Why Do Dragons Hoard Treasure?

Dragons hoard treasure as a symbol of the destructive power of greed. In European mythology and literature, storytellers often portrayed dragons as creatures that amassed enormous wealth without ever using or sharing it, embodying the idea that riches pursued for their own sake can lead to isolation and ruin. This symbolism reflected values found in many early Germanic and Anglo-Saxon societies, where generosity and the distribution of wealth were marks of honorable leadership. A dragon’s...