing could have been based on fossil reptile finds, possibly long necked plesiosaurs from the Jurassic strata of Wurttemberg.

At a time when even naturalists believed in fabulous creatures and monsters, the discovery of fossil bones and remains of skeletons in caves must have reinforced ideas of dragons. Old names like Dragon’s Cave, Dragon’s Rock, or Dragon’s Stone still occur on modern maps.

I agree with Wellnhofer that we naturally have a tendency to connect pterosaur fossils with dragon legends. But unless he neglected to mention important evidence, he is speculating about fossil discoveries reinforcing belief in dragon stories. Even if there is some truth to that, it would not explain the dragon stories themselves.

He mentions a few geographic names that might have been related to ancient fossil discoveries, but he mentioned nothing about the many geographic names that contain nothing like “rock” or “stone” but do contain references to encounters with living creatures.

Wellnhofer also mentioned nothing about reports of strange flying creatures much earlier in history than the 16th and 17th centuries and more recently, such as from 1890 to the present. Those many accounts could have taken up many pages of his book, rather than just the few paragraphs that he chose to dedicate to dragons.

But writing extensively about sightings of pterosaur-like flying creatures would be expected of a nonfiction cryptozoology book, not a paleontology book. Nevertheless, this line of thinking brings up a question: Was Wellnhofer’s choices (in writing these few paragraphs about dragons) greatly influenced by the dogma of universal extinction of all species of pterosaurs? Since the book in general appears to have been written entirely within that paradigm, I suggest those few paragraphs were also written within it. Anyone desiring to gain much knowledge and understanding of dragon legends, and how they might relate to extant pterosaurs, needs to research in other books.

If significant truth lives in even just one of the old legends or stories of flying dragons, the intelligent and objective researcher will need to search further than in the brief writings of those who assume modern flying dragons could never have existed. My advice? Search!

The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Pterosaurs, by Peter Wellnhofer

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Pterosaurs, or Flying Dragons, in California

News headlines in an 1891 newspaper included:

PTERODACTYLS

Sport Gunning for Dragons Near Fresno

Two Screaming Dragons Snap Their Jaws . . .

Flying Creature Sightings in Georgia

Cooler weather does not mean pterosaur sightings come to a halt, for they continue. This past Wednesday, January 2, 2013, I received an email from an eyewitness in Missouri. The sighting was not old: “about 45 minutes ago.”

Live Pterosaur in Georgia?

Reports of living “pterodactyls” in Georgia . . . probably relate to sightings of some flying creatures in South Carolina and Florida, according to author Jonathan Whitcomb . . .

July 21, 2012July 24, 2012

Do Dragons Exhale Fire?

cartoon image of a winged dragon breathing fire

Flying dragons that spew fire and speak English (or any other human language)—those creatures are fictional. But pterosaurs of various species lived in abundance, at some time in the past. The long-tailed varieties, called “basal” or “Rhamphorhynchoid,” could have been called “dragons” in earlier human history. The only requirement is that pterosaurs lived at the time of humans in earlier history.

We now know that those long-tailed flying creatures did live in earlier human history. How do we know? Because those creature live in the present, and they did not sprout from time tunnels to get here: They surely hatched from eggs laid by the previous generation, and so on.

From recent eyewitness testimonies, from around the world, these flying creatures are nothing other than long-tailed pterosaurs. But how could they be related to old legends about large creatures that breath fire? That requires an explanation.

Bird from Hell

In the second edition of the nonfiction cryptozoology book Bird from Hell, the author, Gerald McIsaac, tells us the story of a girl from Kwadacha, in Northern British Columbia, Canada, on a winter night:

[The author’s friend] saw some movement in the shadows and assumed that it was one of the boys spying on her. . . . She believed in facing trouble head on. . . . she charged over to the misguided soul who was irritating her.

As soon as she got close, she realized her mistake. It was not one of the boys, but it was her worst nightmare, a devil bird. She realized she was attacking what she feared the most.

She was not the only one who was scared. The devil bird could sense from the way this girl was attacking that she was a very big, powerful predator. Rather than fight, it decided to retreat, and it did in a manner that left the girl astounded. The devil bird released a cloud of smoke, flapped its wings, and flew away.

