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For his Honors thesis project, history and philosophy student Maxwell Johnson ‘22 decided to tackle a long-held historical mystery: why did Saint George suddenly become so important in Great Britain and the rest of Western Europe around 1100 C.E. after centuries of obscurity?
On Saturday, October 23, Johnson will present his research during the annual Center for Medieval and Renaissance Studies Conference (CEMERS) at Binghamton University. CEMERS, founded in 1966, is one of the oldest and most recognizable international meetings for medieval and renaissance studies.
Johnson’s presentation focuses on the cultural mechanisms that surround the historical development of Saint George during the 10th-11th centuries. In particular, he examines Saint George’s ideological transformation from “bondman” to “dragon slayer” as a microcosm of the western church’s shift to a more militant social and political stance during the Crusade era.
“What inspired my research more than anything else was the idea that history is a living and breathing subject - that it is only through coming to understand the past that we can better understand ourselves and the world we live in,” says Johnson, who did his first presentation at a regional history conference at Moravian College during his freshman year at WP.
His project required detailed research into the texts and images of Saint George, which show how he transformed from a passive martyr saint to a warrior saint. Johnson argues that the Crusaders were instrumental in discovering tales of Saint George as the “dragon slayer” in the Balkans and Near East, with returning warriors spreading them throughout Western Europe. Eventually, these stories evolved into our own images of brave knights slaying dragons and rescuing fair maidens, according to Johnson.
“I’m very proud of Max for his many accomplishments; he is a standout among his peers,” says Molly O’Donnell, PhD, professor of history and coordinator of the Honors humanities track. “He has become excellent at researching, developing, and presenting original ideas and arguments.”
Johnson will discuss his findings on how medieval images and culture live on in the modern era as part of a panel alongside distinguished professors from Oslo and the University of Virginia during CEMERS.
