British Council-England
Transcript of the podcast
Three Symbols, a Saint and a Song
One of England’s symbols that you will recognise from football shirts around the world is the Saint George’s Cross: a red cross on a white background. This is the English flag and it is also incorporated into the Union Jack; the flag of Great Britain. The design for the flag can be traced back to the eleventh century when the English soldiers taking part in the Holy Crusades used to wear it into battle. They adopted the cross at the same time as they adopted Saint George himself; a fourth century Christian martyr, to be the Patron saint of England. Saint George’s day is England’s National day. It falls on April ۲۴th but is not celebrated extensively. It was not until ۱۲۷۷ that the flag was officially declared the national flag of England
Let’s move on to plants and flowers. WhileWales has the daffodil and the leek, Scotland the thistle and Northern Ireland the shamrock, England’s flower is of course the rose. Everybody talks about the English rose. We are used to seeing the red rose as an insignia on the England national rugby team’s shirts and it is this red rose that we usually associate with England. But the white rose is also linked to England and is used on different occasions. When we sometimes refer to a certain type of woman as being “An English Rose” we are talking about an unflawed complexion, fair skin and a faint blush of pink about the cheeks – the colours of the roses that we find in gardens all over the nation
Besides a cross and a rose, England also has a third symbol: Three Lions. Once again, the national football team wears the three lions on the pitch and so does the English national cricket team of course
And what about music? A national anthem? Well, England does not have an official anthem of its own but over the years the hymn “Jerusalem” has become associated with the nation and has taken on the role of national anthem. We hear it played at sporting events and even at Royal weddings or funerals. “Jerusalem” was originally written in 1804 as a poem by William Blake and the music was composed later by Hubert Parry, in 1916. It might be fitting to end this talk with what has become England’s national hymn
Jerusalem
And did those feet in ancient time
Walk upon England’s mountains green
And was the holy Lamb of God
On England’s pleasant pastures seen
And did the Countenance Divine
Shine forth upon our clouded hills
And was Jerusalem builded here
Among these dark Satanic Mills
Bring me my Bow of burning gold
Bring me my Arrows of desire
Bring me my Spear; O clouds unfold
Bring me my Chariot of fire
I will not cease from Mental Fight
Nor shall my Sword sleep in my hand
Till we have built Jerusalem
In England’s green & pleasant Land
Answers
T | ۱ |
F | ۲ |
F | ۳ |
T | ۴ |
F | ۵ |