I do abstract on peices at the museum for my work. On here I will post them. They are pretty interesting, and fun to write about. I am defintley learning how to write papers!

Utah Museum of Fine Arts
Teacher Resource Center

St. George and the Legend of the Dragon
Country/Culture: Eastern Europe
Materials:
Accession no:

St. George is a well-loved saint among various Christian groups. The history of his life is relatively unknown due to many variations within the legends told about him. Historians, though, have been able to unravel some facts about his life.
The exact year of his birth is debated but we do know that St. George lived during the 3rd century C.E. His father, who was enlisted in the Roman army, was from Cappadocia while his mother was from modern day Lod, Israel (SGUBH, 2006). After the death of his father he and his mother moved back to Lod. During his teenage years he enlisted in the Roman army. This was a bold move during a time which was relatively hostile towards Christians. (St. George, 2008)
Because of the rising popularity of Christianity across Roam, the emperor at the time, Diocletian, became nervous. He threatened to kill Christians who refused to denounce their religion. He then reinstituted paganism as the religion all citizens must then practice (St. George, 2008). St. George did not agree with these tactics, and was known for protecting and standing up for the local Christians. Unfortunately after an event where he tore down the notice for all Christians to denounce their religion, he was tortured and eventually killed by the command of Diocletian (Collins, 2007). His bravery may have inspired the legend of St. George. The legend differs from one story teller to another. One version of the legend is:

Within a village located in Libya lived a dragon that lived near their water source. This water was very important to the community, and so they tried to appease the creature in order to keep using it. Unfortunately the only idea they could come up with to combat his aggressiveness was to sacrifice one of their young maidens each day for his devouring. The sacrificial maiden was selected by the drawing of lots. One day this grave outcome fell upon the princess of the village. Distraught, the king tried to influence the others to give her a pardon. Unfortunately rules were rules, and the maiden was about to be given up. Luckily St. George noticed their distress, and came to ask if they needed his assistance. The villagers told him of their dilemma, and St. George promised to help them on one condition. If he killed the dragon then they must all convert to Christianity. They readily agreed. St. George approached the dragon and successfully killed him. After the defeat the village rejoiced, and kept their promise of converting to Christianity.

Today St. George is recognized around the world. He is considered the patron saint of various nations including many parts of the Mediterranean, Europe, Eastern Europe, and Africa. He is also the patron saint of “…soldiers, Calvary and Chivalry; farmers and field workers, boy scouts and butchers; of horses, riders, and saddlers.” Within the Christian Orthodox church he is called upon to heal certain ailments such as leprosy, and the plague (Collins, 2007). He is also a popular subject among artists and can be seen in various mediums. The teacher resource center includes an icon, and glass painting of St. George.

Various authors. (2008) St. George (Electronic Version)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_George
Collins, Michael. (2007). St. George (Electronic Version)
< http://www.britannia.com/history/stgeorge.html>

Orans, Lewis P. (1997). St. George, Patron Saint of Scouting (Electronic Version)
< http://www.pinetreeweb.com/stgeorge.htm>
Bentley, James. (2005). A Calendar of Saints: The Lives of the Principal Saints of the Christian Year. Great Britain. Time Warner Books.

St. George Unofficial Bank Holiday (SGUBH). (2006). St. George and the Dragon (Electronic Version)
< http://www.stgeorgesholiday.com/st_george.asp>