This past week I gave a speech on the myth of audience
studies, paralleling the myth of dragons to the ubitquitous words of what
constitutes an audience. In ancient times, uncharted regions on maps gave fearsome
legends of dragons to ward off persons from the dangers of the unknown, or
undefined, allowing words to quantify, keeping everyone satisfied with a
rational explanation of what lay beyond. The myth often takes on a life of its own, and the facts from the
original event, if they existed, become lost.
One tale or urban legend that comes to mind is folk song
and poem , Puff The Magic Dragon. The
lyrics tell a story of an ageless dragon, Puff and his playmate Jackie
Paper. Jackie grows older and loses
interest in imaginary friendships while Puff mourns the loss of innocence. Urban legend has suggested that Puff the
Magic Dragon is a story about drugs, not the hardships of growing up. Written during the sixties, many speculated
that Puff told a tale of drug abuse, giving
a new interpretation.
Dragons are wonderful creatures of our imagination, and
are forever etched in history. The myths, folk tales and legends of dragons offer
explanations for the unknown and make heroes out of ordinary men and women who tell
their tale. And as each generation
shares their tales, new interpretations will occur and legends will
develop.
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