Who was St George?
year war
with the Turks.
The legends about him spread far and wide and in Beirut, for example, they claim that it was in the bay of Beirut near
the town of Silene, which was then a swamp, that the dragon dwelt, keeping the population in terror of his forays. To
satiate him the population tethered an animal, until they had no more. They then provided human sacrifices and in ultimate desperation, a young princess was selected, the king's daughter named Cleolinda. The story then relates how St. George rode up on his white charger, dismounted and fought the monster on foot; until it eventually succumbed. He then dragged the dying monster into the city, using the girdle of the Princess and slew the dragon in front of the people. St. George was greeted as their saviour and the King offered him a bag of gold as a reward for saving his daughter. This he refused and asked that it be given to the poor.
The story is a powerful allegory, emblematic of the triumph of good over evil; but it also teaches of enduring Christian
faith in the extreme and the trust that at all times should be placed in the Almighty by the invocation of the name of
St. George, Soldier, Saint and Martyr. The Arthurian Legends are also based on the chivalry of the Knights, and have become entwined with St. George, whom they attempted to emulate. In the Crusaders Castle called the Krac des Chevaliers, there are the remnants of the Knight's Round Table on the upper Rampart and some of the stone seats are still extant. In the 13" Century, there was a Guild of St. George to which the Honourable Company of Pikemen were related before evolving into the Honourable Artillery Company. Many regiments of the Army still celebrate St. George's Day with great ceremony.
In Barcelona, it is traditional to give a book as a token of St. George's Day, whilst in Russia and the Ukraine
the day is celebrated by Spring Festivals and Picnics to celebrate the end of winter. In the world of Scouting,
it is the first day for camping.
Now where does the Royal Society fit into this wonderful tradition? It began in New York in 1770 AD, before the
American War of Independence and was created as a charity to help impoverished colonists who had need of sustenance and perhaps the cost of a fare for a passage home. It was quickly followed in 1772 by a branch in Philadelphia and another in Charleston in 1773. Other branches followed in other American states and in Canada, Australia, New Zealand and elsewhere. The society is the oldest charity in the United States. It was not until 1894 that a branch was established in London, when Queen Victoria agreed to become the first Royal Patron. King Edward VII granted the prefix 'Royal' to the Society in 1902, but it was not until 1963 that Her Majesty the Queen [next page]