Ricardo Diaz de Rabago and Verdeguer, Priest.
inside the line, that we have marked, to publish data on the importance and universality of S. Jorge, I think it is time to make some contribution about “S. George and the Crown of Aragon”.
And before transcribing the notes I have to state that, as the years go by, We note that the figure of S. Jorge does not remain as a reality of the past, nor does it diminish with the passage of time, but rather on the contrary, its figure is increasing and the historical and scientific foundations are increasingly firmer..
To date, the multiple legends about S. have been widely studied.. Jorge.
Fascinating. Today the numerous apocryphal writings are very purified and the different martyrdom records have been rigorously studied.. The entire mythical-religious background is fascinating.. And although we continue with historical constancy in “written documents” almost meager, modern sciences, like archeology and hagiography, They are providing data of great rigor.
Enough today, for those most critical of the figure of S. Jorge, these archaeological contributions:
-“The umbilical element is Lydda, the ancient Diospolis, destroyed by Celso Galo whose ruins can be seen near the current Lod airport, between Jerusalem and Tel-Aviv. The city appears in the episcopal lists as Hagiogeorpolis, that is to say, “The city of S. Jorge”, Syrian tradition makes it the homeland of the saint, or at least of his death and still, in very recent times, the inhabitants showed the “casa de Khidr”, Arabic name of S. Jorge. It is to Lydda more than anywhere else that pilgrims go to venerate him.. In Lydda the relics of S. George for both Christians and Mohammedans, that on their pilgrimage to Mecca they always stopped there”-
-“In Shaqquá, ancient Saccaea, in Palestine, There are the ruins of a church in which an inscription appeared, currently missing, which was copied by Burckahart with the following content:
“A temple of the holy victorious martyr George, and his companions, It was built from its foundations with offerings from Bishop Tiberinus. But the care of Jorge and Sergio, the sanctuary and the expansion of the temple….in the year 323, great…”
If the reading of the tombstone is correct, we would find ourselves facing evidence that in the year 367 of the Era the erection of a sanctuary and the expansion of a temple dedicated to Saint George took place, which consequently would have been built previously (that is, shortly after the martyr's passion)”.
After this brief clarifying note, I think that the time has come to delve into the roots of the presence of S. Jorge in Banyeres de Mariola and its configuration as a town around the most universal martyr. And for this we have to go back to our membership in the Crown of Aragon.. We have already taken a step “significant” at the Festival of the Relic, with the presence and presidency at the solemn mass, of the Archbishop of Zaragoza (capital of the crown of Aragon) of His Most Reverend Excellency Mr.. Dr. D. Manuel Urena Pastor.
So it is appropriate to talk about:
S. George in the Crown of Aragon.
– Vague (1499) When writing about Pedro I of Aragon and the famous battle of Alcoraz he says:
“and in memory another yes of the wonderful benefit they had received…so winning: the so holy and enlightened martyr: and such a victorious and noble knight Saint George: by whose great effort and favor they had driven the Moors from the countryside, The prosperous and never defeated king ordered to call his officers of arms: so that four heads of black Moors could be placed on their royal shield: on a silver field with the red cross: in the middle as Saint George was emblazoned: and these were from now on the royal weapons of Aragó…the magnanimous king commanded by countenance: that a devout church was later founded in that same step, and he called him Saint George of Las Boqueras or more probably Saint George of Ventura.” (ff. XXXIII – XXXV)
• In 1201, Peter II created the Order of S. Jorge de Alfama, basically to repopulate and defend a desert territory, so it is natural that he paid attention to a Saint who appeared as a warrior and who was the winner of great and important battles.. This brotherhood, settled in the castle of Alfama had great moments, until in 1400 It was merged with that of Montesa, becoming known as the order of Our Lady of Montesa and San Jorge de Alfama.
• From 1281, Pedro III of Aragon used the shield of the cross of S. in one of his seals.. George canton of Saracen heads: “I the authors write that the king then took for his weapons and insignia the cross of Saint George in a silver field, and in the shield squares four red heads for four kings and main leaders who died in this battle, and these weapons remained from then on to the kings of Aragon” (Zurita, Annals, I, XXXI).
• “During the reign of James II of Aragon (1291-1 327), writes the warrior and chronicler Ramón Muntaner (1256-1336), when he talks about the troops of the crown of Aragon, that Roger de Flor commanded. And when narrating the combat standards it appears: “Me and everyone else went to sink all the ships, and I ordered to make a great royal flag of the Lord King of Aragon, and another of the Lord King of Sicily and another of Saint George, and we would take these three into battle” “The good mood with which they came out, both those on horseback and those on foot to help their own, has never been seen, so that, for now, we thought we would have to do, but when we reached the foot of the hill a voice arose from among us and we all shouted: Outside!Outside!Saint George!Saint George!
• Peter IV of Aragon (1336-1 387) He established the Order of Chivalry of Saint George and approved the ordinances by which it was to be governed, which should not be confused with the Order of S. Jorge de Alfama (that strengthened). The king himself was master of this, being under his direct orders and constituting a select military force.
Let us highlight some of the most significant points of the ordinances of this order of chivalry..
1) The vestment that the knights will be given will be white with the red cross on the front., of length equal to the back of a man's hand and wide as the nail of the smallest finger.
6) If any gentleman would like to give the vestment of St. George, Before doing so, you must remove the cross or badge from it..
