Where did the VIkings get their inspiration of the dragons on the front of their dragon ships from?

Question

Could there be a possible connection between an ancient Chinese legend that "Yu the Great" drove out dragons that lived along the Huang Ho? Were these dragons the ships of ancient Norsemen that traveled by sea, eastward through the Arctic Ocean into the Bering Sea, along the shoreline of the Kamchatka Peninsula, then around the Kolyma and Stanovoy Ranges, and finally into the Huang Ho? It is known that the Vikings would travel close to the shore, so that they can go on land to cook their meals so that any potential disasters caused by fire can be avoided. Did ancient China get their inspiration of the dragon from the Vikings, or was it the other way around? Or perhaps no connection at all? What do you think?

Answer 1

no connection what so ever. Viking ships had dragons or snakes carved at the bow of their ships, to ward off evil beasts of Norse mythology as well as create fear to anybody who sees the ships and know The terrible Vikings are coming to kill ya.

Answer 2

The dragon is a legendary beast in the folklore of many European and Asian cultures. Its origin probably dates from farmers in many different lands finding huge bones from dinosaurs. I believe that the dragon of the Vikings was a totally different creature than the traditional Chinese dragon.  In China the dragon was considered the "King of Beasts" and represented good fortune. In Europe the dragons were considered ferocious beasts that represented evil. The Vikings probably represented dragons on their ships when they pillaged. It was intended to intimidate. By the way the dragon of the Vikings looks different from the dragon of southern Europe. The theme of St. George defeating the dragon is common in Renaissance paintings. Check out Raphael's "St. George & the Dragon" for instance. He slays the dragon with a lance. The dragon is a smaller creature. It's usually snakelike or lizardlike in appearance. The Chinese dragon is a much larger creature and always breathes fire.

So to sum up there is no connection between the European and the Chinese dragons. They are different creatures. The Viking dragon came from their own myths and folklore. I hope that this has been a help to you.