The Evergreen Maritime Museum features many exhibits with animal-related stories, for example the “dragon-head enterprises” (leading industries) of the sea. The dragon head situated on the Nordic Viking longships, known as Dreki, was a versatile figurehead that could depict dragons, snakes, oxen, and more. These heads were detachable, much like a hat, and their fierce appearance, combined with shields resembling dragon scales along the ship’s sides, was said to intimidate enemies.

The earliest collection of laws in Iceland, Grágás (The Grey Goose Laws), even specified that “longships must remove their dragon heads when returning to port to avoid frightening local spirits. In the 16th century, the famous English pirate and explorer Sir Francis Drake was nicknamed ‘El Dragón’ (The Dragon) by his Spanish adversaries, who bear a grudge against him.

Quoting a classic line from the movie Creation of the Gods I: Kingdom of Storms: “People call it a monster, but it is clearly a lucky sign!” The dragon holds a vastly different status in the East, where only emperors were deemed worthy of being called “the true sons of dragon from heaven.” However, the Chinese people around the world still proudly considered themselves as descendants of the dragon. Chinese Festivals are also abound with dragon themes—dragon boat races during the Dragon Boat Festival and fire dragon dances during the Mid-Autumn Festival.

We welcome you to explore more dragon-related exhibits in the Evergreen Maritime Museum. Remember to capture your fond memories with photos of your favorites in our museum and share them with your beloved friends and family.