Dr. Wilson on Linton and its Legends. 37 



paganism. It was upon this spot, then, that the dragon was 

 subdued ; and here, too, it was fitting that the monument should 

 be erected which was to serve as the emblem of the conflict, and 

 to perpetuate the triumph. 



But if the sculpture at Linton be merely a symbolical repre- 

 sentation of the victory of Christianity over the old idolatry, it 

 ought to be held as probable, that where churches have been 

 founded elsewhere under similar circumstances, we should meet, 

 at least occasionally, with a similar monument. And there are, 

 accordingly, many instances, in countries inhabited by races 

 congenerous with those who occupied this district at the period 

 of the introduction of Christianity, where sculptures represent- 

 ing dragon conflicts appear on the ancient church walls. To 

 these countries we shall purposely, as hitherto, confine our illus- 

 trations : and we are the more willing to introduce them here, 

 because none of our best antiquaries, such as Scott and Chal- 

 mers, who have touched upon the legend of Linton, have at- 

 tempted to place its subject in a similar light. Thus, in the 

 church of Oberbirbach, in Hesse Darmstadt, a district which was 

 early christianized, there is a monument of a knight, Hans von 

 Frankenstein, standing upon a dragon which he has subdued. 

 In the chapel of St. Margaret, at Burgdorf, in Berne, there is 

 a similar monument ; the era of the story connected with which 

 is laid as far back as the year 712 *. At Nyborg, in Fiinen, 

 there was in ancient days a temple, the abode of a frightful 

 dragon, which exacted daily the offering of a human victim. The 

 monster was destroyed by the knight Sir Jorgen, and on a bell- 

 in the tower of the neighbouring church of Svendborg may still 

 be seen a representation of the conflict f- Two dragons had 

 their nest at Lyngby, in the old times, so close to the church as 

 to keep the Christian worshipers in perpetual danger and alarm. 

 Both were slain ; and in the churchyard there is still a sculptured 

 stone which bears witness to the event. At Alsted church, near 

 Soro, in Seeland, there is a monument in commemoration of a 

 similar occurrence ; and there is the same tradition regarding a 

 church at Hoiby. Over the door of Eiby church, also in See- 

 land, there is a dragon sculptured, with an illegible inscription. 

 The tradition connected with it is a recurrence of that at Lyngby. 

 A dragon infested the cathedral church of Aarhuus, in Jutland, 

 which was destroyed by a singular contrivance, the memory of 

 which is still preserved by a piece of sculpture within the pre- 

 cincts %. In the principal church of Ladvig, in Norway, there 

 was guarded, from time immemorial, a banner, on which was re- 



* Grimm's Deutsche Sagen, N. 216-219. 



t Thiele, Danmarks Folkesagn, D. i. p. 275. % Ibid. 



