The Mordiford Dragon

Guy Malkerson

yths and legends of dragons come from many places and cultures around the world. This colouring book celebrates the tale of the Mordiford Dragon from Herefordshire, England. The Mordiford Dragon was a fearsome creature over twelve feet long. Its head was terrible to behold with a red mouth and a forked tongue. Scales of green and gold covered its body. To this day the people of Mordiford remember the dragon and the paths it used to roam. If you visit Haugh Wood near by, look out for large dragon eggs hidden in the shadows of the bushes and trees.

The colouring book is a fusing of four different local Mordiford Dragon folk tales. One of the beauties of folk tales is that they are shared and told by communities, often to illustrate different truths. Like life’s experiences, they grow change and often fade . . . if not passed on.

The illustrator Marika Paz Malkerson, is based in Portland, Oregon.

As a bonus, here is a telling of a different Mordiford Dragon tale from the perspective of Garstone the Thief. This was a part of the Arts Council Funded Art Cases exhibition that featured the work of UK artist Jeanette McCulloch. The words were worked by Guy Malkerson.