Why do dragons interest us so much?

Although I look at movies of medieval times and think how cool it would be to live back then, the fact that I am sitting in comfortable chair enjoying the movie is proof that I would not last long. I gag when I watch "Fear Factor" when contestants must eat something truly disgusting and I imagine that people living in Medieval times - the DARK AGES - probably at whatever came their way. And liked it.

So, how long have dragons been a part of our history? They have practically forgotten unicorns, which we learned were left behind when Noah's Ark took sail because the were busy playing and missed the boat. We see them periodically in a movie, but they don't take center stage. Ah, but Dragons do. Imagine those poor people living in Medieval times, barely scratching out a living from the soil, being hounded by neighboring war lords, hounded by their own masters through unreasonable taxes, and what else do they have to contend with? Dragons! Okay, so I said I sometimes think it would be cool to have lived back then. Perhaps it is better that I did not.