9) In all the companies in which they participate, The knights of Saint George must wear the clothing that distinguishes them, white with red cross.
10) Every year, the day of the feast of St. George, The knights of this order will meet with the monarch and attend Vespers with him dressed in the white mantle.
This king had great confidence in the protection of S. George throughout his entire reign, honoring the tradition of their ancestors. He even used the dragon as the crest of his helmet.. The last example of a helmet with a dragon crest that has survived to this day seems to be that of King Martin I of Aragon. (1396-1410).
this king, “Peter the Ceremonious” had the emblem of S. Jorge in great esteem, and this is expressed personally in the letter that Infante Don Fernando addressed to his brother in 1 359:
“The king of Arago.
dear friar: Did you know that we have great devotion to Baro Sant Jordi, we have ordered that on the day of the battle, all the female horsemen will have signs of Saint George. And so tomorrow we ask you to make for yourself the same and similarly make at home your ring fingers that are completely white with a red cross and be wide both on the front and on the back, so that the signal fingers look like and are in accordance with the signal of baron Sent Jordi.”
This is also how it appears in his CHRONICLE, when processing your entry into Valencia:
“With this, said king of Castile raised the field he had in the Grao of Valencia, and going up the general path that goes to Murviedro (Sagunto) to that city, He went directly to Murviedro castle. Meanwhile with God's blessing, of the virgin our lady Santa Maria and the blessed Saint George, we enter the city of Valencia, where all its inhabitants received us with great joy and joy”.
Basten, Like it shows, these data about the kings of the crown of Aragon. This devotion of the Aragonese royalty led, as is natural to the adoption by the oligarchy of the different territories of the Aragonese Crown to the dissemination and adoption of the figure of S. Jorge. Nobles, nobility, infantzones, gentlemen.
The Brotherhood of Knights and Infanzones of Zaragoza (15 May 1505) asks King Ferdinand the Catholic to grant them the endorsement, he being the first brother:
“Hordinations that the capitol of cavallers and fidalgos of the city of Çaragoça begs the Lord King to admit and grant due to his royal privilege are these that follow:
First, that a brotherhood of the knights and fidalgos of the city of Çaragoça be founded in the invocation of Lord Saint George and that by the brotherhood of that brotherhood the feast of said Saint be celebrated in mass, vespers and sermon and a general procession is held on said day through the said city and the festivities are held in the Houses of the deputation of the said City.
Item, It is ordered that in said procession a flag with the image of Mr. Saint George is displayed.…”
Not forgetting the representation of the Georgian emblem:
“It is ordered that the four attorneys of the said capitol must wear white satin bands with their red satin crosses on the day the said procession takes place.…”
In 1627 Nobles were allowed to enter the brotherhood, retouching the ordinations in 1632, and modified in 1675: Ordinations of the Chapter and Brotherhood of Cavalleros, and Hijosdalogo, under the invocation of the Glorious Martyr and Patron Saint George of the City of Çaragoça.
Its expansion throughout Aragon is logical and natural.. The cities of Huesca, Teruel and Zaragoza are historical testimony of the presence of the saint. Like towns, temples and churches.
Saint George is “chosen patron of the kingdom and of all Aragonese,” according to some since 1096 (Chronicles), battle of Alcaraz, According to others, the presence in Aragon places it in the Huesca area.. In 1243 appears “brother of Saint George”. In the 14th century there was already a procession held on the day 23 of April…
The Saint appears in the chronicles of ancient battles.
Let us add to those already mentioned the “Navarrese-Aragonese Chronicle”, the “Chronicle of the Peninsular States”.
So as not to get lost in writing down and recording the presence of the saint at all levels., details etc. just quote your “presence” in the Provincial Council. And as a very significant piece of information, what is recorded in the Cortes of 1461 in which they were concerned with making the patronage of San Jorge official and by means of a charter it was prescribed:
“And we also order that the feast of the glorious Maryr Lord Sant Jorge, which falls on the XXIII days of April, sia in the dito Regno Inviolably perpetual, saved and reserved, and celebrated solemnly: well as the days of Sunday and other festivals required to be observed. And all the prelates of the royal kingdom had that command to guard, and observe”.
S. Jorge, It has always been present in Aragon and the flags of the Teruel and Zaragoza councils are there to confirm its survival., with the Ceorgina cross.
Everything reviewed is more than enough to record, in our party program, the S. Jorge in the Crown of Aragon. There are our roots, in this case strong and deep. His presence was not accidental., nor its origins in Banyeres. Nor does it seem to be the consequence of a popular sentiment without more. Rather, it seems to be a presence “institutional”, “cons¬titucional”, “foundational”. We are a Christian community of “regain”. Nothing more and nothing less than parish of S. Maria (and S.. Jorge) the two great devotions of D. Jaime I.
It is true that the start of our festivities has a historical origin, and it is the victory over the Arab leader Al Azrak, in it “ravine of the battle”, in Alcoy. And they attributed the victory to the invocation of the saint, as was customary in the lands of the Crown of Aragon, and the same thing happened in this battle. And that the party is the celebration of victory. But presence and devotion come before victory.
In the entire set of notes I have not mentioned King D. Jaime I (except now) and the reason is none other than D. Jaime I, S. Jorge, Valencia and Banyeres. But they require and demand a separate chapter. It is the most direct connection of these realities: Aragon – Crown of Aragon – Valen¬cia – bathtubs.
It's good to delve into our roots.
Vítol to the Patron Saint George!
