Hillard and the Dragon

The story of Hillard is a children's rhyme commonly sung throughout Sanzeia and said to be a children's version of a lost legend of the age of myth. While no one authoritative version exists, the tale has appeared in enough places throughout the land (with some variation) that it is assumed to have at least some historical basis.

Hillard go play far gone,
Hillard don't go!
Hill ward sleeps the dragon,
Hillard don't go!
You sister's his prize now
And we're all gone, gone!
Up comes the knight
Down goes the beast
Away to the castle Hillard will go!

A longer variation, spun by bards and targeted at children goes:

Hillard was a naughty child, who always would go where he wasn't supposed to. He like to play in the hills, where one day he found a cave full of gold. He filled his pockets and ran back to his sister, thinking of all the things he would buy for her.
Hillard's sister, both beautiful and wise beyond her years, knew that the gold belonged to a great dragon and told Hillard to run and put it back. But it was too late for when the dragon saw Hillard with his pockets full of gold it ate him with one bite!
Hillard's sister went alone to the dragon, and said that she would give herself to it, so long as it gave its word never to attack the people of the village. A dragon is a terror, but it will keep its word, and so the dragon gobbled her up and went back to its cave.
Just then a great knight was passing, who saw the sister and fell instantly in love. He rode to the dragon's lair and fought with the beast for seven whole days before cutting open the monster's belly. When he did out fell Hillard and his sister. The knight embraced them, and took them away to live in his castle. Where the sister became his wife, and Hillard never played in the hills again.

Summary

The legend, when not told in the form of children's rhyme, recounts the tale of Hillard a young boy, who trespassed on the lair of the dragon that lived in the local hills. Enraged the dragon attacked Hillard's town and took the boy's sister in revenge. As the people fled the town a knight happened upon them, agreed to aid the town, slew the dragon, and (in most versions) married the sister and Hillard and his family lived happily in the knight's castle.

Historical Basis

While some claim the tale fits into the greater volume of the accomplishments of Cronacht the attribution is rather thin, relying mostly on the the semi-mythical hero has tales of both fighting dragons and marrying village women. Dragons, while generally rare on Sanzeia are not so uncommon as to make one living in the area around a small village unthinkable (especially not in the younger stages of their lifecycle).
It is generally accepted that this tale has descended from whatever factual basis it once possessed and now mostly serves as a cautionary tale for the young.

Variations & Mutation

The various variations in the telling of this tale, most of which seem to have been the product artistic license, tend to vary in the perception of the 4 characters of the story:

1. the child: the common telling gives the child little agency and paints him in general as an innocent. Theoretically the moral of the story would be for children to avoid monster lairs, but as the story seems to work out well for the main characters the value is often lost. More modern versions, such as the rhyme above like to focus on the damage of the child's actions to his family or his village (the presumed speakers for above).
2. Version of the tale popular through Noria and some parts of Clearia instead focus on the actions of the sister, with the theme being that she sacrifices herself to appease the dragon. In some versions, the dragon then turns into a prince and takes the pair away to live in a castle. There exists at least one version when there girl's actions rescue the knight who had been unable to defeat the dragon. 

In Art

While generally considered a children's story, the simplicity, obvious morality of its characters, and emotional appeal of its subject have made it a favorite in art throughout Sanzeia.  Most artists tend to focus on one of the characters of the story, but usually nods to the rest of the story can be seen in a wide variety of mediums.

An illustration from children's book containing the tale

Date of Setting

Age of Myth