The Dragon Paradox

"Dragons aren't real in the same way that fish aren't real" – JRR Tolkien

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The problem started with a book.

Actually, I suppose it started with a show, “Dragons: A Fantasy Made Real,” that I watched, enraptured, late one school-night. And you could say it made me a little… obsessed — not just with dragons, but with the paradox right there in the show’s title. If dragons aren’t real, the show asked, how does seemingly every culture, no matter how far apart, have legends of the same creature?

…It's a question that kind of ruined my life.

0:00 The Dragon Paradox
0:47 Dragonology Changed Me
2:00 Dragon Taxonomy is a Nightmare
3:46 Sympathy for the Dragon
5:46 Searching for Answers
7:38 The Dungeons in the Details
9:42 Dragons (and Fish) Don’t Exist
10:42 ‘May Contain Ranting’
12:59 Gotta Classify ‘Em All
14:51 Fantasy vs. Reality
17:48 The Answer (sorta)
19:18 A Fantasy Made Real

Media Shown: Dragonology, Dragons: A Fantasy Made Real/Dragons World, How to Train Your Dragon, HTTYD 2, HTTYD: The Hidden World, House of the Dragon, Delicious in Dungeon (anime), Dungeon Meshi (Manga), Game of Thrones, Shang-Chi, Sekiro, Puff the Magic Dragon, Shrek, Spirited Away, Beowulf, The Hobbit, The Desolation of Smaug, Dungeons and Dragons (Cartoon), D&D (Movie), The Dragon Prince, The Pagemaster, Dragon Tales, Pete’s Dragon, Mulan, The Flight of Dragons, Jack the Giant Slayer, Die Nibelungen, Twilight Princess, Pokémon Anime, Pokémon Generations, Pokémon Emerald, Pokémon Sword & Shield, Pokémon Sapphire & Ruby

Music Used: Dreamers (Licensed from Storyblocks), Spyro (Title Theme), Demon Dragon (Tear of the Kingdom), Around the Fire (Skyrim), Wind Guide You (Skyrim), Main Theme (Metro 2033), Sky Above, Voice Within (Skyrim), Some Place we Called Home (This War of Mine), Purified Dragon (Breath of the Wild), The Gathering Storm (Skyrim), Komorebi (Gris), Rhizome (Cloud Gardens)

♫ Additional Music by Karl Casey @ White Bat Audio
The Night He Came Home

Copyright Disclaimer: Under section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for “fair use” for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, education, and research. All video/image content is edited under fair use rights for reasons of commentary.

Sources:
An Instinct for Dragons by David E Jones
Dragonology by Dugald Steer

[hampterofficial]

>Drops the most personal and relatable video ever
>elaborates
>leaves

[lyzzle]

What I expected: video about dragons

What I got: tears and the feeling of being understood

[KarlKristofferJohnsson]

"When I became a man I put away childish things, including the fear of childishness and the desire to be very grown up." - C.S. Lewis

[TheEditedOne]

Just want to give you a shoutout for the phrase "you can feel the shape of the person you were meant to be and wonder why you aren't that person". That's had a lot of impact, hadn't realised that was definitely how I felt.

[GunterThePenguinHatesHugs]

_"He might be autistic but darn it my boy can work a grill'_ -Senshi

[XDWASDX]

“Perhaps it’s only natural for those who struggle or have struggled with human interaction to seek knowledge of the monstrous” is a very profound note to have made.

