Saint George in devotions, traditions and prayers

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The tomb of Saint George in Lydda, just south of Tel Aviv.

Saint George is one of Christianity's most popular saints, and is highly honored by both the Western and Eastern Churches.[1] A wide range of devotions, traditions, and prayers to honor the saint have emerged throughout the centuries. He has for long been distinguished by the title of "The Great Martyr" and is one of the most popular saints to be represented in icons.[2] Devotions to Saint George have a large following among Christians, and a large number of churches are dedicated to him worldwide.

Since the Middle Ages, the story of the life of Saint George, both as fact and legend, has come to symbolize the victory of good over evil, and become part of local Christian traditions, festivals and celebrations that continue to date. Saint George has been widely represented in Christian art in multiple media and forms, from paintings and sculptures to stained glass and reliefs, through the ages, and has become the subject of multiple prayers and devotions.[3][4][5][6][7] This article traces the origins, development and growth of the Christian devotions, traditions, and prayers to Saint George.

History and origins

St. Theodore and angels, Saint Catherine's Monastery
, late 6th century.

Jesuit scholars called the Bollandists. Daniel Papebroch, Jean Bolland and Henschen provided a good account of the life of Saint George in Acta Sanctorum and it inspired other scholars to dispense with Medieval myths and perform detailed studies.[8]

After multiple attempts by hagiographers, the time of Saint George's life was firmly established in the

Cappadocian pagan senator Gerontius and his mother Polychronia as a Christian from Palestine, who raised him as a believer.[9]

The saint's father died when he was young, and his mother inherited a large estate which she later descended to her son. He joined the army of the Roman Emperor Diocletian but during the Diocletianic Persecution of Christians declared himself to be one and tore down the Emperor's edict in defiance. Saint George was tortured and dragged behind horses through the streets but would not renounce his Christian beliefs. The saint was then beheaded on April 23, 303. A significant number of conversions to Christianity were reported after his martyrdom which led to his continued veneration.[10][11][12]

St. George on the coat of arms of the country of Georgia.

Kings of Iberia had adopted the insignia of Saint George, from which the country of Georgia derived its name.[13][14][15]

But the early devotions to the saint were not limited to the northern countries. In the sixth century Saint George as the Martyr of Cappadocia began to grow in popularity among Greek Egyptians and the devotion spread to other parts of Europe.[16] By the sixth century Saint George had become the ideal Christian knight. In the seventh and eighth centuries stained glass windows in churches across Europe depicted him.[17]

Shrines

Virgin Mary at the Church of San Giorgio in Velabro
, the first Church dedicated to Saint George in Rome, in 741.

The earliest dated Church dedicated to Saint George himself was first mentioned in 518. In Rome, the

Pope Zacharias in 741.[19]

It is not known when a church was first built on the site of martyrdom and burial of Saint George. But by the time of the Muslim conquest in the seventh century, a large three-aisled basilica existed, with the martyr's tomb located beneath the main altar.[20]

Saint George was venerated in England as early as the eighth century and devotions to Saint George and shrines dedicated to him continued to grow during the

Reichenau monastic island on Lake Constance in Germany was founded in 888 and in about the year 900 Georgslied (Song of Saint George) was composed there as a set of hymns to Saint George.[22][23]

Constantine IX at great expense and had truly imposing dimensions for any medieval structure. The techniques used in building the church signify the highest level of patronage.[25][26][27]

Many churches were decorated with images of the saint, e.g. St. George's church in

Theodore of Amasea. Saint George and Saint Theodore continued to be represented together in many churches, e.g. in mosaics in St Mark's Basilica in Venice.[28]

Saint George came to be called on by Christians to aid them in battle and in time of great need, and upon victory churches were built to honor him. Festivals celebrating the ensuing victories became part of local traditions and led to increased devotion to him. He was portrayed in art as a protector and as a symbol of sacrifice, and the interplay of battle cries, prayers, artistic depictions and the construction of Churches in his honor led to increased devotion.[29]

Battles and patronages

Battle at Iconium, by Hermann Wislicenus, c 1890. Prayers to Saint George here in 1190 were the battle cry of the Christian forces.

The invocation of Saint George as a protector during the Middle Ages is well exemplified by the conduct of the soldiers participating in the

Frederick I Barbarossa marched through Anatolia
, his troops were involved in group prayer and the bishops would hold camp-wide religious rites for them to strengthen their faith and morale. Priests would celebrate special votive Masses with the troops to pray for divine support. These Masses focused on Saint George and the soldiers always invoked him for he was said to appear whenever the crusaders were in their greatest need for help. In a letter sent to his son in November 1189, Fredrick stated that despite having superb troops, it was necessary for him to place his trust in prayers for divine assistance for: "A King is saved by the Grace of the Eternal King which exceeds the merits of any individual".

Church of San Giorgio, Siena, built by donations from soldiers upon the victory at Battle of Montaperti in 1260.

