Many of the writings and legends can be attributed to the finding of dinosaur bones (the ancients had no way of knowing when the animal lived). Indeed, the legend of the griffon can be traced directly to the discovery of protoceratops remains in the far east. Also, you have the phenomenon of "traveller's tales." If you take all legends at face value, there were giant gold-mining ants in the Middle East and Africa was populated by dog-faced men [1], men without heads, men with only one leg, etc.
BTW, kimodo dragons are not dinosaurs. They are reptiles (complete with the splay-legged stance and commensurate senuous gait -- unlike the straight stance of dinosaurs, birds and mammals).
[1] Probably a twisting of recounts of baboons and Egyptian wall paintings of their gods.