Monstrous: The Lore, Gore, and Science Behind Your Favorite Monsters

Monstrous: The Lore, Gore, and Science Behind Your Favorite Monsters — page 3
INTRODUCTION The magic of science In the fifth century English ruler Vortigern was attempting to build a great fortress in Wales But every time the foundation stones were laid the ground shook and the fortress collapsed When Vortigern consulted his wise advisors they told him the fortress would never stand because the land was cursed The only way to break the curse was to soak the foundation with the blood of a fatherless boy They found such a boy in a nearby village and the boy was brought before the king Upon learning that he was about to be human fertilizer the boy insisted the real problem was not a curse on the land but instead two dragons one red and one white He said the dragons were trapped under the earth and their fighting caused the ground to shake Vortigern didn’t need blood He just needed to release the dragons 4