Thursday, June 24, 2004

The Cross of St. George (II)

And now, thank fuck, we can take them all down because a fat Liverpudlian's shoe fell off.

As an example of how deep the love of the English for their (Cappadocian) patron saint is, I offer this:

In 1451, the English garrison at Bayonne, surrendered to the French, and removed the red cross from all of their tabards and shoes and things because a white cross (which was then all the rage on French tabards and shoes and things) had been seen in the sky. They said God was obviously trying to turn them French.

The fact that it never occurred to them that most clouds are white says all we need to know about the late-mediaeval/early-modern period. It was rubbish.

The Cross of St George

Imagine the scene:

"Nice flags you're hanging out there, Heinrich."

"Why, thank you, Hans."

"Except, if you don't mind me saying so, they appear to be covered in swastikas."

"That's right, Hans."

"But isn't the swastika a symbol of bigotry and racism and a reminder of one of the most shameful periods of our recent history?"

"That's where you're wrong, Hans. The swastika is an ancient Vedic symbol, usually assumed to represent the sun. I'm reclaiming it from the racists."

"Oh. But isn't the red background also typical of the National Socialist stylings of that very symbol?"

"Not at all, Hans. I wish to express my sympathy for the original, socialistic aims of the Munich Workers' Party, as expressed in the Fourteen Points, resolved in 1919. That the symbol was later appropriated by a fascist clique is all the more reason for those of us who truly believe in a socialist Germany to hang out the swastikas."

"I see. Do you not feel that it might be construed by some to be a little insensitive?"

"Not at all. Those people are namby-pamby liberals with no sense of national pride. They should probably be gassed to death."

"Thank you, Heinrich. That's all very clear to me now."