Thursday, November 28, 2013

Mythical:Ascalon the dragon killer




Ascalon,  the sword used by Saint George to kill a dragon terrorizing a city demanding sacrifices. The sword takes its name from the city of Ashkelon, Israel. 

According to the legend in a place called Silene(Selinus in other versions) in Libya, there was a large body of water(pond or lake), which a plague bearing dragon inhabited and terrorize nearby towns. People were forced to appeased to it with sacrifices of animals, but it came to a point that it was not enough and the townsfolk were forced to offer children in steed of the animals. The children to be sacrificed were chosen by drawing lots. It came to pass that the kings daughter was to be sacrificed to the beast, the king pleaded to the townsfolk that he shall give them all of his riches and half his kingdom just to spare his daughter.

The kings pleas fell on deaf ears as the towns people took his daughter and prepared her for the inevitable. As the girl waited by the lake for her impending fate, Saint George came riding by and the girl tried her best to send him away, but it was all for naught for the dragon had risen while they were conversing. Saint George fortified with the sign of the cross and raised his weapon to subdue the beast.


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