Seven Champions of Christendom

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The Seven Champions of Christendom is a moniker referring to St. George, St. Andrew, St. Patrick, St. Denis, St. James Boanerges, St. Anthony the Lesser, and St. David. They are the patron saints of, respectively, England, Scotland, Ireland, France, Spain, Portugal, and Wales.

The champions have been depicted in Christian art and folklore as heroic warriors, most notably in a 1596 book by Richard Johnson titled Famous Historie of the Seaven Champions of Christendom.

Legend often portrays God sending James to the Battle of Clavijo to fight against the Moors, while George is usually thought of as being a knightly dragon-slayer. The legend of Patrick casting all of the serpents out of Ireland is also quite famous. The stories of the Seven Champions were especially popular in Europe during the Dark Ages. Four of the Seven Champions—Andrew, George, James, and Denis—died as martyrs.

References

  • Compton's Encyclopaedia: 21 (S-Sousa).
  • Encyclopædia Britannica Concise: Anthony of Padua, Saint
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