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Common or Garden Dragons, also spelt as Common-or-Garden Dragons, are a species of Bog Dragon and also the most common dragon (as the name suggests) and can be found in most dragon caves and around the Barbaric Archipelago.
Physical Description[]
Common or Garden Dragons are meant to be very ordinary and typical of what one would think of when they think of a Western-style dragon. "Common" or "garden-variety" are terms meaning usual or ordinary. According to the "Viking Dragons and Their Eggs" stat sheet, "These are the most familiar breeds - the ones we instantly think of when we say "dragons". As such, Common or Garden Dragons are often green, but can also be yellow in coloring. They have a spade tail, pointy but short back spines, and blunt head knobs.
Basic Brown dragons are closely related and have the same stats and features, though are typically brown and a little larger.
Common or Gardens are said to be the size of a West Highland Terrier (aka Westie).
On the Official How to Train Your Dragon Website, there is a mini-game called "Train Your Dragon" that has a purple Common or Garden Dragon variant, in addition to a more typical green one.
Abilities[]
Common or Gardens are not particularly specialized, and are more or less a "garden-variety" dragon. They can speak Dragonese, they can hunt and fish, they can breath fire, and do other basic 'dragon' things, but nothing in particular (except for glowing eyes mentioned later on).
Behavior and Personality[]
Not much is discussed about the behavior of the Common or Garden Dragon. However, they are mentioned to be Swift in retreat. This implies that these dragons have a high sense of self-preservation and will not blindly follow orders from their masters. However, they are very easily trained, indicating it is easier for the Common or Garden to give in rather than fight and rebel, except when their life is in danger. They may also tend toward low energy expenditure and sedentary behavior, as the Common or Garden stats rate them as lethargic hunters.
Training[]
Common or Garden Dragons are perhaps one of the easiest dragons a Viking can train. They are rated a "1" in Disobedience. They are used as hunting dragons, but make good family pets as well.
How to Be a Pirate shows Toothless having eyes that can glow with light in dark conditions (though he later turns out not to be a Common or Garden Dragon). Book 2 further indicates that "One of the only interesting features of the Common or Garden dragon is that its eyes light up in the dark." This light is bright enough for a human to see by, like a flash light.
Appearances[]
How to Train Your Dragon[]
Hiccup finds a Common or Garden Dragon while looking for a dragon to tame at Wild Dragon Cliff after having given his Basic Brown to Fishlegs. Hiccup claims he could 'sense' the Common or Garden, since it was too dark to see it. Hiccup later names it Toothless. Throughout the first several books, Toothless is thought to be a very small Common or Garden, but later turns out to be a very young Seadragonus Giganticus Maximus. Toothless is also referred to as a Toothless Daydream, a made-up species to make him sound special and fit for a Viking Chief.
How to Be a Pirate[]
Common or Garden Dragons are specifically mentioned briefly as having the ability to emit light from their eyes.
How to Speak Dragonese[]
Common or Garden Dragons are shown to be edible, as the Roman Fat Consul eats a dish called "Live Frog and Dormouse Souffles with Common-or-Garden Sauce". Hiccup, Fishlegs, and Camicazi are also served Common or Garden dragons as food while being held prisoner by the Romans.
“ | They all refused to eat it when it was fried dragon pie or Common-or-Garden in batter. | ” |
— Book 3 |
Games[]
Train Your Dragon[]
This offsite mini-game on the Official HTTYD Book Website allows the player to choose a green or purple Common or Garden Dragon to hatch and train.
Trivia[]
- While the Common or Garden Dragon from the book doesn't actually appear in the film, the creators developed a dragon to pay homage to the Common or Garden Dragon (especially Toothless) called the Terrible Terror.
- In fact, a subspecies of Terrible Terror exists in the Franchise called the Garden Dragon.
Gallery[]
References[]
- Common or Garden Dragon in the Hero's Guide to Deadly Dragons on the Official How to Train Your Dragon Books Website. NB: http://www.hiccuptheviking.com is no longer available.
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Common or Garden Dragon (Books) is also available in other languages. Do visit these pages if you prefer reading content from the respective languages: Deutsch • Español • Русский • Polski • Português • Français |