Season 4 Podcast 188 Edmund Spenser’s The Faerie Queen, Book I, Canto 11 Pt II Episode 34 “The First Battle.”
Season 4 Podcast 188 Edmund Spenser’s The Faerie Queen, Book I, Canto 11 Pt II Episode 34 “The First Battle.”
In the previous podcast we are introduced to Eden, the home of Una and the tower where her parents are imprisoned. We are also introduced to the fire-breathing dragon itself which appears as large as a mountain, its tail stretching over four football fields, its steel armor strong enough to withstand all blows. It spreads it wide wings and charges the Redcross Knight, half running, half flying, its fiery breath exudes a horrible stink and it roars like thunder. The dragon is filled with guile and subtlety and hate. In this Podcast the battle continues.
The fierce dragon’s eyes blaze like two huge beacons that can be seen for miles and miles. The bright eyes are filled with rage suggesting the rage that fills man’s breast when driven by Satan to do evil. The dragon’s eyes were sunk deep in the caverns of his skull making a dreadful shade.
His blazing eyes, like two bright shining shields,
Did burne with wrath, and sparkled living fyre:
As two broad Beacons, set in open fields,
Send forth their flames far off to every shyre,
And warning give, that enemies conspyre
With fire and sword the region to invade;
So flam'd his eyne with rage and rancorous yre:
But farre within, as in a hollow glade,
Those glaring lampes were set, that made a dreadfull shade.
The dragon charged with dreadful speed, his speckled breast rising up like a sail blowing in the wind and then falling as it bounced on the grassy hillside. The dragon is excited for the battle to the point of feeling joy in the upcoming fight. He raised his high crest to throw fear in his foe’s breast. His bristles like spears were upraised and his steel scales were ready for battle, sending horror and fear in the Redcross Knight as he prepares to meet the dragon in their first fight.
So dreadfully he towards him did pas,
Forelifting up aloft his speckled brest,
And often bounding on the brused gras,
As for great joyance of his newcome guest.
Eftsoones he gan advance his haughtie crest,
As chauffed Bore his bristles doth upreare,
And shoke his scales to battell ready drest;
That made the Redcrosse knight nigh quake for feare,
As bidding bold defiance to his foeman neare.
The Redcross Knight set his spear to meet his foe as he ran toward the towering dragon with all his might, knowing, however, that the steal point of his spear would not be able to pierce the dragon’s armor. The Redcross Knight turned sharply to the right and pushed with all his power; however, the angry dragon quickly turned, and passing by the Knight, he brushed him with his long tail knocking both horse and Knight to the ground.
The knight gan fairely couch his steadie speare,
And fiercely ran at him with rigorous might:
The pointed steele arriving rudely theare,
His harder hide would neither perce, nor bight,
But glauncing by forth passed forward right;
Yet sore amoved with so puissaunt push,
The wrathfull beast about him turned light,
And him so rudely passing by, did brush
With his long tayle, that horse and man to ground did rush.
Both the Redcross Knight and his horse sprang to their feet again for a fresh encounter against the dragon. However, his stroke went amiss and could find no place to pierce the strong steel shield of the dragon. The dragon became even more enraged. The dragon had never been hit with such force before from living man though the dragon had fought many battles against man. This, of course, symbolizes the strong faith of the Redcross Knight. Spencer is referring to the shield of faith that the Redcross Knight wears, echoing the words of Paul as recorded in Ephesians 6:
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