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In our imagination George, the knight-martyr, is the saint that kills the dragon, but his most ancient representations tell us a completely different story.

As a symbol of evil and paganism, the dragon appears frequently in the stories about medieval saints. The list of dragon slayers saints is definitely very long: Theodore, Sylvester, Margaret and Martha (that however just tamed the monster) are just the most famous ones. Beside them, St. Michael Archangel led the battle against this emissary of the Apocalypse.

Nevertheless, none among all dragon slayers became object of the same popular veneration as St. George did, chosen as patron saint of England, Portugal and many other countries.

We just know about him that he was a Cappadocian soldier martyred under Diocletian, but we lack any other historical element about his life. Therefore, all stories about him are the result of medieval additions that enriched the original pattern during centuries.

The traditional iconography of George is based on his most famous miracle - the killing of the dragon. As narrated in the Golden Legend by Jacobus de Voragine (also known as Legenda Aurea by Jacopo da Varagine), the event is well-known: Selem is besieged by a horrible monster and, to keep it away from the Libyan town, the citizens drew lots to decide whom among the youngest in town to sacrifice to the monster. As the daughter of the king has to be sacrificed, St. George appears riding his horse and he manages to neutralise the dragon (the scene immortalized by artists). He then invites the princess to rope the dragon, now domesticated, to lead it into the town: witnessing this prodigious event, the king and the whole population converted to Christianity and, at the end, the dragon is killed.

Starting from the 12th century, the image of the fight against the satanic creature becomes more and more widespread all around Europe, as it is shown in painting...

...in sculpture...

...and in illumination.

In the Western culture the iconography of this saint is based mainly on this episode and other miracles and his martyr are seldom represented: the dragon becomes his characteristic feature.

However he has not always been represented according to this model: on the contrary, at the beginning of his cult there was no dragon in his stories, not to mention his representations.

The most ancient representation of St. George dates back to the first half of 10 th century and can be found in Armenia, in the church of the Holy Cross built on the isle of Akdamar. Here a bas-relief shows three saints riding and, among them, George can be identified, represented as he spears not a dragon, but an anthropomorphous figure. The other two knights are St. Sergius killing a fierce animal (in the middle) and St. Theodore who definitely does fight against a dragon (on the left).

In Georgia, on the cathedral of Nikortsminda (beginning of the 11 th century), the same scene can be seen: on the left Theodore kills a dragon-snake, while on the right George hits a human figure.

Actually at that time the dragon slaughter saint par excellence was Theodore of Amasea, a knight saint known from the 7 th century for having defeated the monster. For this reason in the Early Middle Ages dragons were associated only to this saint. In the successive centuries artists will continue to represent St. Theodore together with the dragon (as in the statue over the column in Piazzetta San Marco in Venice), but this iconography will become less and less common.

Until the 11 th century in no story about St. George the killing of a dragon was ever mentioned: he was venerated simply as a soldier-martyr that converted infidel peoples. For this reason the traditional image that had represented him until this moment was that of a knight spearing a man, symbol of the pagan persecutor and of heresy.

Right in this moment the legend on the fact that Giorgio too faced a monster rose in Eastern culture, maybe based on those very illustrations.

As a matter of fact, in frescoes and in bas-reliefs the saint was always represented together with Theodore who was fighting against his own dragon: for this closeness artists ended up by associating both saints to the monster, up to the point that George was completely "assimilated" to the artistic theme of the dragon. The first proof of this evolution is in Cappadocia, in the church of St. Barbara in Soganli (11 th century).

In the meantime, around the image of St. George killing the dragon a whole story started to be developed: the more the saint was venerated, the more the story was enriched with details.

The first texts related to the episode date back to the 11 th century and include already all elements that we know: the lake monster, the princess saved from its jaws, the domestication of the dragon led to town, the conversion of its citizens.

The story of St. George and the dragon was spreading over, but it would have remained linked to eastern regions for a long time, if Crusades would not have taken place. Christians easily identified with a triumphant saint that had liberated the region from infidels: as patron saint of Crusaders, no one was more appropriate than George.

But the saint could have been so successful among pilgrim soldiers for another element: they saw in Byzantium a large painting showing a sovereign spearing a dragon, treading on it. This image was in front of the vestibule of the Imperial Palace and represented Emperor Constantine triumphant over the "tyranny of the ungodly", the symbol of which was a dragon-snake. This image was very popular in ancient times and it is possible that Crusaders had seen a copy of it, later superimposed onto the symbol of the dragon slayer saint.

In a very very quick time the cult of St. George spread all over Europe as simultaneously did the representation of the knight killing the dragon - in England the first image of this kind dates back to the beginning of the 12 th century. Whereas in the Eastern regions the monster looked more like a snake, its version brought by the Crusaders to the Western lands grew in dimensions and it acquired paws and wings, becoming the dragon we all know.

