St. George and the Dragon Legend

When St. George is depicted, he is often shown as a knight carrying a shield with a red cross (or a banner with a red cross). Usually, he is sitting upon a horse. He is always slaying a dragon, which goes in accordance to a legend linked to the saint. In this article, you will learn some of the versions regarding the legend of St. George and the dragon.

The story of St. George and the slaying of the dragon comes in many different versions. However, there are some details that have stayed true in the majority of the accounts. There was a town that lived in fear of a dragon that brought terror into their lives. To appease the dragon, a young princess was offered to the beast. When George heard about what was happening, he rode into the village and slayed the dragon. In the process, George also rescued the princess.

An example of the St. George and the dragon legend is:

George had been traveling for many months by way of water and land. He came across Libya where he encountered a poor hermit. The hermit told George that everyone in the region had been living in fear and quite unhappy because a dragon had been terrorizing the country. The old man told him that the dragon demanded a sacrifice of a beautiful girl every day until all of the young girls had been killed. The only young female that remained was none other than the king’s daughter. The hermit said that if they were unable to locate a knight who was capable of slaying the dragon , the daughter would surely be killed. It was said that the king of Egypt would allow the brave knight who triumphed over the dragon to marry his daughter

George listened to the story and decided that it was he who would save the princess. He used the hermit’s hut as a place of rest, and when the day broke, he went to the valley where the dragon dwelled. As he came closer, he saw a small procession of women who walked behind a beautiful girl dressed in the finest silk. Her name was Sabra and she was walking to her doom. George spurred his horse and approached the women. He persuaded the princess to return to the palace and gave the women encouraging words.

When George entered the valley, the dragon rushed out of his cave to confront the intruder. He let out a roar that was described as ‘louder than thunder.’ The dragon was huge with a tail that measured 50 feet long. However, George did not fear the creatures and struck the beast with his spear. He thought this blow would wound the dragon, but its scales were too hard. The spear shattered into a thousand pieces. The impact also made George fall from his horse.

It was George’s luck that he rolled under an orange tree that had been enchanted. The poison from the dragon’s venom could not hurt the knight. Within minutes, he had his strength back and was able to fight once again. George was able to kill the dragon with his sword. In the process, the dragon released poison on him that separated his shield into two. He retreated to the orange tree again and was able to rush at the dragon with his sword. It pierced under the wing where no scales were located. The dragon fell dead at his feet.