To the River and Back

Abstract

An idealized principal narrative course is reconstructed for the medieval Germanic dragon fight. The motifs reviewed include: the transformation of a man into a dragon whilst lying on treasure; the generation of a dragon from a corpse; the development of a tiny worm into a vast dragon; the offering of a princess’s hand to a champion; the champion’s protective clothing; his ambushing of the dragon between its cave-lair and a water-source; the dragon’s uniquely vulnerable spot; the champion’s named sword; the special properties of the dragon’s blood. A pair of recurring narrative subroutines are also investigated: in one the champion intervenes on a lion’s behalf upon coming across it engaged in a fight with a dragon, and after killing the dragon has lifelong loyal pet in the lion; in the other the champion is cast into a snake pit, with varying outcomes.