ST GEORGE & THE DRAGON

Our beautiful chalet couldn’t be more Austrian, equipped with a panelled wood Stube, a functioning Kachelofen and a history dating back to 1949 which tells the story of a local St Anton family. Therefore we have always been perplexed by the front door, which is beautifully adorned with a carving of George and the Dragon! 

With the entire English nation full of patriotism and excitement about the homecoming of football (hopefully), there is no better time to explore this symbol and discover the link between our traditional Austrian chalet, and England! 

Who is St George?

Historically Saint George doesn’t belong to England at all, he is in-fact the Patron Saint of various countries, noble families and cities across the Christian world. It is thought that the ‘original’ George was a soldier in the Roman Army, who was sentenced to death for refusing to recant his Christian faith, making him a martyr.

The English adopted St Geroge into folk law when King Richard I (Richard Lionheart) made St. George his Patron Saint, and adorned his army with what is now known as the St George’s cross, the national flag of England.

The connection of Geroge and Germany came via the German epic poem, The Nibelungenlied; the first German heroic epic put into writing and regarded as one of the major contributions to world literature. This epic paves the way for the creation of countless stories, including what we all now know of as “George and the Dragon”.

In this story a fierce dragon was causing panic to a city. In order to prevent the Dragon from devastating the population, the local people feed him two sheep per day, however they soon run out of sheep and were forced to sacrifice humans. The townspeople elected which humans were to be sacrificed, and one day, the King’s daughter was chosen. George saved the girl by slaying the dragon, for which the King was so grateful that he offered him treasures as a reward. But the brave and generous George refused, and instead gave the treasure to to the poor.

Saint George / Heilige Georg & St Anton 365

Ultimately in all stories involving St George, you will discover a figure who stands for great courage and the overcoming of evil. A generous man of the people. A protector. The fact that our traditional chalet uses this heroic figure as it’s ‘Haus Patron’, with the beautiful carving that adorns our door, is a great comfort and a story that we are very proud to tell. Firstly the image metaphorically connects the building’s past life as an Austrian home, to it’s new life, as a business operated by an Englishwoman. And secondly, it’s a feeling or relief that folk law suggests our guests are protected, safe and valued whist sleeping under our roof.

St.Georg! Saint George!
Ein Deutscher Held A German Hero
Beschutzt m Haus Protects my house
Mensch, Tier und Feld Humans, animals and fields.

We couldn’t think of any better image to greet our guests on arrival.