In a legend,

Saint George Saint George (Greek: Γεώργιος (Geórgios), Latin: Georgius, Arabic: القديس جرجس; died 23 April 303), also George of Lydda, was a Christian who is venerated as a saint in Christianity. According to tradition he was a soldie ...

a soldier venerated in

Christianity Christianity is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth. It is the world's largest and most widespread religion with roughly 2.38 billion followers representing one-third of the global pop ...

defeats a dragon. The story goes that the dragon originally extorted tribute from villagers. When they ran out of livestock and trinkets for the dragon, they started giving up a human tribute once a year. This was acceptable to the villagers until a princess was chosen as the next offering. The saint thereupon rescues the princess chosen as the next offering. The narrative was first set in

Cappadocia Cappadocia or Capadocia (; tr, Kapadokya), is a historical region in Central Anatolia, Turkey. It largely is in the provinces Nevşehir, Kayseri, Aksaray, Kırşehir, Sivas and Niğde. According to Herodotus, in the time of the Ionian Re ...

in the earliest sources of the 11th and 12th centuries, but transferred to

Libya Libya (; ar, ليبيا, Lībiyā), officially the State of Libya ( ar, دولة ليبيا, Dawlat Lībiyā), is a country in the Maghreb region in North Africa. It is bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to the north, Egypt to the east, Suda ...

in the 13th-century ''

Golden Legend The ''Golden Legend'' (Latin: ''Legenda aurea'' or ''Legenda sanctorum'') is a collection of hagiographies by Jacobus de Voragine that was widely read in late medieval Europe. More than a thousand manuscripts of the text have survived.Hilary ...

''.St. George and the Dragon: Introduction
in: E. Gordon Whatley, Anne B. Thompson, Robert K. Upchurch (eds.), ''Saints' Lives in Middle Spanish Collections'' (2004). The narrative has pre-Christian origins (

Jason and Medea In Greek mythology, Medea (; grc, Μήδεια, ''Mēdeia'', perhaps implying "planner / schemer") is the daughter of King Aeëtes of Colchis, a niece of Circe and the granddaughter of the sun god Helios. Medea figures in the myth of Jason and ...

, Perseus and Andromeda,

Typhon Typhon (; grc, Τυφῶν, Typhôn, ), also Typhoeus (; grc, Τυφωεύς, Typhōeús, label=none), Typhaon ( grc, Τυφάων, Typháōn, label=none) or Typhos ( grc, Τυφώς, Typhṓs, label=none), was a monstrous serpentine giant an ...

, etc.), and is recorded in various saints' lives prior to its attribution to St. George specifically. It was particularly attributed to

Saint Theodore Tiro : ''For another Saint Theodore, see: Theodore Stratelates or Saint Theodore (disambiguation)''. Saint Theodore Tiron ( grc-gre, Ἅγιος Θεόδωρος Τήρων) is one of the two recognized saints called Theodore who are venerated as ...

in the 9th and 10th centuries, and was first transferred to Saint George in the 11th century. The oldest known record of Saint George slaying a dragon is found in a

Georgian Georgian may refer to: Common meanings * Anything related to, or originating from Georgia (country) ** Georgians, an indigenous Caucasian ethnic group ** Georgian language, a Kartvelian language spoken by Georgians **Georgian scripts, three scrip ...

text of the 11th century. The legend and iconography spread rapidly through the Byzantine cultural sphere in the 12th century. It reached

Western Christian Western Christianity is one of two sub-divisions of Christianity (Eastern Christianity being the other). Western Christianity is composed of the Latin Church and Western Protestantism, together with their offshoots such as the Old Catholic ...

tradition still in the 12th century, via the

crusades The Crusades were a series of religious wars initiated, supported, and sometimes directed by the Latin Church in the medieval period. The best known of these Crusades are those to the Holy Land in the period between 1095 and 1291 that were ...

. The knights of the

First Crusade The First Crusade (1096–1099) was the first of a series of religious wars, or Crusades, initiated, supported and at times directed by the Latin Church in the medieval period. The objective was the recovery of the Holy Land from Islamic r ...

believed that St. George, along with his fellow soldier-saints

Demetrius Demetrius is the Latinized form of the Ancient Greek male given name ''Dēmḗtrios'' (), meaning “Demetris” - "devoted to goddess Demeter". Alternate forms include Demetrios, Dimitrios, Dimitris, Dmytro, Dimitri, Dimitrie, Dimitar, Dumi ...

Maurice Maurice may refer to: People * Saint Maurice (died 287), Roman legionary and Christian martyr * Maurice (emperor) or Flavius Mauricius Tiberius Augustus (539–602), Byzantine emperor *Maurice (bishop of London) (died 1107), Lord Chancellor and ...

Theodore Theodore may refer to: Places * Theodore, Alabama, United States * Theodore, Australian Capital Territory * Theodore, Queensland, a town in the Shire of Banana, Australia * Theodore, Saskatchewan, Canada * Theodore Reservoir, a lake in Sask ...

and

Mercurius Mercury (; la, Mercurius ) is a major god in Roman religion and mythology, being one of the 12 Dii Consentes within the ancient Roman pantheon. He is the god of financial gain, commerce, eloquence, messages, communication (including divinati ...

had fought alongside them at Antioch and Jerusalem. The legend was popularised in Western tradition in the 13th century based on its Latin versions in the ''

Speculum Historiale Richard of Cirencester ( la, Ricardus de Cirencestria; before 1340–1400) was a cleric and minor historian of the Benedictine abbey at Westminster. He was highly famed in the 18th and 19th century as the author of ''The Description of Britain'' be ...

'' and the ''

''. At first limited to the courtly setting of

Chivalric romance As a literary genre, the chivalric romance is a type of prose and verse narrative that was popular in the noble courts of High Medieval and Early Modern Europe. They were fantastic stories about marvel-filled adventures, often of a chivalri ...

, the legend was popularised in the 13th century and became a favourite literary and pictorial subject in the

Late Middle Ages The Late Middle Ages or Late Medieval Period was the period of European history lasting from AD 1300 to 1500. The Late Middle Ages followed the High Middle Ages and preceded the onset of the early modern period (and in much of Europe, the Renai ...

and

Renaissance The Renaissance ( , ) , from , with the same meanings. is a period in European history The history of Europe is traditionally divided into four time periods: prehistoric Europe (prior to about 800 BC), classical antiquity (800 BC to AD ...

, and it has become an integral part of the Christian traditions relating to Saint George in both Eastern and Western tradition.

