This Middle English poem sees Gawain, one of King Arthur's most valiant knights, undertake a quest during which he acquires a magical green girdle. 2vĪn important literary manuscript that is associated with the Order of the Garter’s early history is Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, perhaps the most famous medieval English romance. Their arms are easy to recognize since members had the right to encircle the shields (escutcheons) of their coats of arms with the blue garter, the Order’s emblem.Īrmorial of the Order of the Garter (? London, 1588): Harley MS 1864, f. Other heraldic manuscripts from the Order contain collections of the arms of its then members. William Bruges wearing a heraldic tabard that displays the arms of King Henry V, kneeling in prayer before St George (England, 1430s): Stowe MS 594, f.
William Bruges himself, as the Garter King of Arms, is shown kneeling before St George. The manuscript contains illustrations of the King and the 25 Founder Knights, all wearing heraldic tabards and Garter mantles and displaying their coats of arms. 1375–1450), the first to hold that office, created the Order’s first extant armorial, now known as the Bruges Garter Book ( Stowe MS 594). Around 1415, the Order created its own officer of arms, known as the Garter King of Arms. One important category of manuscripts relating to the Order of the Garter contains their members' coats of arms. The Statutes and Ordinances of the Order of the Garter (England, after 1572): Lansdowne MS 1207, ff. After death, the remaining Knights would perform large numbers of masses (100 for Knights and 1000 for the Sovereign) for the benefit of their souls. Their privileges were both honorific and spiritual: members could hang their swords, helmets, banners, stall-plates with their names, and heraldic devices at St George’s Chapel at Windsor. These books indicate that the Knights had few obligations, apart from attending the annual assembly, participating in religious services, and wearing the garter whenever appearing in public. Many manuscripts describe the history of the Order of the Garter ( Harley MS 5415) or explain its statutes and ordinances about membership, functions, qualifications, costumes and ceremonies ( Cotton MS Nero D II, ff 252r–265v, Harley MS 235, Harley MS 278, Lansdowne MS 783, Lansdowne MS 1207). Richard Beauchamp receives the garter from King Henry IV (England, 4th quarter of the 15th century): Cotton MS Julius E IV/3 (The Pageants of Richard Beauchamp), f. ( You can read more about the Pageants of Richard Beauchamp in this blogpost.) In this manuscript, King Henry IV can be seen giving the garter to Richard Beauchamp (1382–1439), 13th Earl of Warwick as a reward for successfully defeating the Welsh at the Battle of Shrewsbury in 1405. This ceremony requires the Sovereign, aided by senior Knights, to place the garter - a dark blue velvet riband with a gold buckle and edges - around the newly-elected Knight’s lower left leg, just below the knee. The Pageants of Richard Beauchamp ( Cotton MS Julius E IV/3), for example, features an early depiction of the Order’s ceremony for installing new Knights. The rituals and symbols of the Order of the Garter are described and depicted in many richly decorated medieval and early modern manuscripts. He had chosen the French maxim ‘Honi soit qui mal y pense’ (‘Shamed be he who thinks ill of it’) as the Order’s motto, and a blue garter as its emblem, perhaps alluding to the girdle with which St George, according to medieval legend, had tamed a dragon before slaying it.Īn assembly of Knights and Ladies of the Garter (women were accepted soon after the Order’s foundation), before an altar of St George (Rouen, 1444–1445): Royal MS 15 E VI (The Talbot Shrewsbury Book), f. Edward had appointed himself as the Order’s Sovereign, his son Edward the Black Prince (1330–1376) as Royal Knight, and 24 of his most loyal men as Knights Companions. Dedicated to George, the Order was founded by King Edward III (1312–1377) who wanted to revive the Knights of the Round Table of Arthurian Legend. On St George’s Day (23 April) 1349, at St George’s Chapel in Windsor, the first annual assembly was held by the Order of the Garter, England’s oldest Order of Chivalry.
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