Origin: France (Alpine Region)
History: Derived from the Latin word "vipera", Vouivra means viper. She was quite beautiful, and was described to have scales that looked like diamonds, wearing a crown with pearls, and having a red carbuncle on her forhead. Through this carbuncle, she saw the world, as this gem was said to be her eye.1
Shooting stars were thought to be her, flying through the night. This, again, due to the carbuncle, for it made her appear as if she was surrounded by fire because it glowed so brightly. (Some argue that this was the excuse for comets that people saw.)2She was also said to guard a grand treasure within a rocky cavern.3
She was also invunerble to attack. Once a year, however, she could be killed. On this night, which was said to be either Easter or Christmas, she would fly out to a water source to bathe and drink during the mass.4 When she did this, she had to remove her jewel, thus leaving her blinded. This was the only time people could attempt to kill her or plunder her gold. However, she would only remain outside ungaurded for the duration of the mass; hence, mass-goers could never steal her treasure nor kill her.5 Many people said, however, that if you threw a crust of bread inside of the cavern while she was bathing, anything that the bread or its crumbs touched would belong to you; thus, people would do this in order to gain wealth.6
However, some thieves were not so wise in their attempts to steal her treasure. Some stayed to long to gather the treasure, and when she returned that would remained locked in her cavern all year without food nor water. Others took too much gold; thus, they couldn't move and were captured by her upon her return.7
Variation's in Vouivre's story occur around her life later on. Some sources say that she was killed by a cunning warrior who lured her into a bathing area filled with spikes.8 Others claim that she was killed by being lured into an oven to be roasted.9
Symbolism: She is a symbol of "draconic" beauty, perhaps.
Physical Description: She was decribed as a cyclopes-dragon. She is perhaps the onle one of her kind, and very little decription has been given of her.
- Illiana the Golden Dragon (defunct)
- Illiana the Golden Dragon (defunct)
- The Drac: French Tales of Dragons and Demons by Felice Holman and Nanine Valen
- The Drac: French Tales of Dragons and Demons by Felice Holman and Nanine Valen
- The Drac: French Tales of Dragons and Demons by Felice Holman and Nanine Valen
- The Drac: French Tales of Dragons and Demons by Felice Holman and Nanine Valen
- The Drac: French Tales of Dragons and Demons by Felice Holman and Nanine Valen
- The Drac: French Tales of Dragons and Demons by Felice Holman and Nanine Valen
- The Drac: French Tales of Dragons and Demons by Felice Holman and Nanine Valen
For more information about these footnotes, please see the bibliography.
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© Kylie 'drago' McCormick.
Last updated: 6 August 2008