That “cloud” emitted by the frightened “devil bird” was not to obscure its escape, notwithstanding the ink cloud used for that purpose by the aquatic octopus. It’s a noxious or poisonous vapor or mist, capable of disabling a dangerous attacker and probably also for putting down prey.

How do I know that? I was informed by one of my associates (anonymous), who has studied ancient accounts of creatures that have that dangerous capability. The account of the “devil bird” behavior reminded me of my friend’s research, which was so obscure that it is unlikely that the author of that book had found out about it before publication.

In addition, the author wrote, “the cloud of smoke was . . . designed to cover the retreat of the animal.” (The author then made clear that it was not literal smoke.) Nothing, in my reading of his book or in my talking with the author by phone, gives any hint that he knew anything about my associate’s research, until a few days before my phone call, when the author received a phone call from my associate, the same person who had done, years earlier, that research.

Smoke does not mean Fire

The idea of fire, in old human cultures and in modern third-world countries, can come from something that glows at night, including bioluminescent creatures. Dragons have been connected to fire partially because at least some long-tailed pterosaurs are bioluminescent. The idea of fire-breathing (in flying dragons), however, probably originated partially from the mist that at least some of them emit from the head (not necessarily the mouth). But mist can be non-smoke, and a glow can be non-fire.

Where do Fire-Breathing Dragons Come From?

Look at this from another angle: could any real animal have inspired those old tales? One possibility has become obvious: eyewitness accounts of apparent bioluminescent long-tailed pterosaurs.

Dragons and Pterosaurs

Both grandmothers and wolves are actual living beings of this world, even though the story “Little Red Riding Hood” is a fictional story. In a similar way, old legends need not be 100% fictional.

Fiery Flying Serpent and Flying Dragons

Translators of the King James Version of the Bible, centuries ago, lived before the English language had the words “dinosaur” and “pterosaur,” so don’t expect to find either word in an old Bible.

Pterosaurs, or Flying Dragons, in California

Hoaxes and comical headlines were common, however, in the nineteenth century, but they were still greatly outnumbered by articles based on actual events . . .

Coloring for Kids

. . . gives children the opportunity to improve hand control and artistic ability.

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Third edition of "Live Pterosaurs in America"

Paperback nonfiction cryptozoology book on eyewitness encounters with modern living pterosaurs in the U.S.A: Live Pterosaurs in America, third edition

From the introduction of this book by Jonathan David Whitcomb:

This book might make a few Americans uneasy to walk alone at night; my intention, however, is not to frighten but to enlighten as many readers as possible to know about live-pterosaur investigations. Those who’ve been shocked at the sight of a flying creature that “should” be extinct—those eyewitnesses, more numerous than most Americans would guess, need no longer be afraid that everyone will think them crazy, and no longer need they feel alone. Those of us who’ve listened to the American eyewitnesses, we who have interviewed them, we now believe. So, if you will, consider the experiences of these ordinary persons (I’ve interviewed most of them myself) and accept whatever enlightenment you may.

Live Pterosaurs in America (third edition) is sometimes in the top 4% in ranking of books selling on Amazon.com (early on July 24, 2012, in the top 3%). It is sometimes a contender for most popular nonfiction cryptozoology book on Amazon. Purchase your own copy online.

December 23, 2011

Dragons and Pterosaurs

Might old tales of long-tailed dragons be related to modern live pterosaurs? It deserves consideration.

Winged Dragons and Modern Pterodactyls

What do old dragons and old pterosaurs have in common? Celtic dragons had arrows at the end of their tails; they may relate to pterosaur tails. What about those Rhamphorhynchoid pterosaur tails? Are not dragon tails also long? Perhaps most noteworthy are the wings: both pterosaurs and common artistic portrayals of big flying dragons have featherless wings.

