Jason doet de draak inslapen 1606

Antonio Tempesta etched this print, "Jason doet de draak inslapen" or "Jason Lulling the Dragon," in the late 16th century. Here, we witness Jason, armed and armored, as he confronts the dragon guarding the Golden Fleece. Note the dragon, a symbol deeply rooted in cultural memory as a guardian and a force of primal power. Across cultures, from ancient Greece to the Far East, dragons embody both chaos and wisdom. Jason’s gesture is key. He offers the dragon a potion. This act of offering echoes ancient rituals of appeasement, where offerings were made to deities or mythical beasts to ensure protection or favor. Consider how this motif of confronting and appeasing a dragon resurfaces in medieval legends of Saint George, where the dragon symbolizes heresy or evil, and the act of slaying it represents the triumph of good. This reflects a deep, collective desire to overcome our fears and the unknown. The image touches on something primal within us.