Celebrating Saint George

The country celebrates St George's Day on 23 April, with England flags and bunting flying high in a display of patriotism, but who was the dragon-slaying martyr that the nation adopted as its patron saint?

We are certainly familiar with him as he is depicted both at St George’s and at St Giles’ church windows. Many pictures - including our windows, depict George slaying a dragon. This is likely symbolic of triumph over evil, or bravery rather than killing a mythical beast.

Saint George was an early Christian martyr who died on 23 April, 303. He was a soldier in the Roman army, but was of Greek descent. He was sentenced to death for refusing to recant his Christian faith, and became one of the most venerated saints and is respected by Christians, Druze, as well as some Muslims, as a martyr of monotheistic faith.

St George was canonised in AD 494 by Pope Gelasius, who claimed he was one of those ‘whose names are justly revered among men, but whose acts are known only to God’. He was made England’s patron saint in 1415, due to his qualities of chivalry and bravery.