The Feast of St. George

Today is the feast day of St. George...

The Cross of St. George:
Argent, a cross gules.

Anyone who is interested in knighthood will be celebrating this day, lifting a toast to that great martyr who fought and defeated the dragon:

The timidity of the child or the savage is entirely reasonable; they are alarmed at this world, because this world is a very alarming place. They dislike being alone because it is verily and indeed an awful idea to be alone. Barbarians fear the unknown for the same reason that Agnostics worship it - because it is a fact. Fairy tales, then, are not responsible for producing in children fear, or any of the shapes of fear; fairy tales do not give the child the idea of the evil or the ugly; that is in the child already, because it is in the world already. Fairy tales do not give a child his first idea of bogey. What fairy tales give the child is his first clear idea of the possible defeat of bogey. The baby has known the dragon intimately ever since he had an imagination. What the fairy tale provides for him is a St. George to kill the dragon.
[GKC "The Red Angel" in Tremendous Trifles]

Hence it seems fitting to ponder how even Modern knights can be fighting Dragons, even in our Real World - and what better way to ponder this than by means of the Saga...

"Many of you will be wondering about all these men in robes, with swords at their sides – older men, mostly. Or about these four young men with swords... those four you may have already encountered here in Stirling, and you knew they were bold young men, ready and willing to do the hard jobs, to defend the defenseless and protect the innocent, to help in unusual circumstances. It may sound like some sort of exaggeration to call them modern Knights, especially since knights get some bad press in these decadent ages – but they really are Knights. Don't go by the fantasy stories and movies – don't expect to see them jousting on horseback.... but when dragons come to destroy, they will be in the forefront of battle. Dragons! You scoff. Maybe not the fire-breathing lizards of mythology, but these dragons are worse, for they are the kind which lurk in human disguise. Yes: they are Knights, not because they ride horses, wear armor, or have swords, but because they are men sworn to virtue."
[PJF Et In Luna Pax]

Let us be perfectly clear about this, my friends. We are sworn to virtue, by the vows we took at Baptism, and by our Confirmation. This is the sort of knighthood which does not make the particular demands made by formal knighthood: it is open to all, male or female, young or old, physically agile or disabled... It is about Virtue:

"The world has such need of exemplars like them: young men sworn to virtue. Not merely to 'law', or to 'might'... we've had enough of that in the last century. Virtue is not popular, but it is necessary."
[Ibid]

There are dragons out there, and they are attacking the innocent. What will you do about it?

Ahem! Oh yes, Et In Luna Pax is the 13th installment of the Saga, and it is even now being readied for printing. Please be patient a little longer.

"Never leave such things go unchecked..."

You know we are at war... I don't mean simple human skirmishes. I mean the War, the Great Battle between Good and Evil, which will continue until the End of Time. One of the important tasks we have is to remind each other that (as Bernie remarks somewhere) "we have allies who are more than a match for our adversaries."

And so I thought I would give you another glimpse of the ressuring actions which can occur when this consoling truth is remembered – a fragment from part 13 of the Saga, presently being prepared for publication. Just before this excerpt some of our enemies had invaded the Smith Metal Works, a small father&son business in Stirling, in order to use the furnace to work an infernal ritual to suspend the functionality of all radio and cell-phone activity in the town. But our guys in the Chivalry Club found out, and they informed the proper Authorities, so let us see what occurs...

At the Smith metal shop, Father Parkman had completed three circuits around the building. He was now standing by its front door, nervously trying to pray the rosary – then another car drove up. He smiled with relief when he saw it was Father Psittacus.

The diocesan exorcist got out and smiled as he approached. "Len... God bless you for your fortitude!"

"I... I'm glad you're here, Bob. I just went around, sprinkling holy water, and saying psalms... but I couldn't go inside, Bob. Sorry."

"That may be just as well, Len," he said reassuringly. "I'm here now. Remember what Chesterton said: Two is not twice one; two is two thousand times one.  [GKC The Man Who Was Thursday, CW6:548] So... first, let's just make some fresh holy water, then we'll see what we're up against."

"You're sure something's going on here?"

Father Psittacus was putting on his stole. "My radio cut off when I got near town. Does your cellphone work?"

"No."

"There's your answer. I mean, a Macbeth-like potion with fresh human blood? We've got to assume there's something rotten in Denmark, Len!" He chuckled at his mixed allusions.

Father Parkman tried to laugh. "But Bob – was it... was it worth my doing – what I did?"

The exorcist handed him a vial of salt, and set a canister of water on the hood of the car. "Oh certainly, Len. Just by being here, you already put up a strong front. Maybe kept it hedged in, prevented it from spreading malevolence wider. Never leave such things go unchecked... But we can talk later, Len. Let's proceed." Then, in a surprisingly gentle voice he began: Exorcizo te, creatura salis, per Deum vivum..."

