| Saint George | |
|---|---|
 | |
|
Real Name |
George of Lydda |
|
Birth |
Unknown |
|
Death |
April 23, 303 |
Origin[]
Saint George, also George of Lydda, was an early Christian martyr who is venerated as a saint in Christianity. According to tradition, he was a soldier in the Roman army. Of Cappadocian Greek origin, he became a member of the Praetorian Guard for Roman emperor Diocletian, but was sentenced to death for refusing to recant his Christian faith. He became one of the most venerated saints, heroes and megalomartyrs in Christianity, and he has been especially venerated as a military saint since the Crusades. He is respected by Christians, Druze, as well as some Muslims as a martyr of monotheistic faith.
In hagiography, as one of the Fourteen Holy Helpers and one of the most prominent military saints, he is immortalized in the legend of Saint George and the Dragon. His feast day, Saint George's Day, is traditionally celebrated on 23 April. Historically, the countries of England, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, Ukraine, Malta, Ethiopia, as well as Catalonia and Aragon in Spain, and Moscow in Russia, have claimed George as their patron saint, as have several other regions, cities, universities, professions, and organizations. The Church of Saint George in Lod (Lydda), Israel, contains a sarcophagus traditionally believed to contain St. George's remains.
The tradition tells that a fierce dragon was causing panic at the city of Silene, Libya, at the time George arrived there. In order to prevent the dragon from devastating people from the city, they gave two sheep each day to the dragon, but when the sheep were not enough they were forced to sacrifice humans, elected by the city's own people, instead of the two sheep. Eventually, the king's daughter was chosen to be sacrificed, and no one was willing to take her place. George saved the girl by slaying the dragon with a lance. The king was so grateful that he offered him treasures as a reward for saving his daughter's life, but George refused it and instead he gave these to the poor. The people of the city were so amazed at what they had witnessed that they became Christians and were all baptized.
Public Domain Literary Appearances[]
All published appearances of Saint George from before Janurary 1, 1929 are in the public domain.
Some notable appearances are listed below:
- Church History of Eusebius
- Bibliotheca Hagiographica Graeca
- Passio Sancti Georgii
- The Catholic Encyclopedia
- Acta Sanctorum
- Nuremberg Chronicle
- Golden Legend
- De Situ Terrae Sanctae
- Folklore of the Holy Land: Muslim, Christian and Jewish
- Mohammedan Saints and Sanctuaries in Palestine
- Encyclopædia Britannica
- Speculum Historiale
- Seven Champions of Christendom
- The Faerie Queene
- Richard III
- Henry V
- King Lear
- St. George and the Dragon
- The Reluctant Dragon
Public Domain Comic Appearances[]
- Christmas Carnival #1
Notes[]
- The story The Reluctant Dragon featured an elderly Saint George and a benign dragon stage a mock battle to satisfy the townsfolk and get the dragon introduced into society.