The short story of George and the Dragon
Once upon a time there was a brave knight called George.
George had lots of adventures as I traveled by horse across many lands.
One day I came to a small village and met man who lived in a cave next to the village. The hermit told the knight about the awful things that were happening there.
A terrible dragon had come to live in the lake and attacked the village every day. The villagers did not know what to do.
First, they gave the dragon all their food, but the dragon just took the food and still attacked the village.
So the villagers gave the dragon all the animals from their farms. The dragon took all the animals, but continued to attack the villagers.
So they gave the dragon their gold and jewels. The dragon took all their money, but still was not satisfied.
The king sent his army to try and capture the dragon, but the dragon was too strong and the knights of the army were too scared and they ran away.
With nothing left to give, the king could only think of one thing to help protect his people. He took his only daughter, the princess, to the lake to wait for the dragon.
When George heard this he rode as fast as he could to the lake.
Just as George arrived, the dragon jumped out from the lake and was going to eat the princess. George attacked the dragon. He fought very bravely, won the fight and killed the dragon.
George and the princess returned to the village and everyone was very pleased that they would have no more problems with the dragon.
Today, the story of George's bravery is remembered and George is known as the patron saint of many countries.
As the famous legend still lives on, there have been lots of films and books produced based on the story.
George and the Dragon Trailer
Where does the legend come from?
St. George is one of Christianity's most famous saints, and is best-known as the patron saint of England.
St. George is also the patron saint of a number of other countries, including Portugal, Georgia, Lithuania, and Greece.
The most popular tale of this saint is the one in which he slays a dragon.
George's Early Life
St. George is believed to have lived during the later part of the 3rd century AD and was a soldier in the Roman army.
He was born in Cappadocia (ancient greece), which today is Turkey.
George and his parents were Christians. After the death of St. George's father, his mother returned to her hometown in Palestine, Jerusalem, taking George with her.
George then joined the Roman army, and eventually obtained a high position.
George was not happy with the killings of Christians by the Emperor Diocletian at the beginning of the 4th century AD and because of this he left the army.
When the emperor's order to kill the Christians was torn up by St. George, Emperor Diocletian was furious. He tried to force George to leave his Christian faith and he had George thrown in jail.
George refused to reject his Christian faith and because of this he was dragged through the streets of Palestine and Beheaded on 23rd April, 303.
Throughout the years this truthful story of George was changed into the legend we know of George and the Dragon, which was first written in the Golden Legend in the 13th century.
In the story of the Golden Legend it explains that St. George brought the dragon to Silene, Libya, converted the king and his people to Christianity, and then slayed the dragon.
Some people believe that the dragon in the legend was a representation of the evil emperor, Diocletian.
It has been said that because George stood up for what he believed in and was such a notorious soldier in the Roman army, this made him popular among the knights of Medieval Europe, especially following the crusades in the 12th century and therefore, the legend was awarded to George and includes the mystical creature of the dragon, which is why it is so famous.
The story was popular in the Middle East where George was born and it was picked up by the Crusaders when they went out to that part of the world.
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Saint George's Day
Historical and Educational Celebrations
St George's Day Celebrations
St George's day at school
St George's day for kids
Background of the legend (extra information for teachers)
The legend of Saint George and the Dragon describes saint george slaying a dragon that demanded human sacrifices; the saint rescues the princess who was chosen as the next offering.
The original version of the story is set in Cappadocia , ancient Greece, in the 11th and 12th centuries, but the story is translated to Libya in the 13th-century where you can find it in the story of the Golden Legend .
The first examples of the story have pre-Christian origins ( Jason and Medea , Perseus and Andromeda , Typhon , etc.) and is recorded in other various saints' lives prior to their attribution to St George specifically.
It was initially attributed to Saint Theodore Shot in the 9th and 10th centuries, and was first transferred to Saint George in the 11th century. The earliest record of Saint George slaying a dragon is found in a Georgian text of the 11th century.
The story reached Western culture in the 12th century, via the crusades . The knights of the First Crusade believed that St George with his fellow soldier-saints Demetrius , Maurice and Theodore had fought alongside them at Antioch and Jerusalem.
The legend was popularized in the western tradition in the 13th century based on its Latin versions in the Speculum Historiale and the Golden Legend .
The legend was popularized in the 13th century and became a favorite literary and pictorial subject in the Late Middle Ages and Renaissance periods. It has become an integral part of the Christian traditions related to Saint George both in Eastern and Western tradition.
The legend itself
The most famous legend of Saint George is of him slaying a dragon. In the Middle Ages the dragon was used to represent the Devil. The slaying of the dragon by St George was first awarded to him in the twelfth century, long after his death. It is therefore likely that the many stories connected with St George's name are fictional.
Resources
Class Activity Answers
Wordsearch Answers
https://www.foliamagazine.it/saint-george-dragon/
https://www.storynory.com/st-george-and-the-dragon/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_George_and_the_Dragon
https://spark.adobe.com/sp/design/video/5de9f394-c124-4f47-b93d-188e8928285b/play
Lesson Plan: 60-90 Minutes
- Give a brief outline and introduction to the legend of George and The Dragon, telling the story and watch the video.
- Show one of the famous international paintings from the legend and explain what a coat of arms is.
- Explain where the legend originates from and why it was told.
- Touch on christianity and war on religion, problems it still causes today and how historical dictators and emperors used to behave.
- Explain why this legend is really portraying a story about the conflict between religion and about a good soldier who stood up for what he believed in.
- Show the brief video 'Saint George's Day' which breaks down all the information discussed.
- Proceed to do the class activities.
- On completion of class activities, have a look at how Saint George's Day is celebrated in the UK and watch some of the videos provided in the links.
Objectives
-To explain what legends are (not just fictional stories but are based on actual events that happened in the past and usually represent an important influence through a historical event or actions).
- Express the importance that this legend was based on a brave man who stood up for what he believed in.
- To touch on some british history and religion.
- To view some of the spanish culture in reference to how we celebrate, what we eat, how we dress for this occasion.
- To explore an aspect of British patriotism.
- See the British national flags and what they represent.
- Discuss what the students think about this day. Do they think it's important? Discuss the legend itself asking what aspects of the story do they think are important.
- Are there any days like this celebrated in their country? Do they know why it is celebrated and the truth behind it? How do they celebrate?
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