Adorning the walls of Krakow Castle, Poland, is a magnificent display of royal tapestries from the 16th century. Within the eight pieces telling the story of the Flood are two tapestries showing the animals going onto and coming off Noah’s Ark. Many of them are easily recognizable as good depictions of their living counterparts today: lions, camels, cows, and various types of birds. But there are also animals that look distinctly like dragons. Why would the tapestries’ designer have included dragons going onto Noah’s Ark?

By Philip Robinson
Originally published January 2017

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