St George - Patron Saint of England St George - Patron Saint of England Navigation By Ben Johnson | Comments Every nation has its own ‘Patron Saint’ who in times of great peril is called upon to help save the country from its enemies. St David is the patron saint of Wales, St Andrew of Scotland and St Patrick of Ireland - St George being the patron saint of England. But who was St. George, and what did he do to become England’s Patron Saint? Very little is known about St. George’s life, but it is thought he was a high ranking officer in the Roman army who was killed in around AD 303. It seems that the Emperor Diocletian had St. George tortured to make him deny his faith in Christ. However despite some of the most terrible torture even for that time, St George showed incredible courage and faith and was finally beheaded near Lydda in Palestine. His head was later taken to Rome where it was interred in the church dedicated to him. Stories of his strength and courage soon spread throughout Europe. The best-known story about St.

George is his fight with a dragon, but it is highly unlikely that he ever fought a dragon, and even more unlikely that he ever visited England, however his name was known there as early as the eighth-century. In the Middle Ages the dragon was commonly used to represent the Devil. Unfortunately the many legends connected with St. George’s name are fictitious, and the slaying of the ‘Dragon’ was first credited to him in the 12th century. St. George, so the story goes, killed a dragon on the flat topped Dragon Hill in Uffington, Berkshire, and it is said that no grass grows where the dragon’s blood trickled down! It was probably the 12th century Crusaders however who first invoked his name as an aid in battle. King Edward III made him the Patron Saint of England when he formed the Order of the Garter in St. George's name in 1350, and the cult of the Saint was further advanced by King Henry V , at the battle of Agincourt in northern France. Shakespeare made sure that nobody would forget St. George, and has King Henry V finishing his pre-battle speech with the famous phrase, ‘Cry God for Harry, England and St.

George!’ King Henry himself, who was both warlike and devout, was thought by his followers to possess many of the saint’s characteristics. The Tomb of St George, Lod, Israel In England St. George’s Day is celebrated, and his flag flown, on his feast day, April 23rd. An interesting piece of trivia - Shakespeare was born on St. George’s Day 1564, and if the story is to be believed, died on St. George’s Day 1616. An appropriate end perhaps for the man who helped to immortalise the Saint in English tradition. St. George - England's Patron Saint St. George by Michael Collins MA (Oxon) MPhil In this short essay compiled from secondary sources, I have identified three main themes: the historical St George the growth and influence of legends about him in England the place of St George in English history, literature and institutions Because the themes are interrelated and affect each other, I present them chronologically. St George is the patron saint of England and among the most famous of Christian figures. But of the man himself, nothing is certainly known. Our earliest source, Eusebius of Caesarea, writing c.

322, tells of a soldier of noble birth who was put to death under Diocletian at Nicomedia on 23 April, 303, but makes no mention of his name, his country or his place of burial. According to the apocryphal Acts of St George current in various versions in the Eastern Church from the fifth century, George held the rank of tribune in the Roman army and was beheaded by Diocletian for protesting against the Emperor's persecution of Christians. George rapidly became venerated throughout Christendom as an example of bravery in defence of the poor and the defenceless and of the Christian faith. George was probably first made well known in England by Arculpus and Adamnan in the early eighth century. The Acts of St George, which recounted his visits to Caerleon and Glastonbury while on service in England, were translated into Anglo-Saxon. Among churches dedicated to St George was one at Doncaster in 1061. George was adopted as the patron saint of soldiers after he was said to have appeared to the Crusader army at the Battle of Antioch in 1098.

Many similar stories were transmitted to the West by Crusaders who had heard them from Byzantine troops, and were circulated further by the troubadours. When Richard 1 was campaigning in Palestine in 1191-92 he put the army under the protection of St George. Because of his widespread following, particularly in the Near East, and the many miracles attributed to him, George became universally recognized as a saint sometime after 900. Originally, veneration as a saint was authorized by local bishops but, after a number of scandals, the Popes began in the twelfth century to take control of the procedure and to systematize it. A lesser holiday in honour of St George, to be kept on 23 April, was declared by the Synod of Oxford in 1222; and St George had become acknowledged as Patron Saint of England by the end of the fourteenth century. In 1415, the year of Agincourt, Archbishop Chichele raised St George's Day to a great feast and ordered it to be observed like Christmas Day. In 1778 the holiday reverted to a simple day of devotion for English Catholics.

The banner of St George, the red cross of a martyr on a white background, was adopted for the uniform of English soldiers possibly in the reign of Richard 1, and later became the flag of England and the White Ensign of the Royal Navy. In a seal of Lyme Regis dating from 1284 a ship is depicted bearing a flag with a cross on a plain background. During Edward 111's campaigns in France in 1345-49, pennants bearing the red cross on a white background were ordered for the king's ship and uniforms in the same style for the men at arms. When Richard 11 invaded Scotland in 1385, every man was ordered to wear 'a signe (sic) of the arms of St George', both before and behind, whilst death was threatened against any of the enemy's soldiers 'who do bear the same crosse or token of Saint George, even if they be prisoners'. The fame of St George throughout Europe was greatly increased by the publication of the Legenda Sanctorum (Readings on the Saints), later known as the Legenda Aurea (The Golden Legend) by James of Voragine in 1265.

The name 'golden legend' does not refer to St George but to the whole collection of stories, which were said to be worth their weight in gold. It was this book which popularized the legend of George and the Dragon. The legend may have been particularly well received in England because of a similar legend in Anglo-Saxon literature. St George became a stock figure in the secular miracle plays derived from pagan sources which continued to be performed at the beginning of spring. The origin of the legend remains obscure. It is first recorded in the late sixth century and may have been an allegory of the persecution of Diocletian, who was sometimes referred to as 'the dragon' in ancient texts. The story may also be a christianized version of the Greek legend of Perseus, who was said to have rescued the virgin Andromeda from a sea monster at Arsuf or Jaffa, near Lydda (Diospolis), where the cult of St George grew up around the site of his supposed tomb. In 1348, George was adopted by Edward 111 as principal Patron of his new order of chivalry, the Knights of the Garter.

Some believe that the Order took its name from a pendant badge or jewel traditionally shown in depictions of Saint George. The insignia of the Order include a Collar and Badge Appendant, known as the George. The badge is of gold and presents a richly enamelled representation of St George on horseback slaying the dragon. A second medal, the Lesser George, also depicting George and the dragon, is worn attached to the Sash. The objective of the Order was probably to focus the efforts of England on further Crusades to reconquer the Holy Land. The earliest records of the Order of the Garter were destroyed by fire, but it is believed that either in 1348 or in 1344 Edward proclaimed St George Patron Saint of England. Although the cult of St George was suppressed in England at the Reformation, St George's Chapel, Windsor, completed in stages from 1483 to 1528, has remained the official seat of the Order, where its chapters assemble. The Monarch and the Prince of Wales are always members, together with 24 others and 26 Knights or Ladies Companion.

Much later, in 1818, the Prince Regent, later George IV, created the Most Distinguished Order of St Michael and St George to recognize exemplary service in the diplomatic field. The Order was founded to commemorate the British protectorate of the Ionian islands and Malta, which had begun in 1814. Originally membership was limited to inhabitants of the islands and to Britons who had served locally. In 1879 membership was widened to include foreigners who had performed distinguished service in Commonwealth countries. The Order was reorganized by William 1V into three classes: Knight Grand Cross (GCMG); Knight Commander (KCMG); and Companion (CMG). Nowadays there are women members of each class with the title 'Dame'. The medal of the Order shows St George and the Dragon on one side, and St Michael confronting the Devil on the other with the inscription,'auspicium melioris aevi' ('augury of a better age'). The Chapel of the Order is St Paul's Cathedral. Saint George is a leading character in one of the greatest poems in the English language, Spencer's Faerie Queene (1590 and 1596).

St George appears in Book 1 as the Redcrosse (sic) Knight of Holiness, protector of the Virgin. In this guise he may also be seen as the Anglican church upholding the monarchy of Elizabeth1: But on his breast a bloody Cross he bore The dear remembrance of his dying Lord, For whose sweet sake that glorious badge we wore And dead (as living) ever he adored. The legend of St George and the dragon took on a new lease of life during the Counter Reformation. The discoveries in Africa, India and the Americas, in areas which maps had previously shown as populated by dragons, presented vast new fields for Church missionary endeavour, and St George was once again invoked as an example of danger faced and overcome for the good of the Church. Meanwhile, the Protestant author, John Bunyan (1628-88), recalled the story of George and the Dragon in the account of the fight between Christian and Apollyon in Pilgrim's Progress (1679 and 1684).

The cult of St George was ridiculed by Erasmus after his visit (sometime between 1511 and 1513) to the saint's shrine at Canterbury, where the supposed arm of George attracted a large pilgrim traffic. Edmund Gibbon claimed that St George was originally George of Cappadocia, the Arian opponent of St Athanasius, but this theory, says Gibbon's nineteenth-century editor, J.B.Bury, 'has nothing to be said for it'. Research which established what little we actually know about the historical George was carried out around the turn of the century by the Bollandists, a scholarly society within the Jesuits. On the evidence of fourth century inscriptions found in Syria, one dating from c346, and the testimony of the pilgrim Theodosius, who visited Lydda in 530 and is the first to mention the tomb of St George, they concluded that George had indeed actually existed. In more modern times, St George was chosen by Baden-Powell, its founder, to be patron of the Scouting Movement, and on St George's Day, scouts are bidden to remember their Promise and the Scout Law.

Baden-Powell recounted in Scouting for Boys that the Knights of the Round Table 'had as their patron saint St George because he was the only one of all the saints who was a horseman. He is the patron saint of cavalry, from which the word chivalry is derived'. In 1940, when the civilian population of Britain was subjected to mass bombing by the Luftwaffe, King George V1 instituted the George Cross for 'acts of the greatest heroism or of the most conspicuous courage in circumstances of extreme danger'. The award, which is second only to the Victoria Cross, the highest military decoration, is usually given to civilians and can be given posthumously. The award consists of a silver cross. On one side is depicted St George slaying the dragon, with the inscription,'For Gallantry'; on the other appear the name of the holder and the date of the award. For lesser, but still outstanding acts of courage, the King created the George Medal. This also is a silver cross, with on one side the reigning monarch and on the other St George slaying the dragon. The island of Malta was awarded the George Cross for its heroism in resisting attack during World War 11.

Some confusion has arisen from the revision of its Calendar of Saints by the Roman Catholic Church in 1969. Saints have long been honoured with different degrees of solemnity. What the Catholic Church did was to downgrade the recollection of St George to the lowest category, commemoration, an optional memorial for local observance. The Church did not abolish St George. Indeed, it maintains a fine Cathedral named for him, opposite the Imperial War Museum in London. The reason the Church now simply commemorates St George is that, although he certainly existed, so little is definitely known about him. Most of the legends about George are apochryphal and indeed incredible. The Church has never officially held that these legends are literally true, but made use of them to illustrate some of its teachings in times when people were more comfortable with such materials. As early as 496, Pope Gelasius in De libris recipiendis includes George among those saints 'whose names are rightly reverenced among us, but whose actions are known only to God'. The virtues associated with St George, such as courage, honour and fortitude in defence of the Christian faith, indeed remain as important as ever.

St George is also, of course, venerated in the Church of England, by the Orthodox churches and by the Churches of the Near East and Ethiopia. The supposed tomb of St George can still be seen at Lod, south-east of Tel-Aviv; and a convent in Cairo preserves personal objects which are believed to have belonged to George. St George is still venerated in a large number of places, by followers of particular occupations and sufferers from certain diseases. George is the patron saint of Aragon, Catalonia, Georgia, Lithuania, Palestine, Portugal, Germany and Greece; and of Moscow, Istanbul, Genoa and Venice (second to St Mark). He is patron of soldiers, cavalry and chivalry; of farmers and field workers, Boy Scouts and butchers; of horses, riders and saddlers; and of sufferers from leprosy, plague and syphilis. He is particularly the patron saint of archers, which gives special point to these famous lines from Shakespeare's Henry V, Act 3, Scene 1, l. 31: 'I see you stand like greyhounds in the slips, Straining upon the start.

The game's afoot: Follow your spirit; and, upon this charge Cry God for Harry, England and St George!'. Indirectly, the spirit of George the soldier saint played a part in modern English history when Sir Laurence Olivier's film of Henry V was issued in 1944 as an encouragement to our armies fighting for the liberation of France. H.Delehaye, Les legendes grecques des saints militaires, Paris 1909 I.H.Elder, George of Lydda, 1949 E. Hoode, Guide to the Holy Land, Jerusalem 1962 G.J.Marcus, Saint George of England, 1939 Jacobus de Voragine, The Golden Legend : Readings on the Saints, Tr. William Granger Ryan, 2 vols (Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1993) --------------------------------------------------------- England's Patron Saint St Edmund - Patron Saint of England November 20th is Saint Edmund's Day, the true patron Saint of England. It is time to set the records straight, the Norman propagandists and their supporters have held sway for too long.

When the Northmen from Normandy arrived in England towards the end of the 11th Century, they set about some cultural cleansing. They didn't call it that in those days, they did not call it anything, but they clearly understood the purpose of their actions. The Norman intention was to remove obvious signs of Angle, Jutish and Saxon cultural emblems and symbols and replace them with something alien, different and more akin to whatever cultural pretentions the Normans had. Their first attempts were directed against English customs and language. Over the course of the next two centuries, the primacy of Saint Edmund the Martyr as the true patron Saint of the English and therefore England, was diminished in favour of the mythical image of a Middle Eastern St. George originating in the Papal/Norman Crusades. Although the Angles, Jutes and Saxons had other symbols of their origins such as the Raven, Boar, Wolf etc. their enduring and unifying emblem was the White Dragon - itself copied from the legions of Imperial Rome.

As part of the power greedy Norman/Papal influence of the time and inspired by the religious fervour of the Crusades, the White Dragon Flag of the English was gradually replaced by the Red Cross (so called St. George's Cross). The poetically beautiful personal names of the Angles, Jutes and Saxons, such as; Waltheof, Aelfred, Aelgifu, Aedward and many others, were lost to the more mundane names of Biblical origin with a few of Norman provenance thrown into the mix. Fortunately, since Victorian times we have enjoyed something of a revival in the use of many of our traditional English names. Tinkered with it might be, but our wonderfully expressive English language survived intact. Our foreign rulers of the 12th and 13th Centuries; tyrants all, had to bow to the will of the English in that respect. So it was and so it would be for the future. Let all the English everywhere remember; your Patron Saint is St. Edmund the Martyr; honour him on the 20th November. Your flag is not the Red Cross but the White Dragon, well known to Alfred the Great, Knut the Great and King Harold 2nd.

St Edmund takes on St George for England's patron saint honour - BBC News BBC News St Edmund takes on St George for England's patron saint honour By Andrew Woodger and Richard Haugh BBC News 4 June 2013 Close share panel Media captionSt Edmund was King of East Anglia between AD 855 and 869 One is a Roman soldier who killed a dragon, the other is a former King of East Anglia whose decapitated head was reunited with its body with the help of a talking wolf. Both have been patron saints, and both have supporters who vehemently back their respective cause to hold the title of patron saint of England. But the support for St Edmund, who was killed in 869, is being given a fresh boost by campaigners who want him to reclaim the title currently held by St George. It is not the first time a campaign has called for St Edmund to become the patron saint of England - a similar attempt made it to Parliament via a petition in 2006 only to be rejected by the Labour government. But that was a time before widespread use of Facebook and Twitter, two mediums which #edmundforengland campaigners hope will tilt the public opinion in their favour.

"Edmund is an indigenous Anglo-Saxon who died in defence of the Christian religion, whereas St George is a foreigner," said Clive Paine, a Suffolk historian, author and lecturer. 'Extra holiday' Edmund, King of East Anglia from 855 to 869 AD, was killed by Danish/Viking invaders, probably at Bradfield St Clare near Bury St Edmunds. It is believed he refused to share power with what he regarded as heathen non-Christians and was tied to a tree, shot with arrows and beheaded. Image caption St George is also patron saint of Georgia, Lithuania, Egypt, Romania and Portugal, among other places Mr Paine said Edmund shared the title of patron saint of monarchy with Edward the Confessor from 1066 onwards, while St George became England's only patron saint in 1400. The new campaign, which is being led by BBC Radio Suffolk's Mark Murphy and the Bury St Edmunds brewery Greene King, says the country needs a "unique" patron saint because George currently holds the role for 17 countries. St Edmund's backers also want a new bank holiday to be added to the calendar in his honour.

The Very Reverend Frances Ward, Dean of St Edmundsbury Cathedral, said some of the connotations associated with St George were potentially damaging for England. "St George started to grow in prominence after Richard the Lionheart prayed to him on crusade and then won a battle," she said. "Do we want or need a patron saint in St George who constantly reminds us of the crusades, especially when the crusades still stir up bad feeling and hatred amongst the Muslim world? "Much better to have a good king who died a martyr to his Christian faith instead of renouncing his crown to the Vikings." Edmund objection However, not everyone wants England's patron saint replaced. John Clemence, president of the Royal Society of St George, said St George was "well established over many centuries". Image caption St Edmund was peppered with arrows and beheaded "St George is the patron saint of many other countries and, as such, he's a unifying saint," Mr Clemence said. "All power to St Edmund's supporters, because it's good that they're taking interest in their local history, but I don't think the campaign has got much chance of success.

"There isn't a great tradition of patron saints being born in the country of which they are patron saint." Another version of Edmund's death has him hiding under a bridge at Hoxne, Suffolk, where he was discovered by Danish forces. The story goes that a wolf carried his head in its mouth. The animal looked after it until alerting loyalists with a call of "here, here, here". Mr Paine said the Hoxne story is a myth which dates from the 1740s, but Edmund's remains were definitely taken to what became Bury St Edmunds before the abbey was established there in the 11th Century. The bones disappeared during the Dissolution of the Monasteries by Henry VIII in 1539. The last time a campaign was mounted, David Ruffley, MP for Bury St Edmunds, took a petition supporting St Edmund to Parliament. Prime Minister Tony Blair's office thanked campaigners for the petition but said the government was not planning to change the patron saint of England. During the campaign a train was named in his honour and St Edmund became the patron saint of Suffolk County Council. Patron Saint of England Is there a Patron Saint of England? Of course.

The patron saint of England is the dragon-slaying St George and we celebrate his feast day on April 23rd. His emblem is a red cross on white, St George's Cross. As patron saint of England, St George is thought to protect the kingdom, the monarch and the people and intercede on their behalf with the higher authorities. How did St George Become Patron Saint of England? St George was known in England long before he became the patron saint of England. The Venerable Bede named him amongst the Christian martyrs and in the 9th century, King Alfred mentioned a church dedicated to St George in his will. But St George, the valiant soldier, appealed most to people living through the times of the crusades. These were times of frequent wars, famines, plagues and constant uncertainty, where dragons assumed many shapes and sizes. St George, martyr, soldier and ready to protect the innocent, must have appealed to the needs of people - since so many different countries claim him as their patron saint. St George's Day was made a feast day for all of England in 1222. So already, he must have been well-known and very popular. But it did not stop there.

This was the age of chivalry, when knights followed codes of honour and did valiant deeds. Bravery and fairness were the ideals each man strove for. And one of the most fervent proponents of knightly ideas and ideals was King Edward III of England. He founded the Order of the Garter in 1348 and it was in his reign that St George replaced the Saxon St Edmund as patron saint of England. The chapel at Windsor Castle, where the Order of the Garter has its home to this day, is dedicated to St George. And the Garter ceremony still takes place there every year. What About the Dragon? The story of George and the dragon is one of the wonderful tales brought back from the mysterious lands in the east by the returning Crusaders and probably one of the reasons St George eventually became the patron saint of England. And this is one of the versions of the tale: A dragon makes his nest by a city's only spring, depriving the inhabitants of water. Each day, in exchange for water, the citizens bring the dragon a sheep. Soon, there are no sheep. Goats are sacrificed to the dragon, then calves, until there is no livestock left in the city.

Day and night the dragon guards the well and the city is dying of thirst. Finally, in their desperation, the citizens decide to offer a young maiden to the dragon, hoping that this sacrifice will placate the creature and draw it away from the well for a time. But how to choose a woman to send to the dragon? So the king calls all families to the market square, where a huge copper cauldron has been set up. All night, the citizens keep vigil around the cauldron, praying for help, until - at dawn - the king asks that each maiden place a personal token into the cauldron. Blindfolded, the king then reaches into the cauldron and retrieves one of the tokens. When he removes his blindfold and sees what he holds in his hand, he bursts into tears. The token belongs to his own daughter. He begs the people for her life, but the princess is made of sterner stuff than her distraught father. She dons her best dress, says a final prayer and leaves the city. All alone, she approaches the dragon. He reaches for her with one of his claws when ... St George steps in front of the girl and faces the beast.

A mighty battle ensues, the knight's shield is broken, his armour torn and dented. And the dragons blood runs so hot, that it melts the blade of St George's sword until nothing but the hilt remains. But finally he prevails and kills the beast by impaling it on his lance. So St George saved the day and the princess. I hope the grateful king at least gave him a new sword and armour for his troubles. But it's quite obvious why the returning Crusaders would have had a riveted audience when they told this tale! So the story spread across Europe, and even though it was to have taken place in the east, soon St George was battling dragons in all manner of places. Dragon Hill, near Uffington in Oxfordshire, is the place in England most often associated with St George and the dragon. He fearlessly fought the giant beast on this flat hilltop until he finally slew it. And the dragon's blood was so poisonous that even after hundreds of years nothing will grow in the place where it stained the soil. The white patch of chalk amid the lush grass is said to be the place where the dragon fell. Do you dare to stand in this spot? Was There a Real St George? Apparently so.

George was a soldier in the army of Roman Emperor Diocletian. His birth date is unknown, but he is thought to have died on April 23rd, 303. George was a Christian in a time when the religion was considered a threat. In AD 302, the Emperor Diocletian decreed that no soldier in his army should follow the Christian beliefs. Instead, all of them should offer sacrifices to the Roman gods. George tore up the order and declared himself a Christian. He was ordered to convert, he was bribed with lands and riches, but he refused to change his beliefs. Finally, Diocletian ordered his execution. On April 23, 303, George was tortured and eventually beheaded before the city wall of Nicomedia. He apparently died bravely and was soon venerated as a martyr. So there we have it: a Roman soldier, who did not renounce his faith even when faced with torture and execution. a chivalrous knight who fought for the innocent when they could not fight for themselves a brave man, who took on a mythical beast against the odds and defeated it All in all, a very worthy patron saint of England! St.

George - Saints & Angels - Catholic Online Saints & Angels Author and Publisher - Catholic Online Facts Take the Saints Trivia Quiz now! It is uncertain when Saint George was born and historians continue to debate to this day. However, his death date is estimated to be April 23 303 A.D. The first piece of evidence of George's existance appeared within the works of the Bollandists Daniel Papebroch, Jean Bolland, and Godfrey Henschen's Bibliotheca Hagiographica Graeca. George was one of several names listed in the historical text, and Pope Gelasius claimed George was one of the saints "whose names are justly reverenced among men, but whose actions are known only to God." George was born to a Gerontios and Polychronia, a Roman officer and a Greek native of Lydda. Both were Christians from noble families of the Anici and George, Georgios in the original Greek, was raised to follow their faith. When George was old enough, he was welcomed into Diocletian's army. by his late 20's, George became a Tribunus and served as an imperial guard for the Emperor at Nicomedia.

On February 24, 303 A.D., Diocletian, who hated Christians, announced that every Christian the army passed would be arrested and every other soldier should offer a sacrifice to the Roman gods. George refused to abide by the order and told Diocletian, who was angry but greatly valued his friendship with George's father. When George announced his beliefs before his peers, Diocletian was unable to keep the news to himself. In an effort to save George, Diocletian attempted to convert him to believe in the Roman gods, offered him land, money and slaves in exchange for offering a sacrifice to the Roman gods, and made several other offers that George refused. Finally, after exhausting all other options, Diocletian ordered George's execution. In preparation for his death, George gave his money to the poor and was sent for several torture sessions. He was lacerated on a wheel of swords and required resuscitation three times, but still George did not turn from God. On April 23, 303 A.D., George was decapitated before Nicomedia's outer wall. His body was sent to Lydda for burial, and other Christians went to honor George as a martyr.

Saint George and the Dragon There are several stories about George fighting dragons, but in the Western version, a dragon or crocodile made its nest at a spring that provided water to Silene, believed to be modern-day Lcyrene in Libya. The people were unable to collect water and so attempted to remove the dragon from its nest on several ocassions. It would temporarily leave its nest when they offered it a sheep each day, until the sheep disappeared and the people were distraught. This was when they decided that a maiden would be just as effective as sending a sheep. The townspeople chose the victim by drawing straws. This continued until one day the princess' straw was drawn. The monarch begged for her to be spared but the people would not have it. She was offered to the dragon, but before she could be devoured, George appeared. He faced the dragon, protected himself with the sign of the Cross, and slayed the dragon. After saving the town, the citizens abandoned their paganism and were all converted to Christianity. Interesting Facts Saint George stands out among other saints and legends because he is known and revered by both Muslims and Christians.

It is said Saint George killed the dragon near the sea in Beirut, thus Saint George bay was named in his honor. Saint George's feast day is celebrated on April 23, but if it falls before Easter, it is celebrated Easter Monday. The Russian Orthodox Church celebrates three St. George feast days each year -April 23 as is expected, November 3, to commemorate the consecration of a cathedral dedicated to him in Lydda, and on November 26, for when a church in Kiev was dedicated to him. In Bulgaria, his feast day is celebrated May 6 with the slaughter and roasting of a lamb. In Egypt, the Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria calls St. George the "Prince of Martyrs" and celebrates on May 1. There is a second celebration November 17, in honor of the first church dedicated to him. Saint George is the patron saint of England and Catalonia and his cross can be found throughout England. In older works, Saint George is depicted wearing armor and holding a lance or fighting a dragon, which represents Christ's enemies. Prayer for St. George St.

George, Heroic Catholic soldier and defender of your Faith, you dared to criticize a tyrannical Emperor and were subjected to horrible torture. You could have occupied a high military position but you preferred to die for your Lord. Obtain for us the great grace of heroic Christian courage that should mark soldiers of Christ. Amen St George's Day: When is it, who is England's patron saint – and why isn't it a bank holiday?? | The Independent St George's Day: When is it, who is England's patron saint – and why isn't it a bank holiday?? Scientists have haggled over the exact details of the birth of Saint George for hundreds of years Monday 20 April 2015 10:22 BST Click to follow The Independent Online “Follow your spirit, and upon this charge cry ‘God for Harry, England and Saint George!’” So howls King Henry V at the climax of the great Harfleur speech in Shakespeare’s play. But who really was the St George that Prince Hal uses to so inspire his men? As St George’s Day approaches, we ask: who actually was the man, why is he our patron saint and why on earth don’t we get a day off?

Who was St George? Scientists have haggled over the exact details of the birth of St George for hundreds of years but it is generally put at around 280AD. He was born in the town of Lydda, then in the Roman territory of Syria Palestina and in modern terms around 15 kilometres south of Tel Aviv to two Christian parents. Things you don't know about St George Things you don't know about St George 1/10 St George's Day Scientists have haggled over the exact details of the birth of St George for hundreds of years but it is generally put at around 280AD 2/10 St George's Day He was an immigrant. George moved all over the world looking for work, immigrating from Syria to modern day Turkey to look for work 3/10 St George's Day Saint George’s background was about as multicultural as you can get, he was born in Syria to a Greek family 4/10 St George's Day He spread new religious ideas from abroad. For centuries the Roman Empire had worshiped its native pagan gods.

George came to fame because he spread his foreign, Middle Eastern, religion to western civilization 5/10 St George's Day Saint George isn’t just the patron saint of England: He’s the patron saint of Bulgaria, Palestine, Ethiopia, Greece and Lithuania 6/10 St George's Day He joined the Roman army and went on to become one of their finest soldiers Getty 7/10 St George's Day As an immigrant with a foreign religion, Saint George was at the receiving end of discrimination and persecution from the Roman authorities 8/10 St George's Day All the other countries in the UK get days off on their saint’s day but not England 9/10 St George's Day King Edward III was a big fan of George and decided to make him the patron saint of England 10/10 St George's Day The earliest known depictions of the dragon slaying story comes from 10th or 11th Century Cappadocia and Georgia in which George dispatched a giant monster living in lake in Libya He went on to become one of the finest soldiers in the Roman army but, in AD 303, the Roman Emperor Diocletian issued an edict that every Christian soldier in the

 army should be arrested.

George, it seems, wasn’t too happy about this and approached the emperor to renounce the edict. Diocletian tried as hard as he could to convert the great soldier to worship of the Roman gods by offering him gifts of land, money and slaves. However, George stood strong and stolidly turned all of these down. Read more By George, England should fly the flag and take pride on 23 April, says Miliband adviser Diocletian realised he had no choice but to make the decision to have George horrifically tortured before being executed. The methods of torture apparently included laceration of wheel of swords before he was eventually decapitated. Not before George had donated his entire wealth to the poor though and, for the actions of his life, he was venerated as a Saint. But why is George the Patron Saint of England? The decision to make St George the patron saint of England was predominantly taken by the Plantagenet King Edward III, who reigned from 1327 to 1377. Edward was a big personal fan of the story of George apparently and thus decided to make the famous St George’s cross his military banner.

Under the banner, the English army won victories at Halidon Hill, Bannockburn and Crécy. It became quickly associated with English military success and, after the flag was carried at the battle of Agincourt in 1415, Saint George’s Day was made into a national feast day. So why don’t we get a day off? All the other countries in the UK seem to get days off on their Saint’s Day - but why not England? It seems to be as simple as the tradition of St George’s Day waning somewhat following the union of Scotland and England at the end of the 18th century. The fact that the day used to be a celebration simply seemed to fall out of the memories of politicians and the people. However recent support for the idea of a national holiday on St. George’s Day have been growing and has been discussed in the Commons every year since 2006. It may be the case that we could all be falling back in love with a patron saint again soon. If only for the day off.

We do have be slightly wary with bank holidays though because according to an April 2012 report by the Centre for Economic and Business Research, each one can cost the economy £2.4 billion in lost work, Where did that story about the dragon come from? So we all know that St. George is famous for slaying a big old fire-breathing dragon, but where did this myth stem from? The earliest known depictions of this story come from 10th or 11th Century Cappadocia and Georgia in which George dispatched a giant monster living in lake in a town called “Silene” in Libya. The incident was included in an “encyclopedia” called Speculum Historiale around that appeared in the 13th century and was based on the world of Helinand of Froidment, a chronicler of the 12th Century. The popularity of this work cemented the place of the tale which has gradually become part of Christian tradition relating to St. George ever since. Watch St George Day on London Live, Thursday at 10pm Saint of the Day for April 23 (c.

280 – April 23, 303) Saint George’s Story Saint George is the object of a vast amount of imagination. There is every reason to believe that he was a real martyr who suffered at Lydda in Palestine, probably before the time of Constantine. The Church adheres to his memory, but not to the legends surrounding his life. That he was willing to pay the supreme price to follow Christ is what the Church believes. And it is enough. The story of George’s slaying the dragon, rescuing the king’s daughter and converting Libya is a 12th-century Italian fable. George was a favorite patron saint of crusaders, as well as of Eastern soldiers in earlier times. He is a patron saint of England, Portugal, Germany, Aragon, Catalonia, Genoa and Venice. Reflection Human nature seems to crave more than cold historical data. Americans have Washington and Lincoln, but we somehow need Paul Bunyan, too. The life of Saint Francis of Assisi is inspiring enough, but for centuries the Italians have found his spirit in the legends of the Fioretti, too. Santa Claus is the popular extension of the spirit of Saint Nicholas. The legends about Saint George are part of this yearning.

Both fact and legend are human ways of illumining the mysterious truth about the One who alone is holy. Saint George is the Patron Saint of: Boy Scouts BBC - Religions - Christianity: Saint George Saint George Last updated 2009-07-31 The life of Saint George, including the legend of his fight with a dragon and why this Roman soldier from Turkey became the patron saint of England. On this page Saint George's Day is 23 April. Saint George Saint George, by Gustave Moreau © Saint George is the patron saint of England. He's popularly identified with England and English ideals of honour, bravery and gallantry - but actually he wasn't English at all. Very little, if anything, is known about the real Saint George. Pope Gelasius said that George is one of the saints "whose names are rightly reverenced among us, but whose actions are known only to God." Facts in brief Everything about Saint George is dubious, so the information below should be taken as mythical rather than real.

Born in Cappadocia, an area which is now in Turkey Lived in 3rd century AD His parents were Christian Protested against Rome's persecution of Christians Imprisoned and tortured, but stayed true to his faith Beheaded at Lydda in Palestine 23rd April was named as Saint George's day in 1222 Patron saint Saint George's flag He is patron saint not only of England but also of Aragon, Catalonia, Georgia, Lithuania, Palestine, Portugal, Germany and Greece; and of Moscow, Istanbul, Genoa and Venice (second to Saint Mark). He's also patron saint of soldiers, archers, cavalry and chivalry, farmers and field workers, riders and saddlers, and he helps those suffering from leprosy, plague and syphilis. In recent years he has been adopted as patron saint of Scouts. Some people have campaigned for Saint Alban to be the patron saint of England instead of George. Who was Saint George? An icon of Saint George © The story of Saint George is so wrapped in myth and legend that it's difficult to extract the historical facts of a real life. Some believe he never existed or that he's a Christianised version of an older pagan myth.

In the early centuries of Christianity, followers would write up fabulous accounts of the lives of their heroes. This enhanced George's reputation but left the details of his life very blurred. Early life What we believe to be the truth is that George was born in Cappadocia, an area which is now in Turkey, in the 3rd century; that his parents were Christians; and that when his father died, George's mother returned to her native Palestine, taking George with her. George became a soldier in the Roman army and rose to the rank of Tribune. Persecution of Christians George by Cosmè Tura in a 1474 altarpiece © The Emperor of the day, Diocletian (245-313 AD), began a campaign against Christians at the very beginning of the 4th century. In about 303 AD George is said to have objected to this persecution and resigned his military post in protest. Torture and martyrdom George tore up the Emperor's order against Christians. This infuriated Diocletian, and George was imprisoned and tortured - but he refused to deny his faith.

Eventually he was dragged through the streets of Diospolis (now Lydda) in Palestine and beheaded. It's said that Diocletian's wife was so impressed by George's resilience that she became a Christian and that she too was executed for her faith. Myths: George and the dragon Myths about Saint George The image of George most familiar to us today, the saint dressed in a white tunic bedecked with a red cross, astride his stallion, and skewering a dragon as he rescues a fair maiden, depends more on a late medieval and Renaissance ideal of this miles Christi (knight of Christ) than on his legend in its earlier forms, in which the dragon and the maiden play no part and George's role is one of verbal jousting and violent suffering rather than knightly derring-do. The Martyrdom of St. George in the South English Legendary, ed. E. Gordon Whatley Paulo Uccello's impression of the dragon, 1857 © The story of Saint George only achieved mass circulation when it was printed in 1483 by Caxton in a book called The Golden Legend.

This was a translation of a book by Jacques de Voragine, a French bishop, which incorporated fantastic details of Saints' lives. George and the Dragon This version of the dragon tale is from The Golden Legend. S. George was a knight and born in Cappadocia. On a time he came in to the province of Libya, to a city which is said Silene. And by this city was a stagne or a pond like a sea, wherein was a dragon which envenomed all the country. The Golden Legend More fearful, fell and crueller was she Than the deadly monster of Lerna was doubtless Upon her wings and on her back on high Were green rough scales like iron of hardness If Hercules for all his hardiness With bill or club had run this dragon to He should forsooth have found enough to do. adapted from Alexander Barclay, The lyfe of saynt George, 1515, a translation of Baptista Spagnuoli, Georgius, 1507, printed in The Life of St.

