Saint George: Not Only England, But Also....

[AnonyJ]

Happy Saint George's day!

He is also the patron saint of Ethiopa, Georgia, Malta, Gozo, the regions of Aragon and Catalonia (Spain) and the Ethiopian Orthodox Church. And according to a Portuguese friend of mine:

"The castle here in Lisbon is also named after him. At one time, Spain occupied Portugal so when the Portuguese managed to get rid of them they did not want to have the same Patron Saint. Since the English were their allies, the King chose St George." [now the Portuguese have a different patron saint]


[Icon of Saint George in a church in Lalibela, Ethiopia , wikimedia commons]

So any time someone gobs off about the flag of St George, I can truthfully retort "do you have a problem with Ethiopians or the Maltese?"

 

[ramonmercado]

Happy Saint George's day!

He is also the patron saint of Ethiopa, Georgia, Malta, Gozo, the regions of Aragon and Catalonia (Spain) and the Ethiopian Orthodox Church. And according to a Portuguese friend of mine:

"The castle here in Lisbon is also named after him. At one time, Spain occupied Portugal so when the Portuguese managed to get rid of them they did not want to have the same Patron Saint. Since the English were their allies, the King chose St George." [now the Portuguese have a different patron saint]


[Icon of Saint George in a church in Lalibela, Ethiopia , wikimedia commons]

So any time someone gobs off about the flag of St George, I can truthfully retort "do you have a problem with Ethiopians or the Maltese?"

Here he is slaying the dragon.

 

[Frideswide]

ha! what vintage is that @ramonmercado ?

 

[ramonmercado]

ha! what vintage is that @ramonmercado ?

1918!

 

[Frideswide]

that makes it even better. Do you know what is written on the dragon?

 

[EnolaGaia]

that makes it even better. Do you know what is written on the dragon?

I think it's Russian and says something like "Counter-Revolution".

 

[Frideswide]

thank you. It gets better and better!

 

[James_H]

I only belatedly realized it was at George's Day. I've eaten a lot of Turkish food, does that make me patriotic?

 

[blessmycottonsocks]

What better way to celebrate Englishness than to remember a soldier from what is now Turkey, who killed an oversized crocodile, whilst serving with the Roman Legions in North Africa?

 

[Anome]

Should have stuck with St Edmund. Bloody Normans, coming over here, changing our patron saints...

 

[ramonmercado]

What better way to celebrate Englishness than to remember a soldier from what is now Turkey, who killed an oversized crocodile, whilst serving with the Roman Legions in North Africa?

Would make for a good film.

 

[Zeke Newbold]

Saint George is the Patron Saint of Moscow. His image appears on the city's coat of arms which is a familiar sight on flags and banners around the city:


His image also appears on the Kopeck - (the smallest coin in their currency - roughly a half pence).

 

[James_H]

According to the paper today, st George's Day is actually on the 29th this year in England so it doesn't clash with Easter. Though I thought the CofE had done away with the glorified ancestor worship that is saint cults.

 

[Frideswide]

Though I thought the CofE had done away with the glorified ancestor worship that is saint cults.

Fortunately the Anglican Communion is a broad church deliberately so that it can be home to many shades of practice.

Disclaimer: not an Anglican (anymore)

 

[chicorea]

Let's not forget that St. George is immensely popular in Rio de Janeiro too, where he is celebrated as the Warrior Saint. St. George is assimilated to Ogun, the Orisha of the war and the metals.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E8bA_8NwvmE

 

[James_H]

Let's also not forget that the story of George and the Dragon was basically a rewrite of the Greek tale of Perseus.

 

[Tribble]

At the risk of getting political (spank me gently on the botty if it upsets), some far-righters were given St.George's Cross t-shirts to wear at a celebration/protest. T-shirts with heat-sensitive ink...

 

[Frideswide]

WONDERFUL!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Krepostnoi]

a half pence

<pedantic rage>A half pence?! I think you'll find it's a half penny!</pedantic rage>
And, although the rage has dimmed, the pedantry still flares: by my Google's reckoning, one kopeck equals £0.00012. I'd have a word with your regular currency exchanger if I was you.

 

[Swifty]

Georgey Porgey pudding and pie, kissed the girls and made them cry. I'm not sure that adds anything of value to this conversation. I just remembered it.

 

[Monstrosa]

Georgey Porgey was the Prince Regent.

 

[blessmycottonsocks]

Georgey Porgey pudding and pie, kissed the girls and made them cry. I'm not sure that adds anything of value to this conversation. I just remembered it.

'When the boys came out to play,
Georgey Porgey turned out gay"?

 

[Ladyloafer]

At the risk of getting political (spank me gently on the botty if it upsets), some far-righters were given St.George's Cross t-shirts to wear at a celebration/protest. T-shirts with heat-sensitive ink...

lol.

 

[Swifty]

'When the boys came out to play,
Georgey Porgey turned out gay"?

Was he!? .. fukin' ell!

 

[ramonmercado]

'When the boys came out to play,
Georgey Porgey turned out gay"?

In spite of all of his finery,
He turned out to be non-binary.

 

[Tribble]

In spite of all of his finery,
He turned out to be non-binary.

Proclaiming from his horse-drawn carriage
He had no problem with same-sex marriage.

 

[blessmycottonsocks]

"Georgey Porgey pudding and pie, kissed the girls and made them cry."

He's been named and shamed on #Me Too.
With Harvey Weinstein and little Boy Blue.

 

[AgProv]

Here he is slaying the dragon.

View attachment 16479

err.... that's Leon Trotsky, isn't it?

 

[Frideswide]

It is very definitely!

 

[Swifty]

err.... that's Leon Trotsky, isn't it?

"Whatever happened to
Leon Trotsky
He had an ice pick
up his botski"

(Rick Mayall/Ben Elton to the tune of No More Heroes by The Stranglers)