File:The Vanquished Dragon, Church of Bet Giorgis, Lalibela, Ethiopia (3267623815).jpg

Game over: St. George 1, Dragon 0.

As Ethiopian dragons go, this specimen satisfies the basic requirements quite competently, but it doesn't soar to new heights of reptilian loathsomeness or artistic accomplishment.

But all the dragons I photographed in Ethiopia, this is only the second I've seen that's been lassooed. You can see the rope just to the left of the lance. So, the tether is an optional element in Ethiopian St. George-vs.-Dragon iconography.

I don't know about you, but I would not want to be connected to an irate dragon by a rope of any length. That snaky neck makes a very narrow target for a lance, and I bet the dragon would be writhing and darting all over the place. As a boater, I know it takes more than one line to secure a vessel, especially under unfavorable conditions, and I am sure the same is true for dragons. That St. George was a courageous fellow!

This is just part of a panel depicting St. George slaying the dragon. Because St. George is Ethiopia's patron saint, paintings depicting this story are found in most Ethiopian Christian Orthodox churches.

However, this painting is perhaps more significant than others of its kind because of its location in Lalibela's Church of Bet Giorgis, whch is dedicated to St. George. There's a bit more to the story than that, but it will have to wait until I post photos of the church's magnificent and iconic exterior.

To my untutored eye, this painting looks quite old. It is less elaborately rendered than the paintings in the churches and monasteries at Lake Tana, which I believe date to the 18th century.

I'm not sure what to do with that information. A simpler style could mean the painting is older than the ones at Lake Tana. Conversely, the coarser style could mean the piece was executed after Ethiopian religious art reached its zenith at Lake Tana (a proposition I've more or less made up on the spot).

Since this painting is at Lalibela, which predates the churches and monasteries at Lake Tana by centuries, I will speculate this painting is earlier than the 18th century.

But, bearing in mind that the Ethiopian empire's fortunes and territorial holdings ebbed and waned frequently over the centuries, with incursions from hostile forces, including Islamic armies, I'm the last person who'd know whether any given painting in a church in Lalibela has been there for 700 years or 70.