#cuelebre

[jurakan]

I’ll take any of your fun facts this week!

Alright, Today You Learned about the Amphiptere!

[Don't ask me how to say that out loud.]

This was a type of dragon that became very popular to depict in European heraldry, though not as much as wyverns or cocktrices. It is, in essence, a snake with wings. The notion of winged snakes goes back to ancient Egypt and Biblical texts, though I don't know if there's a direct connection to the amphiptere.

The above illustration is the most commonly used one, and it's from Edmund Topsell's History of Serpents (page 701! Took me forever to find).

Interesting, the book Dragonology (which was made for fun, don't take it as a mythological source) classifies it as an American dragon, and suggests that Quetzalcoatl is a type of amphithere. How then it would appear in heraldry before contact with the New World then, I don't know.

It's also not too far off from the Cuélebre of Spanish mythology/folklore:

Carving is by Asturian artist Eliseo Nicolás Alonso.

So! Big wingyed snakeys! It's A Thing in the dragon world.

[draconesmundi]

Happy Dracones Monday! Cuélebre

Happy Dracones Monday! This was my first experiment using SAI as a drawing software - I love how linework and sketches look on this software, but I'm finding colouring IMPOSSIBLE! (note - I queue my Dracones Monday posts in advance, but the time this is posted sometime in February I hope I will have improved!)

This is the cuélebre, a winged serpent from Spain! It is the largest of the winged serpent family in Dracones Mundi!

[nazrigar]

Smaugust 2022: Dragons from the Heroic to the Cruel

Smaugust Batch 2! Featuring more “traditional” dragons with a variety of different personalities and “jobs” within my setting of Pantheons

The Red Dragon of Wales: A Heroic defender of the kingdom of Avalon (which, in this setting, is a representing the Arthurian Legends from The British Isles, France and Iberia).

The Cuelebre: A former raiding and treasure hoarding dragon, who figured out you can get more money if you give mortals something they want and provide good service. How? Turn your dragon lair into a pub. Quite the shrewd greedy dragon.

Illuyanka: Hittite Mythology’s great serpent. He talks a big game, but after getting beaten by Tarhunz, the sky god. Beaten essentially at his own game, his self confidence has essentially been shot and has essentially become a coward, high-tailing any fight where things go south.

Zmeya Gorynishche: A cruel, enslaving dragon, whom leads a gang of monsters slighted by human, a “starship empire” one could say. She picked up on the worst lessons humanity has to offer, and enslaves and captures any monsters

[dragon-discourse]

Cuelebre

Name: Cuelebre, Culebre

Type: Mythical

Culture of Origin: Spanish

Description: A winged serpent with eyes like embers

Myth: When Cuelebres become old enough, they move to Mar Cuajada (the Curdled Sea). Some say it is because, in their age, the rivers and land reject them.

Facts:

Like with many dragons, Cuelebre begin life as snakes. Some versions claim only male vipers become Cuelebre, while females remain snakes.

On Midsummer, Cuelebre are weakened, and men can defeat them. On St. Bartholomew, they are strengthened, and they create storms and havok.

The spit of a Cuelebre can turn into a magic, healing stone.

Cuelebre keep Anjanas (Cantabrian Fairies) prisoner.

[diioonysus]

cantabrian mythology | creatures

[lpbestiary]

In Spanish mythology, the cuélebre is a type of dragon most often depicted as a winged serpent. Like many dragons, cuélebre live in caves and hoard treasure. They are sometimes said to keep Anjana as prisoners.

Cuélebre can live for many years, and as they age, their scales grow thicker to the point of being impenetrable. They are incredibly lazy, and will usually only move to eat people and livestock. On Midsummer, the Cuélebre is vulnerable, and can be killed. The heroic dragon slayer can then take the dragon's treasure and marry the imprisoned Anjana.

Image source.

Monster master list.

Suggest a spook.

[rcswickedart]

[draconesmundi]

What do Amphiptere wings look like?

Cuelebre:

Gwiber:

Amphitheres have wing-spokes along the full length of their body, the membranes are super stretchy and the spokes are lightweight and not rigid, allowing for rapid expansion and collapse of portions of the wing to complement the movements of the dragon, allowing them to perform wiggly glides similar to the flying snake: