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Overview
In Louise Lanusse’s tale Dragon, the title is the name of a human prince, not a reptilian monster. After freeing a young woman but missing successive meetings, he searches for the City of the Four Quarters. Two brothers summon animals for news. The second notices that his eagle is absent; when it arrives, it says it has just come from the sought city. It agrees to carry the prince there if fed whenever it opens its mouth. The youth buys an ox and boards the eagle with the provisions. Extraordinary carrying strength is evident in the action, but no bodily dimensions or unusual feather colour are given.
The ox runs out over the sea. Facing the possibility of being stranded on a rock, the traveller supplies flesh from his own thigh for the final demand. Unlike some restoration variants of helper-bird tales, this account leaves the injury unhealed: he remains lame at the wedding. On reaching the other shore, the eagle says they are at the City of the Four Quarters and departs home. The prince’s reunion then follows through the ring and handkerchiefs left by the young woman. The bird is a speaking guide and carrier, rather than the prince’s transformed relative or a named deity.
Origins & earliest records
Wentworth Webster, Basque Legends, second edition (London, 1879), attributes Dragon to Louise Lanusse of St. Jean Pied de Port. The title’s prince is human; the independently acting eagle supplies this creature profile.
Records & interpretation
The complete tale, pp. 106–111, preserves the quest, animal summons, food condition, crossing and departure. Its final wedding explicitly retains the traveller’s injury, so no borrowed healing ending is substituted.
Selected bibliography
Documented works and useful reading. This is not a list of every appearance.
- 01
Basque Legends: Dragon
Second edition, pp. 106–111; eagle episode pp. 110–111. Complete ending preserves prince’s lameness.
Family & connections
A source-supported family tree or inspiration record has not yet been compiled for this profile. Related reading below indicates a connection in subject matter, not a proven lineage or creative influence.
References
Sources supporting this profile. Linked pages have their own scope and editorial standards.
- Primary collected translationWebster 1879: complete Dragon narrativeResearch access: 2026-10-05
Image credits
A sourced illustration has not yet been added. This gap is included in the coverage record.