User:Jplennon/Brno Dragon

The Brno Dragon is a stuffed crocodile hanging from the ceiling of the passageway of the Old Town Hall in Brno.

Origin
The origin of the Brno Dragon is not reliably documented. A number of legends about it have circulated among the inhabitants of Brno for centuries. According to some, the crocodile was brought to Brno already stuffed, while according to others it originally lived in a cave by the Svratka River.

The most common legend is that the crocodile was given to Brno by Margrave Matthias in 1608. This is according to the report about it placed in the tower of the town hall in 1749. A version of this legend - that the crocodile was a gift from Turkish messengers to King Matthias II in 1609 - is given on the plaque hanging next to the dragon in the Old Town Hall itself. However, the dragon must have been in Brno before 1608, because according to accounts from the Brno archives, it was restored and dewormed in 1578-1579.

It is also said that the dragon was brought to Brno by knights from the Crusade.

Trutnov legend
According to another legend, people came across the dragon in the rocks while building the town of Trutnov. The dragon was hunted, killed and stuffed in the Trutnov castle. This was supposed to have happened around 1006. The people of Trutnov then presented it to the prince in 1024 at the assembly in Brno and in return they were given the right to have a seal with the image of the dragon..

Namesakes

 * An express train between Brno to Prague
 * A periodical published in Brno
 * A motorcycle contest held at the Masaryk Circuit
 * A bowling contest
 * The local American football team Brno Alligators
 * The local Baseball team Draci Brno
 * The Brno Dragon Prize for swimming
 * A local meat dish
 * A public competition of plastic model builders in Brno
 * A beer produced by the Starobrno Brewery
 * An annual "fun run" between Brno pubs
 * Candy souvenir in the shape of the dragon
 * Nickname for a type of tram (EVO2) in Brno.