{{Short description|Type of beam used in some timber frames}} [[File:Carved supporting beam - The Old Wool Hall, Lavenham - geograph.org.uk - 1546714.jpg|thumb|Carved dragon post below a dragon beam - The Old Wool Hall, Lavenham - geograph.org.uk - 1546714]] thumb|The diagonal beams are dragon beams. Chapel of Our Lady of Good Hope, Azerat, France '''Dragon beam''' is a horizontal, diagonal beam in the corner(s) of some traditional timber-framed buildings. The term is commonly used in both hip roof framing and jettying. Older publications may use the synonyms dragging beam, dragging piece, dragging tie, dragon piece or dragon tie. Inconsistencies in modern usage are discussed below. In French it is called a {{lang|fr|coyer}} or {{lang|fr|enrayure}}.
==Etymology== The etymology of dragon is unclear. The term may be descended from German {{lang|de|träger}} (a carrier), Danish {{lang|da|dragere}} (bearing beam, joist, girder) or Dutch {{lang|nl|draagbalk}} (beam). The origin has also been proposed as a corruption of diagonal or diagon.<ref>Miles Lewis, "Puncheons and Dragons:Renaissance carpentry and semantics" http://www.mileslewis.net/lectures/04-history-of-building/puncheons-and-dragons.pdf {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150306082604/http://www.mileslewis.net/lectures/04-history-of-building/puncheons-and-dragons.pdf |date=2015-03-06 }} accessed 3/22/2013</ref>
==Hip roofs== The dragon beam lies parallel to and below a hip rafter and carries the rafter. The dragon beam is carried by the wall on the outer end and by a horizontal piece between the two walls on the inside end. There are conflicting usages for this term in the U.K. and U.S.A. (see below). The most common usage seems to be combination dragon beam/cross tie. * A dragon beam lands on a dragon tie. (U.K.)<ref>Alcock, N. W.. Recording timber-framed buildings: an illustrated glossary. London: Council for British Archaeology, 1989. G6, G7.</ref> * A dragon tie lands on a cross-tie. (U.K.)<ref>Harris, Richard. Discovering timber-framed buildings. 2d ed. Aylesbury: Shire Publications, 1979. 94.</ref> * A dragon beam lands on a dragon tie. (U.S.A.)<ref>Timber Framing, “Timber Framing for Beginners: VI. Glossary of Terms”, 68:12 available online at http://tfguild.businesscatalyst.com/downloads/publications/Glossary-of-Timber-Framing-Terms.pdf {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121207175716/http://tfguild.businesscatalyst.com/downloads/publications/Glossary-of-Timber-Framing-Terms.pdf |date=2012-12-07 }}</ref> * "Dragon strut, dragon piece, dragon tie, dragon beam", (French: coyer) lands on a "dragon cross tie" (French: gousset). (U.S.A.)<ref>Edwards, Jay Dearborn, and Nicolas Verton. A Creole lexicon architecture, landscape, people. Baton Rouge: Louisiana State University Press, 2004. 87.</ref> * A dragon-piece lands on an angle-tie (U.K.)<ref>Hewett, Cecil Alec. The development of carpentry, 1200-1700: an Essex study.. Newton Abbot: David & Charles, 1969. 9, 11.</ref>
==Jetties== In buildings with jetties on adjacent walls the dragon beam is a horizontal, diagonal beam projecting from a corner which supports the jetties.<ref>Alcock, N. W.. Recording timber-framed buildings: an illustrated glossary. London: Council for British Archaeology, 1989.</ref> Sometimes the post below the dragon beam is called a dragon post.<ref>Harris, Richard. Discovering timber-framed buildings. 2d ed. Aylesbury: Shire Publications, 1979. 56.</ref>
==References== {{reflist}}
Category:Timber framing Category:Medieval architecture Category:Structural system