With its fiery breath, scaly armour, and baleful, malevolent stare, the dragon became the ultimate symbol of evil and corruption in European folklore and mythology. Often serving as a stand-in for Satan, or the power of evil gods, dragons spread death and hopelessness throughout the land. Only heroes of uncommon valour, courageousness, and purity could hope to battle these monsters and emerge victorious. Those that did became legends. They became dragonslayers. The list of dragonslayers is small, but it is filled with great and legendary names. Hercules, Beowulf, Sigfried, and Saint George all battled to the death with dragons. Other heroes such as Cadmus, founder of the city of Thebes, Dieudonné de Gozon, the Knight of Rhodes, and the Russian warrior Dobrynya Nikitch might be less well known to western readers, but also fought and defeated dragons. This book retells the greatest legends of this select group of warriors, while examining the myth of the dragonslayer in a historical, mythological, and even theological context.
By:
Joseph A. McCullough (Author)
Illustrated by:
Peter Dennis (Illustrator)
Imprint: Osprey
Country of Publication: United Kingdom
Volume: 2
Dimensions:
Height: 244mm,
Width: 182mm,
Spine: 10mm
Weight: 300g
ISBN: 9781780967301
ISBN 10: 1780967306
Series: Myths and Legends
Pages: 80
Publication Date: 20 March 2013
Recommended Age: From 14 years
Audience:
General/trade
,
Professional and scholarly
,
ELT Advanced
,
Undergraduate
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Active
The Myth of the Dragonslayer /The Ancient Greek Dragonslayers: Cadmus, Jason, Hercules /The Pagan Dragonslayers: Cuchulain, Beowulf, Sigfried /The Christian Dragonslayers: Saint George /The Eastern Dragonslayers: Bobrynya Nikitch, Krak/ Dragonslaying in modern fiction
Joseph A McCullough is the author of several non-fiction books including A Pocket History of Ireland and Osprey's Zombies: A Hunter's Guide. In addition, his fantasy short stories have appeared in various books and magazines such as Black Gate, Lords of Swords, and Adventure Mystery Tales. He also co-wrote The Grey Mountains, a supplement for the Middle-Earth Role-Playing game. Peter Dennis was born in 1950. Inspired by contemporary magazines such as Look and Learn he studied illustration at Liverpool Art College. Peter has since contributed to hundreds of books, predominantly on historical subjects, including many Osprey titles. A keen wargamer and modelmaker, he is based in Nottinghamshire, UK.
Reviews for Dragonslayers: From Beowulf to St. George
If you have any passing interest in the subject I seriously recommend picking up a copy. - Bleaseworld
