Latest / The History of Belgium: A Small Country with a Giant Colonial Legacy — Fexingo History / The Patron Saint of Flanders: How a British Martyr United Belgium
Transcript
- Lucas: So, Luna, we've spent several episodes on the Congo and Belgium's colonial legacy. But I thought today we'd pivot to something a little earlier — the medieval period, and a figure who's still surprisingly relevant in Flanders today. Luna: Oh, I'm intrigued. Who are we talking about? Lucas: Saint George. The dragon-slayer. Patron saint of England, yes — but also of Flanders, and of a bunch of other places. And his story is a mess of legend, history, and politics. Luna: Wait, really? Flanders has Saint George as patron? I thought that was England's thing. Lucas: It's true. The cross of Saint George — that red cross on a white background — is the flag of England, but it's also the flag of the Flemish region. You see it draped over buildings in Ghent or Bruges during festivals. And the cult of Saint George was huge in medieval Flanders, especially after a key battle. Lucas: That battle was the Battle of the Golden Spurs in 1302, when Flemish militia — mostly commoners — defeated the French royal army near Kortrijk. The Flemish chronicles described how they carried a banner with the cross of Saint George into battle. Luna: So the saint was a symbol of resistance against the French? Lucas: Exactly. France was the big power, and the Flemish cities — especially the cloth towns like Ghent, Bruges, and Ypres — were asserting their independence. Saint George was perfect: he was a soldier, a martyr, and a symbol of righteous victory against overwhelming odds. Lucas: Now, the historical Saint George is… well, he's a mystery. The earliest accounts place him as a Roman soldier from Cappadocia — modern-day Turkey — who was executed around 303 AD under Emperor Diocletian. Lucas: The story goes that he refused to persecute Christians, so he was tortured and beheaded. But the famous dragon episode doesn't appear until centuries later, in the 11th or 12th century, probably brought back by Crusaders. Luna: So the dragon was a later addition? Like a medieval fan fiction? Lucas: Exactly that. The Golden Legend, a 13th-century collection of saints' lives, cemented the dragon story: George saves a princess from a dragon that was demanding human sacrifices, then converts the city to Christianity. It's allegorical — the dragon represents paganism or evil — but it became incredibly popular. Lucas: In Flanders, the cult of Saint George took off in the 12th and 13th centuries. The cloth merchants, who were the economic powerhouse of cities like Ghent, adopted him as their protector. They had the money to commission altarpieces and build chapels dedicated to him. Luna: So he was the patron of commerce as well as chivalry? Lucas: Right. The guilds of crossbowmen and archers — the city militias — also used his cross. In Bruges, the Sint-Jorisgilde — the Guild of Saint George — was one of the most prestigious. They had a shooting range and a chapel in the city. Lucas: And the cross of Saint George became a civic symbol. When Flemish cities fought alongside each other, they'd march under that red cross. It was a flag of unity against outsiders, especially the French. Luna: But what about the actual historicity? Was there really a Saint George? Lucas: That's a great question. The historical evidence is thin. The earliest mention is from a Greek inscription from 368 AD in Syria, but it's not clear if it refers to our George. Pope Gelasius I in 494 AD listed George among saints 'whose names are justly reverenced among men, but whose acts are known only to God.' Lucas: In 1969, the Vatican overhauled the calendar of saints and downgraded George's feast day from a 'solemnity' to a 'memorial' — basically acknowledging that his story was mostly legend. But that didn't stop popular devotion. Luna: Interesting. So the church itself was like, 'We're not sure about this guy,' but the people kept celebrating him anyway. Lucas: Exactly. And in Flanders, the devotion remained strong. The Battle of the Golden Spurs became a nationalist touchstone in the 19th and 20th centuries, and with it, Saint George was revived as a symbol of Flemish identity. Lucas: Today, you can still see the cross of Saint George everywhere. The flag of the Flemish Community is actually a lion — the Vlaamse Leeuw — but the Saint George cross is used as a naval jack and appears on many city coats of arms. Lucas: And every year in Ghent, the Gentse Feesten — a huge ten-day festival — includes a procession honoring Saint George. There's a dragon puppet, knights in armor, the whole thing. It's a blend of history, folklore, and civic pride. Luna: So the dragon still makes an appearance. I love that. Lucas: Absolutely. And it's not just in Flanders. Across Europe, Saint George is the patron of many cities — Genoa, Barcelona, Moscow, Beirut. His cross appears on flags from England to Georgia. But for Flanders, he's a particularly meaningful figure because he embodies the struggle for independence against a larger power. Lucas: There's also a darker side, though. In the 19th century, the Flemish Movement used Saint George to promote a romanticized, medieval vision of Flanders. Some far-right nationalist groups later co-opted the symbol, which is why you sometimes see it in controversial contexts. Luna: That's a sobering reminder that symbols can be twisted. Lucas: It is. But for most people today, Saint George is just part of the cultural landscape — a bridge to the medieval past, when Flanders was one of the richest and most dynamic regions in Europe. Lucas: If you ever visit Bruges, look up at the belfry. You'll see a statue of Saint George slaying the dragon. Or in Ghent, the Gravensteen castle has a chapel dedicated to him. He's woven into the stone of these cities. Luna: I'll definitely look for him next time. So, to sum up: a Roman soldier who may or may not have existed, whose dragon story was invented centuries later, became a symbol of Flemish independence and still flies on flags today. That's quite a journey. Lucas: It really is. And it shows how history works — a kernel of truth, layers of legend, and then centuries of people projecting their own hopes and struggles onto a figure. Saint George is a mirror of the societies that venerate him. Luna: Well, I'm glad we took this detour. It's nice to think about something other than colonial atrocities for once. Lucas: Agreed. And next time, maybe we'll look at another aspect of medieval Flanders — the cloth trade, the guilds, the rise of Ghent as a city-state. There's a lot more to this small country's story.