Tags
Bellini, Dragons. art, Jimi Hendrix, Kiss, love, St Francis, St George
It’s October 4th ~ Kiss A Dragon Day!
It also happens to be the Feast Day of St. Francis of Assisi. No small coincidence that.
I have always found that a person’s relationship to Dragons mirrors their relationship to the rest of the world. This was never more evident than during the Dark Times. Your average knight and local hero were military individuals who approached the world from a joust-first-ask-questions-later POV. To them, Dragons were just another enemy needing to be neutralized. Royal gratitude and the hand of fair maid were mere icing on the medieval cake. Many saints of the time were not much better. Despite their tonsured piety, more than a few started out as legionnaires or crusaders.
St George ~ Carpaccio
George of Cappadocia, for example, was a Roman soldier from a long line of
Roman soldiers. Though he became a priest later in life, at the time of his
draconic tête-à-tête, George was far more familiar with a sword than a psalter.
But then there was Francis. Though he spent some time as a man-at-arms, he looked at the world in all its wonderful diversity, saw our interconnectivity on a truly metaphysical level, and embraced it. Dragons included.
St Francis ~ Bellini embellished.
So it is only right to go out on St Francis’s day and kiss a Dragon!
A couple of words to the eager yet inexperienced dracophile: For safety’s sake you might want to make that “Kiss Your Dragon” or at least, “Kiss A Dragon You Know.” Most Dragons are not averse to affection, but, as with any wild creature, you don’t want to force yourself on them uninvited. And keep plenty of lip balm on hand, just in case.
Now, excuse me while I kiss the sky!
Dragons know the secrets of the Earth.
And sea and sky!
I went out early, looking for my Dragon … I looked all over the mall, all over Target, all over Rt. 83 through Bismarck, all over Walmart. I am keeping my window wide open, curtains back, waiting for a glimpse of a Dragon. Great post, Shawn.
So glad you enjoyed, it, Karen–a bit of Dragon lore and philosophy.
Dragons have been known to be like Elijah at Pesach–leaving a door or window open is a great way to invite them in.
Great explanation about St. George and St. Francis! You know your dragon-lore. I myself wrote a book called: Blood of the Dragon. It’s about Dracula, but I do put a lot of dragon info in it. I love Dragon History. I am interested to know about this book of which :You will not speak.” Some sort of publishing nightmare was it? Being an author, I am interested in what happened. Drop me a line at: whisperindave@msn.com
Ah, George is but the tip of the saintly iceburg, as I’m sure you know. There were a few Welsh saints who had much better relationships with Dragons–more along the line of Buddha and Muchalinda–rather talk and persuade than slay. I always believed this had to do with the strong dragon-friendly history between the Welsh and the Weyrs.
I’ll drop you a line about the dread past event…