saint George and the dragon

Medieval storytellers, used to tell the story of Saint George, the Red Cross knight, son of an Arab Sheit, born in III century near Jerusalem, and one of the most famous heroes of Chivalry and Christianity.

Here follows the legend of Saint George and the dragon.

Once upon a time, in an Eastern town called Salem, in the country nowadays known as Lybia, a terrifying plague-bearing dragon materialized and set its nest in a spring north of the town, poisoning its water, and killing the fish and plants around. By night, the dragon used to fly around the countryside, eating cattle and spreading terror and flames on its path. Tales of its evil deeds start spreading all around the country, and fear grew in the hearts of the people, and discouraging the heart of the king of those lands.

One day, the folk of town decided to step up: armed with spikes and all sorts of household weaponry, they set foot to slay the vile dragon. “I will take out its tail”, “I will keep its fangs!” – boys and men shouted, while women prepared them for the fight with pride in their eyes. The King proclaimed a huge reward to whoever brought the head of the dragon. A group of 50 men and boy departed to the spring. None returned. At night, after seeing that the party wasn’t coming back, the people of the town started despairing and asking the king for help. All of the sudden a huge explosion arose from the city gates, and sprays of fire lighted the sky. “Insolents! Fools!” – shouted the dragon, “I will burn you all, you have no power over me”. The dragon slowly walked up to the palace, shaking its tail and destroying all houses around. “I want to see your king!” shouted the dragon. “Here I am!” said the king meekly – “what do you want creature of darkness, why don’t you leave my people alone?”
“You shouldn’t have bothered me” said the dragon with low voice, eyes piercing the king’s skull and fumes coming from its nostrils, “From now on, you shall feed me, you will bring me your cattle and sheep everyday, and if runs out, you will start giving me your maidens.” – the king’s heart squeezed in fear – “and if you don’t, I will raze your entire kingdom, letting you watch all of it, and when I’m satisfied, I’ll come to eat you”, and spreading its wings, the dragon flew away leaving a trail of wreckage behind.
And Alas, from that day on the folk would leave sheep and cattle by the river at dusk, for the dragon to eat. If on any day, the food wasn’t there, the dragon would circle the town and take out a man and a sheep.
Soon, all of the food supplies got exhausted.
The king decreed a lottery system to choose a victim from all maidens of age, who be sacrificed to appease the dragon, and every each one as it fell, were she gentle or poor, should be delivered when the lot fell on her.
One day, it happened that the lot fell on the king's daughter. The king could not believe his misfortune and, distraught with grief, begged the people to draw lots again. The people said no. The king, told the people they could have all his gold and silver and half of his kingdom if his daughter were spared; but the people still refused.
They said: “How sir! You have made and ordained the law, and most of our children are now dead, and yet you would do the contrary? Your daughter shall be given, or else we shall burn you and your house”. When the king saw he could do no more, he began to weep. “Now shall I never see you wed…” he cried to his daughter.

He then returned to the people and demanded eight days' respite. They granted it to him. And when the eight days were passed they came to him: “You see that the city perishes, we shall wait no longer”, they told the king. Then the king, got a beautiful wedding gown to his daughter like as she should be wedded, and embracing her, kissed her and gave her his blessing. The princess was then led to the place where the dragon was.

When she was there Saint George passed by, and when he saw a beautiful lady trembling and weeping, he approached the lady to help her.
“Go your way, my good knight, for I am doomed, and none can save me now. I shall perish at the hands of the evil” she said.
“Tell me what you have done and why you weep, and please trust me.”
When she saw that he would know, she said to him how she was delivered to the dragon and asked him to run and save himself.
“Fear not my fair lady”, said St. George, “doubt no thing, and fear not, as I shall help you”
“The dragon will kill you, you alone are no match for it”
“Have faith, as I have God on my side” replied St. George.
As they spoke the dragon reared out of the lake and headed towards to Saint George. After having led the lady to a place where she would be safe, Saint George fortified himself with the Sign of the Cross, and charged it on horseback with his lance and it with his magic sword Ascalon, gave it a grievous wound.

He then called the princess and asked her to take off the girdle or belt she had around the waist of her dress. He told her to tie it around the dragon’s neck, making a collar and lead. When this was done the dragon became very timid and tame. The dragon followed the lady like a meek beast on a leash. She and Saint George led the dragon back to the city, where it terrified the people at its approach. There in the market square, Saint George called out to them, saying “Love and the power of God tamed this dragon, and if you believe in them, I shall slay the dragon”, and with a blow of its sword, he slew the dragon and smote off his head, and commanded that it should be thrown out in fields, and the body was carted out of the city on four ox-carts.

Not only was the princess saved and the city relieved, but the people gave up their idols and accepted Christianity.

The king offered gold, silver, and half the kingdom to Saint George for his deed, to which he refused. “I shall want nothing else, but that you follow your faith and, if she accepts, the hand of the fair lady who seized my heart”. George was said to have married the princess and lived happily ever after.

Saint George is patron of the realm of England and the cry of men of war. His feast date, April 23, is considered the day of England and of Shakespeare. He inspired knights and kings all over the world, such as king Richard Lion Heart, who, in the 12th century, took out its emblem, a red cross on a white background, as the flag of England, and part of the British flag. The king's soldiers wore it on their tunics to avoid confusion in battle. Shakespeare’s cry of war, in Henry V, “God for Harry, England and St George”, still inspires British troops today.

In Barcelona, Catalonia, his feast, is one of the most important holidays where it is traditional to give a present to the loved one: red roses for women and books for men.