Wolke means cloud
Pronounced volke (the e being a schwa here!)
Drachen means dragon, but can also be a kite!! So the name is rather pretty!

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Note added at 2002-07-21 11:45:53 (GMT)
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Dragon
Among the oldest of mythological creatures, dragons appear in the traditions of virtually all peoples back to the beginning of time. In their earliest form dragons were associated with the Great Mother, the water god, and the warrior sun god; in these capacities they had the power to be both beneficent and destructive and were all-powerful creatures in the universe.
The dragon’ form arose from his particular power of control over the waters of the earth and gave rise to many of the attributes singled out by different peoples as the whole myth developed. They were believed to live at the bottom of the sea, where they guarded vast treasures hoards, very frequently of pearls; rain clouds and thunder were believed to be the dragon’ breath, hence the fire-breathing monster.

MORE LATER... must also check where this info is from... I copied a book about mythical creatures a few years ago, but have half of it in one folder, half in another... Have to find the other half to tell you the title! BUT... I have to go to work... yes, on a Sunday... but that’s okay... a few sailing reports to write on a rainy afternoon
:( gz


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Note added at 2002-07-22 16:24:24 (GMT)
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Hi there::::
I found it. A very nice little book called A Dictionary of Fabulous Beasts by Richard Barber and Anne Riches. (Boydell Press: Ibswich, 1971) There’s quite a bit on dragons. Since I’m not quite sure what you want to know, I’ll send you what I found was interesting. The cloud bit I thought might be something you were looking for. Umm... Here it says...

The Western type of dragon has been variously described, and individual dragons had their own unique forms. They appeared to be created from parts of various creatures, with the result that in general they were described as having eagle’s feet and wings, lions forelimbs and head, fish’s scales, antelope’s horns and a serpentine form of trunk and tail, which occasionally extended to the head. In colour they vary enormously; some are black, some red as in the Welsh version, some are yellow, and some Saxon dragons are white. In parts of Africa where the dragon is also considered as an evil power, the monster was believed to be the result of the unnatural union of an eagle and a she-wolf, and to have treble rows of teeth on both jaws. Some dragons have no feet but winds, some had neither feet nor wings. This latter variety were frequently confused with serpents. The destructive powers of the dragon derive from its fiery breath, which can devastate whole countries. Dragon’s eyes also have this fiery red quality, sometimes believed to reflect the treasures they guarded; later traditions believed that misers would assume the form of dragons by constantly gloating over their treasures. The northern dragon, particularly in Scandinavia, sometimes assumed the form of a swan, swans symbolising excessive cold.

The dragon is the enemy of the sun and the moon both in Eastern and Western mythology, and is believed to be responsible for eclipses. These occur when the dragon is attempting to swallow either of the heavenly bodies; which accounts for the dragon’s appearance in primitive astronomy.

A quite general belief was the dragon’s association with death. A dead man was thought to become a dragon, while dragons were believed to be the guardians of treasures in burial chambers. Anglo-Saxon burial mounds which held treasure became known as the ‘Hills of the Dragon’. Dragons’ teeth, if planted, would grow into an army of men, a strange association with reincarnation. In the Greek legend Cadmus, his army was decimated by a serpent; he slew the monster and on Athena’s orders planted the teeth, whereupon a host of armed men, the Sparti, spring up.

Hope this helps! It’s a nice book with lots of wonderful information about creatures and beasts!