For Whom the Saint Fights: Military Saints as Allies in Battle
For Whom the Saint Fights: Military Saints as Allies in Battle

Summary/Abstract: Although military saints are frequently described as soldiers who declared their faith and died as martyrs, their use in the hagiographical discourse adds a further layer to their definition. They are often seen fighting against dragons and serpents (as general symbols of evil), but one may also find them fighting alongside the faithful in times of need: such was the case of Saint Demetrius, who is depicted fending off Avar and Slavic invaders in their many attempts to conquer Thessalonica. Although one legend has him be directly involved in the death of the Bulgarian tsar Kaloyan, he becomes very popular among the South Slavs. This motif, which is deeply ingrained in particular historical and political realities, ends up being transferred in various hagiographical and sometimes historiographical texts – as is the case of Saint Procopius supposedly fighting for Stephen the Great of Moldavia against his Wallachian rival, Basarab IV Țepeluș.

• Details
• Contents