Who was St George?
What is myth and
what is fact? Did he
really slay the
Dragon? Why is he
such a popular
Saint, celebrated in
so many Countries,
Races, Religions and
Organisations?
The celebration of
St George's Day is
currently fairly low
key in England and
much more celebrated
elsewhere. However,
the Society and its
members are clearly
succeeding in their
constant efforts to
revive St. George's
Day as the day on
which to celebrate
being English.
There are many
legends in many
cultures about St.
George, but they all
have a common theme;
he must have been an
outstanding
character in his
lifetime, for his
reputation to have
survived for almost
1,700 years!
Most authorities on
the subject seem to
agree that he was
born in Cappadocia
in what is now
Turkey, in about the
year 280 AD. It is
probable that from
his physical
description, he was
of Darian origin,
because of his tall
stature and fair
hair. He enlisted
into the Cavalry of
the Roman Army at
the age of 17,
during the reign of
the Emperor
Diocletian and very
quickly established
a reputation amongst
his peers, for his
virtuous behaviour
and physical
strength; his
military bearing,
valour and handsome
good looks.
He quickly achieved
the rank of
Millenary or
Tribunus Militum, an
officer's rank
roughly equivalent
to a full Colonel,
in charge of a
regiment of 1,000
men and became a
particular favourite
of his Emperor.
Diocletian was a
skilled military
tactician and strict
disciplinarian, who
set himself the task
of rejuvenating the
morale of the
citizens of Rome by
reviving the
prevailing
traditions and
paganism of Rome. It
may be recalled that
this was a time of
high inflation and
civil unrest and one
outcome of this was
the increasing
influence of
Christianity.
Diocletian's second
in Command was
Galerius, the
conqueror of Persia
and an avid
supporter of the
Pagan religion. As a
result of a rumour
that the Christians
were plotting the
death of Galerius,
an edict was issued
that all Christian
Churches were to be
destroyed and all
scriptures to be
burnt. Anyone
admitting to being a
Christian, would
lose his rights as a
citizen, if not his
life.
As a consequence,
Diocletian took
strict action
against any
alternative forms of
religion in general
and the Christian
faith in particular.
He achieved the
reputation of being
perhaps the
cruellest persecutor
of Christians at
that time.
Many Christians
feared to be loyal
to their God; but,
having become a
convert to
Christianity, St.
George acted to
limit the excesses
of Diocletian's
actions against the
Christians. He went
to the city of
Nicomedia where,
upon entering, he
tore down the notice
of the Emperor's
edict. St. George
gained great respect
for his compassion
towards Diocletian's
victims.
As news spread of
his rebellion
against the
persecutions St.
George realised
that, as both
Diocletian and
Galerius were in the
city, it would not
be long before he
was arrested.He
prepared for the
event by disposing
of his property to
the poor and he
freed his slaves.
When he appeared
before Diocietian,
it is said that St.
George bravely
denounced him for
his unnecessary
cruelty and
injustice and that
he made an eloquent
and courageous
speech. He stirred
the populace with
his powerful and
convincing rhetoric
against the Imperial
Decree to persecute
Christians.
Diocietian refused
to acknowledge or
accede to St.
George's reasoned,
reproachful
condemnation of his
actions. The Emperor
consigned St George
to prison with
instructions that he
be tortured until he
denied his faith in
Christ.
St George, having
defended his faith
was beheaded at
Nicomedia near
Lyddia in Palestine
on the 23rd of April
in the year 303 AD.
Stories of St.
George's courage
soon spread and his
reputation grew very
quickly. He soon
became known in
Russia and the
Ukraine as the
Trophy Bearer and
his remains are said
to have been buried
in the church that
bears his name in
Lydda. However, his
head was carried to
Rome, where it was
preserved in the
Church that is also
dedicated to him.
St George was
beatified by the
Roman Catholic
Church and is
recognised in the
liturgy of the
Russian Orthodox and
Greek Orthodox
Churches as well as
the Roman Catholic
Church. He has been
revered in the
Ukraine since
Christianity was
established in 988
AD by Volodymyr the
Great the Prince of
the Kyivan empire.
The Romanesque
Monastic order in
Prague established
St. George's Church
in the Castle in the
year 920AD and in
the year 1119 AD the
Cathedral of St
George was founded
in Novgorod. His
reputation for
virtue and
chivalrous conduct
became the spiritual
inspiration of the
Crusaders and by
this time the
pennant or flag with
a red cross on a
white or silver
background became
prominent as a means
of recognition by
English Knights. It
was also worn on
breast plates.
