St. George’s Day – April 23rd

Having paid attention to St. David and St. Patrick on earlier posts, next up (and a little belatedly) is St. George, the Patron Saint of England as well as a few other places such as Germany and Georgia (as in former Soviet Union rather than the Bulldogs) and of soldiers, farmers, and sufferers of leprosy, plague and syphilis.  I have just realized I belong to three of these groups and before you think the worst, they are born in England, former soldier and current farmer.   St. George is also the patron saint of archers which underscores these famous lines from Henry V, Act 3, Scene 1:

'I see you stand like greyhounds in the slips,
Straining upon the start. The game's afoot:
Follow your spirit; and, upon this charge
Cry God for Harry, England and St George!'

One cannot mention Henry V without thinking of the Battle of Agincourt in 1415 where 6,000 English defeated 30,000 French (yes, thirty thousand) with the English longbows playing a key role in the battle.  Anyway, I digress; enough of the good old days. 

An early source suggests St. George was a Roman soldier of noble birth put to death under the Emperor Diocietian at Nicomedia on April 23, 303 for protesting the persecution of Christians.  George was adopted as patron saint of soldiers after he appeared to the Crusader army at the Battle of Antioch in 1098.  The banner of St. George, the red martyr’s cross against a white background, became the uniform of the English under Richard I and later became the flag of England.  George became the Patron Saint of England by the end of the fourteenth century. 

One of the myths surrounding St. George is the slaying of the dragon.  There are no dragons at Hereward Farm but there is a dog (or dogs) that killed 11 chickens this week out in the orchard.  Roosters Harold and Edward met their end and it looked like Harold had put up a respectable fight (like his namesake).  The other rooster in the orchard ended up jumping a fence into the chick coop and survived (perhaps a French name for this rooster is in order?).  Five bodies were found strewn across the orchard with enough feathers to stuff a duvet.  The remaining chickens were either taken or met their grisly end in the woods.  This is the second time a dog has got to the chickens.  As a dog owner myself, I am loath to hurt one but the next dog I see on the property will be through the cross-hairs of my scope…  

Body Count: Five bodies found.  Here are Harold, an ISA hen, two Barred Rock hens and a young Barred Rock rooster.  There's about 50 lb of chicken here and nearly a hernia taking them out to the trash.