The Symbols of Ancient Georgia in Modern Time

Golden Fleece and Other Symbols of Ancient Georgia

Many cultures have been lured by the beauty and power that gold represents. As well as being a symbol of riches and prestige, in some cultures gold was thought to have mystical powers. In ancient Egyptian culture, gold was often used to decorate persons of royalty and architecture; cities such asEl Dorado were built out of gold. The wealth and prosperity of a land often depended upon the possession of this natural yet scarce mineral. In some cultures gold is an iconic symbol with a godly meaning. So the Golden Fleece was a symbol of wealth and power in ancient Colchis. Other symbols of ancient Georgia are: Cross of Saint George, Cross of Saint Nino, Cross of Bolnisi, Borjgali

Cross of Saint George

St. George slays the dragon. Georgian Fresco

Source

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Georgian_fresco.jpg

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Do you Know the legend about Cross of Saint George? According to legend, the crusaders received miraculous help at the siege of Antioch on 28 June 1098 from a great army on white horses, clothed in white and bearing white banners, led by St George, St Demetrius, and St Mercurius. However, there was no association of the red cross with St George before the end of the crusades.

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The red cross in particular was associated with the Knights Templar, from the time of the Second Crusade (1145), but in 1188 red and white crosses were chosen to identify the French and English troops in the "Kings' Crusade" of Philip II of France and Henry II of England, respectively. Together with the Jerusalem Cross, the plain "George's Cross" became a recognizable symbol of the crusader from about 1190, and in the 13th century it came to be used as a standard or emblem by numerous leaders or polities who wanted to associate themselves with the crusades.

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The red-on-white combination was chosen by Genoa and Aragon, among others. Saint George was depicted as a crusader knight during this time, but the red cross had no particular association with him. A crusader-era fresco in the crypt of Trani cathedral shows Saint George wearing a white cross on a red surcoat. The white-on-red version was chosen as the Reichsbanner ("imperial banner") by the German crusaders in the 12th century, and Emperor Frederick II used it in his European campaigns of the 1250s after he had returned from the crusades.

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