Wyvern: The Legendary Dragon

Here you’ll find the Ultimate guide of Wyvern: The Legendary Dragon !

Wyvern is a legendary monster very similar to its counterpart, the dragon. Known to have an ultra violent temperament, it is better not to cross its path unless you are a nudist. Indeed, according to the legend, they are afraid of naked human beings, they blush and look away, hard to believe, isn’t it ? ?

Wyvern mimics the powers and habits of a dragon on a smaller scale. Although they are not as fierce as their larger cousins, they are very belligerent and more than capable of slaying unarmed travelers or damaging unprotected cities.

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Wyvern Myth And Legend

A Wyvern (also called Vouivre or Guivre) is a mythical creature very similar to dragons. In legend, they were represented as serpentine beasts with a venomous breath and roaming the French medieval countryside. The words “guivre” and “givre” are spelling variants of the more common word “vouivre”. Vouivre, in franc-comtois, is the equivalent of the old French word “guivre”. All these forms are derived from the Latin “Vipera”, as is the English word “viper”.

Wyverns were vicious, bloodthirsty and very dangerous creatures. These mythical beasts were exceptionally powerful and evil, so that anyone who could conquer and kill one was considered a dominant force and a supreme hero. Displaying a Wyvern trophy in any form, whether at the tip of a pirate ship or as part of a coat of arms, was indeed considered a symbol of extreme strength and superiority.

In medieval Europe, Wyverns were associated with war, pestilence and disease. Today, they can be seen as heraldic emblems on coats of arms, crests and flags, usually as a symbol of strength and endurance. This magnificent creature is represented in modern times as a vicious and malignant predator. In heraldry, its supposedly envious and combative attributes were used to spread fear in the heart of the enemy. Even today, Wyvern is still feared by the bravest of warriors.

Wyvern Origin

Although the first representation of a Wyvern has been lost to history, it is clear from bestiaries and alchemy texts that these little dragons were known throughout Europe as early as the medieval period, in the fifth century A.D. Some scholars have speculated that the Wyvern may have originated from Roman war banners, which would have been seen by the first Europeans when the conquering forces of Rome began to expand northward. This idea is supported by the fact that the etymology of the word “Wyvern” can be traced back, through the French, to the Latin word “vipera”, which would have been used by the Romans. ?

Wyvern Physical Appearance

The Wyvern has a dragon’s head, a forked tongue, a scaly neck and wings. Combined with two hind legs with sharp eagle-like claws. Its long serpentine tail is often depicted as knotted, or curled over itself, to indicate the extreme venom and violent nature of the monster. Locally, in France, the creature was perceived as extremely aggressive, sometimes attacking without being provoked.

Originally, in French folklore, the Wyvern, named Guivre, was a chimeric beast that medieval bestiaries described as having the body of a skinny snake, the head of a horned dragon, legs like those of a raptor and membranous wings like those of a bat. Here are three points in which Wyvern excels and remains a very dangerous creature:

?They are outstanding acrobats
?Fearless fighters
?And their breath is deadly

Wyvern Habitat And Diet

They liked to live close to wet places such as forests, lakes and small ponds. Wyvern also resides in open caves on the mountain slopes. They burrow into the ground and use their claws to dig, the tips of their wings are used to move underground. The main sources of food for the Wyvern are underground creatures or terrestrial animals that are easy to catch.

The Wyvern is a predatory animal, which likes to chase goats, chickens and small children. Although vicious and fast, and with long fangs capable of injecting powerful venom, it is not as large as other dragons. However, it has sufficient resources to hunt adult men and women when its other prey is scarce.

Heraldic Symbol Of The Wyverns

Wyverns are thought to have appeared on English war banners as early as the eighth century, when Wales was represented by a “red dragon” and Wessex by a “golden dragon“. In the 16th century, Wyvern’s popularity as a symbol of courage and strength earned it a place on the coats of arms of many important families in Wales and Wessex. In the 19th century, English companies began to use the Wyvern as a logo and today it can be found as a logo or mascot all over the world.

Wyverne acquires a privileged place on the shields and flags of many European royal houses. It is also a common feature in many medieval novels, almost always appearing as the fearsome beast that the hero must kill to save the princess in distress.

Wyvern is also presented as a creature of value and protection, symbolizing more and more, power and strength on coats of arms in times of war. Some legends advocate that it is a symbol of revenge or exploit, acquired once a dragon has been killed.

The Difference Between Wyverns And Dragons

The physical resemblance between Wyverns and dragons has led many people to believe that these creatures are from the same family. This may be true, but they are still distinct species with significant physical differences. ?

First, Wyverns have two legs, while dragons have four. The legs of Wyverns are also longer and tapered like those of a bird, with fairly wide toes and very curved claws, while the legs of the dragon are reptilian. Not only do their paws give them a unique appearance, but they also give them an altered style of movement, jumping, gliding and leaping instead of crawling. ?

the difference between dragons and wyverns

Second, Wyverns tails have a unique pointed tip. Some texts claim that this tip is actually a sting that can deliver a terrible dose of poison, which would give them a weapon in their arsenal that dragons do not have. Other texts describe that the Wyvern adapted to semi-aquatic life by developing a tail more similar to that of fish.

Just by their morphology alone, Drogon, Rhaegal and Viserion in Game of Thrones look more like wyverns than anything else, but modern fantasy has been breaking the old rules for many years.

Wyverns In Video Games

Apart from heraldry, the largest territory in Wyverns is the realm of video games. With their formidable silhouettes and ferocious attitudes, these monsters are ideal villains for fantasy games, and they have cost the lives of many players in hit games such as Final Fantasy, World of Warcraft, Dragonlance and even more recently in Monster Hunter Online and ARK. ?

Fire Wyvern

The question of whether the fire wyvern exists and whether or not the species could really breathe fire is the subject of heated debate. It is true that the Wyvern does not have an inexhaustible supply of fire, such as that of a powerful dragon, but some texts describe Wyverns throwing small balls of fire at their enemies or on straw roofs. They have even been nicknamed “drake of fire” in some medieval bestiaries.

Ice Wyvern

Ice Wyvern can be light blue and white with the rare possibility of being green, grey or black. The membrane of its wings is the same color as its body. They look a little like the Fire Wyvern, but they have a more triangular, beak-shaped upper jaw and a slightly wider, pointed lower jaw. The Ice Wyvern is the most bird-like, with a thin snout resembling a beak. They have a prominent forehead with eyebrow-like spikes above each eye. Numerous spikes are present on the head and body. They start on the shoulders, and descend along the spine, ending with the tail.

This is the end of the article on Wyvern, this mythological creature remains very mysterious and impressive. By way of comparison, Wyvern and the dragon can make one think of velociraptors and T-Rex. The Wyvern plays the same role here, it’s a smaller beast, but its body gives it a speed and ferocity that is not envied by the abilities of other dragons. If you want to tame a dragon and make its virtues and power your own, grab one of our dragon bracelets.

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