St. George the Victorious is the patron saint of many cities and countries. Their list includes Moscow, England, Georgia, Aragon, Barcelona, Genoa. In Britain, he is not only the patron saint of the state (officially recognized in 1344), and the capital, London, is also under his heavenly care.
The right of the capital to its state attributes
Not all, but most capitals, especially developed states, have their own attributes of power - a flag or coat of arms, or both. Very often, the main cities of the countries are a separate territorial unit with their government, law enforcement agencies, with their emblems, which depict any dominant of the city. The capital of Great Britain, London, has its two symbols - the coat of arms and flag. Own power attributes represent the capital at the international level. State symbols can be both symbols of the religion prevailing on its territory, and something else that is fundamental to the city itself or its history. Christianity, on the attributes of the power of the state or its capital, as a rule, depicts a cross.
Flag History
The flag of London is borrowed from the old historical urban area - City, built on the basis of the oldest (43rd year - the era of the reign of the Roman emperor Claudius) city of Londinium. This city was then of great importance: in the 100th year it became the capital of Roman Britain. There are allegations that it was built on the foundation of a more ancient civilization.
Britain is a Christian country, and the image on its flag of the cross is natural and symbolic, as in the banner of London. The most revered saint here is George the Victorious, who as a commander had his banner (all the crusaders fought under it, it is a symbol of knightly prowess): a red cross, the center of which is in the middle of a bright white cloth.
The semantic load of the banner
The flag of London repeats the pattern of the knight’s banner, except that the edges of the cross of St. George coincide with the edges of the banner, and in the upper left, next to the pole, there is a red sword. The banner is very old, the symbolism has not changed for centuries. And it is obvious that the sword, pointed upward, speaks not only of valor, but also of justice. The fate of the City district (not to mention the fact that it is a world - class financial center ) is underscored by the fact that its original banner throughout the world is presented as the flag of London. There is a version that this flag was invented by Pope Urban II specifically for knights traveling on the First Crusade in 1096. The Welsh battles also added military glory to the flag of St. George, where in 1275 it was used as symbolism - the knights' horses were covered with blankets that completely repeated the banner.
The main power attribute of London
The coat of arms of the English capital carries the same semantic load as the previous attribute. This is also evidenced by the motto inscribed on a ribbon located in the lower part of the heraldic object. Domine dirige nos - an ancient Latin saying translated as "Lord, guide us" - the motto of the knights of Britain. The emblem was officially approved in 1380, but its symbolic drawing is rooted in the Anglo-Saxon wars of the 5th-9th centuries, in the era of the early Middle Ages.
Under these banners of St. George, the British ships set off in 1179 to conquer Palestine south.
The history of the country reflected in the coat of arms
The central part of the coat of arms is occupied by the flag of London, which completely covers the field of the knight’s shield, which is held on two sides by mythological monsters. Dragons have always been associated with “universal evil” and cruelty in the Western worldview.
The ancient Britons connected them with the Saxon invaders, the victory over which is symbolized by St. George's crosses of bright red color scattered on the wings of dragons. The color scheme of the London coat of arms is strict - scarlet color on a white or silver background. Hence the national importance of red color - they paint buses and telephone boxes, the clothes of the Lord Mayor of the City are also red.
The crown at the top of the main symbol of the capital emphasizes the monarchical structure of England and the continuity of traditions.
Everyday use of banner symbols
The London flag as an emblem is used very often, because its presence makes the thing popular. It is applied to absolutely everything - clothes, furniture, it is decorated with furniture interiors, it has a place for breaking down parks and squares, floristry and confectionery art also pay tribute to it. Such love of the British for their banners (and in the national flag of England in the center there is the same red cross dividing the canvas into four equal parts) is explained not only by the fact that St. George is the heavenly patron of both England and London. According to many claims, this Great Martyr comes from ancient Britain, and therefore is a compatriot to the English. The flag of London (photo) has an interesting and rich history of its formation as a symbol of valor.