He was denied a Christian burial, but miracles of healing soon started at the
burial site. Bishop William supported the cult for political reasons, he had the
body transferred to Birsay, and later to Kirkwall.
In 1919 enshrined bones were found in a pillar of the cathedral, but the
wound in the head did not correspond with the Orkneyinga saga.
Earl Magnus Erlandson was canonised in 1136.
23 April St George (ca 275-23 April 303)- Patron Saint of England
According to tradition he was a Roman Soldier from Syria and a guard of
Emperor Diocletian.
He is one of the oldest venerated saints in the Catholic and Orthodox
Church. He was immortalised by the story of St George & the Dragon and is
one of the 14 Holy Helpers.
Historians debate if he ever existed, but the Church has no doubt. Chief
among the sources for his legend is the Golden Legend (translated in the
15 th c by William Caxton) His father was also a soldier, George followed him
in his career and went to Diocletian in Nicomedia.
In 302 Diocletian issued an antichristian
degree, George refused to sacrifice to
pagan gods, was tortured and executed
The Iconography of George and the
Dragon seems to be an image of his
martyrdom, the maiden being the wife
of Diocletian who witnessed the death,
the dragon the Roman Empire. But the
story is pre-Christian, maybe George a
Christian version of older deities.
The legend was brought to Europe by
the Crusaders.
25 April St Mark (First Century)
Mark’s Gospel is thought to be the earliest, he was seen as St Peter’s
interpreter, writing down what Peter remembered.
He may have been the young man fleeing naked when Jesus was arrested,
since he is the only one who mentions this. There are references to Mark in
the Acts of the Apostles and in Colossians, when Paul was imprisoned in
Rome. He may have written in Rome, which could have been AD 65 when
Peter allegedly was there, or in Alexandria, since he writes in almost
colloquial Greek, he probably is not from Palestine.
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