Pokémon, Mythology, and Culture: Dragons

Pokémon, Mythology, and Culture: Dragons, Explore dragon-like Pokemon and their inspirations from dragon mythology around the world.

This course is a great way to learn stories from history, and how these ancient tales might have inspired the popular Pokemon anime series and game.

Pokemon is filled with dragons, and real-world mythology is, too! Let’s explore the dragons from Europe, Asia, and the Americas. We’ll discuss eight types of western dragons, four eastern ones, and two from the mythology of the natives of Central America. With each dragon, we’ll discuss which Pokemon may have been inspired by that particular dragon type.  There are several extension activities built in, so that students can expand their knowledge about dragons and mythology beyond the scope of the recorded lectures.

At the end, we’ll also discuss some dragons from around the world that have NOT yet been made into a Pokemon. Students will be invited to create their own Pokemon based on one of these dragons from the mythology of Africa, the Phillipines, Native America, and Ancient Greece.

By the end of the class, students should be able to:

Explain the main differences between mythological dragons from the Americas, Asia, and Europe.

Compare some of their favorite Pokemon to dragons from world mythology.

Recount some stories or folklore about famous dragons from mythology.