Colin Snow
The Latin phrase Draco dormiens nunquam titillandus is the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry motto, which translates to never tickle a sleeping dragon. J.K. Rowling, the author of the Harry Potter series, explained that she wanted to give practical advice to the students of Hogwarts, unlike other school slogans that encourage virtues like perseverance and nobility. The phrase is also used to advise against taking actions that may appear harmless but could provoke a negative reaction, similar to poking a hibernating bear.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Latin Translation | Draco dormiens nunquam titillandus |
| Literal Translation | Never tickle a sleeping dragon |
| School Motto | Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry |
| Origin | J.K. Rowling, author of the Harry Potter series |
| Alternative Translation | Don't wake sleeping dogs |
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What You'll Learn
Risky actions in business
The idiom "Don't poke a sleeping dragon" is a warning against taking risky actions. In a business context, this can be applied to the various risks that a company may face, which can be caused by both external and internal factors. These risks can threaten a company's ability to achieve its financial goals and can even lead to failure or bankruptcy.
One example of a risky action in business is failing to comply with government rules and regulations. This is known as compliance or regulatory risk and can result in financial penalties and damage to the company's reputation. For instance, in the wine industry, there are specific distribution laws that brands must adhere to, and failure to do so can result in fines or legal action.
Another example is strategic risk, which occurs when a business deviates from its business model or plan. This can make the company's strategy less effective over time and hinder its ability to reach its goals. For instance, if a low-cost provider starts undercutting the prices of its competitor, the latter may face a strategic risk.
Operational risk is a third type, arising from issues with a company's day-to-day operations. An example of this is HSBC's failure to adequately stop money laundering in Mexico, which resulted in a large fine and reputational damage.
Additionally, risky actions by employees can also threaten an organization. For instance, employees may reuse or share passwords, click on links from unknown senders, or provide credentials to untrustworthy sources, potentially leading to ransomware, malware infections, data breaches, or financial loss.
While it is impossible for a company to completely shelter itself from risk, there are ways to manage and mitigate these risks. Companies can adopt risk management strategies, including insurance, extra checks within processes, and time buffers to stop processes before a catastrophic event occurs. By understanding the risks and taking proactive measures, businesses can reduce the potential negative impact on their operations and financial health.
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Don't wake a sleeping dragon
"Don't tickle a sleeping dragon" is the literal translation of the Latin phrase "Draco dormiens nunquam titillandus", which is the motto of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry in the Harry Potter series. The phrase is also used in the 2001 edition of Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, in a forward written by Albus Dumbledore.
The phrase is a piece of practical advice, as J.K. Rowling, the author of the series, explains:
> You know the way that most school slogans are things like persevere and nobility, charity and fidelity or something, it just amused me to give an entirely practical piece of advice for the Hogwarts school motto.
The phrase is also used as a metaphor for causing trouble or opening up a can of worms, similar to the phrase "let sleeping dogs lie". It can be interpreted as a warning against doing something obviously dangerous, as it is likely to result in negative consequences.
In other languages, the phrase may be adapted to refer to snakes, monsters, or other mythical creatures. For example, in Portuguese, it becomes "Não cutuque onça com vara curta" ("do not use a short stick to poke at a leopard"). In Russian, it is "Не буди лихо, пока оно тихо", which translates to "Don't wake up trouble/evil while it is quiet/asleep".
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Dragons and risk in Brazil
The Latin phrase "Draco dormiens nunquam titillandus" translates to "never tickle a sleeping dragon" and is the motto of Hogwarts in the Harry Potter series. This phrase is a warning against causing trouble or opening up a can of worms unnecessarily.
In Brazil, the phrase "don't poke a sleeping dragon" could refer to the country's endangered "dragon" species. Two unknown species of lizard, resembling miniature ground-dwelling dragons, were discovered in the threatened cerrado region of Brazil. The species, Stenocercus squarrosus and Stenocercus quinarius, are found in a dense savanna known locally as "carrasco." This ecosystem is being destroyed at a rate of 2 million hectares per year for soybean plantations and charcoal production, and it is estimated that by 2030, the only remaining natural cerrado may be in existing protected areas, which currently cover less than 3% of the region.
Another reference to the phrase "don't poke a sleeping dragon" in Brazil could be the story of Francisco José do Nascimento (April 15, 1839 — March 5, 1914), also known as Dragão do Mar or Sea Dragon. Nascimento was an Afro-Brazilian raft fisherman, pilot, and abolitionist figure. In 1881, he led a strike of raft fishermen in the port of Fortaleza, refusing to transport enslaved Black people to be sold in Rio de Janeiro and other Brazilian provinces. This act of defiance against slavery, which was still legal in the state of Ceará at the time, may have been akin to poking a sleeping dragon, as it challenged the powerful forces that benefited from the slave trade.
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Dragons in popular culture
Dragons are nearly universal across cultures and have become a staple of modern popular culture, especially in the fantasy genre. They are often portrayed as evil and greedy, but some subvert this traditional portrayal.
Dragons in Literature
Dragons appear in many works of literature, including:
- The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien, which features the iconic dragon Smaug.
- Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J.K. Rowling, which features a Norwegian Ridgeback dragon named Norbert (later revealed to be female and renamed Norberta).
- Dealing with Dragons by Patricia C. Wrede, which features a dragon named Kazul who goes along with a human princess's plan to pretend to be her captive.