[slaanynionysus]

"It's a curious thing to be born different. You can feel the shape of this person you were expected to be and you find yourself wondering why you aren't that person" This line struck a chord with me, and brought me to tears. thank you :)

[sytmor]

Your video reminded me of when I was 16 and survived my house burning down. It was a total loss, including the clothes I was wearing because they were damaged by rouge ash. I felt like my past self had died, and everything that ever proved I existed was gone. It turned out my 11th grade teacher kept all of our journals for the year and was going to gift them to us at Graduation, and I hold onto those sad, depressing, and heartbreaking journals so dearly. I was already going through horrific trauma and mental health struggles and was in such a hard and dark place, but it finally feels like I existed, and that everything that I remember happening was real. I’m turning 22 in a month and I wish I had my childhood pictures, books, drawings, and diaries. I remember how embarrassing I thought they all were at the time because of how my family and peers treated it, but now I want nothing more than to share them with the supportive and lovely friends and family I have now. I have no good way to end this but thank you for sharing your experience and posting this video, it was comforting.

[PBart]

I can't trust people who *don't* think dragons are the sickest thing ever

[lakoneko]

I really identified with the childhood feelings of "if I could just explain my niche nerdy interests clearly enough, maybe they won't think I'm weird" which then backfires and makes you regret talking about anything you're interested in. I remember seeing these shows, reading these books, and having these feelings. It's really nice to see so many others have the same experience. I'm glad we all found like minds in the end.

[laurad]

There was this guy drawing dragons at my school. I joined him a few times and it was great fun. Sadly we kinda got bullied out of it. But you reminded me of him. Hope he's doing alright and found a way to use his obsessions to create beautiful things.

[andrewhamilton]

This is the single greatest piece of media I have ever come across. I was pulled to the video by my past love of dragons, D&D, and fantasy. Then I was gut punched by the incredible relatability. You, sir, have done something profound

[shakeelali]

That line at 17:49 actually made me tear up.

"Its a curios thing to be born different. You can feel the shape of this person you were expected to be, and you find yourself wondering why you arent that person".

Possibly the most poetic and relatable line of dialogue I've ever heard through a YouTube video.

[ALilBucket]

Therapist here, this was phenomenally vulnerable and I'm sure massive amounts of people can relate. I might even send this to some of my clients who feel isolated and misunderstood. Thank you for your openness and for providing a space for others to express the same feelings and experiences ❤️

[lynseyfreeman]

Came for a video about dragons, ended up crying. The Dragonology book, the dragon obsession, the isolation, the weirdness, the drawings, the classifications, it's all ME. So many of my current interests stem from that obsession with dragons. I felt so alone and so weird as a child and reading these comments and seeing I was just one of many is so... I don't even have the word but man, it's like thinking you've been alone in a dark room for so long and someone turned on a light and you see all these other people. I don't have a label for my specific neurodivergence either and I've been struggling a lot lately with that never fitting in, never really feeling like I'm on the same wavelength everyone else unconsciously seems to be on so this was honestly... healing for me, I guess. Thank you, so much. Happy to subscribe.

[FoxGoblin]

this video felt felt like it was speaking to me personally, and looking at the comments its amazing to see how many others are united in our love for these beautiful creatures. absolutely phenomenal video man, you knocked it out of the park with this one

[ilnoediavolon]

16:10 "Fear of being immature [...] made me throw my books away, and get rid of my drawings"
That made me so freaking sad. It's like throwing away a part of yourself. Sure, eventually you grow up, but that doesn't mean you have to erase the joy you felt as a child. No matter what people say, how cringe it is, it's going to be a part of you til the end.

A few month ago, I redrew some drawing I did as a teenager. I couldn't even begin to explain the joy I felt. As if I were going back in time, and my younger self was sharing her interests with my older self. And this time, the adult actually cared about what I had to say.

[BoyProdigyX]

This video took a turn to be sure. It gave me the existential chills, made me sort of melancholic, yet made me proud to be the weirdo I am (and definitely was as a lonely child). Great and beautiful work.

[skysthelimitvideos]

I was not expecting this video to be so deeply autobiographical and personal. Even more amazing job then usual. I had that “Dragons A Fantasy Made Real” on DVD as a kid and watched it probably a 1000 times.

[cherryfirefly]

you throwing away anything "childish" was so heart breaking. especially since it made you so happy. i hate that society breaks children like that