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Hi everyone,
Recently I wrote an allegorical novel in which Jesus and all His angels are portrayed as dragons. And after I wrote all of this, I started thinking. Dragons are never used in the Bible as “good guys,” and in fact represent Satan sometimes. Here’s my question: should a dragon be used to represent Jesus?
Here are my thoughts:
Thought 1: There are cultures, even today, who worship dragons, thus making them pagan gods.
Counter-argument: there are also cultures who worship spirits, animals, etc., and I have no problem with C.S. Lewis’ Aslan or representing Christ as an animal.
Thought 2: Satan is sometimes portrayed as a dragon in Scripture.
Counter-argument: In Scripture, Satan also “prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour” (1 Peter 5:8), and yet, Christ is also likened to a lion– Lion of the tribe of Judah (Rev. 5:5), for example. Therefore, even though Christ is not portrayed as a dragon in Scripture, is it wrong to imagine that He could be portrayed as one, since sometimes the same symbol in the Bible can be used for both good and evil?
Thought 3: I don’t want Christian readers to be offended if they think I’m associating Christ with a pagan god or something.
Counter-argument: I’m definitely not trying to associate Christ with a pagan god. And there will always be people who are offended. In addition, pagan gods (like in China) that are represented as dragons tend to be…well, Chinese dragons, not Medieval-looking things, which is what mine are.
Remaining thoughts: Dragons are cool animals. They’re powerful, like Christ. They’re pretty epic characters. They can fly, guide, lead, assist, set things on fire, save lives, etc., all of which can be used for good in a novel.
Which brings me back to the original question: should a dragon be used to represent Jesus? I’m willing to rewrite the whole novel if I have to, because I don’t want to misrepresent my King. I’d like to keep the dragons in if I can, but I’m open to alternatives. I’d like to hear your thoughts on dragons in Christian allegory, or dragons in general.
Thanks!
In Christ,
HannahYA Fantasy Writer
Obsessive Character Namer
Find me at hisinstrumentblog.wordpress.comOooh, good topic @his-instrument! I have one thought that I think sums it up pretty well— ‘By their fruits you shall know them.’
Do your dragons save? They are then portrayed as saviors, not evil pagan gods. Do they devour? They are indeed evil, though not necessarily pagan. It is what they do, not what they are, I think. It’s one of those amazing things you can’t do with real life but can do with fiction— it’s all in how you portray them and what they desire to achieve, not what they are.
After all, one could argue that human beings are inherently evil or pagan, and in a way that is true— but by God’s grace we are made pure. In ourselves we are evil— but God gave us souls, and the state of our souls is what defines who we are.That said, you probably wouldn’t want to take something very heavily associated with something evil and use it to portray something good— a vampire for instance portraying an angel is icky just to think about. Like, don’t take something inherently evil by very definition and portray it as something good.
You also want to make sure your allegory is sufficiently strong to get your point across if you’re using something other than the very obvious Lion or Lamb.I think that would work since dragons are not evil by definition, just association. The problem though is still the association. That isn’t a huge problem, but still something to consider. I don’t think you want to recreate the dragon, but you will want to pick the traits of a dragon you like and really hone in on those and try to diminish or exclude the other parts. The only problem I could really conceive is trying to avoid some of the not so perfect aspects of a dragon. If a dragon represents Jesus, it would have to be perfect a perfect dragon with no flaws. I think you could do it though. You would just have to be careful.
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I agree with what Daeus said. It’s possible, if done carefully. Personally, while I don’t think dragons are inherently worse than any other animal and I really like them, I don’t know if I’d use them allegorically in such a manner because of the association. Then again, as I think about it, it could be done if it were the right kind of world and portrayed right…
INTJ - Inhumane. No-feelings. Terrible. Judgment and doom on everyone.
Thanks for the input, everyone! I’ll have to look over my story and consider it more. Very good points.
YA Fantasy Writer
Obsessive Character Namer
Find me at hisinstrumentblog.wordpress.comPray about it, Hannah. Ask the Lord if it’s okay with Him. We can tell you what we think, but what you really want to know is what He thinks. Seek Him, and ask Him to show you if that’s something He wants you to do, or not. And if you’re getting a check/ feeling unsettled about doing it, don’t ignore that.
Yes @sarah-h, that’s one of the most important things about writing. Writing anything, not just something you’re not sure about. 🙂
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