atariince:

lordoftheringslove:

paramaline:

but Tolkien draws such cute dragons, omg

like look at Smaug, look at his ears, DON’T YOU JUST WANT TO SCRATCH BEHIND HIS EARS AND TELL HIM HE’S A GOOD BOY

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and look at this guy, I guess he’s supposed to be ferocious but it looks more like “whoa man chill out, I’m just saying that those shoes with that helmet was maybe not the greatest fashion decision, just a little friendly advice, no need to get defensive.”

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THIS LITTLE BB ALL CURLED UP AND TAKIN’ A NAP

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I want this one to live in my pocket and be my sassy talking dragon sidekick

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SO SMILEY!! “gonna go terrorize some helpless villagers aw yiss”

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but my favorite is this little doodle here

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just look at him

LOOK AT HOW HAPPY HE IS

Tolkien’s dragons are fascinating (and very cute indeed) although not so surprising considering his knowledge in European Middle-Age. Before the discovery by European people of Chinese dragons through the imports of goods from China, dragons in Anglo-Saxon bestiaries (inspired by Germanic traditions) were more like huge worms, with or without wings, and their most dangerous features were their velocity and rapidity rather than fire, and their tail was usually more dangerous than their teeth.

That’s the kind of dragons we have in Beowulf or in the Nibelungen for instance, or in representations of Saint Margaret (The dragons with Margaret sometimes look rather ridiculous and I love them)(There is a nice collection here). (I mean, look at this ferocious beast:)

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Book of Hours, St. Margaret, Walters Manuscript W.168, fol. 222r by Walters Art Museum Illuminated Manuscripts – 15th century (x)

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Dunois Book of Hours, France (Paris), 15th century, Yates Thompson MS 3, f. 282v (x)

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Cambray Book of hours of Cambray 15th century (X)

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Queen Mary Psalter, Royal MS 2 B VII, f. 256r – 14th century

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British Library, Harley MS 3244, Folio 59r –

13th century (x)

So yes, Tolkien’s tiny dragons are not only lovely, but also quite relevant of his primary sources of inspiration, which makes them even more interesting 😀