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SAINT GEORGE AND THE DRAGON: THE ORIGINS OF THE LEGEND

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In our imagination George, the knight-martyr, is the saint that kills the dragon, but his most ancient representations tell us a completely different story. As a symbol of evil and paganism, the dragon appears frequently in the stories about medieval saints.

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The ultimate guide to Scotland’s elusive and beloved Loch Ness Monster, from myths and legends to stories of sightings. Does Nessie exist? Find out more.

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Saint Patrick's Day

By Dave Collett

St. Patrick is the patron saint and national apostle of Ireland. He was born in the fourth century and is famous for bringing Christianity into Ireland. St. Patrick's Day is a very well known Irish national holiday, which is celebrated not only in Ireland but all around the world. It falls on the 17th of March.

History of St. Patrick

St. Patrick was born to wealthy parents in the late fourth century. Until the age of 16, he thought of himself as a pagan. He was kidnapped and sold as a slave at this age by Irish marauders. It was during this capture that he turned to God.

He managed to escape after being a slave for six years and then studied in a monastery in Gaul for 12 years. This was when he knew that his 'calling' was to try and convert all the pagans in Ireland to Christianity.

St. Patrick went around Ireland founding monasteries and successfully converting people to Christianity. The Celtic Druids were very unhappy with him and tried to arrest him several times but he always managed to escape.

After 30 years of being a missionary in Ireland, he finally settled down in a place called County Down. He died on the 17th of March, AD 461.

Legend and Folklore

Shamrocks, leprechauns and the blarney stone are associated with St. Patrick's Day. Shamrocks are three-leaved clovers found growing in patches on grass. You are thought to be lucky if you find a four-leaved clover, so do keep it if you ever come across one!

Leprechauns are little Irish fairies, and they are thought to work as shoe-makers for other fairies. The Irish say that if a leprechaun is caught by a human, he will reveal where he hides his pot of gold. On this day, pictures of shamrocks and leprechauns are hung everywhere. Some people even dress up as leprechauns complete with their big green hats!

The village of Blarney is situated northwest of the Irish city of Cork. Blarney comes from the Irish word 'An blarna', meaning the plain. Blarney Castle is a very famous castle in this village and is 90 feet tall. The world famous Blarney Stone is on the top story. It is said that if one kisses this stone, one will be given the gift of eloquence, meaning to have beautiful speaking abilities. Nowadays, the word blarney means the ability to influence and coax with fair words and soft speech without offending.

Legend also says that St. Patrick could raise people from the dead. He is well-known for driving the snakes out of Ireland, although many people dispute how true this is! Another great story was how he used the shamrock, with its three leaves, to explain the Holy Trinity (the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost) to his followers.

What Do People Do on St. Patrick's Day?

St. Patrick's Day is celebrated world-wide with people dancing and singing in Irish pubs, watching the St. Patrick's Day parade, drinking 'green' beer, wearing green clothes and just generally having a good time. Children in Ireland have a tradition of pinching their friends who don't wear green on this day!

Traditional Food and Drink on St. Patrick's Day

Bacon and cabbage is what most people have on this day. Another popular dish is Irish soda bread and potato pancakes. Irish pub owners go crazy on this day, putting green food colouring into their beers and traditional Irish Guinness Stout is a sell out in all Irish pubs! People also drink lots of Irish coffee, which is made with warm whiskey, sugar, coffee and topped off with cream. Sounds delicious? It is!

Irish Proverbs

The Irish have many proverbs but here are some favourites.

Better the coldness of a friend than the sweetness of an enemy.

Be nice to them on the way up. You might meet them all on the way down.

Let your anger set with the sun and not rise again with it.

Irish Humour

The Irish are famous for their jokes and good nature. Here's an example:

Definition of an Irish husband:
He hasn't kissed his wife in 20 years but he will kill any man who does!

Now that you know almost everything about St. Patrick's Day, go out on March the 17th and enjoy yourselves! Why not try and spot a leprechaun or two to find your pot of gold...?

Whatever it may be, don't forget to wear green on this special day!

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By Dave Collett St. Patrick is the patron saint and national apostle of Ireland. He was born in the fourth century and is famous for bringing Christianity into Ireland. St. Patrick's Day is a very well known Irish national holiday, which is celebrated not only in Ireland but all around the world.

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Modernization of the British Royal Family

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Modernization of the British Royal Family

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Queens Diamond Jubilee Multiple Choice Quiz

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Smaller administrative regions in England are called counties. In total, there are 48, ranging in size from Greater London, with a population of nearly nine million, to Rutland, with a population of just 38,000. Traveling from Northumberland in the northeast to Cornwall on the southwestern tip is about a five-hundred-mile journey that goes right through Yorkshire, the Midlands and down into the southwestern coast.

Read more about the administrative subvisions of England.

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UK: England: Counties - Map Quiz Game: Smaller administrative regions in England are called counties. In total, there are 48, ranging in size from Greater London, with a population of nearly nine million, to Rutland, with a population of just 38,000.

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The Most Popular Sports in the United Kingdom

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The 10 most popular sports played in the United Kingdom.