What were some of the various ideas and concepts associated with dragons in Western Civilizations?

by RaspberrySriracha

My professor commented in a conversation we had that dragons were, in western society, a symbol of man's fear of the wild. If someone could expand on this or point me to other concepts a dragon could have stood for it would be greatly appreciated.

Searocksandtrees

hi! not discouraging any other responses, but there have been a few posts asking about the origins of dragons. Responses that propose the meaning/purpose are scattered around, but do take a spin through these: