New Britain herald., 1928-11-10
Legends MIRRORED
IN STAMP PICTURES
1ds Of Many Saints Found On
POSTAGE Of Different Countries

vS0~ -
The innumerable legends cluster
ing about the saints and martyrs O.
the early centuries OF Christianit!
are mirrored in the stamp issues o.
many countries. Weird design,
portraying strange dragons being
slain or fishes listening to COLDER
words are among these quaint postal
pictures, which reflect this less au-
thentic, more controversial side OF
religion.
St. George, he who is supposed to
have slain a dragon and who mas
become the patron saint of England
is shown upon stamps OF four coun-
tries, but England is not one OF
them. He is an historical figure who
lived in Cappadocia, Asia Minor, and
served in the Roman armies
throughout the then known world
from his home province to Britain.
He was converted to Christianity
and made public confession of this,
whereupon he was tortured to death
"a. D. 303). 1t was near his home
that the scene OF the Greek legend
OF Perseus and the dragon was laid.
and the confusion of the two stories
is responsible for the attributing or
the legendary feat OF St George. who
was canonized for his martyrdom.
His mythical battle with the dragon
is shown, in various phases. on two
stamps of Belgium and one each OF
Russia, Danzig. and Georgia 1.-THE
last being the Caucasus republic and
not the American stated.
Belgian in 1910 depicted another
saint, St. Martin. on a series OF
stamps issued for charitable pur-
poses. He was bishop of Tours.
France. in the fourth century, and
the stamp shows the most famous
incident connected with his life. He
is portrayed. cleaving his cloak In
half and giving one portion of it TO
a beggar who kneels by the road
side.
No less parsonage than st. Eitus
was the subject of a stamp design
of Fiume. teammates short-llved
free city. He was a Sicilian martyr
during the reign of the Roman en-
peror Diocletian. At one time the
natives Of Sicily actually worshipped
him instead of Jesus, so potent was
his fame. The famous twltchlng
disease was supposed to be stopped
by invoking his power. but by a
tragic warping Of the story his name
has come to be given to the affliction
against which his aid was sum-
moned.
Basted With Boiling Oil
A particularly hard fate is report
ed to have been suffered by ST.
Christopher, whose name appears on
the stamps of the British West In
dian colony named after him. He
is rumored to have been dog-faced
ogre who converted $4,000 persons
and performed miracles about the
year $50. He was martyred amid
great torture. being roasted over a
slow fire and having his skin basted
with boiling oil. Then the job was
completed by the looping off Of his
head.
Strange tales are also related OF
st. Lucia, after whom another
British owned island In the West
Indies was named. She lived in Syra- !,
cuse during the reign of Diocletian.
and she persuaded her mother to
give her money to the poor. The
authorities came to arrest her for
heresy but she would not go with
them. They attempted to drag her
and found that, by some miracle.
she could not be moved from the
spot. where she stood. So they
killed her on that spot.
Massacred By Huns
st. Ursula is the heroine of |
much muddled legend. She appears
to have been massaered by the Huns.
a number OF, other virgins suffering
the same fate. The confusion comes
from the. number of these others.
which is set variously at from l. to
1900. The Virgin Islands, group
in the West Indies received their
name from this legend, and its pres
ent. stamps show st. Ursula sur
rounded by IL lamps representing
her CO. martyrs.
Another suffered under Diocletian
as st. ~Marinus,ea carpenter. who fed
from his native Italian city and took
refuge in the hills. Here he found
ed the Christian colony of San
Marine, which has maintained its in
dependence until today in spite of
Goths. Napoleons, ard Mussolinis. IT
IS located on the tops of three hills,
which are shown on many OF IT'S
stamps. Another d, riets st. Marinus
at his carpentry .'ade. with chisel,
hammer and log.
Found Original Cross
The Island of st. Helena, bleak
south Atlantic spot where Napoleon
ended his days, was named after an
other but more historical early
Chrisfion heroine. She lived in the
third century and was the wife of
the Roman Emperor Constantius
chorus, Her claims to fame are
TWO. First. legend has connected
her with the discovery of the cross
upon which Jesus was crucited. And
her son was this renowned Emperor
Constantine the Great, whose con-
version to Christianity resulted in
the end OF persecution of members
OF that faith and the eventual ac-
ceptance of it as the state religion.
81. Helena's name is found on the
stamps OF the similarly named
colony.
Another whose memory is per-
petuated in similar fashion is st,
vincent. who was a monk and