Did 🐲dragons exist during the LOTR story?

[Turin's Friend]

Yes the arrow used by Bard to bring down Smaug was special. "Arrow" he said " Black arrow I have saved you to the last. I had you from my father and he from old. If ever you came from the forges of the true king under the mountain go now and speed well." Perhaps some explanantion can be taken from observations made by John Rateliff in his book The History of The Hobbit. He points out "the rather curious motif of an arrow that is always recovered until one final shot when it fufills it's destiny. " and "Bard's arrows final act is to exceed all hope by slaying his people's greatest foe, with a sense that it perishes in the act of fufilling it's destiny." From The Hobbit "The great bow twanged. The black arrow sped straight for the hollow by the left breast where his fore leg was flung wide. In it shot and vanished barb shaft and feather." Rateliff in The History of the Hobbit points out "the traditional motif of a Dragon's weak spot (specifically the soft underbelly of the Sirgurd/Fafnir legend already seen in Glorund.)"Glorund is the wingless Dragon in The Children of Hurin. The protagonist of the story Turin must conceal himself in a deep ravine to wait for his moment when the Dragon throws his bulk across the chasm in the act of crossing. Turin is able to thrust his sword upwards and pierce his soft belly and deal him a deadly wound. I think perhaps you must also think that a Dragon even though a mighty creature is still a living breathing animal, and any wound that penetrates a vital organ perhaps even the heart could indeed kill it with a single blow.

 

[Welserwies]

Yes the arrow used by Bard to bring down Smaug was special. "Arrow" he said " Black arrow I have saved you to the last. I had you from my father and he from old. If ever you came from the forges of the true king under the mountain go now and speed well." Perhaps some explanantion can be taken from observations made by John Rateliff in his book The History of The Hobbit. He points out "the rather curious motif of an arrow that is always recovered until one final shot when it fufills it's destiny. " and "Bard's arrows final act is to exceed all hope by slaying his people's greatest foe, with a sense that it perishes in the act of fufilling it's destiny." From The Hobbit "The great bow twanged. The black arrow sped straight for the hollow by the left breast where his fore leg was flung wide. In it shot and vanished barb shaft and feather." Rateliff in The History of the Hobbit points out "the traditional motif of a Dragon's weak spot (specifically the soft underbelly of the Sirgurd/Fafnir legend already seen in Glorund.)"Glorund is the wingless Dragon in The Children of Hurin. The protagonist of the story Turin must conceal himself in a deep ravine to wait for his moment when the Dragon throws his bulk across the chasm in the act of crossing. Turin is able to thrust his sword upwards and pierce his soft belly and deal him a deadly wound. I think perhaps you must also think that a Dragon even though a mighty creature is still a living breathing animal, and any wound that penetrates a vital organ perhaps even the heart could indeed kill it with a single blow.

Well put. Poor smaug. I don't usually root for the villain but the dragon didn't seem so much evil to me as he did an animal going about his purpose. Like a lion eating sheep; a dragon hoarding gold and eating villagers. In the end he had to go.

 

[Bucky]

You ever see that photo of 'Champ' that women allegedly took in the 1970's?

it sure looks real to me.

Not as much evidence as Bigfoot, but, humm........ ;*)

 

[Turin's Friend]

View attachment Champ.bmp
I think this is the one you are talking about it was taken by Sandra Mansi in 1977 at the northern end of the lake. I hope the picture shows in my response as I am not real confident posting things yet. Even though I grew up in the Lake Champlain Islands I never did see Champ (the lake monster's nickname). We did see a fish swim under our boat once that was as big as the boat most likely a Sturgeon. I really like the idea that these lake monsters could be compared to one of Tolkien's cold drakes, so as long as we have imagination Dragons are among us!

 

[Welserwies]

View attachment 5101
I think this is the one you are talking about it was taken by Sandra Mansi in 1977 at the northern end of the lake. I hope the picture shows in my response as I am not real confident posting things yet. Even though I grew up in the Lake Champlain Islands I never did see Champ (the lake monster's nickname). We did see a fish swim under our boat once that was as big as the boat most likely a Sturgeon. I really like the idea that these lake monsters could be compared to one of Tolkien's cold drakes, so as long as we have imagination Dragons are among us!

There is nothing to give perspective in that picture unless there is part of the picture not seen here. I think I remember that picture being used on "in search of" when I was little. It seems familiar but doesn't seem like anything out of the ordinary to me. I saw a sea lion strike a pose just like that at sea world once. Yes I know there are no lake sea lions.

 

[Turin's Friend]

Actually sea lions were sighted on lake Champlain as recently as the early 1800's weird huh?

 

[CirdanLinweilin]

Komodo Dragons anyone?

There is so much bacteria in their saliva that one bite could end a person or animal. The bacteria could be a last remnant of the ability to breathe fire.