The episode of the sleep of the Dragon Slayer hero in byzantine-slavic hagiographic texts

Abstract

The Episode of the Sleep of the Dragon Slayer Hero in Byzantine-Slavic Hagiographic Texts. One of the most widespread representations of the warrior saint in popular Byzantine-Slavic religiosity is the dragon slayer, represented by Saints Theodor and George. This image undergoes continuous resemantization and contextual adaptation, captured in creative expressions containing persistent and innovative but identifiable elements. This study analyses dragon slayer tales in the hagiographic cycles of St Theodor and St George, which feature the preamble motif of the hero's sleep. The objective was to examine the degree to which they gather the inherent narrative elements to the conventional motif and the contexts and sources in which they are shaped. It also analyses the testimony of the Christian epic, produced in popular tradition and rooted in orality.