yeah... I have seen the Shakespeare red bull advert loads...  even before christmas I think!

(see, I am a font of knowledge when it comes to the more trivial issues!)

I knew that St George was the patron saint of Russia (cos hubby told me last night).... didn't know about the others....

So... next question...  do the other countries who have him as their saint, herald him a dragon slayer?

The short answer is Yes.

Tha longer answer is that the legend of George and the dragon was put into print in 1260 by Jacobus de Voraigne, an Italian who was the Archbishop of Genoa. This was an existing legend, and he collected various stories of George and other saints in a collection called The Golden Legend. The story looks as if it originated in Asia Minor, where George is said to have come from. So any country which has adopted him will have adopted the story as well.

You might have noticed the new Gagajoyjoy tshirt is now available from the Zazzle site. Amongst other items you can buy is a poster of a Russian icon  depicting George slaying the dragon - see this link

For the long answer see this article on Wikipedia

Have fun!

Ah... El Loro... thank you!

You have been dead patient with me....  

So.... I think I am fairly up to speed with the whole St George thing now (including the flaws in the legend as a whole).... and these are my thoughts..

But first... that Russian poster of him from the Zazzle site...




That is sooo sad.. its just a little dragon!!


Right.. so.. this is what I think..  I think that it is fairly harmless us having him as our patron saint, cos as a country St Georges Day passes fairly quietly...  its not one of our key dates as a nation.  So its harmless enough for us to adopt the peripatetic patron saint even with his slightly flaky legend.

However, if people really do feel it should be marked with a bank holiday...  should be a day of shared national pride etc.... then perhaps we should look through all the interesting historic people & events and chose a patron that better symbolises the country.



& leave dragons (or worms, or crocodiles) out of it

*wonder what a dragon burger tastes like?*


Z.

chicken!

Ah HA!!!!!!!!! 

Guilty as charged!!

You fell for my simple trap


Z.

aha... but no!

It was an educated guess!   Besides, I would eat dragon meat... so long as the dragon hadn't been slayed & then had his dead body mocked (not to mention stood on) by his attacker!

So ... humanely killed dragon meat is okay by you?


Z.

yes... in principle... if dragon numbers were thriving.... 

However, dragons should not be killed for sport...

no to dragon blood sport!   or intensively farmed dragons!

Apparently, it tastes like chewy chicken

Free range dragons then? .. allowed to roam free .. given fresh straw... virgins... that sort of thing


Z.

I can see the drawbacks to free range dragon farming....  

We aren't real...? **sharpens talons" Ramoth would throw SUCH a hissy fit!

Worm morphs into so many old names hon. Orms Head in Llandudno and Worms Head in the Gower etc... it's the pissy christian way of downsizing threats.

Zaph..you ARE the Romans!!!

Interesting point .. EARTHLING!!!


Z.

Well given christianity was a catholic thing until Henery the Eighth got his dangly bit in the mull over Anne Bullen then yes - most are a catholic thing. There are post reformation saints but they don't generally have the same clout - assuming you;re a torpid believer that is.

**drums tallons** As long as humanely killed Labrador dragon meat is okay by you.

Oh... I love Ramoth too! 

Its bloody effective!

On behalf of all dragons of the Komodo type, I have been asked to say that Komodo dragon burgers are revolting and taste of lizard, not chicken


From Wikipedia

I am not keen on Komodo dragons...    they have that bacteria riddled saliva intended to infect bite wounds...   there is something a bit shifty about the way they then loiter waiting for their prey to finally die.   Its all a bit cowardly & undragon like

monitor lizards are lovely though!

Christianity, per se, is Catholic. However the whole saints thing is ROMAN CATHOLIC.
Most countries have a Patron Saint, Saint Andrew (who is Irish) is the Patron Saint of Scotland and Saint Patrick (who is Scottish) is the Patron saint of Ireland, not forgetting Saint David who is the Patron Saint of Wales, but  Roman Catholicism has a gaggle of saints for lots of things. Though these other Saints are RC wide, not country specific.

oooh... its a Fluffy subject....  yay!

So... which saint is the newest saint then... & when were they made one?

Oooo!
They canonised 4 last week, one was the leper chap.......

Mother Theresa is heading saintwards I think


Z.

   

hmmmm... I did wonder if she might come into it...

I don't know anything very much about dragons or saints, but I'm loving this thread Ditty.

As I'm not RC myself I'm not well up on these things, but I've a vague feeling there was a new Saint made in the last few years (maybe within the last 6 years) and I think someone was beatified a couple of years ago. Could well be one of the 4 Muf says were canonised last week.

*** resists the urge to say St Justin ***

I think one of the qualifications for Sainthood is to have performed a miracle.. *goes to google*...

Yep... though it seems two miracles are required BUT you are allowed to perform them after you are dead!


Z.

It might be Mother Teresa's beatification I'm remembering - she was beatified in October 2003.

To put it in a rather simplified way:-

Generally they cant be considered for Sainthood for at least 5 years after their death.
Lots of deliberation and interviewing goes on and eventually they would be titled 'venerable'.
If a miracle occurs after their death thatcan be attributed to them, then they are beatified.
If a second miracle can also be attributed to them then they are canonized.

I think the miracles also have to have happened AFTER they are given the title 'venerable'

Not allowed to, but by my understanding, HAVE TO.

.... its all sounding flakier than getting a seat in the House of Lords

Ah....'worm','wyrm', or 'orm' was the Saxon/Old English word for any serpent, sea beast or dragon.

And the main reason St George became patron saint of England was political; he was already the patron saint of Genoa, so during the Crusades, the English ships would fly his flag, and profess to worship him, while crossing the med to get to the holy land, so that the Genoese fleet would know that they weren't enemies.

And apparently, according to early accounts, the dragon that George killed was Welsh..



^^ Just for ditty....

*gasp*

its beautiful Sarum....  

thank you!

You're very welcome I love dragons too.

That one is by an artist called Peter Pracownik, whom I used to know  some years ago...I've tried to get him to paint a pink dragon, but he just laughs at me...

I like the sound of him... pink really isn't a dragon colour! .... not unless it was deep fuschia pink... *idea of pink dragon becoming more appealing*

Yeah, you're probably right...

I've found you this pink dragon.

Doesn't quite have the air of menace you might expect from a Dragon

"Oi!... Dragon.. You're pink "


Z.