The World’s Greatest Blog

Patron Saint of England

St George’s cross is a red cross on a white background, is the flag of England, and part of the British flag. St George’s emblem was adopted by Richard The Lion Heart and brought to England in the 12th century. The king’s soldiers wore it on their tunics to avoid confusion in battle. On the Sunday nearest to April 23rd, scouts and guides throughout Britain parade through high streets and attend a special St George’s Day service at their local church.

George and the Dragon

St George and the Dragon is a legend, brought back with the Crusaders and retold in medieval courts. In one version, a dragon makes its nest at the spring that provides water for the city of “Silene” (perhaps modern Cyrene) in Libya or the city of Lydda.

The locals have to lure the dragon away from its nest each day, in order to collect water. They offer sheep to the dragon but after a while this isn’t enough so they offer a human sacrifice. The victim is chosen by drawing lots. One day, it is the princess. The king begs for her life with no result. He tells everyone in the country that he will offer his daughter in marriage to the person who kills the dragon.

St George hears of this from a hermit whilst on his travels. He faces the dragon, protects himself with the sign of the cross, slays it and rescues the princess. The grateful people of Egypt / Libya then convert to Christianity.

The Real George

The biographical account is patchy but George was born to a Christian family during the late third century. His father an officer of the Roman army. His mother was from Lydda, Iudaea (now Lod, Israel). She returned to her native city as a widow along with her young son, where she provided him with an education.

St George followed his father’s example by joining the army as a young man. He was a good soldier and rose through the military ranks of the time. By his late twenties he was stationed in Nicomedia as a member of the personal guard attached to Roman Emperor Diocletian.

In 303 Diocletian issued an edict authorizing the systematic persecution of Christians across the Empire. The emperor Galerius continued the persecution during his own reign (305–311). George was ordered to participate in the persecution but instead confessed to being a Christian himself and criticized the imperial decision. An enraged Diocletian ordered his torture and execution.

After various tortures, including laceration on a wheel of swords, during which he was miraculously resuscitated three times, George was executed by decapitation before Nicomedia’s city wall, on April 23, 303. A witness of his suffering convinced Empress Alexandra and Athanasius, a pagan priest, to become Christians as well, and so they joined George in martyrdom. His body was returned to Lydda for burial, where Christians soon came to honour him as a martyr.