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'Flight of the Paladin', by William O'Connor, ©2012 |
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'St. George and the Dragon', by Bernt Notke, 1489 (Stockholm Cathedral) |
Excerpt: Book One: Canto Eleven
“By this the dreadfull Beast drew nigh to hand,
Halfe flying, and halfe footing in his hast,
That with his largenesse measured much land,
And made wide shadow vnder his huge wast;
As mountaine doth the valley ouercast.
Approching nigh, he reared high afore
His body monstrous, horrible, and vast,
Which to increase his wondrous greatnesse more,
Was swolne with wrath, & poyson, & with bloudy gore.
And ouer, all with brasen scales was armd,
Like plated coate of steele, so couched neare,
That nought mote perce, ne might his corse be harmd
With dint of sword, nor push of pointed speare;
Which as an Eagle, seeing pray appeare,
His aery plumes doth rouze, full rudely dight,
So shaked he, that horrour was to heare,
For as the clashing of an Armour bright,
Such noyse his rouzed scales did send vnto the knight.
His flaggy wings when forth he did display,
Were like two sayles, in which the hollow wynd
Is gathered full, and worketh speedy way:
And eke the pennes, that did his pineons bynd,
Were like mayne-yards, with flying canuas lynd,
With which whenas him list the ayre to beat,
And there by force vnwonted passage find,
The cloudes before him fled for terrour great,
And all the heauens stood still amazed with his threat.”
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'St. George and the Dragon', by Peter Paul Ruebens, 1606 |
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'The Great Red Dragon and the Woman Clothed in Sun', by William Blake |
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'St. George and the Dragon', by Arthur Rackham |
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'Woman and Dragon', by Pablo Picasso (etching print) |
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'St. George and the Dragon', by Wassily Kandinsky, 1911 |
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'Dragonriders of Pern', by Michael Whelan |