Works Consulted

(due to the constraints of word count, sources are generally vaguely incorporated, and may only be cited once, or possibly not at all, in the text, hence why this is a "works consulted" page, and not solely a "works cited")

Jacobus de Voragine. “Saint George.” Trans. Granger Ryan and Helmut Ripperger. The Golden Legend. Salem, NH: Ayer, 1969. 232-238. Print.

---. “Saint Margaret.” Trans. Granger Ryan and Helmut Ripperger. The Golden Legend. Salem, NH: Ayer, 1969. 351-354. Print.

---. "Saint Sylvester." Trans. Granger Ryan and Helmut Ripperger. The Golden Legend. Salem, NH: Ayer, 1969. 72-82. Print.

The Golden Legend takes the spot for my primary text. It is the collection of the stories of all of the saints up to Saint Pelagius the Pope, written originally by the Bishop of Genoa, Jacobus de Voragine, and later translated from Latin to English. As the works that I am looking at are based around religious images of saints and dragons, the original stories of the Saints I am focusing on are important to my understanding of the works and the artists motivations.

Evans, Jonathan D. “Semiotics and Traditional Lore: The Medieval Dragon Tradition.” Journal of Folklore Research, vol. 22, no. 2/3, 1985, pp. 85–112., www.jstor.org/stable/3814387.

This reading is based in the discussion of the motifs associated with dragons in Medieval literature, as well, like the title suggests, the symbolism that a dragon carries in all of its different contexts. It looks at the dichotomy of hero and dragon, and the role each plays for the other and through the other. While it focuses heavily on Nordic dragon stories, the themes and connections can be applied to Saints Theodore and George in their violent relationship with their respective dragons.

Ogden, Daniel. "St Silvester and the Dragon of Rome." Dragons, Serpents and Slayers in the Classical and Early Christian Worlds: A Sourcebook. Oxford: Oxford UP, 2013. 221-24. Print.

This text compares multiple tellings and retellings of the story of Saint Silvester and the Dragon. It also delves deeper into the concept of this dragon, and how, in different versions, Silvester stops the dragon with different methods- binding its neck with a chain, paying ritual sacrifices, sealing it in a hole in the earth, etc. There is also a picture included in this reading that depicts the same image as the one I originally chose, and so I may compare the two artists’ depictions of the story in relation to the myths.

Pancaroğlu, Oya. “The Itinerant Dragon-Slayer: Forging Paths of Image and Identity in Medieval Anatolia.” Gesta, vol. 43, no. 2, 2004, pp. 151–164., www.jstor.org/stable/25067102.

This work discusses different depictions of the slaying of dragons by saints, specifically George and Theodore. Both were regularly depicted as slaying the dragon while on horseback, though sometimes the dragon would appear as a different sort of beast, like a panther, or as a humanoid though demonic or malevolent figure. Details of works from across Europe and the Middle East, all falling under the topic of dragon slaying are compared and discussed in detail, as well as the historical context of the stories the works were based on. Unlike many of the other sources, these legends actually deal with an act of violence in the killing of a dragon, instead of a more peaceful solution like binging the dragon’s mouth, and thus it brings about a different sort of medieval dragon mythos.

Petroff, Elizabeth Alvilda. "Transforming the World: The Serpent-Dragon and the Virgin Saint." Body and Soul: Essays on Medieval Women and Mysticism. New York: Oxford UP, 1994. 97-109. Print.

This chapter discusses different versions of the myth of Saint Margaret of Antioch and her encounter with a dragon, while also touching upon other female saints of later eras that claimed to be influenced by Margaret, or who had similar experiences. This chapter goes into detail about the dragon as a form of Satan or some other demonic figure, and delves into the commodity of virginity, and how female saints were often threatened with violation, often by pagan figures. Margaret’s encounter with the dragon was depicted by the same artist who painted Saint Sylvester, and I would like to compare dragons’ relations to each and how it varies based on gender specifically.

Riches, Samantha J. E. "Virtue and Violence: Saints, Monsters and Sexuality in Medieval Culture." Medieval Sexuality: A Casebook. By April Harper and Caroline Proctor. New York: Routledge, 2011. 59-78. Print.

This source discusses the relationship between martyred saints and their genders. It brings in the stories of Saints Margaret, George, and Michael (technically an angel, so different, and also not what I am interested in in the context of this project). Like Smith’s paper, this gives a more feminist reading of Margaret’s story, and discusses abstinence as a sexual identity. It also shows that gender is mostly a social construct, and that even Saint George took on some female characteristics.

Smith, Karen. "Snake-Maiden Transformation Narratives in Hagiography and Folklore." Fabula, vol. 43, no. 3, 2002, pp. 251, Arts Premium Collection; Research Library. Web.

This text discusses Snake-Maiden myths, but most importantly equates Saint Margaret with a Snake-Maiden role as in her being eaten by the dragon/serpent, she somewhat becomes the serpent. It also discusses her strength and ability, and how she made her own choices, taking on the role of a feminist character as she remains in control, somewhat, of her sexual choices and purity, even if she is remaining pure for God and not solely herself.

Walter, Christopher. "Saint Theodore and the Dragon." Through a Glass Brightly: Studies in Byzantine and Medieval Art and Archaeology Presented to David Buckton. Ed. Christopher Entwistle. Oxford: Oxbow, 2016. 95-106. Print.

This reading goes in depth into the figure of Saint Theodore, who is sometimes portrayed alongside Saint George, as both kill a dragon, or on his own slaying a dragon by stabbing it in the mouth. There are connections between Theodore and Margaret as well, though the author uses a name other than Margaret for the saint in this text. This text looks at the image of “warrior saints” and tries to decide if Theodore was actually involved in the slaying of a dragon, as he is not always connected to dragons. His connections to other saints makes him an interesting figure to look toward.