Saint George and the Dragon
migratory legends
translated and/or edited by
D. L. Ashliman
© 2000
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Saint George (St. George) is one of the most durable legendary heroes in
the western world. According to tradition, he was born in England in the
fourth century and served in the imperial army in Asia Minor. He has been
the patron saint of England since the middle ages and is among the
greatest saints for the Eastern Orthodox Christian Churches. His famous
duel with the dragon is set in various Holy Land locations plus North
Africa, Mediterranean Europe, and even northern Europe.
Folktales about dragon slayers are classified as Aarne-Thompson type
300.
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- Mar Jiryis (Saint George) and the Dragon
(Palestine).
- The Dragon (Germany).
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Palestine
There was once a great city that depended for its water supply upon a
fountain without the walls. A great dragon, possessed and moved by Satan
himself, took possession of the fountain and refused to allow water to be
taken unless, whenever people came to the spring, a youth or maiden was
given to him to devour. The people tried again and again to destroy the
monster; but though the flower of the city cheerfully went forth against
it, its breath was so pestilential that they used to drop down dead before
they came within bow-shot.
The terrorized inhabitants were thus obliged to sacrifice their
offspring, or die of thirst; till at last all the youth of the place had
perished except the king's daughter. So great was the distress of their
subjects for want of water that her heart-broken parents could no longer
withhold her, and amid the tears of the populace she went out towards the
spring, where the dragon lay awaiting her. But just as the noisome monster
was going to leap on her, Mar Jiryis appeared, in golden panoply, upon a
fine white steed, and spear in hand. Riding full tilt at the dragon, he
struck it fair between the eyes and laid it dead. The king, out of
gratitude for this unlooked-for succor, gave Mar Jiryis his daughter and
half of his kingdom.
- Source: J. E. Hanauer, Folk-Lore of the Holy Land: Moslem,
Christian, and Jewish (London: The Sheldon Press, 1935), pp. 51-53. No
copyright notice. First published 1907.
- Hanauer does not give this tale a title. He has it from Christian
sources in Palestine.
- Return to the table of contents.
Germany
In ancient times a fiery dragon came to the area above the village of
Ebringen and disappeared into a cave on the southern slope of
Schönberg Mountain. The heathen population revered the dragon as a
god, to whom from time to time a human sacrifice had to be presented for
its nourishment. Finally the lot fell on the charming and youthful
daughter of the prince who resided at Schneeburg Castle.
At the same time there lived at the foot of Schönberg Mountain a
young knight who had secretly converted to Christianity. When he learned
of the horrible fate awaiting the prince's daughter he bravely resolved to
kill the all-powerful dragon. Well armored and with a mighty spear in his
right hand, he mounted his valiant steed and, trusting in his god, he
advanced toward the hellish beast.
Greedily awaiting the fearlessly advancing attacker, the monster lay
before his cave, his jaws opened and fuming with poison. The proud and
foaming steed reared up, but powerful arms swiftly and surely held the
reigns and aimed the spear. Hissing, the death-delivering projectile flew
into monster's open throat.
The prince and the people received the news of the young knight's brave
and liberating deed with jubilation. And with jubilation they praised the
battle god who had granted such great power to the warrior. To commemorate
the deed, stone crosses were erected on the houses in Ebringen, above
which the dragon had formerly flown. Some of these stone crosses still
exist on gables in the village. The daring knight, whose name was George,
was now revered as a saint, and thus the place where he lived was later
called Saint George.
Until a short time ago, an annual festival was held there every April
23, the saint's day, and peasants from the region would ride their horses
around the church three times, asking Saint George's protection for their
horses.
- Source: J. Waibel and H. Flamm, "Der Drache," Badisches Sagenbuch:
Sagen Freiburgs und des Breisgaus (Freiburg im Breisgau, 1899), pp.
74-75.
- Translated by D. L. Ashliman. © 2000.
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Return to D. L. Ashliman's folktexts, a library of folktales, folklore,
fairy tales, and mythology.
Revised March 29, 2000.