St George

Saint George was an early Christian martyr. He is often said to be the perfect example of bravery and selflessness.

George was born and lived in about the 200s. Not much is known about his life. By the year 500AD legends about him as a warrior-saint had begun and these stories became more popular and more exaggerated as time passed.  Soldiers returning from the Crusades most likely made him even more popular. The Crusades were a series of battles between Christians from Europe and Muslims for control of Jerusalem and other sites in the Middle East.

The best-known account of Saint George comes from a collection of stories. It tells of George rescuing a king’s daughter from a dragon. George killed the dragon and in return the king and all the people promised to be baptised.

King Edward III appointed St George as England’s patron saint. He was also adopted as the protector of  Portugal, Venice and Moscow. In art, Saint George is often shown as a young man wearing knight’s armour with a scarlet cross.

Saint George’s feast day is celebrated every day on 23^rd April.