RadiantStarQUOTE
The dragon is a universal symbol and has been found in many cultures worldwide. It is a complex symbol since at different points in history it has been seen as a beneficent appearance but also as destructive.
This winged serpent is suggestive of the connection of the earthly and the spiritual and is represents the link between the sky gods and their earthly counterparts. Think Greek gods, mythology and Zeus.
The Chinese revered the dragon as a magical entity and nearly all cultures saw it was a symbol of change in some form or other, either psychologically, spiritually or even physically since it was associated with water, either irrigating the lands or bringer of stormy weather.
Christian religions tended to see the dragon as a bad influence and the story of St George slaying the dragon is the story of good fighting evil and one must attend to the inner dragons to open the doors to esoteric understanding.
Whatever you believe about dragons, their history in the world is a rich one and well worth investigating.
Links:
http://www.cdli.ca/CITE/dragons.htm - General, Eastern and Western list of links and gif sites
http://www.crystalinks.com/dragons.html - General link
http://www.harrypottermagic.org/dragons_and_serpents.htm - Egyptian dragons