Death by Dragons

While lauding the men who kill dragons (some more superlatively than others), Icelandic sources also describe a variety of ways by which dragons kill men. The ur-Germanic dragon seems to be an overgrown snake. Ormar pose a threat by virtue of their intimidating size and undulating coils. Others spew venom or scatter it about, so their range of mortal destruction is broader than that of ordinary vipers. Met face to face, they are capable of swallowing a man or woman whole. Winged ormar or drekar can pick humans up and carry them off. When Old Norse dragons acquire the ability to breathe fire, they only rarely wreak devastation, and never on the scale of the Beowulf dragon.