| Wyvern | |
|---|---|
 | |
|
Real Name |
Wyvern, Wivern |
|
First Appearance |
British Heraldry |
|
Created by |
British Folklore |
Origin[]
The wyvern is a type of mythical dragon with two legs, two wings, and often a pointed tail which is said to be a venomous stinger.
The wyvern in its various forms is important in heraldry, frequently appearing as a mascot of schools and athletic teams (chiefly in the United States, United Kingdom, and Canada). It is a popular creature in European literature, mythology, and folklore. The wyvern in heraldry and folklore is rarely fire-breathing, unlike other dragons.
In British heraldry, the term "wyver" first appears in Great Roll in 1312, and is derived from the Old French "wyvre", meaning "serpent". The term "dragon" appears by the following century. Afterwards, four-legged dragons become increasingly popular in heraldry and become distinguished from the two-legged kind during the sixteenth century, at which point the latter kind becomes commonly known as the "wyver" and later "wyvern".
Since the sixteenth century, in English, Scottish, and Irish heraldry, heraldic wyverns are defined as distinct entities from heraldic dragons. The key difference has been that a wyvern has two legs, whereas a dragon has four. This distinction is not commonly observed in the heraldry of other European countries, where two-legged dragon creatures are simply called dragons.
Public Domain Appearances[]
All Published appearances of Wyverns from before January 1, 1929 are public domain in the US.
Some notable appearances are listed below:
- A Complete Guide to Heraldry (1909)
- The Book of Public Arms (1915)
Notes[]
- The Pokemon Noivern is a batlike Flying/Dragon-type based off of wyverns both in appearance and name. Naganadel and Aerodacyl also are wyvern-like.