On a model airplane site someone mentioned Fafnir, the Norse, and later German, shape-shifter who turned himself into a dragon. (A little Wagner, anyone?) It then occurred to me that our concept of such beasts may have changed with time, whether in the guise of the Edenic serpent, the "great dragon" of Paradise Lost, or the one St, George knocked off, or even the name, Drako, which gave rise to the legend of Dracula.

Does anyone have an idea when we quit thinking of dragons as crawling critters and began imagining them as flying ones? Why evil in Western mythology, but good in Eastern mythology?

Great question, Geoff! I have no idea, but I just love all those creatures. I remember reading about them to our kids when they were young.