Lesson 3

Elementary

Today you are going to read about the patron saint of England, Saint George.
Ma Anglia védőszentjéről, Szent Györgyről olvashattok.

George was born to a Christian family during the late 3rd century. His father was from Cappadocia
(today it’s Turkey) and served as an officer of the army. His mother was from Lydda, Palestine. She
returned to her native city as a widow together with her young son, where he got some education.
The youth followed his father's example and joined the army soon after coming of age. He became a
good soldier and he received higher and higher military ranks. By his late twenties he had the title of
Tribunus and then Comes at which time George was in Nicomedia as a member of the personal guard
of the Roman Emperor Diocletian.
In 303, Diocletian ordered the systematic persecution of Christians across the Empire. George was
ordered to take part in the persecution but instead confessed to being a Christian himself and criticised
the decision. An enraged Diocletian ordered the torture and the execution of this traitor.
After various tortures, George was executed by decapitation on April 23, 303. Empress Alexandra and
Athanasius, a pagan priest saw his suffering and convinced them to become Christians as well, and so
they joined George in martyrdom. They returned his body to Lydda for burial, where Christians soon
came to honour him as a martyr.
The cult of St George first reached the Kingdom of England when the crusaders returned from the
Holy Land in the 12th century. King Edward III of England who reigned from 1327 to 1377 promoted
the codes of knighthood. During his reign, George came to be recognised as the patron saint of
England. Edward dedicated the chapel at Windsor Castle to the soldier saint who represented the
knightly values of chivalry which he so much admired. In the 16th Century, William Shakespeare
placed St George within the national conscience in his play Henry V. When Scottish and Welsh
nationalism revived, there has been renewed interest within England in St George, whose memory had
been forgotten for many years. This is most evident in the St George's flags which now have replaced
Union Flags in stadiums where English sports teams compete. Nevertheless, St George’s Day still
stays a not very popular affair because the City of London not publicly celebrating the patron saint.
However, the! City of Salisbury holds an annual St George’s Day.

Glossary:
Century – évszázad
Native city – szülőváros
Follow someone’s example – követi valaki példáját
Come of age – nagykorúvá válni
Persecution – üldözés
Empire – birodalom
Order – parancsolni
Confess – bevallani
Enraged – mérges
Torture – kínozni
Execution – kivégzés
Traitor – áruló
Decapitation – lefejezés
Suffering – szenvedés
Convince – meggyőzni
Burial – temetés
Crusader – keresztes vitéz
Reign – uralkodni
Code – törvénykönyv
Knighthood – lovagság
Recognise – elismerni
Dedicate – szentelni valaminek
Chapel – kápolna
Lesson 3

Value – érték
Chivalry – lovagi rend, lovagiasság
National conscience – nemzeti tudat
Revive – újraéled
Stadium – stadion
Compete – versenyezni

Now answer the questions in English. Válaszolj angolul a kérdésekre.

1. What was his father’s job?

2. Where did he get his education?
3. What was George’s problem in 303?
4. What did they want to do with him?
5. How did he die?
6. Where did they bury him?
7. When and how did his cult come to England?
8. Who named him the patron saint of England?
9. Has his memory always been popular?
10. Is his annual celebration a popular event?

Intermediate

Today you are going to read about the patron saint of England, Saint George.

St. George's Day, April 23, is celebrated in several nations of whom Saint George is the patron saint,
including Georgia, Bulgaria, Portugal and England. Catalonia also celebrates it. For England, St.
George's Day also marks its National Day. April 23 is traditionally accepted as the date of Saint
George's death in 303.
St. George's Day is not celebrated as much in England as other National Days are around the world.
The celebration of St. George's Day was once a major feast in England on a par with Christmas from
the early 15th century. However, this tradition had waned by the end of the 18th century. In recent
years the popularity of St. George's Day appears to be increasing gradually, for example a TV
channel had a full programme of St. George's Day events in 2006, and an MP has been putting his
argument forward in the House of Commons to try to make St. George's Day a public holiday.
A traditional custom at this time was to wear a red rose in one's lapel, though with changes in fashion
this is not as widely done. Another custom is to fly or adorn the St. George's Cross flag in some way:
pubs in particular can be seen on April 23 festooned with garlands of St. George's crosses. However,
the modern association of the St. George's Cross with sports such as football, cricket and rugby
means that this tradition too is losing popularity with people who do not associate themselves with
those sports.
There is a growing reaction to the recent indifference to St. George's Day. Organisations such as the
Royal Society of Saint George (a non-political English nationalist society founded in 1894) have
been joined by the more prominent St. George's Day Events company (founded in 2002), with the
specific aim of encouraging celebrations. They seem to be having some impact. On the other hand,
there have also been calls to replace St. George as patron saint of England, on the grounds that he
was an obscure figure who had no direct connection with the country. However there is no obvious
consensus as to whom to replace him with, though names suggested include St. Edmund, St.
Cuthbert, or St. Alban. It does not seem likely that this will get any further.
St. George is also the patron saint of the Scout movement and is therefore celebrated by members of
the Scout Association in all parts of the UK.

Decide whether these statements are true or false.

1. St. George is only England’s patron saint.

Lesson 3

2. 23, April is his traditionally accepted birthday.

3. St. George’s day is very much celebrated in England.
4. It used to be as important as Christmas.
5. There are some movements now trying to promote the importance of this feast.
6. There aren’t any special customs concerning this celebration.
7. There are two main organisations encouraging celebrations.
8. These revival movements have not brought about any changes.
9. Everyone is satisfied with this choice of patron saint.
10. There are calls to replace St. George.

Advanced

Today you are going to read about the patron saint of England, Saint George.

According to the Golden Legend by Jacobus de Voragine, the story of Saint George and the Dragon
took place in a place he called "Silene," in Libya. The Golden Legend is the first to place this tale in
Libya, as a sufficiently exotic locale, where a dragon might be imagined.
This town had a pond large as a lake where a plague-bearing dragon dwelled. To appease the dragon,
the people of Silene used to feed it a sheep and a virgin every day, the virgin chosen by lottery.
It happened that the lot fell on the princess of Silene. The king, distraught with grief, told the people
they could have all his gold and silver and half of his kingdom if his daughter were spared; the
people refused. The daughter was sent out to the lake to be fed to the dragon.
Saint George heard of this state of affairs, and travelled on horseback to the lake. The princess,
trembling, sought to send him away, but George vowed to remain and fortified himself with the Sign
of the Cross.
The dragon reared out of the lake while they were conversing. Saint George charged it on horseback
with his lance and gave it a grievous wound. Then he called to the princess to throw him her girdle
and put it around the dragon's neck. When she did so, the dragon followed the girl like a dog on a
leash. She and Saint George led the dragon back to the city of Silene, where it terrified the people at
its approach. But Saint George called out to them, saying that if they consented to become Christians
and be baptised, he would slay the dragon before them.
The king and the people of Silene, seeing this was an offer they could not refuse, converted to
Christianity. George then drew his sword and dispatched the dragon. On the site where the dragon
died, the king built a church to the Blessed Virgin Mary and Saint George, and from its altar a spring
arose whose waters cured all diseases.

Retell the story using these words in as few words as possible.

Dwell
Appease
Princess
Distraught with grief
Travel
Fortify
Wound
Girdle
Approach
Baptise
Convert
Church
Spring