vovat | Let George Do It (Reply)

Today is St. George's Day, another holiday that isn't anywhere near as prominent these days as it was in the past, especially in England. George is a very popular saint, being the patron of Aragon, Catalonia, England, Ethiopia, Georgia, Greece, Lithuania, Palestine, Portugal, and Russia. The date is based on what is traditionally considered to be his death date in 303, at the order of the Emperor Diocletian. The most famous story about George, about his defeat of a dragon, apparently didn't gain prominence until the time of the Crusades. While killing a dragon is certainly nothing to sneeze at, it seems kind of unimpressive compared to the deeds of other legendary heroes. I mean, how many monsters did Hercules slay? And Samson killed 1000 Philistines with the jawbone of an ass. I think it just goes to show that we don't expect as much of our heroes in the Common Era as they did in classical times. But anyway, in honor of the saint, here's Stan Freberg's take on the story.

St. George and the Dragonet