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Who was Saint George? Who was St. George and where was he born? George was born at Lydda in the Vale of Sharon about 270 AD (now occupied Palestine). What was his job? George was a Soldier. He rose to the rank of Tribune of the Imperial guard (a rank equivalent to that of our Colonel of the Regiment). Hang on a minute, didn't he live in Cappadocia (in modern Turkey)? No. This was someone completely different who was deliberately confused with the real St. George by Arian heretics. How did (pre) Saint George come into conflict with the establishment of his day? George was a Christian. He tore down an Imperial decree which ordered people to make offerings to the Emperor as a God. When brought before the Emperor he refused to be swayed by either threats or bribes, whereupon the Emperor had him tortured and killed. So, St. George was something of a rebel? A rebel against an unjust civil power and a man of strong conviction. He was prepared to take action when he saw something wrong. What is St. George's connection with England? According to tradition George was posted to York, the headquarters of Constantius Chlorus Caesar. Where does the Dragon come in? St. George became a fairy-tale figure as time went on. He was held in great affection by the English who wanted to make him "one of us". The connections with King Arthur and the story of the Dragon should be seen in this light. But tell me about the Dragon! Well, OK. St. George is on a pilgrimage to Jerusalem. He encournters a Dragon (in either Egypt or Libya). It's about to devour the Princess. George slays the Dragon and rescues and marries the Princess. In fact the whole story is an allegory. An allegory? In the story the Dragon represents the instincts and passsions of the Flesh. The King represents reason awhich should rule these passions. The Princess is the Soul. At first the Dragon can be placated but growing stronger through these concessions eventually threatens the soul. St. George represents the Grace of God which if accepted enables the Soul to overcome the passions. How do I find out more? 
We recommend The Story of St. George by Anthony Cooney |
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