George, ed William Nelson, Oxford University Press, 1960 The people of the town had begun to feed the dragon two sheep every day to prevent it attacking them; when the sheep failed, they began to give it one sheep and one man. The king decreed that the human sacrifice should be chosen by lot. This continued until the king's daughter was selected. The king tried to bargain his way out of it, but the townspeople were adamant that she should be delivered to the dragon just as many of their children had been. Then did the king do array his daughter like as she should be wedded, and embraced her, kissed her and gave her his benediction, and after, led her to the place where the dragon was. The Golden Legend George, who was passing, asked the lady what was happening. She told him about the dragon and begged him to leave before it appeared and killed him too. George fighting the dragon, by Vittore Carpaccio, 1502-1507 © Then said S. George: Fair daughter, doubt ye no thing hereof for I shall help thee in the name of Jesu Christ.

She said: For God's sake, good knight, go your way, and abide not with me, for ye may not deliver me. Thus as they spake together the dragon appeared and came running to them, and S. George was upon his horse, and drew out his sword and garnished him with the sign of the cross, and rode hardily against the dragon which came towards him, and smote him with his spear and hurt him sore and threw him to the ground. And after said to the maid: Deliver to me your girdle, and bind it about the neck of the dragon and be not afeard. When she had done so the dragon followed her as it had been a meek beast and debonair.

The Golden Legend Dante Gabriel Rossetti's painting of George marrying the princess Sabra, 1857 © The princess led the defeated dragon into the city, causing much panic and alarm until George told the people not to be afraid: "Ne doubt ye no thing, without more, believe ye in God, Jesu Christ, and do ye to be baptized and I shall slay the dragon." The king was baptised, followed by all his people, whereupon George killed the dragon and had it dragged out of the city (requiring four ox carts to do so) and its body thrown into the fields. The king set up a church of Our Lady and Saint George. On the site there sprang up "a fountain of living water, which healeth sick people that drink thereof". Myths about his martyrdom George in a painting by Jan van Eyck, 1436 © In the stories George is said to have been tortured in a number of gruesome and hideous ways. He was forced to swallow poison; crushed between two spiked wheels; boiled in a cauldron of molten lead. None of these attempts killed him and his wounds were healed in the night by Christ himself.

George was told his life would be spared if he would offer sacrifice to the Roman gods. The people assembled to see him do so but instead George prayed to the Christian God. Immediately, fire came down from heaven, an earthquake shook the ground, and priests, idols, and the temple buildings were destroyed. However, by this time it was God's will that St. George should die for his faith, and he was beheaded without further trouble. Stories of this nature abounded about pagan and Christian figures in the early Middle Ages. People would have expected their heroes to have undergone such experiences and in an age when many things seemed mystical, few were sceptical about such stories. George in a 1467 altarpiece by Andrea Mantegna © His rise and fall It's believed that Saint George was adopted in England because the story in the Golden Legend was similar to an Anglo-Saxon legend. Saint George was quickly incorporated into miracle plays adapted from pagan sources and is a prime figure in Spenser's famous epic poem The Fairie Queen. George's popularity faded after the Reformation when religious beliefs changed. He also lost ground as gunpowder became the primary weapon of war and protection, making the lance and sword less significant.

In 1778 Saint George's Day was demoted to a simple day of devotion for Catholics in England. Saint George and England Medieval tapestry showing Saint George © The earliest known British reference to Saint George occurs in an account by St. Adamnan, the 7th century Abbot of lona. He's believed to have heard the story from Arcuif, a French bishop who had travelled to Jerusalem and other holy places in Palestine. The saint is also mentioned in the writings of the Venerable Bede. George's reputation grew with the returning crusaders. A miracle appearance, when it was claimed that he appeared to lead crusaders into battle, is recorded in stone over the south door of a church at Fordington in Dorset. This still exists and is the earliest known church in England to be dedicated to Saint George. The Council of Oxford in 1222 named 23rd April Saint George's Day. Order of the Garter When Edward III (1327-77) founded the Order of the Garter (c. 1348), the premier order of knighthood in England, he put it under Saint George's patronage.

The magnificent St George's Chapel at Windsor Castle was built by Edward IV and Henry VII as the chapel of the order. The badge of the Order shows Saint George on horseback slaying the dragon. From the 14th century Saint George was regarded as a special protector of the English. English soldiers were called to wear "a signe of Saint George" on chest and back. He became, in the popular imagination, English. The flag of Saint George The flag of Saint George - a red cross on a white background - is incorporated into the Union Jack and recalled in the ensign of the Royal Navy. Henry V In 1415 Archbishop Chicele promoted the feast of Saint George to principal status after Henry V's speech at the Battle of Agincourt invoking Saint George as England's patron saint. Many believed they saw him fighting on the English side. The George Cross In 1940 King George VI inaugurated the George Cross for 'acts of the greatest heroism or of the most conspicuous courage in circumstances of extreme danger'. The award is usually awarded to civilians. Saint George slaying the dragon is depicted on the silver cross.

Question: Who is the Patron Saint of England?
Answer: St George