Aloha Tide Riders, we've reached the end of yet another awesome set here on Strange Tides. In the climactic finale of our Old School Classic Cryptid Saga, we’re turning up the heat and diving headfirst into one of the most iconic and enduring mythical creatures of all time—dragons. These legendary beasts have appeared in cultures all around the world, each with their own twist on what it means to encounter the ultimate apex predator of folklore. But dragons aren’t just about fantasy and fairy tales—beneath the scales and smoke lies a fascinating mix of ancient symbolism, cultural meaning, and, yes, even modern mystery.

We begin our journey in Asia, where dragons are revered as divine, powerful beings tied to water, weather, and imperial authority. From the Chinese Lung to the Japanese Ryū, these creatures represent balance, strength, and cosmic harmony. Their presence in ancient festivals, royal symbolism, and celestial lore paints a very different picture from the fire-breathing monsters we’re used to in the West.

From there, we travel to Europe, where dragons guard hoards, burn villages, and get slain by knights in shining armor. But where did these ideas come from? We’ll explore how medieval bestiaries, Christian symbolism, and Norse myth shaped the terrifying reptilian archetype that still influences fantasy fiction today.

Next, we head to South America, where sky serpents like Quetzalcoatl and Amaru blur the line between god, serpent, and dragon. These beings were tied to the heavens, fertility, knowledge, and even the dawn of civilization. Their lore echoes across Andean and Mesoamerican cultures, leaving behind a trail of temples, legends, and living traditions.

But this episode isn’t just about ancient history—we’re also digging into modern-day dragon sightings. From high-altitude sky serpents reported in the American Southwest to strange, winged forms seen in remote mountain ranges or caught on blurry camera footage, there are still people today who claim to have seen something big, winged, and very not extinct. Are these genuine cryptid encounters, misidentified animals, or just the human imagination doing its thing?

And finally, we wrap things up in the one and only Tinfoil Teepee, where no theory is too wild and no explanation too out-there. Could dragons be ancient memories passed down through genetic folklore? Surviving relics of a forgotten prehistoric species? Interdimensional visitors mistaken for myth? Or maybe, just maybe, they’re real in ways we haven’t figured out yet.

So light a torch, polish your shield (or telescope), and join us for this globe-trotting, timeline-hopping, fire-breathing exploration into the myth, mystery, and modern mythos of dragons.

Links:

https://www.ancient-origins.net/unexplained-phenomena/snallygaster-0010491

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Snallygaster

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eepCr9QDYEI

https://www.phantomsandmonsters.com/2023/03/cryptid-dragon-observed-flying-over.htmlDragon sighting over Farnworth (youtube.com)https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2867849-dragons

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/31291927

https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/314215/american-monsters-by-linda-s-godfrey/