--- title: "The Truth About Dragons: Myths, Legends & Fantasy | Interview" description: Professor Carolyne Larrington, University of Oxford, takes us through the enduring power of dragons. From the fire-breathing wyrms to the wise dragons of East Asia, dragons are symbols of chaos, knowledge, fear, and transformation. But why have they endured? image: https://www.whispersofilire.com/hubfs/Carolyne%20Larrington%20Interview%20Cover.png --- [Skip to content](https://www.whispersofilire.com/echoes/the-truth-about-dragons-myths-legends-fantasy-interview#main-content) [![Whispers of Ilire](https://www.whispersofilire.com/hubfs/Whispers%20of%20Ilire%20SVG%20Logos%20250px.svg)](https://www.whispersofilire.com) - [Enchanted Library](https://www.whispersofilire.com/books) - [Patreon](https://www.whispersofilire.com/about-patreon) - [Blog](https://www.whispersofilire.com/echoes) - [Interviews](https://www.whispersofilire.com/echoes/tag/interview) - [About](https://www.whispersofilire.com/about) Show submenu for About - [Contact](https://www.whispersofilire.com/contact) Open main navigation Close main navigation - [Enchanted Library](https://www.whispersofilire.com/books) - [Patreon](https://www.whispersofilire.com/about-patreon) - [Blog](https://www.whispersofilire.com/echoes) - [Interviews](https://www.whispersofilire.com/echoes/tag/interview) - [About](https://www.whispersofilire.com/about) Show submenu for About - [Contact](https://www.whispersofilire.com/contact) Nov 11, 2025 12:05:23 PM # The Truth About Dragons: Myths, Legends & Fantasy | Interview ![Picture of The Scribe of Ilire](https://www.whispersofilire.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Mythweaver.png?width=50&name=Mythweaver.png) [The Scribe of Ilire](https://www.whispersofilire.com/echoes/author/the-scribe-of-ilire) Share: [facebook-f icon](http://www.facebook.com/share.php?u=https://www.whispersofilire.com/echoes/the-truth-about-dragons-myths-legends-fantasy-interview) [pinterest-p icon](http://pinterest.com/pin/create/link/?url=https://www.whispersofilire.com/echoes/the-truth-about-dragons-myths-legends-fantasy-interview) [envelope icon](mailto:?body=https://www.whispersofilire.com/echoes/the-truth-about-dragons-myths-legends-fantasy-interview)   In this special feature for *Whispers of Ilire*, I sit down with Oxford scholar Professor Carolyne Larrington to explore the mythic roots of dragons and how they continue to evolve through time, culture and imagination. From the fire-breathing wyrms of medieval bestiaries to the wise, cloud-summoning dragons of East Asia, dragons have always been more than just monsters. They are symbols: of chaos, knowledge, fear, and transformation. But why have they endured? And what might they still mean to us today? In this wide-ranging conversation, we trace the dragon’s cultural journey across illuminated manuscripts, Persian epics, Chinese scrolls, and fantasy novels. Drawing on Larrington’s most recent book, *The Little Book of Dragons* (British Library, 2025), we discuss: - What makes dragons such a universal symbol - Why dragons remain central to fantasy storytelling - Whether they stem from real fears or pure invention - The blurred boundaries between myth, memory, and belief - And the ways dragons continue to shed old skins and take on new forms Carolyne Larrington is Emeritus Professor of Medieval European Literature at the University of Oxford, and a world authority on Norse mythology, Arthurian literature and the cultural afterlives of the medieval. Her books, including *The Norse Myths*, *The Land of the Green Man*, and *Winter Is Coming*, have brought myth and folklore to wide audiences, bridging scholarship and wonder. *The Little Book of Dragons* is a beautifully illustrated compendium of dragon lore across history and cultures. From chaos-serpents to sky spirits, sea monsters to comic companions, it charts how dragons continue to coil around our stories. Learn more about *The Little Book of Dragons* [here >](https://shop.bl.uk/products/the-little-book-of-dragons) ### Step deeper into the heart of Ilire Join me on Patreon to uncover exclusive original stories and poems, monthly deep dives into folklore and mythology, philosophical musings on the nature of faerie belief and much more. [Join Patreon](https://www.patreon.com/whispersofilire)   [Folklore](https://www.whispersofilire.com/echoes/tag/folklore), [Mythology](https://www.whispersofilire.com/echoes/tag/mythology), [Interview](https://www.whispersofilire.com/echoes/tag/interview), [Fantasy](https://www.whispersofilire.com/echoes/tag/fantasy) ## Related posts [![](https://www.whispersofilire.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Interview%20with%20Kristen%20Poole%20Opening%20Slide.jpg?height=200&name=Interview%20with%20Kristen%20Poole%20Opening%20Slide.jpg)](https://www.whispersofilire.com/echoes/from-myth-to-fantasy-interview-with-prof-kristen-poole) [Folklore](https://www.whispersofilire.com/echoes/tag/folklore), [Mythology](https://www.whispersofilire.com/echoes/tag/mythology), [Interview](https://www.whispersofilire.com/echoes/tag/interview), [Fantasy](https://www.whispersofilire.com/echoes/tag/fantasy) ## [Interview | From Myth to Fantasy: Where Folklore Ends & Imagination Begins](https://www.whispersofilire.com/echoes/from-myth-to-fantasy-interview-with-prof-kristen-poole) ![Picture of The Scribe of Ilire](https://www.whispersofilire.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Mythweaver.png?width=50&name=Mythweaver.png) [The Scribe of Ilire](https://www.whispersofilire.com/echoes/author/the-scribe-of-ilire) Sep 5, 2025 1:00:00 AM In this special feature for Whispers of Ilire, I sit down with renowned literary scholar Professor... [Read more](https://www.whispersofilire.com/echoes/from-myth-to-fantasy-interview-with-prof-kristen-poole) ### Join Whispers of Ilire's enchanted world [Follow us on Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/whispersofilire) [Subscribe to Patreon](https://www.patreon.com/whispersofilire) [Follow us on Facebook](https://www.youtube.com/@whispersofilire) [Follow us on TikTok](https://www.tiktok.com/@whispersofilire) - [Privacy Policy](https://www.whispersofilire.com/privacy-policy) - [Terms & Conditions](https://www.whispersofilire.com/terms-and-conditions) - [Contact](https://www.whispersofilire.com/contact) - [About](https://www.whispersofilire.com/about) --- [![6](https://www.whispersofilire.com/hubfs/6.svg "6")](https://www.whispersofilire.com)   Copyright © 2024, Whispers of Ilire ```json { "@context" : "https://schema.org", "@type" : "BlogPosting", "author" : { "@type" : "Person", "name" : "The Scribe of Ilire", "url" : "https://www.whispersofilire.com/echoes/author/the-scribe-of-ilire" }, "dateModified" : "2025-11-11T12:05:23.600Z", "datePublished" : "2025-11-11T12:05:23.000Z", "headline" : "The Truth About Dragons: Myths, Legends & Fantasy | Interview", "image" : [ "https://www.whispersofilire.com/hubfs/Carolyne%20Larrington%20Interview%20Cover.png" ], "mainEntityOfPage" : { "@id" : "https://www.whispersofilire.com/echoes/the-truth-about-dragons-myths-legends-fantasy-interview", "@type" : "WebPage" }, "publisher" : { "@type" : "Organization", "logo" : { "@type" : "ImageObject", "url" : "https://www.whispersofilire.com/hubfs/Whispers%20of%20Ilire%20SVG%20Logos%20250px.svg" }, "name" : "Whispers of Ilire" } } ```