ST GEORGE’S DAY WAS CELEBRATED LAST SATURDAY

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 13, Issue 80, 29 April 1949, Page 4

ST GEORGE’S DAY WAS CELEBRATED LAST SATURDAY

Except for a vague recollection about a fight with a dragon and th« fact thaphe is patron saint of Eng-1 land and his cross makes up parr of the Union Jack, few people know' much more about Saint George. Last Saturday was St. George’s day, April 23, which is celebrated in various parts of the world, in both Christian and Mohammedan countries alike.

Although his life has been obscured by legend and doubtful tales of heroism, St. George did exist. He was not an Englishman, and besides being England’s patron saint he is also that of Aragon and Portugal. According to legend he was born in Cappadocia, Asia Minor, of noble Christian parents from whom he received a careful religious training. Other accounts place his birth at u Lydda but preserve his Cappadocian parentage. He trained as a soldier and rose to high military rank under Diocletian. Tortured & Killed In Persia George organised a Christian community but Diocletian <. was hostile and George, after ad- \ mitting his belief in Christ, resigned his commission. He was arrested, tortured and then put to death > at Niconedia. His body was taken to Lydda on April 23, 303, hence the origin of St. George’s day. The festival of St. George is observed on that anniversary by the entire Roman Catholic Church and Spanish Catholics, also by the Orthodox Eastern Church.

The connexion of St. George with the dragon can be traced to the close of the sixth century.

Not far from Lydda in Greek mythology Perseus was supposed to have slain the sea monster that threatened the virgin Andromeda, and possibly because of his association with that locality George, like many another Christian saint, entered into the veneration previously enjoyed by a pagan hero. This supposed victory of St. George over the dragon has been likened to the conquering of heathenisim by Christianity, and is similar to the Aryan myth of the Sun-god victorious over the powers of darkness. Helped Crusaders

In England St. George is also remembered for the assistance he gave the crusaders. Pie is supposed to have appeared at one stage leading a band of Angels against the. Saracens. In grateful memory a new cathedral was erected to him at Lydda but this was later destroyed-

St. George has never been as popular in England as St. Andrew in Scotland, St, David in Wales or St. Patrick in Ireland. It was not until the time of Edward 111 that he was made patron saint.