The Dragon of Wantley: His Tale

Owen Wister, better known for The Virginian, turned his hand to medieval burlesque in this 1892 comic masterpiece. Originally based on a 17th-century satirical verse parody, Wister's novel gives us the 'true' story behind the dragon of Wantley legend. Set at Christmastime in the early 13th century, it follows Sir Godfrey Disseisin, a choleric baron more concerned with his raided wine cellar than his terrorized tenants, and his bold daughter Elaine. When a fearsome dragon descends on Yorkshire to devour livestock and, worse, the baron's precious wines, chaos erupts at Wantley Manor. A hereditary curse complicates everything: only a female descendant can face the dragon alone to lift the affliction. What ensues is a gleeful parody of chivalric romance, where the conventions of medieval heroism get lovingly mocked and Elaine discovers that defying her father's wishes might be the bravest quest of all.