Origins

Pre-Christian predecessors

The iconography of military saints

, George and

as horsemen is a direct continuation of the Roman-era "

Thracian horseman The Thracian horseman (also "Thracian Rider" or "Thracian Heros") is a recurring motif depicted in reliefs of the Hellenistic and Roman periods in the Balkans—mainly Thrace, Macedonia, Thessaly and Moesia—roughly from the 3rd century BC to ...

" type iconography. The iconography of the dragon appears to grow out of the

serpent Serpent or The Serpent may refer to: * Snake, a carnivorous reptile of the suborder Serpentes Mythology and religion * Sea serpent, a monstrous ocean creature * Serpent (symbolism), the snake in religious rites and mythological contexts * Serp ...

entwining the "tree of life" on one hand, and with the ''draco'' standard used by late

Roman cavalry Roman cavalry (Latin: ''equites Romani'') refers to the horse-mounted forces of the Roman army throughout the Regal, Republican, and Imperial eras. In the Regal era the Roman cavalry was a group of 300 soldiers called '' celeres'', tasked wit ...

on the other. Horsemen spearing serpents and boars are widely represented in Roman-era stelae commemorating cavalry soldiers. A carving from Krupac, Serbia, depicts

Apollo Apollo, grc, Ἀπόλλωνος, Apóllōnos, label=genitive , ; , grc-dor, Ἀπέλλων, Apéllōn, ; grc, Ἀπείλων, Apeílōn, label= Arcadocypriot Greek, ; grc-aeo, Ἄπλουν, Áploun, la, Apollō, la, Apollinis, label ...

and

Asclepius Asclepius (; grc-gre, Ἀσκληπιός ''Asklēpiós'' ; la, Aesculapius) is a hero and god of medicine in ancient Greek religion and mythology. He is the son of Apollo and Coronis, or Arsinoe, or of Apollo alone. Asclepius represe ...

as Thracian horsemen, shown besides the serpent entwined around the tree. Another stele shows the

Dioscuri Castor; grc, Κάστωρ, Kástōr, beaver. and Pollux. (or Polydeukes). are twin half-brothers in Greek and Roman mythology, known together as the Dioscuri.; grc, Διόσκουροι, Dióskouroi, sons of Zeus, links=no, from ''Dîos'' ( ...

as Thracian horsemen on either side of the serpent-entwined tree, killing a boar with their spears.Paul Stephenson, ''The Serpent Column: A Cultural Biography'', Oxford University Press (2016),
179–182
The development of the hagiographical narrative of the dragon-fight parallels the development of iconography. It draws from pre-Christian dragon myths. The Coptic version of the Saint George legend, edited by E. A. Wallis Budge in 1888, and estimated by Budge to be based on a source of the 5th or 6th century, names "governor Dadianus", the persecutor of Saint George as "the dragon of the abyss". a greek myth with similar elements of the legend is the battle between Bellerophon and the

Chimera Chimera, Chimaera, or Chimaira (Greek for " she-goat") originally referred to: * Chimera (mythology), a fire-breathing monster of Ancient Lycia said to combine parts from multiple animals * Mount Chimaera, a fire-spewing region of Lycia or Cilici ...

. Budge makes explicit the parallel to pre-Christian myth,

I doubt much of the whole story of Saint George is anything more than one of the many versions of the old-world story of the conflict between Light and Darkness, or Ra and Apepi, and Marduk and
Tiamat In Mesopotamian religion, Tiamat ( akk, or , grc, Θαλάττη, Thaláttē) is a primordial goddess of the sea, mating with Abzû, the god of the groundwater, to produce younger gods. She is the symbol of the chaos of primordial crea ...
, woven upon a few slender threads of historical fact. Tiamat, the scaly, winged, foul dragon, and Apepi the powerful enemy of the glorious Sungod, were both destroyed and made to perish in the fire which he sent against them and their fiends: and Dadianus, also called the 'dragon', with his friends the sixty-nine governors, was also destroyed by fire called down from heaven by the prayer of Saint George. In anticipation of the Saint George iconography, first noted in the 1870s, a Coptic stone fenestrella shows a mounted hawk-headed figure fighting a crocodile, interpreted by the Louvre as Horus killing a metamorphosed Setekh.

File:Burgas Archaeological Museum - Thracian rider - P1020149.JPG,

with serpent-entwined tree (2nd century) File:Grosvenor Museums - Grabstein 2 Kavallerist.jpg, Funerary relief of a Roman cavalryman trampling a barbarian warrior (4th or 5th century).

Grosvenor Museum Grosvenor Museum is a museum in Chester, Cheshire, in the United Kingdom. It is recorded in the National Heritage List for England as a designated Grade II listed building. Its full title is The Grosvenor Museum of Natural History and Archa ...

, Chester File:Horus horseman-E 4850-IMG 4871-gradient.jpg, Fenestrella interpreted by the

Louvre The Louvre ( ), or the Louvre Museum ( ), is the world's most-visited museum, and an historic landmark in Paris, France. It is the home of some of the best-known works of art, including the ''Mona Lisa'' and the ''Venus de Milo''. A central l ...

as Horus on horseback spearing Set in the shape of a crocodile (4th century).

Christianised iconography

Depictions of "Christ militant" trampling a serpent is found in Christian art of the late 5th century. Iconography of the horseman with spear overcoming evil becomes current in the early medieval period. Iconographic representations of St Theodore as dragon-slayer are dated to as early as the 7th century, certainly by the early 10th century (the oldest certain depiction of Theodore killing a dragon is at Aghtamar, dated c. 920). Theodore is reported as having destroyed a dragon near

Euchaita Euchaita () was a Byzantine city and diocese in Helenopontus, the Armeniac Theme (northern Asia Minor), and an important stop on the Ancyra- Amasea Roman road. In Ottoman times, Euchaita was mostly depopulated, but there was a remnant village known ...

in a legend not younger than the late 9th century. Early depictions of a horseman killing a dragon are unlikely to represent St. George, who in the 10th century was depicted as killing a human figure, not a dragon. Vinica Christopher George

The earliest image of St Theodore as a horseman (named in Latin) is from

Vinica, North Macedonia Vinica ( mk, Виница ) is a town in North Macedonia, in the Eastern Statistical Region of the country. The town of Vinica is the seat of Vinica Municipality. The town is located under the mountain of Plačkovica, in the southeastern par ...

and, if genuine, dates to the 6th or 7th century. Here, Theodore is not slaying a dragon, but holding a ''draco'' standard. One of the Vinica icons also has the oldest representation of Saint George with a dragon: George stands besides a cynocephalous

St. Christopher Saint Christopher ( el, Ἅγιος Χριστόφορος, ''Ágios Christóphoros'') is venerated by several Christian denominations as a martyr killed in the reign of the 3rd-century Roman emperor Decius (reigned 249–251) or alternatively u ...

