Scrapbook Saturday: Today's Date - St George's Day

My Scrapbook Saturday challenge (see here for an explanation) which I have chosen today is actually “Today’s Date”. This seemed a sensible choice as today is St George’s Day, St George being the Patron Saint of England. I understand that he actually has many patronages so we English can’t claim exclusive rights to him – especially as he was apparently born, between 275 and 285 AD, in Lydda (in Syria Palestina, a Roman province formed by the amalgamation of Roman Syria and Roman Judea) and may never have set foot in England.
 
According to legend, he was a Roman soldier and military officer in the Guard of Emperor Diocletian, who ordered his death on 23 April 303 for failing to recant his Christian faith.
 
Eastern Orthodox depictions of Saint George slaying a dragon in Beirut often include the image of a young woman who looks on from a distance. The standard iconographic interpretation of the image icon is that the dragon represents both Satan (Revelation. 12:9) and the monster from his life story. The young woman is the wife of Diocletian, later Saint Alexandra. Thus, the image, as interpreted through the language of Byzantine iconography, is an image of the martyrdom of the saint.
 
In the fully developed Western version a dragon or crocodile makes its nest at the spring that provides water for the city of "Silene" (perhaps modern Cyrene [Libya] or the city of Lydda, depending on the source). Consequently, the citizens have to dislodge the dragon from its nest for a time, to collect water. To do so, each day they offer the dragon at first a sheep, and if no sheep can be found, then a virgin maiden is the best substitute for one. The victim is chosen by drawing lots. One day, this happens to be the princess. The monarch begs for her life to be spared, but to no avail. She is offered to the dragon, but then Saint George appears on his travels. He faces the dragon, protects himself with the sign of the cross, slays the dragon, and rescues the princess. The citizens abandon their ancestral paganism and convert to Christianity.

(Thanks to Wikipedia for this information!)
 
The models used in this photo are from the Games Workshop range – two of the many painted by our sons several years ago (see my Tiny Tuesday blip earlier in the week). I’m sure they weren’t meant to represent St George and the Dragon, but I thought they’d do. The flames, I confess, were borrowed from a picture on Google Images.

Best viewed large.