- The Silmarillion by J.R.R. Tolkien, which features Ancalagon the Black, the first dragon bred by Morgoth to lead his legion of dragons in the First Age of Middle Earth.
- The Hero and the Crown by Robin McKinley, which features a dragon named Maur who almost kills the protagonist, Aerin Firehair.
- The Reluctant Dragon by Kenneth Grahame, which features a genteel, intellectual dragon who befriends a young boy.
Dragons in Film and Television
Dragons have been portrayed in film and television in various forms, from terrorizing human towns to saving human lives. Notable examples include:
- Sleeping Beauty (1959), in which the evil fairy Maleficent transforms into a dragon.
- Pete's Dragon (1977), a live-action/animation combo featuring a dragon named Elliott who is invisible to everyone except his friend Pete, an orphan boy.
- Dragonheart (1996), in which a dragon named Draco is voiced by Sean Connery.
- The Neverending Story, which features a luckdragon named Falkor who carries the protagonist, Atreyu, on his back.
- How to Train Your Dragon, which features a Night Fury dragon named Toothless who becomes the best friend of the protagonist, Hiccup.
- Shrek, in which the dragon guarding Princess Fiona's tower is a lonely lady dragon who develops feelings for Donkey.
Dragons in Other Media
Dragons also appear in other forms of media, such as:
- Manga and American comics, including Acnologia in Fairy Tail and Albion in Ddraig.
- Video games, such as The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, which features Alduin, the "World Eater" and "Nordic God of Destruction".
- Online audiovisual media, such as Trogdor the Burninator in the Homestar Runner web series.
- Theme parks and shows, such as Tradinno, the world's largest walking robot dragon.
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Dragons in other languages
The phrase 'don't poke a sleeping dragon' is a metaphor for not provoking something or someone that could become dangerous if disturbed. The Latin translation of this phrase is 'Draco dormiens nunquam titillandus', which is the Hogwarts school motto in the Harry Potter series.
Dragons are some of the most iconic mythical creatures known worldwide, and the concept varies significantly across different cultures and languages, each imbuing the creature with unique characteristics and symbolism. Here is how you say 'dragon' in several languages:
- Abkhaz: аждаҳа (azhdaḥa)
- Acehnese: ular naga
- Afrikaans: draak
- Albanian: dragua
- Amharic: ድራጎን (diragon)
- Arabic: تنين (tinneen)
- Armenian: վիշապ (vishap)
- Assamese: ড্ৰাগন (drāgon)
- Avar: дракон (drakon)
- Awadhi: अजगर (ajgar)
- Aymara: dragón
- Azerbaijani: əjdaha
- Baluchi: اژدها (azhdaḥa)
- Bambara: dragon
- Baoulé: dragon
- Basque: herensuge
- Batak Karo: naga
- Batak Simalungun: naga
- Batak Toba: naga
- Belarusian: дракон (drakon)
- Bemba: chimwala
- Bengali: ড্রাগন (ḍrāgon)
- Bhojpuri: अजगर (ajgar)
- Bulgarian: дракон (drakon)
- Buryat: лууһа (luuha)
- Cantonese: 龍 (lung)
- Cebuano: dragon
- Chamorro: dragon
- Chechen: дракон (drakon)
- Chichewa: njoka
- Chinese (Simplified): 龙 (lóng)
- Chinese (Traditional): 龍 (lóng)
- Chuukese: ngeniich
- Chuvash: дракон (drakon)
- Corsican: dragone
- Crimean Tatar: ejderha
- Czech: drak, dráèek (draaachek)
- Danish: drage
- Dari: اژدها (azhdaḥa)
- Dhivehi: ދަރަކަން (dharakan)
- Dinka: jiëëŋ
- Dogri: अजगर (ajgar)
- Dzongkha: གྲོག (grok)
- English: dragon
- Esperanto: drako
- Estonian: draakon
- Fijian: drekoni
- Filipino: dragon
- Finnish: lohikäärme
- Flemish: draeke
- French: dragun, dargon
- Frisian: dreake
- Friulian: dracon
- Fulani: sorreel
- Galician: dragón
- Georgian: დრაკონი (drakoni)
- German: Drache (pl. Drachen), Lindwurm, drake (pl. draken)
- Greek: δράκος (drákos)
- Guarani: dragõ
- Gujarati: ડ્રેગન (ḍrēgaṇa)
- Haitian Creole: dragon
- Hakha Chin: 龍 (lung)
- Hawaiian: moʻo
- Hebrew: דרקון (drakón)
- Hiligaynon: dragon
- Hindi: अजगर (ajgar)
- Hungarian: sárkány
- Icelandic: dreki
- Ilocano: dragon
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Frequently asked questions
This phrase is used to advise against taking risky actions that might have negative consequences, such as losing one's job or reputation.
The phrase is believed to have originated from the Latin motto of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry in the Harry Potter series: "Draco dormiens nunquam titillandus", which translates to "never tickle a sleeping dragon".
The concept of leaving a sleeping creature or entity undisturbed is found in various languages and cultures. For example, in Italian, the similar proverb is "Non svegliare can che dorme" ("let sleeping dogs lie"), while in German, it is "Schlafende Hunde soll man nicht wecken" ("You shouldn't wake up sleeping dogs.").
While the phrase generally carries a warning, in certain contexts, it can imply that taking a risk or "poking the dragon" may be worth it and lead to potential benefits or advantages.
