St George & the Dragon
British myths&legands...
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St. George's Day
United Kingdom
Tue, 23 Apr 2024
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St George became a legendary figure in English history due to his courage and bravery - however he never actually set foot in England. The country adopted him as its patron saint, with April 23 being chosen as the date of celebration to mark his death.
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St George might be hailed as a national hero, but he was actually born – in the 3rd century AD – more than 2,000 miles away in Cappadocia (modern day Turkey).
Whilst St George was depicted from the 11th century as a chilvaric knight or a warrior on horseback, it is more likely that he was an officer in the Roman army.
Like many saints, St George was described as a martyr after he died for his Christian faith.
It is believed that during the persecutions of the Emperor Diocletian in the early 4th century, St George was executed for refusing to make a sacrifice in honour of the pagan gods.
Although St George never visited England, his reputation for virtue and holiness spread across Europe and his feast day – the 23rd April – was celebrated in England from the 9th century onwards.
The story goes that St George rode into Silene (modern day Libya) to free the city from a dragon who had a taste for humans.
But it's a story which post-dates the real George by several centuries.
Images of George and the dragon survive from the 9th century – 500 years after his death. Originally these may simply have been representations of the battle between good and evil.
But the story was developed and popularised in the Middle Ages in a compendium of stories about saints' lives, The Golden Legend.
St George was canonised in AD 494 by Pope Gelasius, who claimed he was one of those 'whose names are justly revered among men but whose acts are known only to God'.
A feast day of St George has been celebrated in England for hundreds of years on 23 April, which was possibly the date of his martyrdom.
Following the Battle of Agincourt in 1415, St George's Day became one of the most important feast days in the English calendar.
www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/whats-on/st-georges-day...
St George & the Dragon
British myths&legands...
PLEASE ADD YOUR OWN MYTHS AND LEGENDS TO
www.flickr.com/groups/mythslegands/
AI manipulated
St. George's Day
United Kingdom
Tue, 23 Apr 2024
~
St George became a legendary figure in English history due to his courage and bravery - however he never actually set foot in England. The country adopted him as its patron saint, with April 23 being chosen as the date of celebration to mark his death.
~
St George might be hailed as a national hero, but he was actually born – in the 3rd century AD – more than 2,000 miles away in Cappadocia (modern day Turkey).
Whilst St George was depicted from the 11th century as a chilvaric knight or a warrior on horseback, it is more likely that he was an officer in the Roman army.
Like many saints, St George was described as a martyr after he died for his Christian faith.
It is believed that during the persecutions of the Emperor Diocletian in the early 4th century, St George was executed for refusing to make a sacrifice in honour of the pagan gods.
Although St George never visited England, his reputation for virtue and holiness spread across Europe and his feast day – the 23rd April – was celebrated in England from the 9th century onwards.
The story goes that St George rode into Silene (modern day Libya) to free the city from a dragon who had a taste for humans.
But it's a story which post-dates the real George by several centuries.
Images of George and the dragon survive from the 9th century – 500 years after his death. Originally these may simply have been representations of the battle between good and evil.
But the story was developed and popularised in the Middle Ages in a compendium of stories about saints' lives, The Golden Legend.
St George was canonised in AD 494 by Pope Gelasius, who claimed he was one of those 'whose names are justly revered among men but whose acts are known only to God'.
A feast day of St George has been celebrated in England for hundreds of years on 23 April, which was possibly the date of his martyrdom.
Following the Battle of Agincourt in 1415, St George's Day became one of the most important feast days in the English calendar.
www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/whats-on/st-georges-day...