This document summarizes the legend of Saint George and the dragon. It describes how a dragon was terrorizing a city by guarding the spring and demanding human sacrifices. Saint George arrived and slayed the dragon with his lance, saving the city. The dragon represents evil and Saint George symbolizes the triumph of good over evil. The legend illustrates the internal conflict between our superior self and darker personality/desires.

1. 2nd
Primary School of Pefka, Thessaloniki
Greece
Class: 5b Teacher: Elsa
Lymberi

2. He is considered to be “The
Great Martyr” by the Greek
Orthodox Church. His
chivalric character led to the
allegorical legend of his
slaying of the great dragon.
The dragon is a universal
symbol. It combines the bird
and the snake, spirit and
matter respectively. In
general, it is a beneficial
celestial power in the East,
while in the West it is
chthonic, destructive and
evil. These elements exist in
this legend as well.
In St. George’s legend the
dragon is the guard of a
spring. The spring is the
symbol of internal
knowledge and immortality,
Saint George is both a man and a myth.

3.
Let's go back to the years of dragons, kings and princesses.
In a small country, there lived a fair king with his wife and their
beautiful daughter.
All the residents were happy with their daily routines. Until one day…
But let's take the story from the beginning…

4. …their happiness was spoiled by an unexpected visitor. A dragon with
skin tougher than steel appeared and the people locked themselves in
their houses.
The beast made its nest in a cave next to the only spring of the city and
did not allow anybody to get water.
The residents were vainly trying to get near the spring. The dragon was
always in the cave, which looked like a filthy swamp, and each time
someone got closer he breathed terrible flames of fire. Awful smell and
fumes polluted the atmosphere.

5. The king’s soldiers tried to kill him, but in vain. The dragon got so
angry that he started devouring all the animals of the area. The city was
overwhelmed by fear and despair.

6. The king approached him calmly and asked him what he wanted. The
dragon said that he was very hungry and the king promised to give him
plenty of food every day if only he let the people get water from the
One day the dragon appeared near the walls of the
city.

7. But as time was passing by, his appetite was getting bigger and bigger.
Gradually all the hencoops and the stables of the country emptied and
the king thought to satisfy the dragon’s hunger with vegetables.
The king kept his promise. His soldiers carried food to the
dragon every day.

8. The dragon got very angry, but he finally accepted
on one condition, to have a girl or a boy for his meal
every spring.
The king was very sad and desperate, but he was forced to agree after
consulting the elders of the council. Besides, the spring was not so
close, so they would surely find a solution until then.

9. No family wanted to sacrifice their child, so the dragon
came to the city to get it by himself.
The time, however, went by so fast
that nobody realized it and still they
had not found a solution.

10. She was walking firmly and decisively, ready to be sacrificed. The
royal family and all the people were crying inconsolably.
While fear and despair were hovering above the city, the
princess, nicely dressed, appeared at the gate.

11. The king, having no other solution, prepared a royal procession to
accompany his only daughter on her last trip to the dragon’s cave. There
the dragon would enjoy his royal meal.

12. Suddenly, clatter of horse’s hoofs was heard.
It was Saint George on his white horse.
The people, with their eyes turned to the sky, saw the rider
approaching the dragon. The princess started running towards the
city.

13. Saint George thrust his spear into the dragon’s body and killed him
with a single blow of his lance. Thus the city and the people were saved
forever.
Saint George, after asking God for
help, started fighting with the beast.
The dragon, trying to scare him, spat
flames to the horse’s legs.

14. Saint George was galloping towards the sky, while all the people, being
very happy, were watching him until he disappeared in the clouds.
No other dragon ever appeared
in this kingdom
because it was protected
by the Saint.
The spring of water was now free to offer its
beneficial attributes to everyone.

15. This is the end of our story.
The legend of Saint George exists in
many religions and symbolizes the
conflict between good and evil, light
and darkness.
Saint George is very popular and
beloved by people, because everybody
knows that good and evil exist in each
one of us. Saint George is our
Superior self who fights with our
personality, the dragon , in order to
release our Immortal soul.