Gargoyles in the form of dragons adorn the French consul building on Ippoton, Rhodes.
The story is that Grand Master Dieudonné de Gozon killed a 'dragon'
on the island of Rhodes, that was hiding in the local swamp, and killing the cattle of the local farmers. Despite the orders of the previous Grand Master, Helion de Villeneuve, not to disturb the beast, Gozon slew the dragon, and hung the head on one of the seven gates of the medieval town of Rhodes. The head was allegedly on display until around 1837, when it was disposed of by workers responsible for repairing the castle.
The Gargoyles on the roof representing the animal adorn the edges of the roof to commemorate this event.
"The Story Of The Dragon -
It is said that in the 1330s, there lived a dragon on the island of Rhodes. It inhabited a cave just off a path on the hill known today as Monte Smith. This path back in those days was known as ‘Mal Paso’. This was to indicate that to go here was a bad move. Mal Paso means a bad path or a bad step. After the death of the dragon, it was renamed ‘Bel Paso’ to indicate then a good path.
The dragon itself was said to be huge in stature and at over 20 meters in length it possessed a heavy leather skin. This of course made it near impossible to attack the dragon with the conventional weapons of those days. It would have been a futile effort to try penetrate the skin with a sword for example.
Fear was spread throughout the island. Children were disappearing, cattle was being slaughtered and all those sent to kill it (including armed Knights) were never to return.
The serving Grand Master of The Knights at the time was Helion De Villeneuve (1319 to 1346). He forbade any further attempts to bring the dragon down, as he feared further losses to his Knights and the local people. He put out an order that no soldier or Knight should attempt to kill the beast. However, there was one man who set to violate this order.
One Knight by the name of Dieudonne De Gozon set about his own plans to slay the dragon of Rhodes. Going against the words of The Grand master, he asked for leave of absence from his duties in order to visit his father’s castle in France. From this location, it is said that he built a large scale model of the dragon. This was used as focus to train himself, his dogs and his horse in preparation to do battle with the beast. Once equipped with the skills and knowledge he needed, he returned to the island of Rhodes.
He went to the location of the dragon and executed his plans to bring it down. The dragon was so huge, naturally De Gozon had a difficult time getting in close. Its huge tail swung violently and eventually it hit De Gozon knocking him off his horse. His dogs also had a tough time getting in close due to the sheer size of the dragon, and although they tried to attack from the sides, they failed. De Gozon knew from his practice and studies, that the stomach of the dragon was weak and unprotected. As the dragon approached him, he was able to plunge his sword into its stomach. The dragon fell to its death, trapping the Knight under its body.
De Gozon’s unconscious body was eventually retrieved and he was taken into the city hailed a hero. The children, the cattle and the area was safe once more thanks to his actions. Grand Master Helion De Villeneuve was extremely angry however. He demanded the Knight be punished for violating his strict orders not to approach the dragon. The people were in defense of the Knight though, and the charges were dropped.
After the death of Helion De Villeneuve, Dieudonne De Gozon was to replace him as head of the order. He was elected the 27th Grand Master Of The Knights Order and held this position from 1346 until 1353 (his death).
Fact Or Fiction?
Let’s face it, The Knights Of Saint John and The Grand Masters were, and still are, a legitimate and respected authority.
The dragon, was not in fact a dragon. It was something huge however, and it has been said it could have been a crocodile. After the death of the beast, its head was put on display above one of the gates in The Medieval City until the year 1837. Over this period, many people were able to view it including scientists. They all said that it was a crocodile that was slain that famous day. The head of the dragon/crocodile was removed from this location due to renovations and construction work being made to the castle."
SOURCE - (visit link)
ágalma me ti morfí drákon kosmeí to ktírio ton gallikón progónon stin Ippóton tis Ródou.
I istoría eínai óti o Megálos Dáskalos Dieudonné de Gozon skótose éna «dráko»,
sto nisí tis Ródou, pou krývetai sto topikó válto kai skotónei ta vooeidí ton topikón agrotón. Pará tis entolés tou proigoúmenou Megálou Didaskálou, Chelón nte Vilnéou, na min enochlísei to thirío, o Nkozón skótose ton dráko kai kremástike to kefáli se mia apó tis eptá pýles tis mesaionikís pólis tis Ródou. To kefáli féretai na ektíthetai méchri perípou to 1837, ótan aporrífthike apó tous ergazómenous pou ítan epifortisménoi me tin episkeví tou kástrou.
To ágalma stin orofí pou antiprosopévei to zóo kosmeí tis ákres tis orofís gia na timísei aftó to gegonós.
"I istoría tou drákou -
Légetai óti sti dekaetía tou 1330 zoúse énas drákos sto nisí tis Ródou. Katoikeí mia spiliá lígo éxo apó éna monopáti sto lófo pou eínai gnostó símera os Monte Smith. Aftí i diadromí píso ekeíni tin epochí ítan gností os «Mal Paso». Aftó ítan na deíxei óti gia na páei edó ítan mia kakí kínisi. To Mal Paso simaínei mia kakí diadromí í éna kakó víma. Metá to thánato tou drákou, metonomástike se «Bel Paso» gia na deíxei tóte éna kaló monopáti.
