Moss is a simple plant seen many times in the DreamWorks Dragons Franchise, usually in the background scenery.
Description[]
Moss is a simple plant lacking vascular tissue - tissue to carry nutrients and water up and down the plant. Mosses are classified in the Division Bryophyta, separate from vascular plants. They lack flowers and instead reproduce by spores. Most moss species prefer a moist cool shady environment and can be found growing in tufts, sods, or mats on moist ground, tree trunks, rocks, and even rooftops. It's usually green in color, though it can also come in shades of brown, yellow, or red.
One type of moss mentioned specifically in Dragons: Titan Uprising is Sphagnum. This Genus has over 300 species and grows mainly in the Northern Hemisphere. They even grow as far North into the Arctic as Svalbard.
Function[]
The major function moss is shown to have in the Franchise is rolled into little balls and used as earplugs, which Hiccup makes for their dragons so they won't be hypnotized by the songs of the Death Song in the episode, "Tone Death". Moss is also mentioned as a food of some Buffalords. Occasionally a dragon may allow moss to grow on their hides, as well. This tactic is also employed in the Dragons: Rescue Riders episode "Bad Egg", when the Rescue Riders make moss earplugs to use on a sleeping Silver-tailed Ironclaw dragon.
In real life, moss has been used historically in northern latitudes as bedding, padding in clothing such as boots, as chinking between wood slats and log in buildings, as a water absorption material for items such as diapers, and used to aid cooking. Certain moss species have been dried and used as fuel. Very rarely, moss has been eaten in times of food scarcity. In the present day, moss is most popular in decoration and gardening.
Appearances[]
How to Train Your Dragon[]
Moss is seen many times while Hiccup is out in the woods, either searching for or heading out to meet Toothless at Raven Point. Rocks and tree trunks are covered in green moss.
Dragons: Race to the Edge[]
Season 3[]
In "Tone Death", Hiccup gives the Riders ear plugs he says he made from moss, so their dragons won't be drawn in by the songs of the Death Song dragon when they travel to Melody Island in hopes that Garf will make himself at home there. They seem to work as none of the dragons are pulled off course by the songs of the wild dragon.
Season 5[]
Moss grows liberally on the rocks of Melody Island as seen in the Season 5 episode "Living on the Edge".
In "Dawn of Destruction", the twins use the moss earplugs while they sleep, and are thankful at how well they work at keeping the noise of the Dragon Flyers attacking the Edge from disturbing them.
In "No Dragon Left Behind", the moss earplugs were used again when the other dragons (except Stormfly) were being lured to Garf's song.
In the episodes "A Matter of Perspective" and "Searching for Oswald... and Chicken", moss is seen covering the stony backs of the Sentinel dragons that guard the Island of Vanaheim.
Season 6[]
The moss earplugs are employed again in "Family Matters", when the Dragon Riders try to save a captive Death Song from the Dragon Flyers' clutches.
How to Train Your Dragon 2[]
Mosses of various colors are seen in Valka's Mountain, covering the rocky surfaces.
How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World[]
Moss covered rocks, trees, and stumps are again seen in the forests on Berk, and again on New Berk.
Dragons: Rescue Riders[]
Season 1[]
In the episode "Bad Egg", the Rescue Riders use moss earplugs on a sleeping mother Silver-tailed Ironclaw in order to remove a false dragon egg from her nest that she thinks is real.
Season 4[]
This section requires expansion. |
Dragons: Rescue Riders: Secrets of the Songwing[]
The Rescue Riders used moss earplugs to protect their dragons from the hypnotizing voice of the Songwing Melodia. However, they proved to be inefficient, as one fell from Summer's ear and another was pulled out of Burple's ear by a Piercing Shriekscale.
Games[]
School of Dragons[]
Moss also appears in this game's iteration of Deathsong Island (another name for Melody Island)
Dragons: Rise of Berk[]
A Buffalord exclusive to this game, named Mosster, is said to eat moss exclusively.
“ | This monstrous Dragon sustains its massive magnitude on moss alone. Nobody knows how it stays so big! | ” |
— Dragons: Rise of Berk |
The Sentinel Mossguard watches over graveyards, often with moss on the tombstones.
Dragons: Titan Uprising[]
The Buffalord Frostgnaw is said to eat sphagnum moss.
“ | In the frozen north of the Barbaric Archipelago, the Frostgnaw subsists on a steady diet of sphagnum moss and rock tripe. | ” |
— Dragons: Titan Uprising |
The Cryptic Collector, a Boneknapper, allows moss to grow on her bone armor and is described as "Mysterious and inscrutable behind her mossy coat".