Revelation 12 (cached) tells of a red dragon who is defeated by "Michael and his angels." Michael is also mentioned in Daniel 12:1 (cached) as a "prince" who will save the Jewish people.
In portraits St. Michael is most often seen slaying a dragon with a lance or sword. The dragon is "that old serpent who is called the devil and Satan" that St. Michael vanquishes in Revelation 12:7-9 (cached). Some later images reflect this identity by substituting Satan himself for a dragon (example).
In images where he is slaying the dragon St. Michael is winged, and his attractive hair is a little more than page-boy length. Sometimes he carries a shield with a cross as its heraldic device (example). Starting about the 15th century he is represented in breastplate, greaves, and other items of armor, as at left and in this example.
He also figures in images of the Day of Judgement, where he is the Psychopomp, conducting the souls and frustrating the devils' attempts to unbalance the scales used in the Psychostasy or "weighing of souls" (example).
Feast day: September 29
At left, sculpture in Pamplona's cathedral
Other images:
13th century relief
Mexican santo
Psychostasy relief, Burgos
CathedralHagiography:
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