Feast day: April 23
Saint George has a very famous and fanciful legend associated with him. The legend goes that Saint George, a Christian knight, came upon the town of Sylene while on a quest for adventure. When he arrived in the town, he was told that it was held hostage by a fierce dragon. In order to keep the dragon at bay, the townspeople had to feed it two sheep every day. However, the dragon had soon exhausted the town’s supply of sheep and was instead being given young maidens.
These sacrificial virgins were chosen at random, and Saint George happened upon the town just as the king’s daughter was chosen to be eaten by the monster. She was on her way to do her duty to her town, but Saint George saved her en route and slew the beast. After his great victory, he converted the entire town to Christianity.
While this legend is a heroic and fun tale to tell, it is more likely that Saint George was martyred during the time of Emperor Diocletian. Either way, he was a great hero of the Christian faith.
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