Who was St George and how did he become patron saint not only of England but also of many other European countries? In this richly illustrated book, Samantha Riches explores the extraordinary wealth of myths and legends, art and inspiration that has grown up around the obscure fourth-century Christian martyr.

The visual arts of medieval and renaissance Europe bear eloquent testimony to the range of significant cultural roles of St George. A hero and martyr who was venerated as a symbol of chivalry, he was also an emblem of both chastity and fertility, and was a signifier of the power of the urban elite. Using historical, art historical and literary evidence, Riches creates a vivid and compelling narrative, paying close attention to the symbolism of the saint’s combat with the dragon and its development as the most significant aspect of his legend and cult.

The complex medieval psychology revealed by her study of this motif reveals some astonishing results, not least the implications of the discovery of a number of representations of female dragons.

Dr SAMANTHA RICHES, Teaching Fellow at the School of Art History, St Andrews, is a historian and art-historian who has made a special study of quasi-historical saints. She is a noted authority on St George and on the iconography of the dragon, of which she has made a radical reappraisal.