In researching dragons and dragon myths for the YA urban fantasy I've found it quite interesting that while St. George is the Patron Saint of England he was probably born in modern day Turkey. He died for his religion - he was Christian - and that was largely the sort of thing that got you into sainthood fifteen hundred years ago. But what's really wild is that the dragon story (St George and the Dragon) was certainly a legend but crafted around the idea of George being a saint and the dragon representing the devil. It wasn't even told until hundreds of years after he became a saint - so probably was something to galvanize the populace into supporting the idea of saints. (And it worked - it was under Richard the Lionhearted that George really got popular. He helped to fuel the fervor behind the Crusades.) It's also interesting to me that Shakespeare is creditted with keeping George in the public eye through Henry V and other plays where George and England are assailed in the same breath.
There's no proof that George even knew where England was, let alone ever set foot in it.
It's odd how myths can grow and grow and grow isn't it? I'm tracking dragon myths for my book - need to drop a few here and there - and also looking at war myths and heroic myths in general. Most all of this will never see even a few words on a page but it's interesting to read about and consider. The oddest thing is that we keep falling for the same myths over and over again. Humanity just wants to believe, even in the face of all reason, we are a species of believers.
The Patron Saint of England was never even there. How bizarre is that?!
August 22
2006
07:58 AM
Santa was from Turkey, too!