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HEROES AND LEGENDS IN THE CATHEDRAL St George | St Nicholas | St John | King David | New Guinea Martyrs | WWI Servicemen & Women | Edith Cavell |
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What are the attributes one must possess to be a hero? Are these characteristics the same today as they were in the distant past and the recent past? Does a so-called hero become a hero because of the qualities s/he actually possesses or is the perception of others more important? Must one receive universal recognition to become a hero? Are the characteristics of a hero merely physical or is there a moral dimension? In considering the question "What is a hero?" it useful to look at some definitions. The Macquarie Dictionary defines hero as:
Dr Andrew Bernstein, writing in his essay The Philosophical Foundations of Heroism gives this definition:
Compare the above with this rather extreme view of Norman Podhoretz who writes in his essay Heroism in a politically correct age (National Review, Jan 26, 1998):
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HEROES OF THE DISTANT PAST The following notes give an idea of the lives and achievements of some of the heroes depicted in St John's Cathedral. Our knowledge of some of these personalities is very flimsy, being based almost entirely on legend, as in the case of St George and St Nicholas With others we have a wealth of historical data on which to base our knowledge, as in the case of King David. Questions to consider:
The best known legend concerning St George is the slaying of a dragon. According to this legend a dragon was terrorising the people of a town in Libya. The citizens tried to placate the dragon by feeding it two sheep every day. When this was not enough, they began to sacrifice human beings to it, drawing lots to decide who was to be the next victim. One day the lot fell upon the local princess. St George happened to be riding by and, making the sign of the Cross, engaged the dragon in mortal combat. He pinned it to the ground with his lance, then thrust his sword through the dragon, which was finally hauled into the town where the brave George finished it off, thus saving the princess and the townspeople. This story was popularised in The Golden Legend (1265). During the Middle Ages, St George became an ideal of martial valour and selflessness. He is the patron saint of England (and also associated with the Order of the Garter), Moscow, Georgia, Aragon, Genoa and Venice (after St Mark). He is also the patron saint of soldiers and armourers. In his portrayal as patron saint, he is clad in knight's armour with a scarlet cross.  St
Nicholas (banner)Regarded by historians as a purely legendary figure, Nicholas of Myra was supposed to have lived in the fourth century. He was born of Christian parents, travelled a great deal during his youth and eventually became Bishop of Myra. He was thrown into prison during the Roman Emperor Diocletian's persecution of Christians but was released under Emperor Constantine. The tradition of Santa Claus has its origin in the story of this saint. St Nicholas' reputation for kindness and generosity to the poor and needy gave rise to several legends. One concerns three girls to each of whom he gave a bag of gold as a wedding dowry, thus saving them from lives of prostitution. Because the feast of the saint occurs near Christmas and because the giving of the three bags of gold was compared to the gifts of the Magi to the infant Christ, St Nicholas gradually became merged with the Christmas story. On another occasion he restored to life three children who had been chopped up by a cruel butcher and put into a vat of brine. On the basis of this miracle St Nicholas was adopted as the patron saint and protector of children. Another story tells of a voyage during which the boat in which St Nicholas was travelling was almost wrecked by rough seas. Nicholas stood up and, in the name of Christ, rebuked the waves which then subsided. He thus became the patron saint of sailors and travellers. St Nicholas is usually depicted as a bishop. He is the chief patron saint of Russia.
John's authoritative position within the church after the Resurrection is shown by his travels about Judea with Peter preaching the Gospel and laying hands on the new converts. He is said to have journeyed to Asia Minor where he founded the seven churches referred to in Revelation. He settled for a time in Ephesus where he was persecuted by the Roman Emperor Diocletian who, according to legend, twice attempted to put John to death. On one occasion, the emperor ordered him to drink a cup of poisoned wine. As John raised the cup to his lips, the poison departed in the form of a snake. On another occasion John was immersed in a cauldron of boiling oil, but escaped unhurt. He was then exiled to Patmos, the place of his Revelation. He came back to Ephesus where he is said to have died at an advanced age. Another tradition says that John did not die, but ascended into heaven like Enoch and Elijah. John is depicted sometimes as an evangelist, sometimes as an apostle. His main attriubutes are the eagle, symbol of the highest inspiration and the book. He is also on occasion seen with the cauldron of oil or the cup with a snake, in reference to the attempts on his life. He is the patron saint of St John's Cathedral.
