St GEORGE'S DAY

[Keith Bennett]

Although history's rather vague about the actual person of this saint, the English certainly adopted him as their ideal of a fearless warrior who was able to slaughter dragons at will (provided he was mounted on a caparisoned war horse and wielding a very long lance!). To underline this seemingly national trait, Edward III founded the Order of the Garter sometime around 1348, which was intended to be the premier order of knighthood in England and 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 - a red cross on a white background - is incorporated into the Union Jack and recalled in the ensign of the Royal Navy.

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.

[exlkrs]

Great post Keith. I'm staying in the Swansea Valley this week and will be out later proudly wearing my Red Rose.

[Dave the rave]

Hmmmm, wonder if the Leeks will have something to say

[Dave the rave]

Mr George depicted on our wonderful Gold Sovereigns. He's on nearly every issue of the modern Sovereign since 1817. ( Not so on some mid period Queen Victoria ).

Single, double & five pounds

[scotty]

Now don't you get me talking about St Edmund, our original Patron Saint. Many say he should replace this pretender.

It is commonly accepted that St George is the Patron Saint of England. We celebrate St George’s Day on April 23rd when the red cross of St George flies proudly from the flag pole. But should we instead be raising the White Dragon flag on November 20th?

Born on Christmas Day 841 AD, Edmund succeeded to the throne of East Anglia in 856. Brought up as a Christian, he fought alongside King Alfred of Wessex against the pagan Viking and Norse invaders (the Great Heathen Army) until 869/70 when his forces were defeated and Edmund was captured by the Vikings. He was ordered to renounce his faith and share power with the pagan Vikings, but he refused.

According to the 10th century account of the saint’s life by Abbo of Fleury, who quotes St Dunstan as his source, Edmund was then bound to a tree, shot through by arrows and beheaded. The date was 20th November.

What is known is that in 902 his remains were moved to Bedricsworth (modern Bury St. Edmunds) where King Athelstan founded a religious community to care for his shrine which became a place of national pilgrimage. Today they are kept in the chapel in Arundel Castle.

King Canute built a stone abbey on the site in 1020 to house the shrine. For centuries Edmund’s resting place was patronised by the kings of England and the abbey became increasingly wealthy as the cult of St Edmund grew.

Such was the influence of St Edmund that on St Edmund’s Day in 1214 rebel English barons held a secret meeting here before going to confront King John with the Charter of Liberties, the forerunner to Magna Carta which he signed a year later. This event is reflected in the motto of Bury St Edmunds: ‘Shrine of a King, Cradle of the Law’.

This tongue-in-cheek yet serious campaign questioned whether St George, patron saint of 16 other countries, ever even visited England. It suggested he should be replaced by an Englishman, and who better than the Anglo-Saxon martyr-king St Edmund.