SAINT GEORGE AND THE DRAGON

By Gracie Sharp

The legend of Saint George and the dragon was originally told around 300 AD in Cappadocia, which is now in Turkey, where he was born. It only became popular in Europe, specifically England, when it was printed in the book The Golden Legend in 1483 (“Religions – Christianity: Saint George”). Saint George was born to Christian parents and was a soldier of the Cappadocian Greek. He is worshiped as a saint because he was a martyr; he was beheaded for refusing to renounce his faith. Real historical facts about Saint George are hard to extract from the Christianized and enhanced version of his heroic deeds. The myth of “Saint George and the dragon” was written to show Saint George’s heroism, while simultaneously teaching readers the power of believing in Jesus Christ. Many of the Christian ideals taught in this myth became less popular after the Protestant Reformation in the 1500’s. Although Saint George is still a saint and worshipped by the Catholic Church, his story has become more of an entertaining tale than its original purpose served.

Saint George and the dragon, as told in The Golden Legend, tells the reader of a city called Silene that was being poisoned by a dragon living in a nearby pond. His breath was lethal. In an attempt to keep him away from the city, the townspeople started feeding him two sheep a day. The city soon ran out of sheep, so they gave the dragon men to eat. When they started to run out of men, they came up with a lottery system where young children would be chosen to be fed to the dragon. The day came when the king’s daughter was chosen. The people of the town, whose own children had been sacrificed, forced her to go, no matter what the king offered them. The princess, dressed as a bride, began the walk towards her death when she encountered Saint George. He tried to persuade her to return to the town and when she refused, he accompanied her on her journey. 220px-Albrecht_Dürer_-_Saint_George_Killing_the_Dragon_(NGA_1943.3.3597) While they were thus talking together the dragon appeared and came running toward them. Saint George riding on his horse, drew his sword, made the sign of the cross, then rode swiftly toward the dragon. He struck him with his spear, injuring him severely” (Voragine, 2). They then used a belt as a leash and the princess led the dragon into the city. Saint George assured them they were safe and compelled them to put their faith in God and be baptized. Once they were all baptized, Saint George cut off the dragon’s head. Later, when he heard of Christians being persecuted, he left everything he had and went to proclaim the name of Jesus to all the pagans. He was beaten, imprisoned, poisoned, put between wheels mounted with swords, and thrown into a caldron filled with molten lead. Saint George remained unharmed through it all and claimed healing by God. He proclaimed his faith in front of the entire town and called upon the Lord. Fire descended from heaven and burned the pagan temple, along with their idols, and their priests. The Provost beheaded him the next day. The_Beheading_of_Saint_George

Saint George was meant to inspire people to put the church first and practice martial valor, or bravery in battle. He displayed courage in the face of pain and torture, saved entire towns, and was eventually martyred. The Church used his example to encourage the population to submit even in the face of great trials and troubles. “The good works of Jesus Christ, the saints, and others could be drawn upon to liberate souls from purgatory. In 1343 Pope Clement VI decreed that all these good works were in the Treasury of Merit, over which the pope had control” (Duggan). This would allow for the regular man to access the good works of others by donating money to the church or by purchasing an Indulgence. An Indulgence was a way of buying your way, or a loved one’s way, out of Purgatory. Saint George is not the only “hero” the church used to intimidate people into attendance and financial support. Many times the bones or belongings of saints were displayed for people to worship in order to secure God’s favor, but only after paying money. This was all because the Catholic Church was in deep financial trouble from the costly Crusades and the corruption of the popes. The church did whatever it felt it needed to in an attempt to maintain political and social power. It was not to help the people, as they claimed they were doing.

The story of Saint George and the dragon began to die out in popularity after the Protestent Reformation of the early 16th century. The Reformation, led by Martin Luther, fought back at the greed and selfishness of the Catholic Church. Luther taught “Sola Scriptura”, which is Latin for “scripture alone” (History.com). This meant that the Bible was the only real authority needed, not the people within the Catholic church who demanded money. Heiko A. Oberman says, ‘Sola Scriptura’ was “a convincing battle cry” (221). The phrase alone changed Christianity and, in turn, the entire culture of the church. It was not solely a religious movement but also a political, social, and cultural movement (“How Did the Reformation Change Christianity?”). This was because Catholicism was so integrated into the culture that the shift in religion changed and affected everything else. As religion and culture shifted, people thought differently about saints and their heroic stories. Saint George and the dragon became an entertaining and compelling myth that has since been made into children’s books and movies. It no longer has the same effect that it once did. “Saint George and the dragon” endures in modern culture in the form of pub and hotel names, tourist sites, and even statues in English cathedrals.