SAINT MARGARET AND THE DRAGON
(From Caxton's translation of the Golden Legend of Jacobus de Voragine. Developed around 1480 CE in Antioch.)
Saint Margaret was the daughter of the Chief Priest of the Pagans in Antioch. Her nurse was a Christian and brought her up in the faith. This angered her father who subsequently sent her to live as a shepherdess. One day the Roman Governor Olybrius saw her and fell in love with her. He was going marry her until he found out that she was a Christian. In characteristic Roman treatment of Christians at the time Olybrius tortured Margaret and flung her into prison. While in prison she prayed to Our Lord to make visible to her the fiend that had fought with her. POOF, a horrible dragon appeared and assailed her! The dragon swallowed her whole and while in its stomach she made the sign of the cross which caused the dragon to burst and she came out of his body unharmed!

This story is one of many that draws a connection between Pagans and the image of a dragon or serpent and there are several other dragon stories that come out of the Christian/Pagan conflict. It also is an example of the ever-common, Christian, dragon-slaying tactic of simply making the sign of the Cross. In several stories the sign of the Cross destroys an evil serpent or dragon. (Check out the British Isles for a couple of other Dragon/Pagan vs. Christian stories.)