O ídios o drákos légetai óti eínai terástios se ýpsos kai se míkos páno apó 20 métra eíche éna varý dermátino dérma. Aftó vévaia katéstise adýnato na epitetheí ston dráko me ta symvatiká ópla ekeínon ton imerón. Tha ítan mia mátaii prospátheia na prospathísoume na dieisdýsoume sto dérma me éna spathí gia parádeigma.
O fóvos exaplóthike se ólo to nisí. Ta paidiá exafanízontan, ta vooeidí sfagiázontan kai óloi ósoi ésteilan na skotósoun (symperilamvanoménon ton énoplon Ippotón) den tha epéstrefan poté.
O Megálos Dáskalos ton Ippotón ekeíni tin epochí ítan o Chélion Nte Vilniéou (1319-1346). Apagorévei káthe álli prospátheia na férei ton dráko káto, kathós fovótan peraitéro apóleies stous Ippótes tou kai tous ntópious. Édose entolí na min prospathísei kanénas stratiótis í Ippótis na skotósei to thirío. Ostóso, ypírche énas ánthropos pou thélise na paraviásei aftí ti seirá.
Énas Ippótis me to ónoma Dieudonne De Gozon éthese ta diká tou schédia na skotósei ton dráko tis Ródou. Antítheta apó ta lógia tou Megálou Didaskálou, zítise ádeia apousías apó ta kathíkontá tou gia na episkeftheí to kástro tou patéra tou sti Gallía. Apó aftí ti thési, légetai óti échtise éna montélo megális klímakas tou drákou. Aftó chrisimopoiíthike os epíkentro gia na ekpaidéfsei ton eaftó tou, ta skyliá tou kai to álogó tou sto plaísio proetoimasías gia na polemísoun me to thirío. Afoú exoplístike me tis dexiótites kai tis gnóseis pou chreiazótan, epéstrepse sto nisí tis Ródou.
Píge sti thési tou drákou kai ektélese ta schédiá tou gia na to katevásei. O drákos ítan tóso terástios, fysiká o De Gozon eíche mia dýskoli stigmí na plisiásei. I terástia ourá tou étrexe víaia kai teliká éplixe ton De Gozon ton chtypóntas apó to álogó tou. Ta skyliá tou eíchan epísis skliró chróno na plisiázoun lógo tou megálou megéthous tou drákou kai parólo pou prospáthisan na epitethoún apó tis plevrés, apétychan. O De Gozon gnórize apó tin praktikí kai tis melétes tou óti to stomáchi tou drákou ítan adýnamo kai aprostátefto. Kathós o drákos ton plisíase, ítan se thési na vythísei to spathí tou sto stomáchi tou. O drákos épese sto thánató tou, pagidévontas ton Ippóti káto apó to sóma tou.
To asyneídito sóma tou De Gozon anaktíthike teliká kai metaférthike stin póli chairétise énan íroa. Ta paidiá, ta vooeidí kai i periochí ítan kai páli asfalí chári stis práxeis tou. O Megálos Didáskalos Helion De Villeneuve ítan exairetiká thymoménos. Zítise na timoritheí o Ippótis gia paravíasi ton afstirón entolón tou na min prosengísei ton dráko. O laós ómos yperaspístike ton Ippóti kai oi katigoríes apaleífthikan.
Metá to thánato tou Helion De Villeneuve, o Dieudonne De Gozon éprepe na ton antikatastísei os epikefalís tis diatagís. Ekléchtike o 27os Megálos Didáskalos tou Tágmatos ton Ippotón kai kateíche aftí ti thési apó to 1346 méchri to 1353 (o thánatos tou).
Mýthos í pragmatikótita?
As to paradechtoúme, oi Ippótes tou Agíou Ioánni kai oi Megáloi Dáskaloi ítan kai exakolouthoún na eínai mia nómimi kai sevastí archí.
O drákos, den ítan stin pragmatikótita énas drákos. Ítan káti terástio, kai échei eipotheí óti tha boroúse na ítan énas krokódeilos. Metá to thánato tou thiríou, to kefáli tou provlíthike páno apó mía apó tis pýles tis Mesaionikís Pólis méchri to étos 1837. Katá ti diárkeia aftís tis periódou, polloí ánthropoi katáferan na to doun symperilamvanoménon ton epistimónon. Óloi eípan óti ítan énas krokódeilos pou skotóthike ekeíni ti diásimi iméra. O archigós tou drákou / krokodeílou afairéthike apó aftí ti thési lógo anakainíseon kai kataskevón sto kástro. "
PIGI - (sýndesmos epískepsis)