Dragon (Greek δράκων) is a collective name that unites a number of mythical creatures that appear in the myths and folklore of many peoples of the world. Representations of dragons vary considerably by region, but dragons of Western European mythology since the High Middle Ages have often been depicted with massive serpentine bodies, wings, horns, four legs, and the ability to breathe fire. Dragons in Eastern cultures are usually depicted as wingless, quadrupedal creatures with a long, serpentine body and a certain amount of intelligence.

The earliest attested reports of dragon-like creatures are of some kind of gigantic serpent. Dragons are first described in the mythology of the ancient Near East, as well as in the art and literature of ancient Mesopotamia. Stories of storm gods killing giant snakes are found in almost all Indo-European and Near Eastern myths. Notable prototypes of dragon-like creatures include the Sirrush of ancient Mesopotamia; Apep in Egyptian mythology; Vritra in the Rigveda; Leviathan in the Hebrew Bible; Python, Ladon and the Lernaean Hydra in Greek mythology; Jörmungandr, Nidhogg and Fafnir in Scandinavian mythology.