Dragonslayers: From Beowulf to St. George (Myths and Legends) - Softcover

McCullough, Joseph A.

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1780967306 ISBN 13: 9781780967301

Publisher: Osprey Publishing, 2013

Synopsis

From legend and mythology to The Hobbit and A Game of Thrones, the dragon is a perennial favorite in the fantasy genre.

With its fiery breath, scaly armour, and baleful, malevolent stare, the dragon became the ultimate symbol of evil and corruption in European folklore and mythology. Often serving as a stand-in for Satan, or the power of evil gods, dragons spread death and hopelessness throughout the land. Only heroes of uncommon valour, courageousness, and purity could hope to battle these monsters and emerge victorious. Those that did became legends. They became dragonslayers. The list of dragonslayers is small, but it is filled with great and legendary names. Hercules, Beowulf, Cuchulain, Sigfried, Lancelot, and Saint George all battled to the death with dragons. Other heroes such as the Danish King Frotho, the French Saint Mercurialis, the Polish champion Krak, and the Russian warrior Dobrynya Nikitch might be less well known to western readers, but also fought and defeated dragons. This book will retell the greatest legends of this select group of warriors, while examining the myth of the dragonslayer in a historical, mythological, and even theological context.

About this title

About the Author:

Joseph A McCullough is the author of several non-fiction books including A Pocket History of Ireland and Osprey's Zombies: A Hunter's Guide. In addition, his fantasy short stories have appeared in various books and magazines such as Black Gate, Lords of Swords, and Adventure Mystery Tales. He also co-wrote The Grey Mountains, a supplement for the Middle-Earth Role-Playing game. The author lives in Oxford, England.

Review:

“Writings from Greece, Russia, and Western sources explore the evolution of dragons and dragonslayer myths and realities, making for an outstanding synthesis of all the legends surrounding them.” ―James A. Cox, The Midwest Book Review (June 2013)

“Entertaining and a joy to page through, Dragonslayers is a choice pick for personal browsing or public library mythology shelves.” ―The Midwest Book Review (May 2013)

About this edition

• Publisher: Osprey Publishing
• Publication date: 2013
• ISBN 10: 1780967306
• ISBN 13: 9781780967301
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 80
• Illustrator: Dennis Peter