An Unofficial 'The Rest Is History' Reading List
462. St George: Dragon-Slayer
June 19, 2024
Description
Books Referenced
Author: Daniel Ogden
Context:
Tom mentions 'Daniel Ogden's great book on how the stories of dragons have emerged over the centuries' when discussing the numerous stories of saints confronting dragons and noting that Ogden has compiled a list of over 200 such stories.
Author: Edmund Spenser
Context:
Described as 'the great epic written by Edmund Spencer' when discussing how St. George was adapted into Elizabethan popular culture. The book features St. George as 'the Red Cross Knight' who is commissioned by the Fairy Queen (representing Elizabeth I) to kill a dragon (representing Catholicism).
Author: Richard Johnson
Context:
Explicitly mentioned as 'a book called The Seven Champions of Christendom' written in the 1590s under Elizabeth, which features various patron saints of different countries with St. George as the dominant figure, notably claiming he was born in Coventry rather than Cappadocia.