This web page “Winged Dragons and Modern Pterodactyls” brings up a point about fictional stories that have non-fictional elements. Both grandmothers and wolves are actual living beings of this world, even though the story “Little Red Riding Hood” is a fictional story. In a similar way, old legends need not be 100% fictional. Dragon legends about giant fire-breathing monsters that could destroy villages with fiery breath—those fictional legends include monsters, humans, fire, and villages, but three of those elements are non-fictional in their general existence: humans, fire, and villages. Need we assume that any reference to a dragon must involve a creature completely unreal? Perhaps some of those old stories could be fictional in their exaggerations and embellishments but non-fictional in mentioning a large flying creature.

Flying Dragons in Australia

. . . sightings of pterosaurs flying, or something like that, have been reported by Australians, and those sightings have been in diverse areas, mostly coastal, especially in the west, south, and east. You would think they would be mostly on the north coast, being closer to Papua New Guinea and the ropen habitat, but there it is.

Live Dragons

Before the ship arrived on Umboi (Siassi), Luke and I met an old sailor who knew something about what we were seeking. “You want to catch Wawanar?” he asked. I assured him that we only wanted to get a “photo” of the flying animal. The old man told us that the dragon Wawanar is said to own the land and the sea; nobody can catch Wawanar.

Fiery Flying Serpent and Flying Dragons

I sometimes come across the word “dragon” in a communication with an eyewitness of what I suspect or believe was a live pterosaur, for example, the glowing dragon observed in England in 1987 or 1988 (I received an email from the eyewitness). In 2004, during my expedition trip to Papua New Guinea, I heard about the dragon called “Wawanar” by an old sailor. But most eyewitness use another word, like “dinosaur bird.”

May 9, 2011November 19, 2011

Fiery Flying Serpent and Flying Dragons

Translators of the King James Version of the Bible, centuries ago, lived before the English language had the words “dinosaur” and “pterosaur,” so don’t expect to find either word in an old Bible. The translators did their best in translating an interesting Old Testament phrase into English: “fiery flying serpent.” Some Bible commentators have suggested that the animals that were called by that title were actually venomous snakes whose bite caused a burning sensation in the wound of the victim and whose strike was so fast that it was called “flying.” There are serious problems, however, with that interpretation. It assumes that two of the three words were ill-chosen. But what if “serpent” was the inaccurate word? What if a venomous bioluminescent flying creature was called by the ancient Israelites “serpents” (snakes) because their long featherless tails made them somewhat snake-like when their wings were curled up during non-flight, when they were at rest? It is a simpler interpretation to assume only one of three words is very imprecise, rather than two.

Fiery Flying Serpent and Marfa Lights

What about the Fiery Flying Serpent? For Moses, when the Israelites needed to be healed from venom, what would have been the worst possible choice of an animal image to use as a symbol, to strengthen the faith of the people of God? How obvious! Use anything except the image of a snake, for that animal relates to Satan in the Garden of Eden.

I’ve written much about my investigations over the past eight years, much of it concerning the testimonies of eyewitnesses whom I have interviewed (more recently concerning conjectures about Marfa Lights). From various countries, various languages, various cultures, and various religions, these common persons simply tell me about their encounters with flying creatures that have various names. Most of the flying creatures are described with long tails, and most eyewitnesses have various degrees of certainty about the absence of feathers. Those two factors alone suggest living pterosaurs.

New View on the Fiery Flying Serpent

In our modern technical world, we are struck by an ancient Hebrew phrase. “Fiery flying serpent,” directly interpreted, appears unconnected with any living thing, or at least unclassified by modern standard biology as living at the time of Moses. Some Bible scholars have assumed that a story of anything like a flying fire-breathing dragon could not have come from any real animal. Thus, to avoid a strange direct interpretation, we’ve been fed indirect meanings for “fiery” and “flying.”

I sometimes come across the word “dragon” in a communication with an eyewitness of what I suspect or believe was a live pterosaur, for example, the glowing dragon observed in England in 1987 or 1988 (I received an email from the eyewitness). In 2004, during my expedition trip to Papua New Guinea, I heard about the dragon called “Wawanar” by an old sailor. But most eyewitness use another word, like “dinosaur bird.” Of course, eyewitnesses usually mean neither a dinosaur nor a bird, but that’s a phrase that may come to mind.