A few days before

Iconium on May 16, 1190.[30]

Another example is provided by the

Church of San Giorgio in Siena and an annual festival that grew so large that it had to be moved to a larger location.[31] As of the twelfth and thirteenth centuries, Saint George had come to be seen as the normal defender of the crusaders, and even the standard-bearer of their army. And in a wider context, he came to be seen, and was depicted in art, as "a protector", his raised sword symbolizing both protection and sacrifice.[32] In some medieval paintings, Saint George even came to be represented as an intercessor to Christ.[33]

Woodcut Frontispiece from Alexander Barclay's "Lyfe of Seynt George" Westminster 1515.

During the eleventh century Crusades many of the Normans under Robert Curthose, the Duke of Normandy and son of William the Conqueror, took Saint George as their patron.[34] Pendants bearing the image of Saint George were used for protection. The inscription on an enamel pendant at the British Museum specifically asks the saint to protect the wearer in battle.[2] Songs were composed to Saint George for the English peasantry, e.g.:[35]

As for Saint George O'
Saint George he was a knight, O!
Of all the knights in Christendom,
Saint George is the right, O!

Early patron saints in England were

Edward III in the fourteenth century. More than 190 Medieval churches in England were dedicated to Saint George, and stained glass bearing his image could be found in many more.[36][37][38]

English

Saint Constable attributed their victory in the Battle of Aljubarrota to Saint George. King John I of Portugal was specially devoted to the saint and declared him the patron saint of Portugal.[39]
In the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries, Portuguese explorers carried the devotion across the oceans to India and South America.

Tales and legends

National Gallery
.

After the thirteenth century, a large portion of the art, iconography and legendary traditions associated with Saint George and many festivals that celebrate him involve the legend of Saint George and the Dragon.

The association of Saint George with the dragon was not attested to until the twelfth century version of Miracula Sancti Georgii (Codex Romanus Angelicus 46, pt. 12, written in Greek).

The Golden Legend around 1260. By the fourteenth century the Golden legend had become one of the most popular religious works of the Middle Ages and helped spread the legend of the dragon.[41] In De Voragine's version of the legend, the dragon was in the city of Silena in the province of Libya in the Middle East. However, as the tales were carried across Europe, the location of the dragon varied. For instance in some German versions the dragon would come to the area above the village of Ebingen and would disappear into the southern slope of Schonberg mountain in Liechtenstein.[42]
In these legends, Saint George slays a dragon to liberate a princess and is thanked by the town people.

Louvre
, 1679.

Some authors have pointed out that many scenes of the legend of Saint George's slaying of the dragon to save the princess correspond to the myth of the slaying of the "sea monster" by Perseus to free Andromeda in Greek mythology. And that the Andromeda episode in the life of Perseus may have helped shape the legend of Saint George and the dragon.[43][44][45] The similarities extend to the visual representations, and many artistic portrayals of Saint George slaying the dragon have distinct counterparts in the renderings of Perseus and Andromeda.[46]

In Russia, the story of Saint George and the Dragon passed through the oral tradition of religious poems (dukhovny stikhi) sung by minstrels and fused the story of the martyrdom of the saint with the Western legend of the liberation of the princess from the dragon.[47]

Images of the life and martyrdom of Saint George and the dragon legend began to appear in churches across Europe, including Sweden, where Saint George was portrayed as the hero and example of all noble young men who needed to be stimulated to show their virtue and bravery in the defense of princesses and in confession of the true belief.

Christian I of Denmark in the 1471 Battle of Brunkeberg to the intercession of Saint George, and in the aftermath commissioned a statue of Saint George and the Dragon carved by the Lübeck sculptor Bernt Notke for the Storkyrkan
church in Stockholm, as an obvious allegory of Sture's battle against Christian.

Saint George thus came to be seen as the deliverer of prisoners and protector of the poor, and these sentiments are reflected in art that depicts him. Saint George the Victorious striking down the dragon became one of the most popular subjects in Orthodox icon painting.[49]

Worldwide devotions and statues

Vasco da Gamma
landing in India, c. 1880.

By the fifteenth century, the story of the courage of Saint George, and devotions to him, had spread across the world, from the southern parts of India to the northern parts of Russia.

idolatrous. In Indian churches such as St. George's Church, Aruvithura, near Kottayam in Kerala, the annual feast is dedicated to St. George, the patron saint of the church, and his ancient statue is still honored. The arrival of the English after the Portuguese, added to the spread of devotions to the saint. Elsewhere in Kerala, the annual ten-day prayer feast at the massive 19th century St. George's Church in Edathua (which resembles the Medieval churches of Europe) attracts many pilgrims.[50][51]

Impressive Saint George statues began to appear across Europe after the fourteenth century.

St. Catherine Church.[52]

The coat of arms of Moscow with Saint George.

