St George, paganism & the BNP!

Despite the danger of sounding like a victorian gentleman I have to say that today was absolutely delightful!

I had planned to visit the National media museum to see the 'Lives of the great photographers' exhibition but got side tracked by the St Georges day celebrations in Bradford's centenary square.

There is great pleasure to be had in being a flâneur (French for "stroller", "lounger" or"saunterer") & idly passing the time with a wander for want of anything better to do!

There's also great pleasure to be had from the pleasure of others & it was wonderful to see lots of families out in the sun & the kids faces of delight (oh to be that age again - who said youth is wasted on children?) at the street entertainers & jugglers.

There was a tiny group of lads with flags (no more than school kids) roaming town who viewed St Georges day as an opportunity to stir up trouble by seeking out asian lads to pick fights with in a vain attempt to bolster their lack of identity (in a culture that venerates status when you think your no one nationalism or gang culture is a much easier route to an identity than thinking for yourself which is a much lonelier pursuit).

I wish they wouldn't do such things - part of the reason I hate that red cross is because the likes of the BNP have hijacked it as a symbol so whenever I see it displayed I just think knob head!

Plus...

I am no nationalist & I don't have a patriotic bone in my body, I'm no more proud to be English than I am to be male, human or from the planet earth & national pride is as puzzling to me as the bizarre frenzy surrounding the royal wedding (I'd have more interest if I knew them personally but their just two strangers to me!).

I fail to understand how the accident of being born in England translates into pride as I could quite easily have been born Spanish & would no doubt have been equally as proud?

I am what I am - my own special creation lol and I can only be proud of those things I can change about myself rather than stereotypical labels foisted upon me regarding my nationality which is why I fail to 'fall in line'.

I'm a goat rather than a sheep.

Saint George is popularly identified with England and English ideals of honour, bravery and gallantry, but actually he wasn?t English at all.

Quick Facts about St George;

Born in Turkey (in Cappadocia)
Lived in 3rd century
His parents were Christian
Became a Roman soldier
Protested against Rome's persecution of Christians
Imprisoned and tortured, but stayed true to his faith
Beheaded at Lydda in Palestine

St George served under a pagan Emperor but never forgot his Christian faith. When the pagan Emperor Diocletian started persecuting Christians, St. George pleaded with the Emperor to spare their lives. However, St. George's pleas fell on deaf ears and it is thought that the Emperor Diocletian tried to make St. George deny his faith in Christ, by torturing him!

This is the reason for the legend of St George slaying the dragon.

St George represents Christianity & the dragon represents paganism so it's an allegory about Christianity overcoming earlier pagan beliefs by usurping them (which is why churches are often found on top of earlier pagan sites of worship and most Christian religious dates coincide with pagan religious dates as it was easier to assimilate them).

St George is patron saint not only of England but also of Aragon, Catalonia, England, Ethiopia, Georgia, Greece, Lithuania, Palestine, Portugal, and Russia, as well as the cities of Amersfoort, Beirut, Bteghrine, Cáceres, Ferrara, Freiburg, Genoa, Ljubljana, Gozo, Pomorie, Qormi, Lod and Moscow.

I'm sure the BNP don't make those facts clear when hijacking St Georges image!

Anyway it was a beautiful day & a great day to be proud of...just being YOU!