St George And The Dragons By Michael Collins

St George’s Day has become a topic of debate as more and more organisations 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