by Les Phipps – Business Development Manager
As we approach St Georges day, I often wonder what it means to be English and do we have an identity, I envy the Scot’s, Welsh and Irish and the love and pride they have for their country without a sense of Nationalism that can sometimes go in the wrong direction when the English rally behind the flag of St George.
In fact, St George is not really English which is hugely ironic, Saint George (AD 275–281 to 23 April 303), according to legend, was a Roman soldier of Greek origin and officer in the Guard of Roman emperor Diocletian, who ordered his death for failing to recant his Christian faith. The popular legend is of St George slaying a dragon, which is featured in most celebrations of St George and in the middle-ages the Dragon in art was a representation of the devil, which seems to fit in with the legend of St George.
If we’re looking for a more suitable candidate, may I humbly suggest William Shakespeare, we would not have to change the date as he was born on the 23rd of April and would offer a more reasoned character to celebrate and bring with it a chance to celebrate our rich cultural heritage, something that builds a real national identity, and he is actually English!
From literature to music and the arts, England is renowned for this worldwide, some of the great works of literature have flowed from these shores, Shakespeare, Milton, Blake, Wordsworth, Dickens, Wells, Orwell, Maugham, Waugh, the list is endless. Actors, directors, artists to some of the most iconic figures in modern music, The Beatles, The Stones, Bowie.
What better way to celebrate your national heritage than through the arts? There is a huge amount to be proud of for being English and then we should turn it into a national holiday just like Ireland and Scotland. Let’s celebrate being English in the most positive way, national Shakespeare Day, as for the national anthem, hmmm, now that’s a debate for another day…
Make sure you stock up on all your Classic English reads here at World of Rare Books.