A Hertfordshire St. George

W. B. Gerish
1901 Folklore  
DRAGON legends are, I think," somewhat: uncommon in the eastern and southern parts of England. • Perhaps the dense woods and morasses formerly existing in the northern portion' of the kingdom, in which all kinds of wild beasts could find a "refuge, may-have produced "such stories in greater, abundance and detail. In the church,of Brent Pelham, or Pelham Sarners, 1 Herts, a small village situated about ten miles from, Bishop's Stortforid arid five from : Buntingford, is a . semi-effigial
more » ... al slab, thus described (1631) in Weever's Funeral Monuments. In the North Wall of this Church lyeth an antient Monument of Stone, wherein a Man is figur'd, and about him an Eagle, a Lyon; arid a Bull, all having Wings; and a fourth of the. Shape of an Angel; as" if they should represent the four Evangelists; under the. Feet of the Man is the Cross Fleurie, and under the Cross a' Serpent." "Simple and beautiful, as' these symbols' are,",says our most recent county historian, Mr. .Cussans (1872), i\they have given rise to the most.absurd,traditions. The most popular.is,.that Piers Shonkes" [in whose memory the monument is said'to have been erected] was a mighty hunter, and was'always accompanied in his expeditions by one attendant and three favourite hounds, so swift of:foot that.they.were, said to be,winged, and are so
doi:10.1080/0015587x.1901.9719636 fatcat:h52lp3l5ine2vco5ht5ab6thue