Saint George and the Dragon

One of the most enduring tales of dinosaurs—if you believe as I do, dragons are dinosaurs—is the story of Saint George and the dragon. The key is to substitute the word dragon with dinosaur. The word dragon is an overarching word once used to describe living dinosaurs.

A Fierce Monster

As the story goes, citizens of the Libyan city of Silene lived in fear of a dragon that dwelled in a lake on the outskirts of town. The creature was fierce and spewed venom. In an effort to appease the monster and protect the city, the citizens began offering sacrifices to the beast. Early on, they brought live sheep—two per day—as tribute. But, as you might expect, things escalated. Soon, the frightened townsfolk offered a sheep and a man as a sacrifice to the dragon. But the stakes got higher. Eventually, the city began a lottery system to determine whose child would serve as the next sacrificial offering.

This was all good and well so long as society’s elite remained untouched and stayed insulated from the barbarism. (Sound familiar?) But one day, the king’s daughter ended up on the dragon’s menu. The king pleaded with his subjects, going as far as offering them all his silver and gold if they would choose someone else in her stead. But they refused. After all, the king lacked the courage to stand up to the monster and save their children, so why should he be spared?

Saint George Saves the Day

The townsfolk led the princess to the edge of the lake dressed as a bride. Then they left her there for the dragon. At this point, Saint George happened to pass by on his horse. As he chatted with the young lady, the dragon emerged from the water. Saint George made the Sign of the Cross and then charged the dragon with his lance. His weapon found its mark and wounded the monster. Saint George, in the company of the princess, led the dragon into Silene on a leash. In front of all the townsfolk, Saint George made a spectacle of the creature and offered to slay it if they would accept Christ as their lord and savior and be baptized in Christ’s name. The king and 15,000 others took up the offer, and Saint George beheaded the dragon with his sword. The king built a church where the dragon died, and the rest is history.

Of course, it is hard to know what to make of the story. In fact, the tale seems to be an archetype that predates Christianity. But still, in all the retellings, the hero takes down a dragon—or dinosaur. So maybe it is that—the dinosaur/dragon—that is the kernel of truth in the age old tale.

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