The best known form of the legend of St. George and the Dragon is that a dragon by the name of Selena appeared in the country round a city of Libya. People used to give the dragon two sheep every day to satisfy its hunger, but, when the sheep failed, a human victim was necessary and lots were drawn to determine the victim. Once the lot fell to the little daughter of the king. The maiden, dressed as a bride, was led to the marsh near dragon. A brave knight, St. George stayed there. When the dragon appeared, he was making the sign of the cross, bravely attacked it and transfixed it with his lance. He bound the maiden's girdle round the neck of the monster, and thereupon the princess was able to lead it like a lamb. The king would have given George half his kingdom, but the saint replied that he must ride on, bidding the king meanwhile take good care of God's churches, honour the clergy, and have pity on the poor.
The legend of St. George was a native of Cappadocia, the name of an extensive inland district in central modern Turkey. Nowadays it is called Nevşehir with its capital in Nevşehir, a Persian word or name which means New City. According to Herodotus, Persians called Cappadocia Katpatuka meaning "The land of beautiful horses" while the Greeks called Cappadocia.
Photo: turkeyinphotos/ CappadociaThere are many other theorems about St. George and his legend, but somethings which clear is we have received four different dates for his death and characters from different sources that cannot be linked. This shows that there must have been at least four different persons whose names have been related to St. George and connected to the myth of slaying the dragon. One of these is buried in Portofino, Italy. You may find more information about him and the location at:
http://www.portofinoevents.com/it/tour/tour_broc.htm
Photo: Farhad Vedad - Portofino, Italy
The legend of the St. George has been distributed in most of European countries and many of churches are decorated with the images, sculptures and statues of St. George the dragon slayer such as St. George's Basilica at Prague Castle in Prague, Czech Republic:
at Storkyrkan in Stockholm, Sweden:
and the statue of St. George and the Dragon right near Nikolaikirche in Berlin. You may find the trace of St. George the dragon slayer even in Russia and UK too.
Photo: Farhad Vedad - Berlin, Germany The legend of St. George is not exclusive in the world. In the ancient history or myths we may find more than 7 dragon slayers who killed the dragon in different countries.
- St. George in the city of Lybia.
- Alexander the Great probably in India.
- Rostam, the famous Persian Hero in north of Iran.
-Bahram V (Bahram-e Gur), the famous Persian king in India and the second time in Afghanistan.
-Bahram-e Chubin, Persian king in Kunlun mountains in China.
-Goshtasp, the Persian prince, who was sent to Cecilia by the roman emperor and there he could kill the dragon.
-Esfandiar, the Persian prince whose mother was the daughter of the roman emperor. He killed the dragon in central Asia in the Turkish territory.
Apart from the legend of St. George, the above items are some part of Persian epics which have been appeared at Shahnama or Shahnameh of Firdousi.
2 comments:
Hi Freddy !
Excellent blog!
We wanted to add some information about St, George. In Catalonia, there's the same story about the princess and the Hero who killed the dragon, but our story ending is a bit different: from the dragon blood on the floor grows many roses, he gives one of them to the Princess, at that moment they fall in love. To celebrate that magic moment, every 23th of April, in Catalonia, men give a red rose to his lover, and women demostrate its love giving a book to their man, that day is called the day of Saint George, the lovers day.
Hi Freddy !
Excellent blog!
We wanted to add some information about St, George. In Catalonia, there's the same story about the princess and the Hero who killed the dragon, but our story ending is a bit different: from the dragon blood on the floor grows many roses, he gives one of them to the Princess, at that moment they fall in love. To celebrate that magic moment, every 23th of April, in Catalonia, men give a red rose to his lover, and women demostrate its love giving a book to their man, that day is called the day of Saint George, the lovers day.
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