St George’s Day
St George’s Day
Monday 23 April 2007
“Cry God for Harry, England and St George”
Henry V inspired his troops at the battle of Agincourt in 1415 AD with the above battle cry. It is said that many of his soldiers were so in awe of his speech that they believed they saw St George fighting alongside them. In that instant, St George became the patron saint of England.
According to the Royal Society of St George, George is believed to have been born in Turkey around 280 AD. He served in the Roman army, but after converting to Christianity, he was imprisoned, tortured, and finally beheaded for his beliefs in Palestine on the 23rd of April 303 AD.
St George and the Dragon
The legend of St George slaying the dragon is famous all over the world. The dragon according to the legend was prowling the shores of a lake in Silene, Libya. The local people offered their animals and then later humans to try a pacify the dragon. Finally in desperation they offered a young princess, Cleolinda to the beast. The valiant St George heard about this and charged the dragon, killing it with a single strike of his lance. He gave the king’s large reward to the poor. Whether you believe in the legend or not, the story represents the cyclic battle between good and evil, and to this day, St George and the dragon is a symbol of good triumphing over evil.
April 3rd, 2008 at 11:49 am
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