Saint George, the Dragon Slayer : sacralized violence and the allegorical union of sacred and secular power

english

2025

volume 33, issue 4

Univerza na Primorskem, Znanstveno-raziskovalno središče Koper
(Obvezni izvod spletne publikacije)

This article examines the transformation of the legend of Saint George from an early Christian martyr into a militant dragon slayer and divine agent of order. It argues that this shift reflects broader cultural and theological changes in medieval Europe, where narratives increasingly framed conflict resolution through sacralized violence rather than symbolic mediation. By analyzing the legend as a structure of meaning, the study shows how Saint George came to embody a model of holy intervention that legitimizes the elimination of enemies as a form of cosmic purification. The dragon, as a symbolic adversary, externalizes chaos, heresy, and disorder, while the saint’s action restores di-vine order. At the same time, the legend enacts an allegorical union of sacred and secular power, staging a mythic foundation for religiously sanctioned authority. The legend thus operates not as a literal prescription, but as a powerful narrative that mirrors and shapes collective imaginaries of legitimacy, sovereignty, and spiritual warfare.

01.09.2026