Saint George

[Postmaster]

Major saint in the Christian religion.. A Greek born in Anatolia with Roman cizitanship.

Is it true that he is mentioned in the Koran.. How important is he? Cause he's very important in Christianity, he's considered almost like a second Christ and the patron saint for alot of Christian countries.

[arthra]

My old friend Postmaster!

Actually I did some research on Saint George some time ago and enjoyed doing it!

He was associated with Khizr in the Holy Land but this is really a case of legends and probably not havng anything to do actually with the revelation in the Qur'an....

There are some sites on line about this..one of them at

"Often associated with the biblical prophet Elijah and St. George the patron saint of England, al-Khizr in the traditions of Islam is identified with an unknown servant of Allah who was blessed by God 'out of His own knowledge' (min ladunni ilma) with exceptional wisdom and the gift of perpetual life -- the Water of Life in other words."

Source:

http://kataragama.org/islamic.htm

Saint George is no longer considered a "saint" officially in the West from what I hear...or recall...because he's too legendary.

He still is an attractive figure in literature and legend of course.

- Art

[Postmaster]

I heard a story of him appearing to some friends of the family in my parent’s village in Cyprus, strolling the streets on a white horse and white armour and he's always been associated protecting and even healing people.

I watched a documentary on TV about how Saint George is mentioned in the Koran and how he healed a Christian from the Middle East I think he was Lebanese he claimed to have seen him one day on a white horse and white Armour etc..

Hearing something from word of mouth and then hearing a similar story on TV from an other country with no connection to the people we heard it from is fascinating.

Something you might find interesting Arthra.. Cyprus before the Turkish invasion and the ethnic separation and cleansing, Turks and Greeks lived with each other many villages were mixed and some were just Turks and some just Greek. They villages my family originate from were mixed and My grandfather can remember Turkish familys would visit churches and prays to some of the Christian saints in return for a cure for an ill family member, when they wern't Christian.

[mansio]

I never heard that saint George is mentioned in the Quran.

[arthra]

Postmaster...

wrote:

"Cyprus before the Turkish invasion and the ethnic separation and cleansing, Turks and Greeks lived with each other many villages were mixed and some were just Turks and some just Greek. They villages my family originate from were mixed and My grandfather can remember Turkish familys would visit churches and prays to some of the Christian saints in return for a cure for an ill family member, when they wern't Christian."

What you are saying is significant because I'm convinced there could have also been Muslims and Christians sharing stories and legends actually over centuries and that's how these legends of Khizr and Saint George could have blended.

Likely some of the crusaders or pilgrims took stories of Saint George they heard in the east back to England.

I kinda doubt though you will find Saint George anywhere in the Qur'an except maybe as a book marker in it....

There was also a piece of literature well known in English literature called the "Faerie Queene" by Edmund Spenser which incorporates the story of Saint George...

Gentle Knight was pricking on the plaine,
Y cladd in mightie armes and siluer shielde,
Wherein old dints of deepe wounds did remaine,
The cruell markes of many' a bloudy fielde;
Yet armes till that time did he neuer wield:
His angry steede did chide his foming bitt,
As much disdayning to the curbe to yield:
Full iolly knight he seemd, and faire did sitt,
As one for knightly giusts and fierce encounters fitt.

But on his brest a bloudie Crosse he bore,
The deare remembrance of his dying Lord,
For whose sweete sake that glorious badge he wore,
And dead as liuing euer him ador'd:
Vpon his shield the like was also scor'd,
For soueraine hope, which in his helpe he had:
Right faithfull true he was in deede and word,
But of his cheere did seeme too solemne sad;
Yet nothing did he dread, but euer was ydrad.

Source:

http://darkwing.uoregon.edu/~rbear/queene1.html