Saint George of Lydda

by Fr. Philip Sandstrom 

Kraainem (31 March 2006).- Saint George of Lydda (martyr c. 303 AD). Feast Day: 23rd April. Saint George is one of those Saints whose influence and place in the popular imagination has grown over the centuries. It does seem that he lived in Palestine, and he was martyred in the area at the beginning of the 4th century. In fact his tomb at Lydda is even today a place of devotion for not only the local people, both Christian and Muslim, but also for many pilgrims from afar. However, there are really very few facts known about him. 

By the sixth century he was regarded in both East and West in the Church as the ‘megalomartyros’ (the great martyr). He appears in the West in the Gregorian Sacramentary and various martyrologies, and in the East as the patron of the Byzantine Empire’s armies. 

Legend makes him along with Saint Demetrius one of the great ‘military saints’. Saint George and Saint Demetrius were both invoked during the siege of Antioch during the First Crusade. The strong connection with the English monarchy also appears in England itself where Edward III made him the patron of the Order of the Garter when he founded it. Saint George was invoked by Henry V after the Battle of Agincourt as the Patron of England. (His red crossed banner on the white field is the ‘flag of England’ flown and brandished on many occasions – even sporting events.) Much earlier before the Norman Conquest (1066) Saint George was well known in what are now England, and Scotland, and Ireland – and there are a number of ancient Churches that bear his name as patron. 

But the most famous story connected with Saint George is his slaying of a mythical dragon, a representation of evil. That is what is most often recalled when he is represented in icons, paintings, and even coins (on the reverse of the Royal Sovereign). In fact it is hard to find an image of Saint George without the dragon. 

The most well known telling of the story comes from a late medieval compilation called the Golden Legend by a Dominican Bishop of Genoa, James of Vorgine (d. 1298). As he tells it, the dragon was a local pest, which terrorized the whole area, poisoning with its breath all who approached it. Every day this evil beast had to be appeased with two sheep, but these growing scarce, a human victim, chosen by lot was to be presented instead. The lot fell upon the local king’s daughter, who went to her fate dressed as a bride. (One can see here the Christian ideal of the Bridegroom Jesus meeting the Church his Bride turned up side down.) Saint George comes to the rescue and he attacks the dragon, piercing it with his lance. (Here an upside-down reference to the piercing of Christ on the Cross by the lance of Longinus.) Then, having subdued the dragon, Saint George leads it captive with the princess’ belt around its neck as though it was on a leash, and tame. Saint George then tells the people not to be afraid; if they would accept the Lord Jesus Christ and be baptized, he would rid them of this monstrous beast (a Biblical personification of evil). The king and all his people agree and some 15,000 are baptized. Saint George then kills the dragon and peace settles on the land. He will accept no reward for his good deed, but demands that the king maintain churches, honor the clergy, and show compassion to the poor. 

The ideals encompassed in the legend of Saint George, the chivalric knight, only increased his fame throughout Europe and the East. He is claimed not only by England as its patron, but also by Venice, Genoa, Portugal, Catalonia, Greece, Russia, and the Scouting movement. The English name for the Irish Sea is Saint George’s Channel – because it was piously thought that he crossed that body of water on his way from Ireland to England.

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