000			01588nam a2200169Ia 4500
005			20250718142146.0
008			250718s9999 xx 000 0 und d
020			_a9781843834694
082			_a942.03 _bGOO
100			_aGood, Jonathan
245		4	_aThe Cult of Saint George in Medieval England
260			_bBoydell & Brewer _c2009
300			_a231 pages
500			_aHow St. George became the patron saint of England has always been a subject of speculation. He was not English, nor was his principal shrine there - the usual criteria for national patronage ; yet his status and fame came to eclipse that of all other saints. Edward III's use of the saint in his wars against the French established him as a patron and protector of the king ; unlike other saints George was adopted by the English to signify membership of the "community of the realm". This book traces the origins and growth of the cult of St. George, arguing that, especially after Edward's death, George came to represent a "good" politics (deriving from Edward's prosecution of a war with spoils for everyone) and could be used to rebuke subsequent kings for their poor governance. Most medieval kings came to understand this fact, and venerated St. George in order to prove their worthiness to hold their office. The political dimension of the cult never completely displaced the devotional one, but it was so strong that St. George survived the Reformation as a national symbol - one that continues in importance in the recovery of a specifically English identity.
650			_aHistory
942			_cENGLISH
999			_c576340 _d576340