, both saints treading on snakes with human heads, and aiming at their heads with spears. Maguire (1996) has connected the shift from unnamed equestrian heroes used in household magic to the more regulated iconography of named saints to the closer regulation of sacred imagery following the

iconoclasm Iconoclasm (from Greek: grc, εἰκών, lit=figure, icon, translit=eikṓn, label=none + grc, κλάω, lit=to break, translit=kláō, label=none)From grc, εἰκών + κλάω, lit=image-breaking. ''Iconoclasm'' may also be conside ...

of the 730s. In the West, a Carolingian-era depiction of a Roman horseman trampling and piercing a dragon between two soldier saints with lances and shields was put on the foot of a ''crux gemmata'', formerly in the Treasury of the Basilica of Saint Servatius in Maastricht (lost since the 18th c.). The representation survives in a 17th-century drawing, now in the Bibliothèque Nationale de France in Paris. Yilanli Kilise dragon

The "Christianisation" of the Thracian horseman iconography can be traced to the Cappadocian cave churches of Göreme, where frescoes of the 10th century show military saints on horseback confronting serpents with one, two or three heads. One of the earliest examples is from the church known as Mavrucan 3 (), generally dated to the 10th century, which portrays two "sacred riders" confronting two serpents twined around a tree, in a striking parallel to the Dioskuroi stela, except that the riders are now attacking the snake in the "tree of life" instead of a boar. In this example, at least, there appear to be two snakes with separate heads, but other examples of 10th-century Cappadocia show polycephalous snakes. A poorly preserved wall-painting at the ("Snake Church") that depicts the two saints Theodore and George attacking a dragon has been tentatively dated to the 10th century, or alternatively even to the mid-9th. A similar example, but showing three equestrian saints, Demetrius, Theodore and George, is from the "Zoodochos Pigi" chapel in central Macedonia in Greece, in the prefecture of

Kilkis Kilkis ( el, Κιλκίς) is a city in Central Macedonia, Greece. As of 2011 there were 22,914 people living in the city proper, 28,745 people living in the municipal unit, and 51,926 in the municipality of Kilkis. It is also the capital city o ...

, near the modern village of Kolchida, dated to the 9th or 10th century. A 12th-century depiction of the mounted dragon-slayer, presumably depicting Theodore, not George, is found in four

muqarna Muqarnas ( ar, مقرنص; fa, مقرنس), also known in Iranian architecture as Ahoopāy ( fa, آهوپای) and in Iberian architecture as Mocárabe, is a form of ornamented vaulting in Islamic architecture. It is the archetypal form of I ...

panels in the nave of the

Cappella Palatina The Palatine Chapel ( it, Cappella Palatina) is the royal chapel of the Norman Palace in Palermo, Sicily. This building is a mixture of Byzantine, Norman and Fatimid architectural styles, showing the tricultural state of Sicily during the 1 ...

in Palermo. Jeremy Johns, "Muslim Artists, Christian Patrons and the Painted Ceilings of the Cappella Palatina (Palermo, Sicily, circa 1143 CE)"
Hadiith ad-Dar 40
(2016), p. 15.

Transfer to Saint George

St Theodor & George Sinai 9-10th century

The dragon motif was transferred to the George legend from that of his fellow soldier saint,

. The transfer of the dragon iconography from Theodore, or Theodore and George as "Dioskuroi" to George on his own, first becomes tangible in the early 11th century. The oldest certain images of St. George combatting the serpent are still found in

Golden Legend

In the well-known version from

Jacobus de Voragine Jacobus de Voragine (c. 123013/16 July 1298) was an Italian chronicler and archbishop of Genoa. He was the author, or more accurately the compiler, of the '' Golden Legend'', a collection of the legendary lives of the greater saints of the medi ...

's ''

Legenda aurea The ''Golden Legend'' (Latin: ''Legenda aurea'' or ''Legenda sanctorum'') is a collection of hagiographies by Jacobus de Voragine that was widely read in late medieval Europe. More than a thousand manuscripts of the text have survived.Hilary ...

'' (''The Golden Legend'', 1260s), the narrative episode of Saint George and the Dragon took place somewhere he called "Silene", in

. Silene in Libya was plagued by a venom-spewing dragon dwelling in a nearby pond, poisoning the countryside. To prevent it from affecting the city itself, the people offered it two sheep daily, then a man and a sheep, and finally their children and youths, chosen by lottery. One time the lot fell on the king's daughter. The king offered all his gold and silver to have his daughter spared, but the people refused. The daughter was sent out to the lake, dressed as a bride, to be fed to the dragon.

by chance arrived at the spot. The princess tried to send him away, but he vowed to remain. The dragon emerged from the pond while they were conversing. Saint George made the Sign of the Cross and charged it on horseback, seriously wounding it with his lance. He then called to the princess to throw him her

girdle A belt, especially if a cord or rope, is called a girdle if it is worn as part of Christian liturgical vestments, or in certain historical, literary or sports contexts. Girdles are used to close a cassock in Christian denominations, including th ...

(), and he put it around the dragon's neck. When she did so, the dragon followed the girl like a "meek beast" on a

leash A leash (also called a lead, lead line or tether) is a rope or similar material used to control an animal by attaching it to a collar, harness, or halter. In British English, a leash is generally for a larger (possibly dangerous or aggressive ...

. The princess and Saint George led the dragon back to the city of Silene, where it terrified the populace. Saint George offered to kill the dragon if they consented to become Christians and be baptized. Fifteen thousand men including the king of Silene

converted to Christianity Conversion to Christianity is the religious conversion of a previously non-Christian person to Christianity. Different Christian denominations may perform various different kinds of rituals or ceremonies initiation into their community of belie ...

. George then killed the dragon, beheading it with his sword, and the body was carted out of the city on four ox-carts. The king built a church to the

Blessed Virgin Mary Mary; arc, ܡܪܝܡ, translit=Mariam; ar, مريم, translit=Maryam; grc, Μαρία, translit=María; la, Maria; cop, Ⲙⲁⲣⲓⲁ, translit=Maria was a first-century Jews, Jewish woman of Nazareth, the wife of Saint Joseph, Jose ...

and Saint George on the site where the dragon died and a spring flowed from its altar with water that cured all disease. Only the Latin version involves the saint striking the dragon with the spear, before killing it with the sword., note 96 The ''Golden Legend'' narrative is the main source of the story of Saint George and the Dragon as received in Western Europe, and is therefore relevant for Saint George as patron saint of England. The princess remains unnamed in the ''Golden Legend'' version, and the name "Sabra" is supplied by

Elizabethan era The Elizabethan era is the epoch in the Tudor period of the history of England during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I (1558–1603). Historians often depict it as the golden age in English history. The symbol of Britannia (a female personific ...

writer

Richard Johnson Richard or Dick Johnson may refer to: Academics * Dick Johnson (academic) (1929–2019), Australian academic * Richard C. Johnson (1930–2003), professor of electrical engineering * Richard A. Johnson, artist and professor at the University of ...

in his ''

Seven Champions of Christendom The Seven Champions of Christendom is an epithet referring to St. George, St. Andrew, St. Patrick, St. Denis, St. James Boanerges, St. Anthony the Lesser, and St. David. They are the patron saints of, respectively, England, Scotland, Ireland, F ...

