GEORGE

From Agepedia

GEORGE, the holy knight, St.; according to ancient legends, a prince of Cappadocia. His greatest achievement was the conquest of a dragon, by which he effected the deliverance of a king's daughter. He is commonly represented on horseback, in full armor, with the formidable dragon writhing at his feet. The drawing is founded on the tradition that Aj a, the daughter of an ancient monarch, was met by a dragon, which attacked her, and threatened to devour her. At this fearful moment, the knight passed by, slew the dragon, and rescued the lady. The legend has, probably, come to us from the East, and belongs to the age of the crusades. The ancient Christian emperors bore the knight upon their standards. To these sacred banners the crusaders attributed a miraculous power, and were sure of conquest while they floated above their heads. The dragon denoted the heathen or the Mussulman. This saint is the protector and patron of the English nation. St. George is the Christian Perseus.