In the year 1348
King Edward Ill
established the
Knights of the
Garter, which is the
oldest order of
Chivalry in Europe.
The Order of the
Garter was dedicated
to the Blessed
Virgin Mary, Edward
the Confessor and St
George. The Insignia
of the order
consists of a collar
and badge appendant
known as the George,
the Star, the Garter
and the Sash with
the Investment Badge
called the lesser
George. This is a
gold and richly
enamelled
representation of St
George on horseback
slaying the dragon.
A similar
representation of St
George can be seen
in our Armorial
Bearings and in the
collar and appendant
that officers of The
Royal Society wear.
In 1352 the College
of St George was
established in
Windsor, with 6
Chorister boys and
since then, St
George's school has
played an important
role in the daily
worship and on State
Occasions in the
Queen's Free Chapel
of St George in
Windsor Castle. By
providing free
education and
sustenance for the
boys, a priceless
musical inheritance
in choral worship
has been established
and their numbers
increased until the
Plague struck in
1479 when the
numbers were reduced
from thirteen to six
again but recovered
to thirteen by
Michaelmas in 1482.
It was in the
year 1415 AD that
St. George became
the Patron Saint of
England when English
Soldiers under Henry
V won the battle of
Agincourt.
In 1497 in the reign
of Henry VIII, the
pennant of the Cross
of St. George was
flown by John Cabot
when he sailed to
Newfoundland and it
was also flown by
Sir Francis Drake
and Sir Walter
Raleigh. In 1620 it
was the flag that
was flown by the
Mayflower when the
Pilgrim Fathers
arrived in Plymouth
Massachusetts. It is
also the flag of the
Church of England
and as such is known
throughout
Christendom.
In the year 1728 AD
Maximilian II
Emanuel, the Elector
of Bavaria,
established by Papal
Bull The Royal
Military Order of St
George, as a means
of honouring
distinguished
military service for
it was clear that by
this time, his name
had become
associated with the
purity of spirit,
selfless devotion to
duty and boundless
courage and valour
in the face of
adversity. In more
recent times, St
George was chosen as
the patron saint of
Scouting, because of
the ideals that he
represents and it is
interesting to note
that he is also the
Patron Saint of
Barcelona in
Catalonia, Aragon,
Russia, Bavaria,
Beirut,
Czechoslovakia,
Portugal, Lithuania
and Hungary, to name
but a few. Virtually
every country in
Europe and the
Commonwealth has a
church dedicated to
St. George.
During World War 2
King George VI
established the
George Cross for
outstanding acts of
Civilian Valour and
one of the earliest
recipients was the
Island of Malta, for
its outstanding
courage in~ the face
of the constant
bombardment by the
Italian and German
Airforce. It is,
coincidentally, the
Island that was so
closely associated
and governed by the
Crusaders who
arrived from the
Island of Rhodes in
the 14" Century,
following their 200
year war with the
Turks.
The legends about St
George spread far
and wide and it was
claimed that near
the town of Silene
in Libya, a dragon
dwelt, keeping the
population in
terror. To satiate
him the population
tethered an animal,
until they had no
more. They then
provided human
sacrifices and in
ultimate
desperation, a young
princess was
selected, the king's
daughter named
Cleolinda. The story
then relates how St.
George rode up on
his white charger,
dismounted and
fought the monster
on foot; until it
eventually
succumbed. He then
dragged the dying
monster into the
city, using the
girdle of the
Princess and slew
the dragon in front
of the people. St.
George was greeted
as their saviour and
the King offered him
a bag of gold as a
reward for saving
his daughter. This
he refused and asked
that it be given to
the poor.
The story is a
powerful allegory,
emblematic of the
triumph of good over
evil; but it also
teaches of enduring
Christian faith in
the extreme and the
trust that at all
times should be
placed in the
Almighty by the
invocation of the
name of St. George,
Soldier, Saint and
Martyr.
In the 13" Century,
there was a Guild of
St. George to which
the Honourable
Company of Pikemen
were related before
evolving into the
Honourable Artillery
Company. Many
regiments of the
Army still celebrate
St. George's Day
with great ceremony.
In Barcelona, it is
traditional to give
a book as a token of
St. George's Day,
whilst in Russia and
the Ukraine the day
is celebrated by
Spring Festivals and
Picnics to celebrate
the end of winter.
In the world of
Scouting, it is the
first day for
camping.