'' (1596). In the work, she is recast as a princess of Egypt. This work takes great liberties with the material, and makes St. George marry Sabra and have English children, one of whom becomes

Guy of Warwick Guy of Warwick, or Gui de Warewic, is a legendary English hero of Romance popular in England and France from the 13th to 17th centuries. The story of Sir Guy is considered by scholars to be part of the Matter of England.''Boundaries in medieval r ...

. Alternative names given to the princess in Italian sources still of the 13th century are ''Cleolinda'' and ''Aia''. Johnson also supplied the Saint George's sword name " Ascalon".

Iconography

Medieval iconography

Eastern

The saint is depicted in the style of a

man in the tradition of the "

Thracian Heros The Thracian horseman (also "Thracian Rider" or "Thracian Heros") is a recurring motif depicted in reliefs of the Hellenistic and Roman periods in the Balkans—mainly Thrace, Macedonia, Thessaly and Moesia—roughly from the 3rd century BC to ...

." There are two main iconographic types, the "concise" form showing only George and the dragon, and the "detailed" form also including the princess and the city walls or towers of Lacia (Lasia) with spectators witnessing the miracle. The "concise" type originates in Cappadocia, in the 10th to 11th century (transferred from the same iconography associated with Saint Theodore of Tiro in the 9th to 10th century). The earliest certain example of the "detailed" form may be a fresco from Pavnisi (dated c. 1160), although the examples from Adishi, Bochorma and Ikvi may be slightly earlier. ;Ethiopian File:Alwan Codex 27 Ethiopian Biblical Manuscript.jpg, Alwan Codex 27 Ethiopian Biblical Icon - St. George File:Äthiopien Grosses Triptychon Museum Rietberg EFA 15 img05.jpg, Great Triptych, Ethiopia, c. 1700, tempera on fabric on wood; Museum Rietberg, Zurich, Switzerland ;Georgian St George of Parakheti.jpg, St George of Parakheti, Georgia, late 10th century Icon of St. George from Labechina, Racha region of Georgia, XI century.png, St George of Labechina,

Racha Racha (also Račha, , ''Račʼa'') is a highland area in western Georgia, located in the upper Rioni river valley and hemmed in by the Greater Caucasus mountains. Under Georgia's current subdivision, Racha is included in the Racha-Lechkhumi and ...

, Georgia, early 11th century Kondakov 1890. St George icon from Likhauri.jpg, Icon of St. George and the dragon from

Likhauri Likhauri ( ka, ლიხაური) is a village in the Ozurgeti district of Guria in western Georgia. References * Georgian Soviet Encyclopedia The ''Georgian Soviet Encyclopedia'' ( ka, ქართული საბჭოთა ენც ...

(

Ozurgeti Municipality Ozurgeti ( ka, ოზურგეთის მუნიციპალიტეტი, ''Ozurgetis munitsipalit'et'i'') is a municipality of Georgia, in the region of Guria. Its main town is Ozurgeti. Ozurgeti municipality is located on the terr ...

), Georgia, 12th century St George enamel icon (Georgia).jpg, A 15th-century Georgian cloisonné enamel icon ;Greek Byzantine - St George and the Dragon - Walters 41205.jpg, Byzantine bas-relief of Saint George and the Dragon (

steatite Soapstone (also known as steatite or soaprock) is a talc-schist, which is a type of metamorphic rock. It is composed largely of the magnesium rich mineral talc. It is produced by dynamothermal metamorphism and metasomatism, which occur in the ...

), 12th century St George Icon Sinai 13th century.jpg, Monumental ''vita'' icon at Sinai, first half of the 13th century, likely by a Greek artist. The dragon episode is shown in one of twenty panels depicting the saint's life. Saint George icon in Pyrgos, Santorini.jpg, Greek icon of St George with the youth of

Mytilene Mytilene (; el, Μυτιλήνη, Mytilíni ; tr, Midilli) is the capital of the Greek island of Lesbos, and its port. It is also the capital and administrative center of the North Aegean Region, and hosts the headquarters of the University o ...

, 15th century, Pyrgos, Santorini. File:Chanter Angelos Akotandos - St George on Horseback, Slaying the Dragon - Google Art Project.jpg, Icon by Angelos Akotandos, Crete (first half of the 15th century) St George - Google Art Project.jpg, "Pedestrian" St George, Crete, second half of the 15th century Damaskenos Saint-George-and-Saint-Demetrius.jpg,

Michael Damaskinos Michael Damaskenos or Michail Damaskenos ( el, Μιχαήλ Δαμασκηνός, 1530/35–1592/93) was a leading post-Byzantine Cretan painter. He is a major representative of the Cretan School of painting that flourished in the 16th and 1 ...

(16th century), Saint George killing the dragon, alongside

Saint Mercurius Mercurius ( el, Ἅγιος Μερκούριος, cop, Ⲫⲓⲗⲟⲡⲁⲧⲏⲣ Ⲙⲉⲣⲕⲟⲩⲣⲓⲟⲥ; 224/225 – 250 AD) was a Saracen soldier who became a Christian saint and martyr. He was born in the city of Eskentos in Cappado ...

killing Julian. ;Russian The oldest example in Russia found on walls of the church of St George in

Staraya Ladoga Staraya Ladoga (russian: Ста́рая Ла́дога, p=ˈstarəjə ˈladəɡə, lit=Old Ladoga), known as Ladoga until 1704, is a rural locality (a '' selo'') in Volkhovsky District of Leningrad Oblast, Russia, located on the Volkhov River ne ...

, dated c. 1167. In Russian tradition, the icon is known as ; i.e., "the miracle of George and the dragon." The saint is mostly shown on a white horse, facing right, but sometimes also on a black horse, or facing left. The princess is usually not included. Another motif shows George on horseback with the youth of Mytilene sitting behind him. Georgeladoga.jpg, The

fresco, c. 1167 S.George (Novgorod, mid. 14 c, GTG).jpg, 14th-century icon from Novgorod Black.George.14.cent.Museum.of.Russian.icon.png, 14th-century icon from

Rostov Rostov ( rus, Росто́в, p=rɐˈstof) is a town in Yaroslavl Oblast, Russia, one of the oldest in the country and a tourist center of the Golden Ring. It is located on the shores of Lake Nero, northeast of Moscow. Population: While ...

