What is the origin of the word “dragonfly”?
The origin of the English term “dragonfly” is believed to come from the Romanian language where the word for dragonfly translates to Devil’s Horse or Devil’s fly. The word drac, from the Latin draco, means “dragon” or “devil” in several languages, such as Catalan and Romanian. So the Romanian Devil’s fly has become dragonfly in English! Learn more about some really cool dragonfly symbolism in Europe and Japan. The legends and folktails will surprise you!
Why are dragonflies called “dragonflies”? (dragonfly)
Why is dragon in this word?
Dragonfly is also written as “dragonfly”. Both “蝏” and “蝏” are related to the shape of the dragonfly’s tail. Bei Ya – Explanation of Insects – Dragonfly System” says that the dragonfly “flies on the water in case of rain, and when its tail ends at noon, it stops, and it is called the dragonfly system, which is also used as the word for dragonfly, and it is also used as the name of the dragonfly system.” The Materia Medica Compendium – insect – lacewing” is said: “or cloud its tail such as Ding also, or cloud its tail is good Pavilion and quite, so it is said to be the dragonfly.” Dragon, from “green”, refers to the color.
Where did the name ‘dragonfly’ originate?
One interesting theory about its origin, however, can be found in a book written by Eden Emanuel Sarot in 1958 entitled Folklore of the Dragonfly: A Linguistic Approach. He theorized that the name dragonfly actually came about because of an ancient Romanian Folktale. In the folktale, the Devil turned a beautiful horse ridden by St. George (of St. George and the dragon fame) into a giant, flying insect.
The Romanian names the people supposedly refed to this giant insect (when translated into English) mean ‘St. George’s Horse’ or, more commonly, ‘Devil’s Horse.’ According to Sarot, the peasantry of that time actually viewed the Devil’s Horse as a giant fly and that they may have started referring to it as the ‘Devil’s Fly’ (instead of Devil’s Horse). He stated that the Romanian word for Devil was “drac,” but that drac was also the Romanian word for dragon. He thought that eventually the Romanian name for the Devil’s Fly was erroneously translated to the English Dragon Fly and this eventually evolved into the “dragonfly!”
As one story goes, the English word dragonfly has its etymological root in the Romanian/ eastern European term for “devil’s horse” or “devil’s fly”.
As for the origin of dragonflies and damselflies (order Odonata), there are dragonfly-like fossils (representing the extinct order Meganisoptera— a.k.a. Protodonata; including family Meganeuridae — the griffenflies) in the Paleozoic (late Carboniferous to Late Permian) geological strata [See Meganisoptera – Wikipedia]. Interestingly, no fossil remains of insect precursors to meganeurans have been identified. The so-called “Carboniferous Explosion” (the abrupt appearance of an amazing array of arthropods, fully developed in diverse forms, occurring in Carboniferous sedimentary strata) has been used as evidence of creation by God, per the Genesis account, as opposed to naturalistic macroevolution.
Dragonflies were widely used in folklore throughout the world and it was believed that they once were dragons.
For example, in Romanian folklore the dragonfly was Saint George’s horse. According to the myth, after St. George wounded the dragon, his horse was cursed by the devil and became a giant flying insect. That’s why in the Romanian language the word dragonfly translates into Devil’s Horse. In Romanian ‘drac’ means both devil and dragon while in English, is translated to dragonfly.
In Swedish folklore, dragonflies are used by the Devil in order to weigh people’s souls. Because of the shape of their body which, with a bit of imagination, resembles a weighting tool, people believed that Devil was sending dragonflies to circle a person and get the measure of their soul. That’s why in Swedish they are called Devil’s Steelyard (Skams besman).
The reason why dragonflies inspire for the most part, negative myths, is believed to be due to their body shape which looks like a needle at the end (in fact, one of their nicknames is ‘Devil’s Darning Needle’), their erratic flight patterns and their shimmering wings.
How did the dragonfly get its name?
Dragonflies are one of the most fascinating insects. They have a very distinct appearance with their wings and long body. As a predator, they eat many insects that might plague your home and yard, including mosquitoes, houseflies, ants and bees. However, the origin of their name is a bit of mystery. The origin is not definitive, but there are many wonderful folklore stories to explain the origin of the name.
Romanian Folklore
In old Romanian folklore, the dragonfly was actually a horse ridden by Saint George. St. George rid the mythical town of Silence of the dragon that lived in the town’s pond and poisoned the town. After wounding the dragon, he leashed the dragon and gave it to the town’s princess. Saint George’s horse became a giant flying insect when cursed by the devil. In the Romanian language, the word for dragonfly translates into Devil’s Horse or Devil’s fly. The Romanian word for devil is drac, which can also indicate dragon. In English, it translated to dragonfly.
Native American Folklore
For the Zuni tribe, dragonflies are a symbol of spring and good harvests. It is said that the Zuni abandoned their land when it became barren. In their haste to leave, they left behind a small brother and sister. The brother created an insect doll made from grass and corn, which came to life. As the children suffered from hunger, the doll flew away to find the corn maidens. With the corn maidens came the return of the fertile land and the tribe. The insect doll asked for a companion. Their offspring were called dragonflies from then on to today.
Swedish Folklore
In ancient Swedish folklore, the dragonfly is called Skams besman, which translate to Devil’s Steelyard. This name is derived from the shape of a dragonfly’s body. If you use a little imagination, its body shape begins to resemble a weighting tool. The people believed that the Devil used the dragonfly to weigh people’s souls. The dragonfly would circle a person to get the measure of their soul. If your soul was found wanting, you could expect to be seriously injured in the near future. Today, dragonflies are considered holy animals in the Scandinavian countries.
While we might never know the true origins of how the dragonfly received its name. It is fun to learn more about the possible origins of the name and the folklore associated with this insect.
