Name: 為什麼許多文化都有龍的傳說？- 蒂莫西-J-伯貝里 (Why do so many cultures have dragon legends? - Timothy J. Burbery)
Uploaded: 2025-06-05T18:08:50.000Z
Duration: 5 min 31 s

From the Chinese Long to the Filipino Bakunawa, the Scottish Vihir to the Greek Hydra, dragons have inflamed imaginations for millennia.

從中國的 "龍 "到菲律賓的 "巴庫納瓦"，從蘇格蘭的 "維希爾 "到希臘的 "九頭蛇"，千百年來，龍一直激發著人們的想象力。

Their ubiquity across world mythology has led many scholars to ponder their possible origins.

它們在世界神話中無處不在，這讓許多學者開始思考它們可能的起源。

Could it be that tales of dragons were crafted to make sense of violent weather events like storms or tornadoes?

龍的故事會不會是為了解釋暴風雨或龍捲風等劇烈天氣事件而創作的呢？

Did ancient peoples interpret volcanic eruptions or the unearthing of strange-looking bones as evidence that fire-breathing beasts lurked nearby?

古代人是否將火山爆發或出土的奇形怪狀的骨頭解釋為附近潛伏著噴火野獸的證據？

Questions like these are central to geomythology, which examines the connections between myths and the geology of the regions where they originated.

這些問題是地質學的核心，地質學研究神話與神話起源地區地質學之間的聯繫。

It's based on the idea that legends are more than just fiction.

它所基於的理念是，傳說不僅僅是虛構的。

They're also preserved records of the past.

And these stories can contain valuable insights into our ancestors' understanding of the natural world.

這些故事包含了我們的祖先對自然世界理解的寶貴見解。

Beyond questioning the origins of mythical beasts like griffins, minotaurs, and dragons, geomythology can be a catalyst for scientific discovery.

除了質疑獅鷲、牛頭人和龍等神獸的起源外，地學還能促進科學發現。

In Australia, for instance, researchers followed the clues in an ancient indigenous Dreamtime legend, which recounts a star falling into a waterhole, to locate a previously uncharted meteor impact site.

例如，在澳洲，研究人員根據一個古老的土著夢幻傳說（該傳說講述了一顆星星墜入水潭的故事）中的線索，找到了一個以前未知的流星撞擊點。

And the field has also helped to correct geological timelines.

該領域還有助於校正地質年表。

Stories of Pele, the Hawaiian goddess of volcanoes, for example, led scientists to rethink the natural history of the Kīlauea volcano.

例如，夏威夷火山女神佩蕾的故事讓科學家們重新思考基勞埃阿火山的自然歷史。

Using the events in the goddess' journey, they recalibrated when it's believed the volcano first collapsed, forming the vast, active caldera still present today.

根據女神旅程中發生的事件，他們重新校準了火山第一次坍塌的時間，形成了今天依然存在的巨大活火山口。

So what has geomythology uncovered about dragons?

那麼，大地測量學揭示了龍的哪些方面呢？

As far as we know, fire-breathing, reptilian creatures never existed.

據我們所知，噴火的爬行動物從未存在過。

And while it's unlikely that this diverse set of creatures shares a single origin, it's believed that some tales might be tied to the fossils of prehistoric animals.

雖然這些種類繁多的生物不太可能有一個共同的起源，但人們相信，有些傳說可能與史前動物的化石有關。

One such story is the Greek myth of Cadmus, who, according to legend, defeated a fierce water dragon and sewed its jagged teeth into soil.

其中一個故事是希臘神話中的卡德摩斯，傳說他打敗了一條凶猛的水龍，並將其鋸齒縫入土壤中。

It's known that the remains of mastodons, including their large and pointy molars, are abundantly scattered across Europe.

眾所周知，乳齒象的遺骸，包括它們又大又尖的臼齒，大量散佈在歐洲各地。

This has led some to suggest that ancient storytellers may have crafted Cadmus' tale after unearthing these mastodon fossils.

這讓一些人認為，古代說書人可能是在發掘出這些乳齒象化石後才編造出卡德摩斯的故事。

Paleontologists have similarly dug up mastodon bones in Chios, a Greek island that was once said to have been terrorized by another jagged-toothed dragon.

古生物學家在希臘的希俄斯島也挖出了乳齒象的骨頭，據說該島曾受到另一條鋸齒龍的恐嚇。

What's even more compelling is that the distinct physical features of dragons from different regions often mirror local fossil finds.

更令人信服的是，不同地區的龍所具有的明顯身體特徵往往與當地的化石發現如出一轍。

The antlers of the auspicious and celebrated Chinese long may have been influenced by fossilized

吉祥如意的中國龍的鹿角可能受到了化石的影響。

Pliocene deer skulls, which are commonly found in northern China.

上新世的鹿頭骨，常見於中國北方。

In the Siwalik hills of Pakistan, legends of dragons with unique jeweled crests may have been inspired by the calcite crystals often embedded in local fossils, such as the

在巴基斯坦的錫瓦利克山，關於龍的傳說可能就是受到了當地化石中經常蘊含的方解石晶體的啟發，比如 "蟒蛇"。

已滅絕的長頸鹿物種 Sivatherium。

Other beastly characteristics like flame-blowing may have been connected to geothermal features like volcanoes and hot springs.

其他野獸的特徵，如噴火，可能與火山和溫泉等地熱特徵有關。

Take the chimera, a hybrid of a lion, goat, and dragon, supposedly originating in what's now Turkey.

就拿奇美拉來說，它是獅子、山羊和龍的混血兒，據說起源於現在的土耳其。

According to legend, the beast was slain by the hero Bellerophon, who thrust a block of lead into its fiery throat, choking it.

傳說中，英雄貝勒羅豐將一塊鉛塊插入它火紅的喉嚨，使其窒息而死。

Some scholars hypothesize that the fire-spitting natural gas vents in southern Turkey may have sparked stories of this flame-blowing beast.

一些學者假設，土耳其南部噴火的天然氣噴口可能引發了關於這種噴火獸的故事。

Similarly, the seemingly burnt landscapes of western Turkey, which are the result of ancient volcanic activity, could have stirred stories of the epic clash of Zeus and the hundred-headed Typhon.

同樣，土耳其西部因古代火山活動而形成的看似燒焦的地貌，也可能曾引發過宙斯與百頭提豐的史詩般的衝突故事。

In fact, some tellings say the land itself was scorched by Zeus' bolts during their deadly duel.

事實上，有些傳說稱，在他們的致命決鬥中，這片土地本身就被宙斯的炮火燒焦了。

And more can be gleaned from dragon myths than just their possible origins.

從龍的神話中可以瞭解到的不僅僅是它們可能的起源。

In China, paleontologists often plan digs in regions well-known for their supposed dragon-bone deposits.

在中國，古生物學家經常計劃在以龍骨礦藏聞名的地區進行挖掘。

In fact, one of the richest areas in the world for finding dinosaur tracks is called Huanglong

事實上，黃龍是世界上發現恐龍足跡最豐富的地區之一。

Gou, which translates to Yellow Dragon Valley.

So while these mythical beasts may never have prowled our caves, skies, or seas, their tales continue to be a source of inspiration, in both fantasy and science alike.

是以，儘管這些神獸可能從未在我們的洞穴、天空或海洋中出沒，但它們的故事仍然是奇幻和科學的靈感源泉。

Watch these videos to either challenge what you think you know, or learn more about what you don't.

觀看這些視頻，您可以挑戰自以為了解的知識，也可以瞭解更多不瞭解的知識。