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Paradoxplace Italy, Spain, Portugal, France, & Britain Photo Galleries Paradoxplace Artists of the Renaissance Listings
Saint George, the Archangel Michael and their Dragons, and Monster Killing generally.
LINK TO EARLY SAINTS, KINGS AND QUEENS OF ENGLAND
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Saint George
c275 - c303 (28?)
Thought to have been a Palestinian who was a senior officer in the Roman army of that all-round martyr creator, the Roman Emperor Diocletian (c236 - 284 - 305 - c316 (80)), who was responsible for the last great Christian persecution, before Constantine's Edict of Milan (313) made Christians the flavour of the millennium. George secretly converted to Christianity, and had his head chopped off in Lydda, Palestine, after he outed himself.
His memory was rediscovered when there was a need for military models in and after crusading times (c1100 - c1300), and he slipped into the role of Patron Saint of England (replacing the England's only sainted King - Edward, who was neither knight nor dragon killer) after King Edward III, who did knighthood, had formed the Order of the Garter in 1350 and associated George's name with it as Patron.
A seemingly strange choice for England, especially as Georgie baby had nothing to do with the country, and the poms share him with freemasons, scouts, the US Armoured Brigade, the Greek Army, Portugal, Aragon & Catalonia, Georgia, Moscow, Beirut, and numerous other places and causes including the UNESCO World Books and Copyright day (what?). A utility rather than special saint - George also has a slot in Islam.
And the dragon? - Paradox has no idea, but here are an 800 year old Italian bronze door panel and exquisite paintings of the contest by Vittore Carpaccio and Paolo Uccello. Medieval dragons were not limited to being killed by Saints George and Michael - the Poitiers Musée-St-Croix has a wonderful recreation of "La Grand-Goule" vanquished by the Queen and Saint Radegonde.
Saint George's Day is on April 23rd
Link to Wikipedia page about St George
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San Giorgio by Donatello - Bargello (Florence) (originally outside Orsanmichele, Florence)
Paradoxplace Florence photo galleries
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The Archangel Michael
The other mega-celebrity dragon killer is the Archangel Michael, who has given rise to a rich icononic and sculptured stone tradition, particularly around spectacular mountain top abbeys and pilgrim shrines - like Monte Sant'Angelo in the Gargano (Puglia) (below) and Mont Saint-Michel (Normandy) (right) - which are his exclusive franchise.
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The cover photo shows Mont Saint-Michel in Normandy, France
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Saint-Michel fells another dragon - part of the west facade tympanum (originally painted) of the Chapelle St-Michel at the Notre Dame de Nevers, now in the Louvre.
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San Giorgio doing his dragon thing in a panel of the bronze doors of Trani Cattedrale (Puglia), cast in the 1180s by Barisano da Trani.
Medieval Bronze Doors in Italian Churches
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The Scuola di San Giorgio degli Schiavoni is a much more rewarding place, outside and inside, to visit than its much bigger and over the top Scuola sisters in Venice. The small panelled meeting room downstairs contains some fine paintings by Vittore Carpaccio (1450/60 - 1525 (70)), including San Giorgio killing the dragon, San Agostino having a vision, and San Gerolamo being buried.
Schiavonia is Dalmatia, and Venice had strong trading links with this community across the Adriatic, leading to a large community of Dalmatians in Venice (for whom this was their Scoula) and vice-versa. The beautiful little Scuola dates from 1451, was rebuilt a hundred years later, and has not been altered since.
Paradoxplace Venice photo galleries Church of San Giorgio dei Greci in Venice
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And these are the earlier impressions that Paolo Uccello (1397 - 1475 (78)) had of the event Above, now in the Musee Andre Jacquemart, Paris Below, now in the National Gallery, London
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In the Poitiers' Musée-St-Croix, the beast at the back of this exhibit is "La Grand-Goule", a dragon who roamed the lowlands around Poitiers in the 500s, killing nuns and travellers. Ste-Radegonde bravely sought her out and killed her, and later this scary effigy was paraded around the town once a year to celebrate the event. For purists the dragon is actually a wyvern (dragons have four legs).
The provenance of the Goule and rider in the foreground is not known, though there is an air of Don Quixote about the rider, and the (working) canon poking out of the beast's tail would have given attackers something extra to think about.
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Above: In a panel on the Chantry Chapel of Prior Rowland Leschman in Hexham Abbey (Northumbria)
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Above: In a Norwich Cathedral misericord, Saint George pursues his crusade against a wyvern which in turn is standing on an inquisitive sheep.
Below: Higher up, a dragon bash portrayed in a roof boss of Norwich Cathedral
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Monster skewering on the south side of Canterbury Cathedral
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Monster whacking in Romsey Abbey
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For other Paradoxplace links visit the home page
All original material © Adrian Fletcher 2000-10 - may not be hotlinked, or reproduced without permission
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