A Scandinavian Tale
All Scandinavians know and fear the North Wind. We have mostly westerly winds here in Denmark, but when the North Wind comes roaring, we have to seek shelter in our houses and light a fireplace or stove until its rage had been spent.
But did you know we can, in a way, thank a dragon for this?
No? Well, that’s okay, It happened so long ago that everyone has forgotten it.
But once upon a time (a VERY long time ago) humans were just as afraid of fire as animals are today. And since dragons can breathe fire, they were even more feared than saber-toothed cats and giant bears. In the hope of appeasing the dragons, humans often sacrificed a lamb or fish to them, which amused the dragons. One of them even began to like them.
At that time the weather was mild, but then the North Wind and the other winds started quarreling and the North Wind came sweeping down from the icy mountains and steppes to conquer the lands and drive out the inhabitants, be they humans or animals.
Most of the dragons withdrew, but one of them took up the fight.
He gave fire to the humans by lighting a fire with his dragon fire, which is very difficult to extinguish. So now the humans could survive until the powers of spring and summer gathered and for a few months banished the North Wind back to his Arctic kingdom.
Dragons live long, but not forever, and the brave dragon died and he and his name was forgotten. The North Wind, on the other hand, is eternal and still seeks us out.
But in the meantime, humans had learned to make fire themselves and build huts to withstand the merciless wrath of the mighty North Wind.
Later, tricksters like Prometheus, Loki and others tried to take credit for giving humanity fire, but the one who taught us not to fear fire and let it protect us was a dragon.
And now you know too.
from Per Sanderhage