Saint

George and
the Dragon
Saint george’s
backstory:
• In the year 280, in a town in Cappadocia,
was born that great soldier and
champion of the oppressed whom we call
St. George. His parents were Christians,
and he was carefully instructed and
trained.
• Very little is known about St. George’s
life, but it is thought he was a high-
ranking officer in the Roman army who
was sadly executed around AD 303 due to
his religious beliefs.
The demanding
dragon:
• St. George travelled for many months by land and
sea until he came to Libya. Here he met a poor
hermit who told him that everyone in that land was
in great distress, because a dragon had long ravaged
the country.
• To calm the dragon's fury, the inhabitants used to
offer the dragon two sheep a day. At one point, the
dragon became more and more demanding and
began asking for a human sacrifice. The random
choice fell on the only daughter of the King of Libya.
• The old man who lived there told George: 'He
demands the sacrifice of a beautiful maiden and now
that all the young girls have been killed, only the
king's daughter alone remains, and unless we can
find a knight who can slay the dragon she will be
sacrificed tomorrow. The king of Egypt will give his
The calm before
the storm:
• When St. George heard this
story, he was determined to try
and save the princess, so he
rested that night in the hermit's
hut, and at daybreak set out to
the valley where the dragon lived.
When he drew near, he saw a
little procession of women,
headed by a beautiful girl dressed
in pure Arabian silk. The
princess Sabra was being led by
How george killed
the dragon:
• As soon as the dragon saw him, it rushed
from its cave, roaring with a sound louder
than thunder. Its head was immense and its
tail fifty feet long. But St. George was not
afraid. He struck the monster with his spear,
hoping he would wound it.
• The dragon's scales were so hard that the
spear broke into a thousand pieces. and St.
George fell from his horse. Fortunately, he
rolled under an enchanted orange tree
against which poison could not prevail, so
that the venomous dragon was unable to
hurt him. Within a few minutes he had
recovered his strength and was able to fight
The tragic death of
saint george:
• It seems that the Emperor Diocletian
had St. George tortured to make him
deny his faith in Christ. However,
despite some of the most terrible
torture even for that time, St George
showed incredible courage and faith
and was finally beheaded near Lydda
in Palestine. His head was later taken
to Rome where it was interred in the
church dedicated to him.
Tribute to saint
george:
• King Edward III made him the Patron
Saint of England when he formed the
Order of the Garter in St. George’s name
in 1350, and the cult of the Saint was
further advanced by King Henry V, at the
battle of Agincourt in northern France.
• Shakespeare made sure that nobody
would forget St. George, and had King
Henry V finishing his pre-battle speech
with the famous phrase, ‘Cry God for
Harry, England and St. George!’
Saint george and the
dragon by raphael:
• St. George and the Dragon by Raphael was painted around
1504.
• Raphael’s St. George and the Dragon is valuable to historians
because it shows the growing popularity of Raphael’s work, as
he was appointed by the king of England. The king’s request of
this painting shows the English people’s desire to relate
themselves to St. George, the brave and honorable patron saint
of England. This bravery and honor can be traced back further
to Rome, where St. George served in the army, and translates to
England’s respect and admiration for the Romans.
• In this painting, St. George was a very well-known and revered
figure, as he is positioned in the center and much larger than
the dragon, showing high importance. St. George and his horse
are also in a stance that strikes a viewer as powerful yet also
almost elegant. Because St. George is a religious figure,
Christianity may have been portrayed as a source of protection
from evil, represented by the dragon. St. George was also a
patron saint of England, so the presentation of a painting of
him would be seen as a show of patriotism.
Saint george’s day:
• Saint George’s day is celebrated on the 23 of
April, the same as England’s National Day.
By tradition, 23 April is the day for a red
rose in the buttonhole, the national flower.
However, unlike other countries, England
does not celebrate it like Americans celebrate
4 July with fireworks. In fact, you are more
likely to see big St Patrick parades in
England celebrating Ireland's National Day,
more than you would see any sign of St
Georges Day being celebrated.
• For most people in England St George's Day
is just another ordinary working day.
Saint george and the dragon video:
• https://youtu.be/RqBn08RywaE
Works cited:
• http://projectbritain.com/stgeorge2.html
• https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/8919806/st-george-overcame-torture-p
atron-saint/
• https://pt.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ficheiro:Saint_George_and_the_Dragon
_-_Google_Art_Project.jpg
• https://www.primaryteaching.co.uk/blog/st-georges-day/
Work presented by:
• Luís Carvalhal
• Francisco Cardoso
• João Tomaz
• Tiago Teixeira
• 11ºD