Painting on parchment depicting Saint Galawdowos on horseback slaying the Saba'adat, a creature with the head of a man, body of a lion and a forked tail in the form of two snakes. The saint is shown riding a pale brown horse with a blue saddlecloth, elaborate headstall and neck collar. The saint wears Ethiopian-style clothing and carries a traditional spear.
This painting is typical of the iconography of Saint Galawdowos. He is usually depicted as an equestrian saint on a buff or light brown horse slaying the Saba'adat. This mythical creature, the embodiment of evil, has the head of a man, the body of a lion and a forked tail in the form of two hissing snakes. It carries a small bow to shoot arrows at Saint Galawdowos. Saint Galawdowos is known outside Ethiopia as Saint Claudius. He is very closely associated with Saint Victor. Both saints were martyred by Diocletian and buried in Antioch.
