Dragonkin identify as dragons, image is an edit of 'Dark Dragon Dsurion' by Ciruelo Cabral
Dragonkin are real people who identify as dragons. The belief that one is a dragon in the body of a human is called draconity[1] (from draco, Latin for dragon, and unity or identity).[2]
Dragonkin are part of the otherkin subculture, who identify mostly as mythical creatures, and of the therian subculture, who identify as animals. Some liken these subcultures to religious movements.[3]
History[]
Otherkin culture emerged out of elven online communities of the nineties and later extended to other mythical creatures like dragons.[4]
The first dragonkin community was the usenet group alt.fan.dragons, which was originally founded in 1993 by ExistingPhantom as a group for fans of dragons from literature and pop culture, but attracted more and more people who identified as dragons,[5] with other users voicing scepticism agianst those claims.[6] By June 1994, about half of the alt.fan.dragons users identified as dragons.[7] Alt.fan.dragons was shortened to AFD, which evolved into the alternative name Alfandria.[8] More dragonkin websites and forums were created over the nineties and later.
Variations[]
There are different interpretations about the way dragonkin are related to dragons. Some see themselves as reincarnation of a dragon and still remember parts of their former life as a dragon. Others believe they are born in a body of the wrong species, similar to how transgender people are born in a body of the wrong sex.[5] Still others believe they are descendants of dragons.[9]
Many dragonkin and other otherkin believe that there are multiple parallel realities and that they originate from one of them.[10] Those parallel worlds are oftentimes reminiscent of classic High Fantasy worlds like Middle Earth or Alagaësia, but are not identical to any particular world from any particular work. Some even claim that they are able to return to their world in their dreams or can shapeshift into a dragon.[11][5]
Some dragonkin identify themselves as other dragon species such as wyvernkin[12] or amphitherekin[13]
Eva Tiamat Medusa
At least one dragonkin[14], a banker who goes by the name Eva Tiamat Medusa, has taken steps to make her own body more dragon-like, with a flattened nose, 8 implanted horns, eyeballs tattooed green, scales tattooed on her skin and the removal of her outer ears. After being diagnosed with HIV, she didn't want to die as a human[15].
Dragon Code[]
Some dragonkin and other otherkin/therians use a so called Dragon Code to show others who they are. Dragon Code is a code that shows in short form, what kind of creature you are, if other people know about your draconity, which color they have, how old they are, what's their breath weapon etc[16]. It was designed in 1996 by Red Dragon[17].
Example: DC.D s--- MR a++++ WL++* F[16]
Translation: D = race: dragon, s--- = social: nobody knows, MR = color: metallic red, a++++ = age: ancient, WL++* = limbs: four legs and a pair of wings, F = breath weapon: fire[16]
In the year 1999, the dragon code was revised. Signatures in Revised Dragon Code start with DC2, to differentiate them from the old dragon code [18].
Further reading[]
- Dragon at the Otherkin Wiki
- Between Forest and Sea: A History of the Draconic Community - 1993 to 2000
- Between Forest and Sea: A History of the Draconic Community - 2001 to present
Quellen[]
- ↑ Tomorrowlands: Draconity
- ↑ Varis Draconity-Blog: Was ist Draconity? (German)
- ↑ Joseph P. Laycock, “We Are Spirits of Another Sort”: Ontological Rebellion and Religious Dimensions of the Otherkin Community, Nova Religio: The Journal of Alternative and Emergent Religions, Vol. 15, Nr. 3 (Februar 2012), p. 65–90, University of California Press
- ↑ Polson, Willow (2003), The Veil's Edge: Exploring the Boundaries of Magic, Citadel Press, p. 95, ISBN 0-8065-2352-2
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Lupa (2007), A Field Guide to Otherkin, Immanion Press, S. 25–26, 50, 52, ISBN 978-1-905713-07-3
- ↑ Gypsyamber Berg-Cross, "Human-Dragons??," alt.fan.dragons, December 14th 1993
- ↑ Colin Pascal, “Dragon poll,” alt.fan.dragons, June 18th 1994
- ↑ O. Scribner, Otherkin Timeline: The recent history of elfin, fae, and animal people, v. 2.0
- ↑ Michelle Belanger, Father Sebastiaan (2004), The Psychic Vampire Codex: A Manual of Magick and Energy Work, Weiser Books, ISBN 1-57863-321-4
- ↑ Kirby, Danielle (2006), "Alternative Worlds: Metaphysical questing and virtual community amongst the Otherkin", in: Frances Di Lauro, Through a Glass Darkly: Collected Research, Sydney University Press, ISBN 1920898549
- ↑ Raven Digitalis (2008), Shadow Magick Compendium: Exploring Darker Aspects of Magickal Spirituality, Llewellyn Worldwide, p. 178, ISBN 0-7387-1318-X
- ↑ Tumblr: Wyvernkin
- ↑ Tumblr: HoardingMemories.
- ↑ Dragons Wiki: Dragonkin - Comment
- ↑ Mail Online: Transsexual 'dragon lady' who was born a man reveals how an HIV diagnosis inspired her to morph into a reptile, complete with a forked tongue and HORNS - because she 'didn't want to die a human
- ↑ 16.0 16.1 16.2 Tomorrowlands: The Official Dragon Code Page
- ↑ DDragon: The Dragon Code
- ↑ The Revised Dragon Code: Official Information Page