There are several theories that consider the Canary Islands in ancient times as the garden of the Hesperides. The garden was guarded by Ladon – a hundred-headed dragon – who protected the Hesperides, the three daughters of Atlas. Hesiod (a Greek poet from the 8th century BC) wrote about the legendary garden of the Hesperides. He began his story with Atlas. Atlas was a giant, the son of the Titan Iapetus. The giants were defeated by Zeus - king of the Gods - who cast them into the inferno. Atlas fought alongside his father – and some say – that Zeus cursed him to bear the heavens on his shoulders. Others claim that Perseus showed him the head of Medusa and turned him into an enormous mountain that supported the heavens. However it may be, Atlas had to bear the heavens beyond the pillars of Hercules – the Strait of Gibraltar.
Atlas had three daughters, the Hesperides: Egle, Eritia, and Aretusa. The three lived in the easternmost land of the world, a few marvelous islands in the Atlantic Ocean. A true paradise on earth where the climate was mild and where golden apples grew on the trees. The goddess Gaia (mother of the earth) let these apples grow as a wedding gift to the kings of the gods, Zeus and Hera. The Hesperides tended the garden that was guarded by the dragon Ladon. Ladon was a fierce dragon that breathed fire from his hundred heads. Hercules, also known as Heracles – the greatest hero of ancient times – was tasked with completing 12 labors that were considered dangerous and even impossible. "the twelve labors of Hercules, also known as the dodekathlos". The eleventh labor involved stealing the golden apples from the gardens of the Hesperides.
Hercules found Atlas supporting the heavens at the edge of the ocean, in the mountains we now call the Atlas Mountains in Morocco. Since the dragon of the garden of the Hesperides knew Atlas, Hercules had a plan. Hercules convinced Atlas to temporarily hold the heavens for him so that Atlas could steal the golden apples for him. Atlas went to the garden – where he could easily enter because the dragon recognized him – killed the monster, and stole the golden apples. He then returned to Hercules.
Atlas, who was tired of holding the heavens any longer, tried to keep Hercules in that position. But the hero outsmarted him, causing Atlas to have to hold the Heavens again. Hercules escaped with the apples. What happened to the golden apples then? Would paradise remain without its apples? No.. The apples were returned to paradise by the goddess Athena. She brought the apples back to their gardeners, the Hesperides. Ladon – the guarding dragon – who was killed by Atlas... lived on in his sons, the trees that were called “dragos”. The legend tells that the blood that flowed from the dragon's fatal wounds fell to the ground of the garden of the Hesperides. From every drop that fell, a tree grew. These trees "dracaena draco", also known as "dragon tree", have a thick trunk from which suddenly a tangle of branches grows that resembles the hundred heads of Ladon.
If the bark is damaged, a deep red sap comes out that is called Dragon's blood. This red sap has medicinal properties. The Dragon blood tree grows slowly but can easily live for centuries. There are several examples such as the tree in Icod de los Vinos (Tenerife), which is also known as the “drago milenario”. The Guanches - indigenous people of the Canary Islands – worshipped the dragon blood trees and considered them special places with very important powers. There is still superstition, and people let the dragon blood trees grow at the edges of cliff areas. If you as a traveler come close to the islands by boat, you can see the silhouette of the gigantic Teide hovering above the clouds from many miles away. If we imagine that the volcano erupts and spews fire, we can also imagine how the legend of the garden of the Hesperides and the hundred-headed dragon originated. Ladon the dragon who guards the marvelous garden of the Hesperides, where the golden apples grew...
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