File:S.George (Novgorod, 14th c., Russian museum).jpg, Novgorod ''vita'' icon, 14th century; the "detailed" dragon iconography takes the central panel. File:S.George (Moscow, 15th c., Korin's house-museum).jpg, Russian icon of the "detailed" type, Moscow, early 15th century File:StGeorge-RussianMuseum.jpg, Novgorod icon, late 15th century File:S.George (Russian North, end 15-early 16th c., GTG).jpg, Northern Russian icon of the "detailed" type, the saint is exceptionally slaying the dragon with his sword (c. 1500). File:Святий Юрій Змієборець.jpg, Chełm school, 16th century

Western

The motif of Saint George as a knight on horseback slaying the dragon first appears in western art in the second half of the 13th century. The tradition of the saint's arms being shown as the red-on-white St. George's Cross develops in the 14th century. File:20030708570DR Ankershagen Dorfkirche Fresken.jpg, 13th-century fresco in

Ankershagen Ankershagen is a municipality in the Mecklenburgische Seenplatte district, in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany. Components of the municipality ''Ankershagen'' are ''Ankershagen'', ''Bocksee'', ''Bornhof'', ''Friedrichsfelde'' and ''Rumpshagen''. ...

Mecklenburg Mecklenburg (; nds, label= Low German, Mękel(n)borg ) is a historical region in northern Germany comprising the western and larger part of the federal-state Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania. The largest cities of the region are Rostock, Schweri ...

File:St George and the Dragon Verona ms 1853 26r.jpg, Miniature from a ''Passio Sancti Georgii'' manuscript (Verona, second half of 13th century) File:St George BNF Fr 241 101v.jpg, Miniature from a manuscript of ''

Legenda Aurea The ''Golden Legend'' (Latin: ''Legenda aurea'' or ''Legenda sanctorum'') is a collection of hagiographies by Jacobus de Voragine that was widely read in late medieval Europe. More than a thousand manuscripts of the text have survived.Hilary ...

'', Paris, 1348. File:Saint George et le dragon, enluminure.jpg, Book of Hours (c. 1380?). File:St George Royal19BXVII 109.jpg, Miniature from a manuscript of ''Legenda Aurea'', Paris, 1382. File:De Grey Hours f.31.v St. George and the dragon.png,

De Grey Hours The ''De Grey Hours'' (NLW MS 15537C) is a book of hours that was produced in Flanders, where the artist tailored the manuscript for the English market by including a miniature of St Thomas Becket and naming appropriate festivals in the Calendar ...

(c. 1400) File:Anga kyrka-Mural painting02.jpg, Fresco of the full legend, Anga Church, Gotland, Sweden (mid 15th century) File:Heures Ch d'Angoulême Saint Georges XVe.jpg, Miniature from Heures de Charles d'Angoulême,

Cognac Cognac ( , also , ) is a variety of brandy named after the commune of Cognac, France. It is produced in the surrounding wine-growing region in the departments of Charente and Charente-Maritime. Cognac production falls under French appella ...

, France, f.53v (1475–1500) File:Saint George and the Dragon alabaster sculpture.jpg, ''Saint George and the Dragon'', tinted alabaster, English, c. 1375–1420 ( National Gallery of Art, Washington) File:St Georgsgruppe, um 1500.jpg, Wooden sculpture, c. 1500,

Gottorf Castle Gottorf Castle (german: Schloss Gottorf, da, Gottorp Slot, Low German: ''Gottorp'') is a castle and estate in the city of Schleswig, Schleswig-Holstein, Germany. It is one of the most important secular buildings in Schleswig-Holstein, and ha ...

Renaissance

Donatello Donato di Niccolò di Betto Bardi ( – 13 December 1466), better known as Donatello ( ), was a Florentine sculptor of the Renaissance period. Born in Florence, he studied classical sculpture and used this to develop a complete Renaissance s ...

Saint George
c. 1417.

Bargello The Bargello, also known as the Palazzo del Bargello, Museo Nazionale del Bargello, or Palazzo del Popolo (Palace of the People), was a former barracks and prison, now an art museum, in Florence, Italy. Terminology The word ''bargello'' appears ...

, Florence, Italy. *

Paolo Uccello Paolo Uccello ( , ; 1397 – 10 December 1475), born Paolo di Dono, was an Italian (Florentine) painter and mathematician who was notable for his pioneering work on visual perspective in art. In his book ''Lives of the Most Excellent Painters, S ...

, '' Saint George and the Dragon'', c. 1470. National Gallery, London. * Giovanni Bellini, ''Saint George Fighting the Dragon'', c. 1471. Pesaro altarpiece. * Lieven van Lathem, '' Saint George and the Dragon'' (c. 1471) *

Bernt Notke Bernt Notke (; – before May 1509) was a late Gothic artist, working in the Baltic region. He has been described as one of the foremost artists of his time in northern Europe. Life Very little is known about the life of Bernt Notke. The No ...

, '' Saint George and the Dragon'', Storkyrkan in Stockholm, ca. 1484–1489. * Andrea della Robbia,

terracotta Terracotta, terra cotta, or terra-cotta (; ; ), in its material sense as an earthenware substrate, is a clay-based unglazed or glazed ceramic where the fired body is porous. In applied art, craft, construction, and architecture, terracotta ...

, c. 1490 * Albrecht Dürer,

woodcut Woodcut is a relief printing technique in printmaking. An artist carves an image into the surface of a block of wood—typically with gouges—leaving the printing parts level with the surface while removing the non-printing parts. Areas tha ...

, 1501/4 *

Raphael Raffaello Sanzio da Urbino, better known as Raphael (; or ; March 28 or April 6, 1483April 6, 1520), was an Italian painter and architect of the High Renaissance. His work is admired for its clarity of form, ease of composition, and visual a ...

(Raffaello Santi), ''St. George'', 1504. Oil on wood.

Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), ma ...

, France. * Raphael (Raffaello Santi), ''St. George and the Dragon'', 1504–1506. Oil on wood. National Gallery of Art,

Washington, D.C. ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...

, United States. *

Albrecht Altdorfer Albrecht Altdorfer (12 February 1538) was a German painter, engraver and architect of the Renaissance working in Regensburg, Bavaria. Along with Lucas Cranach the Elder and Wolf Huber he is regarded to be the main representative of the Danube S ...

