St George’s Day- Veneration of the Early Martyr- Mashood Ahmad, RR6
The life of the early Christian warrior St. George is marked and commemorated by many peoples and kingdoms across Europe and Asia Minor, whose martyr signified a sacrifice which many revere as a potent symbol of dedication to one’s faith. ‘St George’s day’, or the ‘Feast of St. George’ is celebrated on the 23rd of April each year, and upholds a renowned celebration of the odyssey of a great patron saint whose courage and values was inherited by many regions and principalities as a set of virtues the people of those nations could aspire to inherit within themselves and their communities.
St George’s life and character is very much historically shrouded, with very little verified facts shining light on the journeys and adventures of the beloved Saint. Serving as the patron saint of Georgia, the city of Moscow and England, and also serving as the patron saint historically for Lithuania, Germany, Portugal, Greece, Istanbul, Palestine and Beirut, St. George is regarded by historians to have been born in the late third century in Cappadocia, in modern day central Turkey, and was of Palestinian descent. Moreover, St. George also stands as the patron saint for archers, cavalry, soldiers, farmers and agricultural workers, and also believed to be a saint whose blessings can relieve and even heal the symptoms of syphilis, the plague and leprosy. He is understood to have been raised in a noble Christian family, and following suite to his father’s role, he enlisted in the army of the Emperor Diocletian to serve in his military. However, when the Emperor ordered the systematic political and religious persecution of Christians across the empire, St. George had refused to obey and partake in the killings. It is suspected by historians that St. George died in the year 303AD, having being tortured and beheaded at Lydda in Palestine, executed for his Christian faith.
The significance of St. George overlaps with early ecclesiastical and medieval patriotic traditions, Christian religious belief and European paganism. In the Anglo-Christian understanding of the figure of St. George, his hero stature epitomises the elevated moral qualities of courage, resilience, gallantry and chivalry. His figure gained great veneration from the papacy and other Christian institutions throughout Europe and the Middle East, with Pope Gelasius remarking that St. George was part of a myriad of holy men “whose names are rightly reverenced among us, but whose works are only known to God.” His love and adoration is rooted in his sacrifice for Christianity, and his martyr at the hands of the Diocletian persecutions in Palestine. Characteristically, early Christian folklore and traditions placed emphasise on the creation of the myths of great saints and warriors of Jesus Christ who would battle grotesque fantastical beasts to uphold the name of Christianity. As a result, literature of the time emphasised the hero complex of St. George more so than the facts and information surrounding the real life he led as a man. This practise became more accentuated during the initiation of the first crusade in 1095AD, up until the final crusade between 1271-1272AD. The myths of a hero emanating with the divine countenance and courage of Christ who was willing to sacrifice everything for the glory of his faith served as powerful motivation and inspiration for warriors journeying to the Holy Land.
Culturally, St. George and his iconic myth of slaying the nigh-invisible dragon and rescuing the fare maiden from the clutches of its fangs only surfaced due to its Romanticising within art and literature. When modern readers hear the name of St. George, the image which is conjured in their imagination is that of a powerful glowing knight in shining armour in white sheets with a Red Cross imprinted on it, clutching a lance on horseback and charging at the mythical dragon. It is believed by many historians that the tale of St. George was born out of the concept of ‘miles Christi’ or the ‘knight of Christ’, a belief epitomising the perfect warrior to protect God’s kingdom of Heaven on Earth. Furthermore, it is also understood from an analysis of literary history that the myth was further developed when it came into circulation after being printed in 1483 by Caxton, in a book called ‘The Golden Legend’. The featuring of the rescued maiden did not initially occur in the earlier editions of the legend, but only appeared in later epics and romanticised versions of the myth. Likewise, many literary historians also highlight the pagan elements of the myth, writing that the myth of St. George was profoundly inspired by the classical pagan myths of Hercules and Achilles, whilst also borrowing from the conventions of ancient Greek drama and literary culture.
In today’s society, St. George’s day is observed and respected as a symbol of the national identity of England, having served as the icon of its flag since Edward III’s reign, and cemented as the heart of the national flag in subsequent eras. Today it is waved at international sporting events, political gatherings and occasions of great patriotism. Regardless of the historical overlaps and mysteries, it is important to understand the elements which form the national identity of an individual, as loyalty to one’s country is a virtue every citizen should aspire to possess. The legend of St. George is only a greater allegory for how faith and sacrifice can be enacted in an altruistic and selfless way to serve one’s community and greater nation.
By Mashood Ahmad, RR6.
