Happy St George's Day. Everyone.

St George is not the patron saint of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI). Indeed, in the UK he is often seen as embodying something exclusively white, defiantly nationalistic and largely male. Not very diverse, equitable or inclusive I hear some of you say. Like Basil and the Major both these views are fictions, but unlike the harmless characters in Fawlty Towers neither are based on a healthy understanding of where our myths come from.

'Facts'

Historical sources indicate that St George was not white-skinned, not a knight and never visited England. He was probably:

• A Greek Christian, born in 270CE, in Cappadocia in modern-day Turkey
• A Roman soldier in the elite Praetorian Guard
• Tortured and executed in Lydda in modern-day Israel for protesting against the treatment of Christians and refusing to recant his faith
• The catalyst behind the conversion of Roman Empress Alexandra to Christianity

Myths

Several myths arose around St George; some of these include:

• Slaying a dragon in Silene in modern-day Libya, saving a princess and freeing the community from scaly oppression
• Curing sick animals and humans and even returning them back to life
• His wounds healing in front of his torturers
• Meeting his end in modern-day Iraq for standing against idolatry
• Hailing from Coventry

Celebration

Since his death and myth-creation, he has become celebrated as:

• A patron saint of England, Georgia, Ethiopia, Malta, Portugal, Rio de Janiero, Aragon, Catalonia and more
• The patron saint of Lebanese, Palestinian and Syrian Christians
• The patron saint of cavalry and sufferers of skin diseases and syphilis
• A Green Man figure in the Abrahamic faiths, sharing a shrine in Beit Jala in Palestine with the Jewish Prophet Elijah and the mystical Al Khader, described in the Holy Quran as a righteous servant of Allah

So what?

If you think this real or imagined character has nothing to do with you, maybe think again. This brown-skinned Greek Christian soldier from Turkey stood up to oppression and one of the most powerful men in the world, paid in Israel with his life for his beliefs and impacted the lives of people of all faiths in the Middle East and beyond. Maybe not your perfect poster-person for DEI but, there again, we are all flawed. Like Basil and the Major.

(Context: The meme was shared this morning by a friend and soldier on a whatsapp group. It made me laugh, because I know people who really are like Basil and the Major and because I also happen to be a retired major. It made me think, because it reminded me of the need to laugh - sometimes at ourselves and especially when things are not so rosy in the world - and do something.)

(Postscript: Thumbs up to so many posts today highlighting his global resonance ??)