, Forest Landscape with St. George Fighting the Dragon, 1510 *

Tintoretto Tintoretto ( , , ; born Jacopo Robusti; late September or early October 1518Bernari and de Vecchi 1970, p. 83.31 May 1594) was an Italian painter identified with the Venetian school. His contemporaries both admired and criticized the speed wit ...

(Jacopo Robusti), '' Saint George and the Dragon'', 1555. File:Bernat Martorell - Saint George Killing the Dragon - Google Art Project.jpg,

Bernat Martorell Bernat Martorell (died 1452 in Barcelona) was the leading painter of Barcelona, in modern-day Spain. He is considered to be the most important artist of the International Gothic style in Catalonia. Martorell painted retable panels and Miniature ( ...

– ''Saint George Killing the Dragon'' (1435). File:Stockholm-Storkyrkan (St.Georg).jpg, '' Saint George and the Dragon'',

wood carving Wood carving is a form of woodworking by means of a cutting tool (knife) in one hand or a chisel by two hands or with one hand on a chisel and one hand on a mallet, resulting in a wooden figure or figurine, or in the sculptural ornamentation ...

in Stockholm's

Storkyrkan Storkyrkan (, ), also called Stockholms domkyrka (Stockholm Cathedral) and Sankt Nikolai kyrka (Church of Saint Nicholas), is the oldest church in Stockholm. Storkyrkan lies in the centre of Stockholm in Gamla stan, between Stockholm Palace an ...

(1470s). File:1512 Meister des Döbelner Hochaltars Hl. Georg zu Pferde anagoria.JPG, St. George on Horseback, Meister des Döbelner Hochaltars, 1511/13,

Hamburger Kunsthalle The Hamburger Kunsthalle is the art museum of the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg, Germany. It is one of the largest art museums in the country. The museum consists of three connected buildings, dating from 1869 (main building), 1921 (Kuppelsaa ...

File:St GeorgeEnglish.JPG, Woodcut frontispiece of Alexander Barclay, ''Lyfe of Seynt George'' (Westminster, 1515). File:Gillis Coignet - St George the Great.jpg,

Gillis Coignet Gillis Coignet, Congnet or Quiniet (c. 1542 – 1599) was a Dutch and Flemish Renaissance painting, Flemish Renaissance painter, who was strongly influenced by the Italian style. He painted historical and mythological subjects of an easel size, ...

– ''St George the Great'' (1581).

Early modern and modern art

Paintings *

Peter Paul Rubens Sir Peter Paul Rubens (; ; 28 June 1577 – 30 May 1640) was a Flemish artist and diplomat from the Duchy of Brabant in the Southern Netherlands (modern-day Belgium). He is considered the most influential artist of the Flemish Baroque tradi ...

, '' Saint George and the Dragon'', 1620. * Salvator Rosa, '' San Giorgio e il Drago'' *

Mattia Preti Mattia Preti (24 February 1613 – 3 January 1699) was an Italian Baroque artist who worked in Italy and Malta. He was appointed a Member of the Order of Saint John. Life Born in the small town of Taverna in Calabria, Preti was called ''Il Ca ...

, ''St George triumphant over the dragon'', 1678, at St. George's Basilica, Malta in Victoria, Gozo. *

Edward Burne-Jones Sir Edward Coley Burne-Jones, 1st Baronet, (; 28 August, 183317 June, 1898) was a British painter and designer associated with the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood which included Dante Gabriel Rossetti, John Millais, Ford Madox Brown and Holman ...

, ''St. George and the Dragon'', 1866. *

Gustave Moreau Gustave Moreau (; 6 April 1826 – 18 April 1898) was a French artist and an important figure in the Symbolist movement. Jean Cassou called him "the Symbolist painter par excellence".Cassou, Jean. 1979. ''The Concise Encyclopedia of Symbolism.' ...

, ''St. George and the Dragon'', c. 1870. Oil on canvas. The National Gallery, London. *

Briton Rivière Briton Rivière (14 August 1840 in London20 April 1920 in London) was a British artist of Huguenot descent. He exhibited a variety of paintings at the Royal Academy, but devoted much of his life to animal paintings. Biography Briton's fat ...

, ''St. George and the Dragon'', c. 1914. *

Uroš Predić Uroš Predić ( sr-Cyrl, Урош Предић, ; Orlovat, 7 December 1857 – Belgrade, 12 February 1953) was a Serbian Realist painter. Predić is perhaps best known for his early works depicting ordinary people, as well as his many portrai ...

, ''St George Killing the Dragon'', 1930. *

Giorgio de Chirico Giuseppe Maria Alberto Giorgio de Chirico ( , ; 10 July 1888 – 20 November 1978) was an Italian artist and writer born in Greece. In the years before World War I, he founded the '' scuola metafisica'' art movement, which profoundly influ ...

, ''St. George Killing the Dragon'', 1940. Sculptures * The sculptures which form part of the clock of Liberty's store in Regent Street, London (19th century). * Sir Joseph Edgar Boehm, ''Saint George and the Dragon'', bronze, State Library of Victoria, 1889 *

Salvador Dalí Salvador Domingo Felipe Jacinto Dalí i Domènech, Marquess of Dalí of Púbol (; ; ; 11 May 190423 January 1989) was a Spanish surrealist artist renowned for his technical skill, precise draftsmanship, and the striking and bizarre images in ...

, ''Saint George and the Dragon'', Open Air Museum in Cosenza, 1947 *

Edward Seago Edward Brian Seago, RBA, ARWS, RWS (31 March 1910 – 19 January 1974) was an English artist who painted in both oils and watercolours. Early life The son of a coal merchant, Seago was born in Norwich and attended Norwich School. He was a se ...

, ''Saint George and the Dragon'', silver, automobile mascot used for the British monarch's cars, 1952. *

Zurab Tsereteli Zurab Konstantinovich Tsereteli ( ka, ზურაბ კონსტანტინეს ძე წერეთელი, russian: Зураб Константинович Церетели; born 4 January 1934) is a Georgian-Russian painter, sc ...

, sculpture in front of the at , Moscow, 1995 * Zurab Tsereteli, '' St. George Statue'', Tbilisi, 2005 * Marcus Canning and Christian de Vietri, ''Ascalon'', abstract sculpture in front of St George's Cathedral,

Perth Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia. It is the fourth most populous city in Australia and Oceania, with a population of 2.1 million (80% of the state) living in Greater Perth in 2020. Perth i ...

, 2011 Mosaic *

Edward Poynter Sir Edward John Poynter, 1st Baronet (20 March 183626 July 1919) was an English painter, designer, and draughtsman, who served as President of the Royal Academy. Life Poynter was the son of architect Ambrose Poynter. He was born in Paris, F ...

