Synopses & Reviews
The image of St. Georgeandmdash;atop his horse, lance plunged halfway into a dragonandrsquo;s bodyandmdash;is so familiar to us that we take for granted what a long history it has had. As Samantha Riches demonstrates in this book, St. George is easily one of the most transported icons across cultures, and his history is the history of myth writ large. Traveling in Georgia, Greece, Malta, Belgium, Lebanon, Palestine, Ethiopia, Estonia, and many other places, she offers a fascinating look at one of the most popular mythical figures of all time.
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Riches traces St. George in his various appearances and guises across a wealth of religions and traditions. From Eastern Orthodox, Coptic, and Western European Christian traditions, she follows his trail into Islam, Hinduism, Judaism, Candomblandeacute;, and the many pagan systems where he has functioned a symbol of nature, springtime, and healing. Exploring the innumerable ways artists, poets, and painters have engaged his mythical import, she shows him to be at the center of many political divisions, where he has been used to advance one agenda or another. Drawing together many aspects of the cult of St. George, Riches provides a fascinating history of an enduring icon.and#160;
Synopsis
This book explores the variety of symbolic, moral and religious meanings that are embodied in this contradictory figure.
Synopsis
The image of St George seems so familiar to us alland#8212;the mounted, medieval knight slaying a dragonand#8212;that it is tempting to assume that he is easily understood and of limited interest. He is, in fact, one of the most significant mythic figures in Christian culture, and has played an important role in Eastern Orthodox, Coptic, and Western European traditions over many centuries. Moreover his differing appearances can be found in many world religions, including Islam, Hinduism, Judaism, and the Afro-Brazilian belief system Candombe; his identification with nature, springtime, and healing means that he can also be found throughout pagan beliefs. In many parts of the world St George has a lively and diverse following today. St George represents many different things to many different peoples.and#160; St Georgeand#8212;with or without the dragonand#8212;has been repeatedly reinvented over the last 1,700 years, and Samantha Riches presents a compelling account of the huge potential that artists, poets and painters have found in his myth.
About the Author
Samantha Riches is a cultural historian at Lancaster University, UK, and the author of St. George: Hero, Martyr and Myth and coeditor of Gender and Holiness: Men, Women and Saints in Late Medieval Europe.
Table of Contents
Introduction: andlsquo;God is Great but Not Like St Georgeandrsquo;
1. St George: A Reappraisal for a Multicultural Age
2. Misrepresentations and Reinventions: St George across Continents and Cultures
3. St George and the Natural World: A Symbol of Fertility
4. St George as a Saint of Water and Healing
5. St George as a Dragon-slayer
6. St George and England: A Re-emerging Relevance?
Conclusion: Where Next for St George?
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References
Bibliographic Essay
Acknowledgements
Photo Acknowledgements
Index