DRACO Dacic Wolf

The Dacian wolf Draco was a military standard used by the troops of the ancient Dacian people, which can be seen in the hands of Decebalus' soldiers in several scenes depicted on Trajan's Column in Rome, Italy. This tool is shaped like a dragon with open wolf-like jaws containing several metal tongues. It had the shape of a wolf's head with an open mouth, which continued with a dragon's body, made of cloth or leather that swelled in the wind, making a noise that imitated the howling of wolves, terrifying the enemy, and formed a horizontal serpentine banner. The wolf's head, with its mouth open, made of bronze or silver, was fixed with its neck on a stick. Through an ingenious internal system, under the action of air currents, the Dacian banner produced a strong whistle, which had the effect of emboldening its own fighters and panicking the enemy. It also induced a state of nervousness in the enemy's horses, which had never heard such a sound before.