, ''Saint George for England'', 1869. Central Lobby in the Palace of Westminster. * Sergey Chekhonin, Sergey Vasilyevich Gerasimov, Central maiolica panel about the battle of St. George the Victorious with the Serpent 1911–1913, Moscow, Russia. * Anatoly Alexandrovich Ostrogradsky, A small image of St. George, with the plot of the fresco of the Church of St. George in Staraya Ladoga in a stylized icon case on the façade, above the main porches, the maiolica was made in 1911–1913, Moscow, Russia. Engravings * Benedetto Pistrucci, engraving for coin dies, 1817. * On

kopeck The kopek or kopeck ( rus, копейка, p=kɐˈpʲejkə, ukr, копійка, translit=kopiika, p=koˈpʲijkə, be, капейка) is or was a coin or a currency unit of a number of countries in Eastern Europe closely associated with t ...

s issued by the

Central Bank of Russia The Central Bank of the Russian Federation (CBR; ), doing business as the Bank of Russia (russian: Банк России}), is the central bank of the Russian Federation. The bank was established on July 13, 1990. The predecessor of the bank can ...

. Prints * On banknotes issued by the Bank of England: ** £1 note, 1917 until 1933, on obverse, with portrait of

George V George V (George Frederick Ernest Albert; 3 June 1865 – 20 January 1936) was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Emperor of India, from 6 May 1910 until his death in 1936. Born during the reign of his grandmother Qu ...

; 1928 until 1960, on reverse, duplicated. ** £5 note, 1957 until 1967, on obverse, with portrait of

Britannia Britannia () is the national personification of Britain as a helmeted female warrior holding a trident and shield. An image first used in classical antiquity, the Latin ''Britannia'' was the name variously applied to the British Isles, Great ...

. ** £20 note, 1970 until 1993, on obverse, with portrait of

Elizabeth II Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary; 21 April 1926 – 8 September 2022) was Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms from 6 February 1952 until her death in 2022. She was queen regnant of 32 sovereign states during ...

. File:Châtenois StGeorges25.JPG, 17th-century statue in

Église Saint-Georges de Châtenois Église Saint-Georges de Châtenois is the Catholic parish church of Châtenois, in the Bas-Rhin department of France. The current church was built from 1759 until 1761 by the local architect Martin Dorgler, but retains a Romanesque steeple from ...

, France File:Châtenois StGeorges30.JPG, 18th-century statue in Église Saint-Georges de Châtenois, France File:Mattia Preti - St. George Victorious over the Dragon - WGA18398.jpg, ''Saint George and the Dragon'', by

(1678), in Gozo,

Malta Malta ( , , ), officially the Republic of Malta ( mt, Repubblika ta' Malta ), is an island country in the Mediterranean Sea. It consists of an archipelago, between Italy and Libya, and is often considered a part of Southern Europe. It lies ...

. File:St. George the Victorious - Google Art Project.jpg, Unknown painter from

Ukraine Ukraine ( uk, Україна, Ukraïna, ) is a country in Eastern Europe. It is the second-largest European country after Russia, which it borders to the east and northeast. Ukraine covers approximately . Prior to the ongoing Russian inv ...

, 18th century. File:Pendant with Saint George.jpg, Pendant with Saint George by Lluís Masriera i Rosés (1902), Barcelona. File:St. George and the Dragon - Briton Riviere.jpg, ''St. George and the Dragon'' by Briton Reviere (c. 1914). File:1914 Sydney Half Sovereign - St. George.jpg, 1914 sovereign with Benedetto Pistrucci's engraving. File:Britain Needs You at Once - WWI recruitment poster - Parliamentary Recruiting Committee Poster No. 108.jpg, WWI British recruitment poster. File:2002 Bentley State Limousine ornament.jpg,

's ''St. George and the Dragon'' automobile mascot used by the British monarch (1952) File:MBF20160630.jpg, Central maiolica panel about the battle of St. George the Victorious with the Serpent 1911–1913, artists Sergey Chekhonin, Sergey Vasilyevich Gerasimov File:Wiki tile murals bolshaya pirogovskaya 9 moscow.jpg, A small image of St. George, with the plot of the fresco of the Church of St. George in Staraya Ladoga in a stylized icon case on the facade, above the main porches, the maiolica was made in 1911–1913 by Anatoly Alexandrovich Ostrogradsky. File:Манежная площадь - panoramio (1).jpg, Zurab Tsereteli's ''St. George and the Dragon'' on the top of the shopping center (1997) in Moscow, Russia

Literary adaptations

Edmund Spenser expands on the Saint George and the Dragon story in Book I of the ''

Fairy Queen In folklore and literature, the Fairy Queen or Queen of the Fairies is a female ruler of the fairies, sometimes but not always paired with a king. Depending on the work, she may be named or unnamed; Titania and Mab are two frequently used name ...

'', initially referring to the hero as the ''Redcross Knight''.

William Shakespeare William Shakespeare ( 26 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's nation ...

refers to Saint George and the Dragon in '' Richard III'' ( ''Advance our standards, set upon our foes Our ancient world of courage fair St. George Inspire us with the spleen of fiery dragons'' act V, sc. 3), ''

Henry V Henry V may refer to: People * Henry V, Duke of Bavaria (died 1026) * Henry V, Holy Roman Emperor (1081/86–1125) * Henry V, Duke of Carinthia (died 1161) * Henry V, Count Palatine of the Rhine (c. 1173–1227) * Henry V, Count of Luxembourg (1 ...

'' ( ''The game's afoot: follow your spirit, and upon this charge cry 'God for Harry, England, and Saint George! act III, sc. 1), and also in ''

King Lear ''King Lear'' is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare. It is based on the mythological Leir of Britain. King Lear, in preparation for his old age, divides his power and land between two of his daughters. He becomes destitute and insane ...

'' (act I). A 17th-century broadside

ballad A ballad is a form of verse, often a narrative set to music. Ballads derive from the medieval French ''chanson balladée'' or ''ballade'', which were originally "dance songs". Ballads were particularly characteristic of the popular poetry and ...

paid homage to the feat of George's dragon slaying. Titled "St. George and the Dragon", the ballad considers the importance of Saint George in relation to other heroes of epic and Romance, ultimately concluding that all other heroes and figures of epic or romance pale in comparison to the feats of George. ''The Banner of St George'' by Edward Elgar is a ballad for chorus and orchestra, words by

Shapcott Wensley Shapcott Wensley was the pseudonym of the English author and poet Henry Shapcott Bunce (1854 – 1 June 1917). Life He was born in Bristol in the summer of 1854. He died in Bristol on 1 June 1917. He married a singer, Alice Mary Wensley, and ...

