Saint George

St. George and the Dragon

Alternate uses, see Saint George (disambiguation)

Saint George is the patron saint of England, Catalonia, and of a number of other cities, countries and other causes, varying from archers and Boy Scouts to skin diseases and herpes to the Order of the Garter.

Information about Saint George is sketchy and mythological at best. He lived in the 3rd century AD in the Middle East, and died as a martyr. Exact dates are awkward to come by - some say he died in 304, others say he was born in 303 in Cappadocia, in modern-day Turkey.

Whilst legends about his chivalry and honour may well be true, it is difficult to take the myth of Saint George and the Dragon at face value (also known as the Golden Legend).

A long time after his death, during the early 2nd millennium, he gained in popularity, mainly in areas where the idea of the original 'knight in shining armour' on horseback was looked upon favourably.

His former feast date was April 23. In 1969, Saint George was dropped from the Roman Catholic list of saints, and his commemoration reduced to a purely local observance.

External links

• Catholic hagiography (http://www.catholic-forum.com/saints/saintg05.htm)
• Saint George and the Boy Scouts (http://www.pinetreeweb.com/stgeorge.htm), including a woodcut of a Scout on horseback slaying a dragon