Know my Name. St George- the globalised patron saint of England.

At 1500hrs BST, our mobile phones beeped out a national test of the UK Emergency Alerts Service. The short shrill sound, also alerted us, to celebrate two global narratives; the life and death of William Shakespeare and celebrating St George’s day. Both historical narratives, play an important role in how we need to focus on multicultural narratives, that often tinge globalisation. Shakespeare is too globalised to be confined into this article. Let us focus on the name “George”, conveniently, my surname.

George, a Turkish or Kurdish immigrant, was brought up by his mother in Palestine and martyred in Israel/Palestine on 23rd April AD 303. George would later be transformed into the Patron saint of England, in spite of never setting foot in England and still remains associated with the oldest order of chivalry in England; the most noble order of the garter. George is also the patron saint of Bulgaria, England, Georgia, Portugal, Romania, Cáceres, Alcoy, Aragon, Rio de Janeiro, Catalonia, Ethiopia.??

But, I want to believe that HM Government? wants to celebrate my family name too.? I am also a "George". My father was a George, my grandfather was a Varghese and my great-grandfather? was called Geevarghese and my great-great-grandfather? was also a Geevarghese,? - all synonyms of the anglicised name, “George” that links to the noble vocation of agriculture. Foraging for food, and later cultivation of agriculture, has constantly been humanity's greatest quest, apart from killing ourselves, through wars and disputes. George is associated with both vocations.

Other vernacular variants of the George surname still exist in my place of birth. Varughese, Verghese, Varughis, and Varkey, are often translations of other Syriac/Aramaic George names. Others variants are Giwargis ( as in Giwargis 1, patriarch of the Church of the East from 661 to 680 or the film maker, Marcel Giwargis), Gewargis or Givargi which are also as as common as the George name.

Varghese could have come from spanish word, Varga meaning a hut or land, perhaps a link to farming. We do have many examples of notable Vargas and Varga names in Spain, including Ivan de Vargas? who went to sire one of oldest lineages in? Madrid: the Vargas. It could also come from the? Hungarian name for ‘cobbler or shoemaker’.

In Greece, George may have come from "georgos" or “ Georgios” meaning? again a farmer. Other variants are Giorgos, Yiorgos.

In France, the name Georges was first thought to have originated in Normandy. Variants of the name include Jore, Joret, Joreau, Joriau, Joriaux, Jorin, Jorel, Jori, Jory, Jorry, Jorre, Jorret, Jorioz.

In England, the surname Georges, is still used from its first reported use in Dorset and then went to become George, following its rise in usage during the crusades, when George became deified.

You may now want to imagine this as a very personal, but delusionary attempt at inventing a pedigree.

But do we really know the etymology and historical significance of the George name?

George was celebrated through a carefully cultivated, yet murky hagiography, first created by the Byzantine church following his death in AD 303, and then carefully curated over the next millennium by the Orthodox church. It probably started with his burial in Lydda, Palestine where the first “George”church was built. History does not remember the other Georges.

George is also mentioned in the ecclesiastical History, written by the Palestinian, Eusebius of Caesarea around AD 400. The catholic church caught onto the St George legend and Pope Gelasius made him a saint in AD 494. St George was now transformed into a powerful global narrative that travelled through Christendom.

The Syriac Orthodox Church and the Assyrian orthodox church venerate George as “Mar Giwargis”, translating into St George, a greek military officer.? In Iraq, the church of Dair Mar Gewargis, about “6 miles north-east of Mosul. Situated on the east side of the river Tigris. 4 miles from Tel-kepeh (Telkaif)” has a place in this narrative with pilgrims visiting the church on St George’s day. It also appears this church was first built on the legend of St George, somewhere around AD 600.

A global narrative of St George is now gradually built,?on preserving values, practising chivalry, keeping moral order, thus making him apt to be a patron saint of the military. Several armed forces still celebrate St George as a 'soldier saint’ including UK forces who call on his steadfast courage, honour, fortitude in adversity, faith and charity. Several immoral crusades and inglorious battles in the name of Christianity, have been fought for St George from antiquity as well as in modern times. Jacob de Voragine’s Legenda aurea had moved the St George narrative into Libya with a story of his rescuing a Libyan king’s daughter from a dragon and then slaying the monster in return for a promise by the king’s subjects to be baptized.

The evil dragon was added in, later to signify a linkage of moral victory over evil. There were no dragons around in the first century AD. More likely people were frightened of unexplained volcanic eruptions or hot geysers spewing out fire and stone. But we added this to the narrative, providing a technicolour embellishment of an ordinary officer of the Roman army, named George.

St George is also an impactful global business narrative, weaving strands of history, religious practices and iconography, continuation of political and spiritual dynasties as well a glue to holding together elements of societal order in many geographies.?

?St George is seen as the forerunner of business intermediaries, starting out as a good intercessor and intermediary for those who could not be bothered to pray to god directly. Several accounts of St George's role in miracles performed through intermediation between ordinary devotees and their prayers to God, abound through almost 1700 years of writings and history. Global finance is mostly built on intermediaries.

St George is also synonymous with the business of health, specifically as one of the? 'Fourteen Holy Helpers – a group of saints who could help during epidemic diseases”. A good name to use during the recent pandemic.

St George has a special significance in the UK; Henry V on 25 October 1415, rallied his troops with a “Cry God for England, Harry and St George” according to the playwright, William Shakespeare, born on St George’s day in 1564 and who uncanningly, died on 23 April 1616,- St George’s day. Henry V’s victory at the battle of Agincourt, would make St George, England’s own military saint. St George’s use as a military talisman during the crusades, would make Edward 1 set him on course as a protector of the English people in 1415. The Welsh and the Scots would beg to differ on this though!?Nadhim Zahawi, MP tried to make St George’s day, a bank holiday in 2010 arguing on his importance to the UK as an acceptable immigrant. He also tried to weave in, the importance of celebrating St George’s day, to the local pubs, restaurants and the retail industry.

Finally, all of the key elements involved in the King’s coronation in May would have something to do with the St George name. A Patriarch of the Orthodox church, Theophilos II of Jerusalem, consecrated the holy anointing oil. The King is the head of the most noble order of the garter and St George flag's remains incorporated into the UK flag.

Stop for a moment!

Reflect on your name. How global is it? What are its origins? You would be surprised at how globally connected, we all remain.