(1879). The 1898 ''Dream Days'' by

Kenneth Grahame Kenneth Grahame ( ; 8 March 1859 – 6 July 1932) was a British writer born in Edinburgh, Scotland. He is most famous for ''The Wind in the Willows'' (1908), a classic of children's literature, as well as '' The Reluctant Dragon''. Both books w ...

includes a chapter entitled "The Reluctant Dragon (short story), The Reluctant Dragon", in which an elderly Saint George and a benign dragon stage a mock battle to satisfy the townsfolk and get the dragon introduced into society. Later made into a The Reluctant Dragon (1941 film), film by Walt Disney Productions, and set to music by John Rutter as a children's operetta. In 1935 Stanley Holloway recorded a humorous retelling of the tale as ''St. George and the Dragon'' written by Weston and Lee. In the 1950s, Stan Freberg and Daws Butler wrote and performed ''St. George and the Dragonet, St. George and the Dragon-Net'' (a satire, spoof of the tale and of ''Dragnet (drama), Dragnet'') for Freberg's radio show. The story's recording became the first comedy album to sell over a million copies. Margaret Hodges retold the legend in a 1984 children's book (''Saint George and the Dragon (book), Saint George and the Dragon'') with Caldecott Medal-winning illustrations by Trina Schart Hyman. Samantha Shannon describes her 2019 novel ''The Priory of the Orange Tree'' as a "feminist retelling" of Saint George and the Dragon.Archived a
Ghostarchive
and th
Wayback Machine

Heraldry and vexillology

Coats of arms

Reggio Calabria used Saint George and the dragon in its :it:Stemma di Reggio Calabria, coat of arms since at least 1757, derived from earlier (15th-century) iconography used on the city seal. Saint George and the dragon has been depicted in the coat of arms of Moscow since the late 18th century, and in the Coat of arms of Georgia (country), coat of arms of Georgia since 1991 (based on a coat of arms introduced in 1801 for Georgia within the Russian Empire). File:S. Giorgio di Cappadocia e lo stemma della città di Reggio - Stemma di Reggio Calabria.png, Coat of arms of Reggio Calabria (1896) File:Moscow COA 1781.png, Coat of arms of Moscow (1781) File:Coat of Arms of Moscow.svg, Coat of arms of Moscow (1993 design) File:Coat of Arms of the Russian Federation.svg, Coat of arms of Russia (1993) File:COA of Kyiv Oblast m.svg, Coat of arms of Kyiv Oblast (1999) File:Lesser coat of arms of Georgia.svg, Coat of arms of Georgia (country), Coat of arms of Georgia (2004) Aragonese Royal Arms with the Crest of the Chivalry of Saint George

Aragonese Royal Arms with the Crest of the Chivalry of Saint George

;Provincial coats of arms * Kyiv Oblast, Ukraine (1999) * Moscow Oblast, Russia (:ru:Герб Московской области, 2005) ;Municipal coats of arms * Australia: City of Hurstville, Hurstville * Austria: Pitten, Sankt Georgen an der Gusen, Sankt Georgen an der Leys, Sankt Georgen an der Stiefing, Sankt Georgen im Attergau, Sankt Georgen ob Murau. * Croatia: Kaštel Sućurac. * Czech Republic: Brušperk. * Denmark: Holstebro. * France: Aydoilles, Couilly-Pont-aux-Dames, Ligsdorf, Maulan, Mussidan, Saint-Georges, Moselle, Saint-Georges (Moselle), Saint-Georges-Armont, Saint-Georges-d'Espéranche, Saint-Georges-d'Oléron, Saint-Georges-d'Orques, Saint-Georges-de-Reintembault, Saint-Georges-du-Bois, Maine-et-Loire, Saint-Georges-du-Bois, Saint-Georges-du-Vièvre, Saint-Georges-sur-Baulche, Saint-Georges-sur-Loire, Saint-Jurs, Saorge, Sospel, Villeneuve-Saint-Georges. * Germany: Bürgel, Hattingen, Mansfeld, Rittersbach, St. Georgen im Schwarzwald, Schwarzenberg, Saxony, Schwarzenberg. * Hungary: Bácsszentgyörgy, Balatonszentgyörgy, Borsodszentgyörgy, Dunaszentgyörgy, Homokszentgyörgy, Pécsvárad, Szentgyörgyvár, Szentgyörgyvölgy, Tatárszentgyörgy. * Italy: Reggio Calabria * Lithuania: Marijampolė, Prienai, Varniai. * Netherlands: Ridderkerk, Terborg. * Poland: Brzeg Dolny, Dzierżoniów, Milicz, Ostróda. * Romania: Suceava, Sfântu Gheorghe. * Russia: Moscow * Serbia: Srpski Krstur. * Slovakia: Svätý Jur. * Slovenia: Šentjur * Spain: Alcalá de los Gazules, Golosalvo, Puentedura. * Switzerland: Castiel, Switzerland, Castiel, Kaltbrunn, Ruschein, Saint-George, Schlans, Stein am Rhein, Waltensburg/Vuorz. * Ukraine: Holoby, Liuboml, Nizhyn, Taikury, Volodymyr (city), Volodymyr, Vyshneve (city), Vyshneve, Zbarazh.

Flags

Military insignia

* Regimental flags of the Hellenic Army (1864) * Badge of the Royal Regiment of Fusiliers (1968) * Flag of the Russian Orthodox Army (2014)

Explanatory notes

References

;Citations ;Sources * * * ;Bibliography * * * Loomis, C. Grant, 1949. ''White Magic, An Introduction to the Folklore of Christian Legend'' (Cambridge: Medieval Society of America) * Online version
(transliterates Greek text, etc.)--> * Walter, C., "The Origins of the Cult of St. George," ''Revue des études byzantines'', 53 (1995), 295–326. * Whatley, E. Gordon, editor, with Anne B. Thompson and Robert K. Upchurch, 2004. ''St. George and the Dragon in the South English Legendary (East Midland Revision, c. 1400)'' Originally published in ''Saints' Lives in Middle English Collections''

.

External links

Saint George Legend explained in Javascript
by Tomás Corral
St George and the Dragon Events and Ideas – Official Website for Tourism in England

St George Unofficial Bank Holiday
''St. George and the Dragon'', free illustrated book based on 'The Seven Champions' by Richard Johnson (1596)
St George's Bake and Brew
{{DEFAULTSORT:George And The Dragon, Saint Saint George and the Dragon, Christian folklore Medieval legends Christian iconography Saint George (martyr) Tiamat