In the small Bavarian town of Furth im Wald, there is a Dragon Museum. Dragons are a big part of German folklore and are usually portrayed as evil with stories told of how people outsmart and kill them.
Natalie Carney finds out more about the four types of dragons mentioned in German mythology and hears about all the myths and legends.
Natalie Carney finds out more about the four types of dragons mentioned in German mythology and hears about all the myths and legends.
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00:00 You don't have to go far in the small town of Futenwald on Germany's border with the Czech Republic before you stumble across dragons.
00:09 There are dragon chocolates, dragon wine, dragon candy, dragon souvenirs.
00:14 The creatures are present in the emblems of most buildings and offices, including City Hall.
00:20 Yet the town's biggest ode to the dragon is the annual Drachenstich folk theater festival.
00:26 Dating back more than 500 years, it is Germany's longest-running folk play.
00:31 And its starring character is Fanny, the town's famous 11-ton resident dragon,
00:37 which historically was the centerpiece in an ancient Catholic tradition.
00:42 The history of the dragon in Futenwald actually originated over 500 years ago from the Corpus Christi processions.
00:52 These parades were made up of young citizens from the forest, and at the end of this procession,
00:57 they made fun of the dragon and killed it as a symbol of evil.
01:01 Gradually, a story was written about them.
01:04 The story centers on a dragon that turns from a protector of the town to the people's greatest enemy, ending in a battle.
01:11 Over the many centuries of performances, the dragon has evolved from a costume worn by two actors
01:18 into an engineering marvel, now featuring elaborate facial expressions.
01:23 The dragon is listed in the Guinness Book of World Records as the world's largest four-legged screaming robot,
01:32 and it weighs 11 tons. It is 16 meters long and has a wingspan of 12 meters.
01:38 The dragon can smile, for example. The eyes give him most expression.
01:42 So when he's friendly, he opens his eyes, and when he's aggressive, he squints them.
01:47 Four remote operators working in unison are required to bring Fanny to life.
01:52 Dragons are ubiquitous in cultures all around the world, from times long gone all the way up until today.
02:00 However, it is said that famous dragons from German folklore, encompassing tales of treasures and greed,
02:08 became so popular that their legend spread across Europe.
02:12 One of Germany's most famous dragons is Fafnir, who was killed by Prince Siegfried in a popular children's story.
02:19 Even some of today's most popular dragons originated in Germany.
02:23 The models used on the worldwide hit TV show "Game of Thrones" were made in Frankfurt.
02:29 Yet not all see the dragon as a representation of evil.
02:33 Dragons from here are different from Asian dragons, who are wise and radiate power, wisdom and strength.
02:43 Our dragons are always associated with the devil in our culture and in our religions.
02:48 We have the battle of good versus evil.
02:51 Many here hope the year of the long in Chinese culture will lure visitors to this small town,
02:57 also known as Dragon City, to share their traditions and dragon firepower.
03:03 Natalie Carney, CGTN, in Füttenwald.