Source: www.speakup.com.br
Language level: Intermediate
Standard: British accent
Speaker: Justin Ratcliff
St. George for England!
Most people would recognise the English flag, with its red cross on a White background. Some might also know that this is the cross of St. George, the patron saint of England, but how many would know anything about the history of St. George? The flag was an important symbol to the early Christian crusaders, says John Clemence, chairman of the Royal Society of St. George, but St. George really only became part of England thanks to King Henry V:
John Clemence
(Standard English accent):
In my more flippant moments, with regard to St. George, I always refer to him as a very early example of political spin because you see, George became the patron saint of England in 1415, at the time of the Battle of Agincourt. Now we were having a little bit of trouble with France at the time – I mean what changes! – and Henry decided that probably, well I like to suggest that he thought that the patron saints that we’d held before that were a bit of wimps, considering the pressure we were under at that time, and he wanted to look for a more militant saint, one that would more easily identify with allegedly English values. And St. George had appeared in our pantheon of saints from the earlier experience of those who went on the crusades. And he was always held to be a very fair-minded character, in (a) military since he was considered to, not only be fair, but to very brave and he had this reputation of giving his riches away to the poor, which he did before in fact he was beheaded for challenging the then Emperor’s Diocletian’s, request, or requirement, that Christianity cease and that all Roman citizens return to Roman values. So there were a lot of things there about him that then appealed at that time and he’s been our patron saint ever since.
AND THE DRAGON?
Little is known of the real-life St. George. As in the case with King Arthur, the modern-day myth is probably an amalgam of different historical figures. It is probable, however, that he came from the Near East, or Middle East. It is said that George was skilled cavalryman in the roman army who rebelled against the emperor and consequently lost his head on 23rd April, 303 AD.
Hundreds of years later, obscure George became St. George, and his legend began to spread across the world. The most powerful part of the story is undoubtedly the tale of heroic St. George fighting and killing a dangerous dragon and rescuing a beautiful princess, although this is undoubtedly apocryphal.
St. George has never been a high-ranking saint. In 1969, the Catholic Church even downgraded St. George to the lowest category of saints! Nevertheless, he remains patron saint in many countries, including Georgia, Greece and Germany, as well as Lithuania, Palestine and Portugal. St. George is also the patron saint of riders, soldiers and archers, farmers, butchers and Boy Scouts. Wherever he was really born, St. George was certainly not English and never set foot in England. Perhaps this explains why St. George’s Day (23rd April) has never become as popular with the English as St Patrick’s Day is with the Irish. Or is it just natural English modesty and reserve? There is another factor: the English flag has too often been associated with a more aggressive side of Englishness. But that is changing, says John Clemence:
John Clemence:
Well, I would have hoped that we’d got well past that stage. Yes, of course, it was associated with hooliganism abroad and so on, but only two or three years ago we had the Commonwealth Games here and England, like it or lump it, England puts a team in and they need their own flag and what was very interesting at those games is that you would see people of all religions and backgrounds in this country wrapping themselves in the flag at the success o the game. And that was very encouraging. It’s often said to me that political movements, British National Party or whatever, run around threatening everybody with the flag of St. George. They don’t, actually they run around with union flag! So it’s unfair, in a way. It may suit one or two politicians not to see a rise of English consciousness, given that the United Kingdom is devolved, but that’s a different matter, but the flying of a flag to say that you’re English cannot be offensive.
Well, I would have hoped that we’d got well past that stage. Yes, of course, it was associated with hooliganism abroad and so on, but only two or three years ago we had the Commonwealth Games here and England, like it or lump it, England puts a team in and they need their own flag and what was very interesting at those games is that you would see people of all religions and backgrounds in this country wrapping themselves in the flag at the success o the game. And that was very encouraging. It’s often said to me that political movements, British National Party or whatever, run around threatening everybody with the flag of St. George. They don’t, actually they run around with union flag! So it’s unfair, in a way. It may suit one or two politicians not to see a rise of English consciousness, given that the United Kingdom is devolved, but that’s a different matter, but the flying of a flag to say that you’re English cannot be offensive.
More info: (no audio)
The Royal Society of St. George aims to foster a love of England and to spread an understanding of English history, traditions and ideals. Its patron is Queen Elizabeth II and the society currently has 107 branches worldwide including Brazil, in Rio de Janeiro! www.royalsocietyofstgeorge.com .
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