In minutes the blessing of holy water was completed. Then he took out a fat stub of a candle, lighted it and gave it to Father Parkman to hold. "From now on, Father, I shall speak with the authority of his Excellency the bishop. For our safety, I order you to remain silent, until I give you permission to speak."

The pastor bowed in submission. Then they went inside.



Time passed... and when they came out of the shop, Father Psittacus smirked as they heard a bouncing tune on an accordion. "You are released from your silence, Len. You hear that?"

Father Parkman cocked an ear. "Yes – what is it, Bob? Er... you like polka music?"

"Not particularly... but the car radio is working again. I left it on when I parked."

Father Parkman nodded solemnly.

Then Father Psittacus extinguished the candle and gave it to him. "Keep this, just in case you need it again. And first chance you get, say a Mass of thanksgiving."

"Certainly, Bob... thanks... God bless you!"

"Thanks, Len." The exorcist lifted his hand in blessing. "Call anytime."

After Father Psittacus had gone, Father Parkman got into his own car. Then he looked at the candle he was holding – to his surprise, it had not decreased in size though it had been burning the whole time they had been inside the shop. Then he took out his cellphone – it had a connection again – and called the Chivalry Club.

The Ensis Corporate Logo

At several places in the Saga you will hear about a certain logo, the Ensis Corporate logo, appearing on various vehicles, jets, and uniforms. With some chagrin, I find it necessary to admit that it is never described... of course there is plenty throughout the Saga that is never described, or very poorly described, and perhaps someday those omissions will be remedied. (I especially lament the lack of maps - I have made sketches and most things are topologically sound and hopefully consistent throughout the narrative, but my draftsmanship is rudimentary at best... Another time, perhaps.) In this simpler case, however, I have managed to coax the machinery into helping me out, and so I am now able to show you this very interesting logo.

However, unless you have read sufficiently far into the Saga, you will not know what Ensis is. For those who haven't yet dared, I will tell you just a little. It is a huge conglomerate of businesses, mostly of the Engineering sort, which have a heritage dating back into the 1800s. In the subcreated world of the Saga, it is very well-known, and generally admired - surprisingly, the admiration is not that of sycophants or some grudging kind of obeisance to vast wealth-and-power, but an honest kind of feeling - a company that does care (generally, anyway) and is very serious about Getting Things Done. That is because the founder of its predecessor company (which was Fisher Engineering) was the very famous John Fisher, an engineer of the mid-1800s, about whom you will eventually learn more. Fisher and his father-in-law, Gregory Mortimer, and their financial backer, associate, and close friend Joseph Chandler, formed this company in the late 1840s, and invested significant sums including a large fraction of the profits from the Chandler railroad linking Quayment to Stirling.

There, that ought to do for a start - except for one more detail. Unlike these intelligent gentlemen, you may not have studied Latin, and so I shall tell you that the word ensis is Latin for "sword".

Now, the corporate logo of Ensis, which their President has kindly given permission to reproduce here:



Description: On a blue background: a regular heptagon, pointing vertically, with seven gold stars at the vertices. Gold lines link every star with every other (this is the graph known to mathematicians as K7). Upon it is placed a sword proper with three gemstones (red, white, green) on its hilt, here omitted for technical reasons.

In heraldry the sword, unless blazoned as inverted, is erect and has its point in chief; it is generally proper which is quite correctly argent, but in painting may be given the metallic-blue sheen of tempered steel.
[Franklyn, Heraldry, 73]

It may be noted that this blue (sometimes called Ensis blue) is actually a background color: hence the logo on Ensis uniforms (which are of that blue) is simply the seven netted stars and the sword. When it is used on something which is some other color (e.g. a vehicle) the logo appears on the stellated heptagon as shown here (That is the closed figure formed by visiting every second vertex in a regular heptagon somewhat larger than the one on which the stars are placed, and filling the entire enclosed space with Ensis blue.)

Oh yes... just in case you are curious about the symbolism underlying this logo, you will have to wait for future revelations.

Francis in the Saga

I was thinking about Pope Francis I and Gilbert Keith FRANCIS Chesterton, whose wife was FRANCES Blogg... and I decided to give you just a brief and possibly relevant excerpt for your contemplation during the Triduum.