The two books of Samuel and the first book of Kings in the Old Testament provide the main source for knowledge of his earlier life and his reign. He first appears in the Old Testament when he is anointed by Samuel as the future king. The victory of David, armed only with a slingshot and stone and an unswerving faith in God, over the Philistine giant Goliath and the subsequent rout of the whole army of Philistines is recounted in I Samuel, 17. Saul, the reigning king at that time, promoted David, but subsequently became jealous of him and sought to kill him, but David fled. Upon Saul's death, David became king of the Judean tribes and later won the allegiance of all Israel, first, by his successful war against the Philistines, thus bringing security to the whole land and then by establishing Jerusalem as the centre for political power and worship. Although the kingdom eventually broke up after the death of his successor, Jerusalem, the 'city of David' became the Holy City for all Jews, and the Messiah, 'the anointed one' of the house of David, a sign of the relationship between the God of Israel and his people. He is traditionally regarded as the author of the Psalms, but it is unlikely that he wrote more than a fraction of them. HEROES,
SACRED AND SECULAR, OF THE RECENT PAST
333 Christians lost their lives in New Guinea during the invasion and occupation of the island by the Japanese forces during Word War II. The four women depicted in the stained glass window are representative of those who remained at their posts, refusing to desert the people they cared for. In December 1941 Japanese forces attacked the American fleet at Pearl Harbour. In the same month they invaded Malaya. British forces capitulated in Singapore in February 1942. The missionaries living in New Guinea watched events anxiously, and feared the worst. In January 1942 the Anglican bishop, Philip Strong, had broadcast an appeal to them to stay at their work, come what may. "The history of the church tells us", he said, "that missionaries do not think of themselves in the hour of danger and crisis, but of the Master who called them to give their all, and of they people they had been trusted to serve and love to the uttermost." Many of the missionaries themselves wished to stay and had already resisted calls to turn to safety. On 21 July 1942 the Japanese invaded the island near the mission station at Gona where Mavis Parkinson, a teacher, and May Hayman, a nurse, were based. Eventually they were caught and murdered by the Japanese at Popondetta in August 1942. Their bodies were later recovered and buried at Sangara Mission Station. Mavis Parkinson came from Ipswich and May Hayman from Fortitude Valley. Lilla Lashmar, a teacher, and Margery Brenchley, a nurse, who had been working at Sangara Mission Station were beheaded on the beach at Buna. Their bodies were never recovered, as it was believed that they were thrown into the sea. Philip Strong later wrote of the New Guinea Martyrs:
Early in the war the main theatre of battle was in Turkey, Palestine and Egypt. The Australians and New Zealanders earned a reputation for their skill and determination, often in the most terrible conditions. These soldiers became known as the Anzacs. In 1916 Australian troops were progressively moved to the Western Front to fight in the trenches that extended across Belgium and north-east France from the English Channel to the Swiss border. Here Australian and Allied troops experienced deplorable conditions - the trenches were muddy, cold, waterlogged, infested with lice and rats and strewn with bodies. By the end of the year 42,000 Australians had been killed or wounded in the Western Front. In 1917 a further 76,000 became casualties in battles such as those at Bullecourt, Messines and the four-month long campaign around Ypres (Ypres appears as a banner in one of the windows). As well as the servicemen and women of the defence forces, there were many other kinds of personnel involved, e.g. medical staff and chaplains. All made a crucial contribution to the war effort and to the quality of Australia's role in the First World War. Note the text that links two of the military sacrifice windows with the centre window depicting the sacrifice of Christ on the Cross: Greater love hath no man that this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. (John 15:13)
After the Germans occupied Belgium she became involved in an underground movement formed to help British, French and Belgian soldiers escape to neutral Holland. The soldiers were sheltered at the Institute and were given money and guides to help them in their escape. About 200 men had been helped when, in August 1915, the Germans discovered what had been going on and Cavell and several others were arrested. They were brought before a court-martial in October of that year and were sentenced to die before a firing squad, despite efforts of the U.S. and Spanish ministers to obtain a reprieve. The words Edith Cavell spoke to her last English visitor, the English chaplain in Brussels, have become famous - I know now that patriotism is not enough, I must have no hatred and no bitterness towards anyone. The shooting of Edith Cavell turned out to be a serious miscalculation on the part of the Germans. Within days this heroic nurse became a worldwide martyr and the Germans were branded by everyone as "murdering monsters". Following her execution Allied morale was strengthened and recruitment doubled for eight weeks after her death had been announced. |
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