Saint George first appeared as the patron saint of Russia in 1415 and his popularity in Russia continued to grow. He grew to be so popular in Moscow that 41 churches there were dedicated to him.[53] He is still represented on the coat of arms of the city of Moscow as a knight on a white horse slaying a dragon with a spear. Today, a large number of statues of Saint George can be found in Moscow.[54]

The fifteenth century also witnessed a significant amount of growth in the festivals and patronages for Saint George. As of 1411, San Giorgio's festival on April 24 was a main event in Ferrara, Italy, where he is still the patron saint of the town.[55] Such festivals spread across Europe and became part of local traditions in villages from Turtman, Valais, in Switzerland to Traunstein in Bavaria, Germany.[56]

By the late fifteenth century, as Portuguese ships sailed the seas, symbols of Saint George began to appear in new territories, with

River Congo in 1484.[57] In the sixteenth century the Portuguese spread devotions to Saint George in South America, and today the saint remains popular in places such as Brazil.[58]

In 1620, as the ship

St. George's United Methodist Church in Philadelphia, which dates to 1784 and is the oldest Methodist church still in use in the United States. To date, St. George, Staten Island, commemorates the story of Saint George and the Dragon every April.[60]

Devotions and churches dedicated to Saint George continued to spread to other continents.

St. George's Cathedral, Perth, Australia, dates to 1888, St. George's Cathedral, Cape Town, South Africa, to 1901 and Saint George's Church, Singapore
, to 1910.

Due to the

Christian saints become the Druze's favorite venerated figures: Saint George and Saint Elijah.[61] Thus, in all the villages inhabited by Druzes and Christians in central Mount Lebanon a Christian church or Druze maqam is dedicated to either one of them.[61] According to scholar Ray Jabre Mouawad the Druzes appreciated the two saints for their bravery: Saint George because he confronted the dragon and Saint Elijah because he competed with the pagan priests of Baal and won over them.[61] In both cases the explanations provided by Christians is that Druzes were attracted to warrior saints that resemble their own militarized society.[61]

Prayers and novenas

Saint George by Donatello, 1415, Florence.

Along with the construction of churches, creation of art and spread of legends, a number of genuine devotions and prayers to Saint George developed over the ages among Christians. These traditions and prayers continue across the world to date, e.g. in May 2008 the arch-priest of

St. Mary's Orthodox Cathedral, New Delhi, India, holds prayers of intercession to Saint George every week.[63]

The Prayer to Saint George directly refers to the courage it took for the saint to confess his Christianity before opposing authority:[64]

Almighty God, who gave to your servant George boldness to Confess the Name of our Savior Jesus Christ before the rulers of this world, and courage to die for this faith: Grant that we may always be ready to give a reason for the hope that is in us, and to suffer gladly for the sake of our Lord Jesus Christ; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.

The same sentiment is present within the following two Prayers to Saint George:[65]

St. George, Heroic Catholic soldier and defender of your Faith, you dared to criticize a tyrannical Emperor and were subjected to horrible torture. You could have occupied a high military position but you preferred to die for your Lord. Obtain for us the great grace of heroic Christian courage that should mark soldiers of Christ. Amen.

There is also a Prayers of Intercession to Saint George:

Faithful servant of God and invincible martyr, Saint George; favored by God with the gift of faith, and inflamed with an ardent love of Christ, thou didst fight valiantly against the dragon of pride, falsehood, and deceit. Neither pain nor torture, sword nor death could part thee from the love of Christ. I fervently implore thee for the sake of this love to help me by thy intercession to overcome the temptations that surround me, and to bear bravely the trials that oppress me, so that I may patiently carry the cross which is placed upon me; and let neither distress nor difficulties separate me from the love of Our Lord Jesus Christ. Valiant champion of the Faith, assist me in the combat against evil, that I may win the crown promised to them that persevere unto the end.

And:

O GOD, who didst grant to Saint George strength and constancy in the various torments which he sustained for our holy faith; we beseech Thee to preserve, through his intercession, our faith from wavering and doubt, so that we may serve Thee with a sincere heart faithfully unto death. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

The Novena to Saint George does not have a specific warrior context, but simply asks God for divine assistance and the imitation of the life of the saint:[66]

Almighty and eternal God! With lively faith and reverently worshiping Thy divine Majesty, I prostrate myself before Thee and invoke with filial trust Thy supreme bounty and mercy. Illumine the darkness of my intellect with a ray of Thy heavenly light and inflame my heart with the fire of Thy divine love that I may contemplate the great virtues and merits of the Saint in whose honor I make this novena, and following his example imitate, like him, the life of Thy Divine Son.

Gallery of art and architecture

Paintings and statues

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Saint George structured art gallery.

Paintings

  • The Torture of St. George, Michael Coxcie, c. 1580
    The Torture of St. George,
    Michael Coxcie
    , c. 1580
  • St. George Dragged by Horses, by Bernardo Martorell, 15th century
    St. George Dragged by Horses, by
    Bernardo Martorell
    , 15th century
  • The Beheading of St. George, St. George's Oratory, Padua, Italy
    The Beheading of St. George,
    St. George's Oratory, Padua
    , Italy
  • The Martyrdom of St. George, by Paolo Veronese, 1564.
    The Martyrdom of St. George, by Paolo Veronese, 1564.

Icons

  • Russian icon, 15th century
    Russian icon, 15th century
  • 16th-century Russian icon
    16th-century Russian icon
  • Byzantine Greek icon
    Byzantine Greek icon
  • 17th-century Greek icon
    17th-century Greek icon

Statues

Churches and altars

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Structured gallery of churches dedicated to Saint George.

Churches

Altars

See also

Catholicism portal

References

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