Sant Jordi: Lo que no sabías de este día

There are only a few days left for Sant Jordi and Catalonia is already preparing for celebrate this day accordingly, with a pretty rose and a book in hand. The streets are colored with spring, culture and a lot of love and there is no better time to remember the origins of this curious legend that has hundreds of versions in different corners of the world. The brave warrior who gives his name to this story is one of the most multicultural patrons of Europe and today, we want to tell you more about his legends. But since there are more versions of the legend than “get rich in a day” videos on YouTube, in History & Legends Comedy Tours We are going to tell you what we consider the most historically truthful.

Once upon a time, the legend of Sant Jordi 

Surely no one celebrates Sant Jordi with more desire than the princess who stars in her legend. This story tells us about a town devastated by a fierce dragon with a tireless appetite. It attacked flocks and homes daily, and The inhabitants lived in constant fear of becoming a snack for the fearsome dragon. and the truth is, we can't blame them for that stress. They found a curious and somewhat extreme solution, every day they sacrificed a person from the town chosen completely at random, so that the dragon could eat it and thus calm its appetite. 

Thus they managed to maintain peace for a long time and protected their flocks from the dragon's claws. It seems curious that they were more nervous about their sheep than about being the next one chosen as food for the dragon, but we are not here to judge their story either. The problem arose when one fine day, When it was time to choose who would be devoured, the town princess came out as chosen. 

The day it was the princess's turn...

Surely more than one villager, who had already sacrificed half the family at the hands of the dragon, did not think it was any drama that would happen to the princess either. However, this dismayed the entire town and they considered changing the system to save her. Many people volunteered to take the place of the king's daughter, But he wanted to respect the result obtained and sent his princess to be killed, much to his dismay. Although it is worth noting that the politicians of the time were not hypocrites. What to say about those of now. Do you think Pedro Sánchez, Joe Biden or Vladimir Putin would voluntarily hand over their daughter as a captive to a dragon? If they don't even let them go on public transportation to begin with!

The princess accepted her fate and headed towards the Dragon's lair, but just as she arrived, a knight in armor appeared on a white horse (the Mercedes A Class of the time) and assured her that she would not die at the hands of the dragon. Surely she was more than happy to hear it and grasped at straws, still not knowing if the warrior could really fight the fearsome beast. 

The knight charged the animal and stabbed it with his spear, saving the princess from her fearsome fate. As in every good story with heteropatriarchal values, the princess allowed herself to be saved and waited for the knight to kill the dragon as a simple spectator on the verge of fainting. All he needed to do was show up with a Thermomix right after killing the dragon. 

And what does the rose do in this whole story? 

If something stands out in the Sant Jordi's Day, is the rose as a symbol of history. It is said that the dragon was badly wounded and blood began to flow from the wound, falling onto the ground and turning red. The legend says that from that blood, rose bushes came out that produced red roses of an intense carmine color, enveloping the body of the already defeated dragon. 

The knight, who did not miss an opportunity, showing off a 2×1 offer in the purest medieval style, thought: What if, apart from receiving a juicy prize for saving the princess, I propose with one of the roses and close the bar? No sooner said than done. Without a doubt, it sounded like a good plan and the inheritance was more than juicy, but Sant Jordi had other plans and he had more towns to save on the agenda. Thus ended one of the most told legends in all of Europe. 

Where is Sant Jordi celebrated? 

There is hundreds of variations of the legend of Sant Jordi This warrior and dragon hunter is famous in many countries in Europe. This popular day in Catalonia is also celebrated in Bulgaria, Portugal, Romania, Hungary and Slovakia, among many other places. 

Surely if we listen to their legends, the story changes, but in all of them they talk about Sant Jordi, the brave dragon hunter. There are those who dare to affirm that this story has been the origin of a large part of the stories of dragons and chivalry that are known in the West today. 

Did Sant Jordi really exist? 

If this story is known in so many places, where does the mythical warrior originate from? It seems that not even historians are clear about its origin. However, there are theories that Sant Jordi really existed and he was a soldier in the Roman army. His life and legend is also closely linked to Christianity and there are possibilities that he was a soldier who was finally executed for not wanting to renounce his Christian faith. 

Later, its history was mythologized and dragons came to legend, becoming a symbol of bravery and fight. His story of origin, his exploits and death are told differently in the countries that celebrate him, but if one thing is clear, it is that Sant Jordi has become a multicultural symbol that endures over time. 

Just legend or also tradition? 

There are thousands of stories, representations and artistic works that tell the story of Sant Jordi. In the countries where it is celebrated, it is lived as a tradition rooted in its roots. We are not exaggerating when we say that Catalonia dedicates the entire day to celebrating the day as it deserves and roses are never missing as a symbol of love, affection and tradition. 

Has become a cultural distinctive of the place, and the legend is told from generation to generation, being one of the most popular stories in Europe. Like any legend, we will never fully know the reality of the story and whether the dragon died decapitated by Sant Jordi, as an old man in his cave or as a result of a princess binge. What we can firmly say is that he certainly did not die from a sore throat.

To finish celebrating this day as it deserves, we went out to the streets of Barcelona to discuss the legend of Sant Jordi with its people with a touch of humor. Do you want to see the results? click here to go to our social networks, there we show you some of the TOP moments of the day.

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