St. George

The patron Saint of England

Who is St George?

• St. George is the patron saint of England.

• His emblem, a red cross on a white background, is the flag of England

A symbol of England

•St George's Emblem

• The Flag of England

King Richard

• adopted St George's emblem and brought it to England in the 12th century.

The king's soldiers

• wore it on their tunics to avoid confusion in battle.

The English flag

• is part of the British flag

What is a patron saint?

• Like England, each country in Britain has its own patron who in times of great peril is called upon to help save the country from its enemies.

The Legend of St. George and the Dragon

• The most famous legend of Saint George is of him slaying a dragon. In the Middle Ages the dragon was commonly used to represent the Devil

The slaying of the dragon

• was first credited to St George in the twelfth century, long after his death. It is therefore likely that the many stories connected with St George's name are fictitious.

The story of St George and the dragon

• A town was terrorised by a dragon A young princess was offered to the dragon and when George heard about this he rode into the village, slayed the dragon and rescued the princess

Who was the real St George?

• St George was a brave Roman soldier who protested against the Romans' torture of Christians and died for his beliefs.

The Real St George

• Born in Turkey (in Cappadocia)

• Lived in 3rd century • His parents were Christian • Became a Roman soldier • Protested against Rome's

persecution of Christians • Imprisoned and tortured,

but stayed true to his faith • Beheaded at Lydda in

Palestine

What did he do to become England's patron saint?

• The popularity of St George in England stems from the time of the early Crusades when it is said that the Normans saw him in a vision and were victorious.

St George is patron

• saint not only of England but also of Aragon, Catalonia, Georgia, Lithuania, Palestine and Portugal

St George is also

• patron saint of soldiers, archers, cavalry and chivalry, farmers and field workers, riders and saddlers, and he helps those suffering from leprosy, plague

When is St George's Day?

• St. George's Day is on April 23rd, so, in a sense, this is England's national day.

St George

• Is one of the symbols associated with England.

Symbols of England

• The cross of St. George

Symbols of England

• The three lions crest

Symbols of England

• The national flower

People, Places, ThingsAssociated with England