Saint George isn’t just England’s problem. He’s the patron saint of Portugal, Georgia, Malta, Ethiopia, and Moscow. Even some parts of Spain and India claim him. The guy gets around.
In Georgia, churches are named after him. In Ethiopia, his feast day is huge. The dragon-slayer is basically an international rock star. Everybody wants a piece of that dragon-killing action.
Why? Because everyone loves a story about an underdog who wins. George stood up to a dragon and an empire. That’s the kind of energy we all need.
So, Who Was He Really?
Historians are still arguing. Some say George never existed at all. Others insist he was a real soldier whose story got exaggerated. I’m leaning toward “maybe he existed, but the dragon is pure fantasy.”
We do know his cult exploded after the Crusades. His tomb was venerated in Lydda (modern-day Israel). People made pilgrimages, prayed for miracles, and named their kids George. It’s a brand, really.
And honestly? The man is a cipher. We know he was executed for his beliefs. That’s it. Everything else is a wonderful, messy game of telephone played over centuries.