Sitting there in his dimly lighted room, Steve recalled (with the power of his trained memory) how St. Paul had written it: “When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child. But, when I became a man, I put away the things of a child.”[1 Cor 13:11]

Some time ago, Steve had spoken with Father Stensen about this, since he was a serious young man, and wanted to proceed with the approval of authority. Father Stensen had nodded solemnly, recalling the wisdom Pope Innocent III had shown to the enthusiastic John Bernardone[see below] and had first pointed out the famous contrary line in the gospel: “Unless you be converted, and become as little children, you shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.”[Mt 18:3] He had then listened to Steve’s plans, and found them nothing more strenuous than the regimen undertaken by any serious athlete. Being a wise priest, and seeing Steve’s aptness for such discipline, he pointed out another verse from the book Steve had already quoted: “Know you not that they that run in the race, all run indeed, but one receiveth the prize. So run that you may obtain. And every one that striveth for the mastery refraineth himself from all things. And they indeed that they may receive a corruptible crown: but we an incorruptible one.” The priest wondered, too, if this could be the sign of a vocation, and determined to keep a careful watch. Reassured, Steve proceeded to strive for the mastery.
[PJF The Tree of Virtues]

Note: John Berardone is St. Francis of Assisi. See GKC’s book St. Francis of Assisi, especially CW2:96-8 and 127-8, but the critical line is this: “...the Church could include all that was good in the Franciscans and the Franciscans could not include all that was good in the Church.” CW2:128

Nine Months Until Christmas

Since it is Holy Week, the great feast of the Annunciation is deferred. Yet by the calendar it is nine months until the birthday of Christ, a day of most special significance to the Equester Ordo and to the Saga.

And despite it being Holy Week, I will announce the Good News that part 12 of the Saga, entitled Esto Miles Pacificus, is now available! See here for details.

In case you are wondering, the title comes from the formula for the making of a Knight:

Esto miles pacificus, strenuus, fidelis, et Deo Devotus.

Be a knight of peace, vigorous, faithful, and devoted to God.

[From De Benedictione Novi Militis (For the Blessing of a New Knight) in Pontificale Romanum]

If you want to know more about that ritual, you can find it here.

I am sure you will want to know more - but if you do, you will need to read the book.

Part 11 now available!

Yes, it was a long winter, and we have a new Pope - and there's more good news:

Part 11 of the Saga De Bellis Stellarum is now available! It is called Ite Milites Audaces... and you can order it here.

I strongly advise you not to go peeking, but then that really holds true for the entire Saga. There's just too many beans which could be spilled.

Next is Esto Miles Pacificus, and perhaps I will get the prequel out soon also - that's the one about Joe the Control Room Guy. (No it's not about a short guy who finds a ring. Hee hee.)

In other news, I've started going over the last part (#13) and will begin turning that crank shortly - and just in case you are wondering whether there could be any more to come... ah, well, keep wondering.

A Surprising Blessing

Given all the chatter and whine and errors being scraped up over weapons, it may be distinctly satisfactory for you to read something serious and solemn and impressive - and quite authentic - about how the Church actually considers such things and their use. Even more: this particular item will appear in a future installment of the Saga, so if you want to see it "in situ" so to speak, stay tuned.



From Pontificale Romanum:
De Benedictione Militis Novis
(For the Blessing of a New Knight - my rough translation)

V. Save your servant, O Lord.

R. My God, I will hope in you.

V. Be to these, O Lord, a tower of strength.

R. From the face of the enemy.

V. O Lord hear my prayer.

R. And let my cry come unto you.

V. The Lord be with you.

R. And with your spirit.

Bishop: Let us pray. Holy Lord, almighty Father, eternal God, who alone orders all things and disposes them rightly, by your wholesome disposition you permit the use of the sword in the human world to the curbing of malice and the support of justice, and you will the institution of the order of knights for the protection of the people: and you spoke through blessed John to whom in the desert the soldiers came that they may do violence to no one, and they may be content with their pay; by your clemency, we humbly beg, that as you enlarged the ability of your servant David to prevail over Goliath, and you made Judas Machabee to smite the people who would not invoke your name, so also grant to these your servants, whose now place their necks under the yoke of knighthood, power and boldness toward the defence of faith and justice, and give to them an increase of faith, hope, and charity, give your fear and in like manner love, humility, perseverance, obedience, and good patience, and in them dispose all things rightly, that they may harm no one unjustly, with these or other weapons; and that with them they may defend the just and the right: and as they by a minor step to new knighthood are advanced in honor, so putting off the old man by their actions, may put on the new man, that they may fear you and cultivate righteousness, avoid the consort of the wicked, and increase in their charity to their neighbor, obey their superiors in all things rightly, and in all things justly execute their duty. Through Christ our Lord.

R. Amen.

The very pattern of the cosmos, so to speak, is a pattern of crossed swords.

GKC May 31, 1913 CW29:502