Warrior Saints

On the topic of dominance, we must first look to Saint George, the famed dragon slayer, said to have saved a king’s daughter from becoming a sacrifice to a dragon who was killing all of her father’s people, again with poisonous breath like in Sylvester’s story. In his military position, and “in the name of Christ,” George faced the dragon with the princess. There are two versions of the stories ending, one where George took the maiden’s girdle and walked the dragon into the town before slaying it, and another where George crossed himself and struck down the beast with a single blow (Voragine 238-240). No matter which version you choose to look toward, George is immediately in a dominant role, causing the dragon to submit under his sword, a phallic symbol, however, George is separated from his male role through his abstinence and dedication to God, as well as his rejection of different yonic symbols, especially in other medieval artworks (like the mouth of a dragon or a yonic opening sometimes depicted on the dragons he slays with his sword and lance) (Riches).

George’s role as a military figure is the other most important aspect that goes into his portrayals in art. As a military saint, he is normally depicted on horseback, and normally in some heroic action, like stabbing a dragon through its mouth (Pancaroğlu). In some works, George is joined by another figure, Saint Theodore, a saint renowned for his own military career. Theodore is also said to have faced a dragon, but his facing the dragon is “recounted as a simple incident of his military career” (Walter, 97). Though their stories do not overlap, George and Theodore are often depicted in a joint killing of a dragon, like in the images depicted above.