St George's Day has become a topic of debate as more and more organizations promote celebrations on 23 April and more people wave the flag of St George to proclaim their allegiance and identity. But who was St George? How did this Near Eastern martyr become England's patron saint and an icon of English culture? And what is his relevance for today's secular, multicultural England? New research reveals that from the third century St George was revered as a healer, protector of women and the poor and patron of agriculture and metal-working more than a military dragon-slayer. Discover the origin of the cross of St George and the roles of Richard I, Edward III and Henry VIII in making St George the patron saint of England. With a foreword by Professor Emeritus Dan Brown, this richly-illustrated celebration of English culture shows how St George can be reinterpreted for our times while remaining true to our English heritage. St George can be enlisted in the cause of ecology, the campaign against FGM, and the fight to end modern slavery and resettle refugees. English yet international, revered both by Christians and Muslims, St George is a multicultural figure who symbolizes universal values.
Foreword; Preface; Acknowledgements; 1 Heritage and Identity-The Significance of St George in England; 2 The Origin and Nature of the Traditions of St George; 3 The Greek and Latin Traditions; 4 St George and Scholarship-Critics and Confirmation of the Tradition; 5 The Man and the Myth; 6 A Nubian St George?; 7 St George and the Dragon; 8 St George Made Known in England; 9 Myths About the Myth; 10 The Cult of St George in England; 11 The Banner of St George; 12 St George and the Dragon-The Golden Legend; 13 The Order of the Garter-The Knights of the Round Table; 14 St George, Patron Saint of the Scouting Movement; 15 St George in English Literature; 16 St George in English Folklore, Pageants, and Plays; 17 St George in Art and Music in England; 18 St George as a Patriotic Symbol; 19 The Cult of St George Today; 20 Reflections on St George-The Just War; 21 Revitalising St George's Day; Conclusion-A New Mobilising Narrative of St George; Appendix I Timeline of St George in English History; Appendix II St George in the Commonwealth, Europe and America; Appendix III St George Societies and St George Organizations; Appendix IV Re-enactment Societies; Appendix V St George in Lydgate and Shakespeare; Appendix VI St George Saint and Mummers' Plays; Appendix VII St George in Modern Popular Culture; Appendix VIII Research Resources; Appendix IX Sources of Evidence for Recording Saints' Cults in England; Appendix X British and English Studies; Appendix XI Websites of Devotion to St George; Appendix XII Children's Books about St George; Bibliography; Scripture Index; Index.
