Crescent is a geometrical form resembling the moon in its first quarter, and used as a charge in heraldry. It is perhaps better known as the symbol of the Ottoman Turks and a symbol of Islam. The crescent as an emblem is of very high antiquity, being that of the Greek goddess Artemis or Diana. It is found on medals of many ancient cities, particularly of Byzantium, from whence it is supposed to have been borrowed by the Ottomans. The crescent has given name to a Turkish order of knighthood from the form of the badge, instituted by Selim, sultan of Turkey, in 1801. Research Crescent
The Order of the Elephant is an ancient Danish order of chivalry, said to have been instituted about the end of the 12th century by Canute VI to perpetuate the memory of a DanishCrusader who had killed an elephant in the Holy Land. It was renewed by Christian I in 1462, in 1693 by Christian V, and again in 1808. It is the highest of the Danish orders. The number of members, not counting those of the royal family, is restricted to thirty. The badge of the order is an enamelled white elephant, bearing on a blue housing, bordered with gold and crossed with white, a sculptured tower. The device is Magni animi pretium. Research Order of the Elephant
The Order of the Garter (originally known as the Order of St George) is a British dignitary awarded for chivalry. The origin of the order, though sometimes assigned to Richard I, is generally attributed to Edward III, the legend being that the Countess of Salisbury having dropped her garter while dancing, the king restored it, after putting it round his own leg, with the words, which became the motto of the order, 'Honi soit quimal y pense' - Shame be to him who thinks evil of it. The date of the foundation or restoration by Edward III of the order, as given by Froissart, is 1344, while other authorities, founding on the statutes of the order, assign it to 1350.
The statutes of the order have been repeatedly revised, more particularly in the reigns of Henry V, Henry VIII, Edward VI, and George III in 1805. Ladies are said to have been admitted up until the reign of Edward IV. Until the reign of Edward VI the common title of the order was the Order of St George, and it still bears this title, as well as that of the Garter. The original number of knights was twenty-six, including the sovereign, who was its permanent head; and this number is still retained, except that by a statute passed in 1786 princes of the blood are admitted as supernumerary members.
The peculiar emblem of the order, the garter, a dark-blue ribbon edged with gold, bearing the motto and with a gold buckle and pendant, is worn on the left leg below the knee. The mantle is of blue velvet, lined with white taffeta, the surcoat and hood of crimsonvelvet, the hat of black velvet, with plume of white ostrich feathers, having in the centre a tuft of black heron's feathers. The collar of gold consists of knots alternating with garters inclosing roses, with the badge of the order, called the George pendent from it. This consists of a figure of St George on horseback fighting the dragon. The lesser George is worn on a broad blue ribbon over the left shoulder. The star, formerly only a cross, is of silver, and consists of eight points, with the cross of St George in the centre, encircled by the garter. A star is worn by the knights on the left side when not in the dress of the order.
The Order Of The Starry Cross was an Austrian order instituted in 1668 by the dowager empress Eleanor, widow of Ferdinand III, in memory of the recovery of a fragment of the true cross from a fire in the palace. The Order Of The Starry Cross was conferred upon Roman Catholic ladies of royal or noble birth devoted to good works. The badge was a black double-headed eagle bearing a red-cross on a silver oval within a blue border, above the eagle being a scroll inscribed 'Salus et gloria'. A black rosette was worn for a ribbon. Research Order Of The Starry Cross
The white hart is a popular British pub sign, showing a white hart wearing a gold chain. The symbol was the badge of Richard II adopted from his mother, and was adopted by his courtiers and adherents. In nature, a white hart is a white stag. In Britain the native deer is the Red Deer, and the term white hart properly applies to a very rare white red deerstag, however the name is also given to any white stag over about five years of age. White deer are very rare in any popular deer species. Research White Hart
Hart is the name given to a male deer (a stag) of five or six years or older. The term is also applied to the stag of the red deer species (Cervus elaphus). The very rare white hart was a mystical beast in ancient British Celtic tradition, and was adopted as the badge or emblem of king Richard II. Research Hart
The Abraham-men were originally a set of mendicant-lunatics from BethlehemHospital, London; but as many people assumed, without right, the badge worn by them the term came to signify an impostor who travelled about the country seeking alms, under the pretence of lunacy. Research Abraham-men
The blue-gowns were an order of paupers in Scotland, called also the King's -Bedesmen, to whom the kings annually distributed certain alms on condition of their praying for the royal welfare. Their number was equal to the number of years the king had lived. The alms consisted of a blue gown or cloak, a purse containing as many shillings Scots (pennies sterling) as the years of the king's age, and a badge bearing the words 'Pass and reposs', which protected them from all laws against mendicity. Edie Ochiltree, in Sir Walther Scott's novel of the Antiquary, is a type of the class. The practice of appointing bedesmen was discontinued in 1833, and the last of them drew his last allowance from the exchequer in Edinburgh in 1863. Research Blue-Gowns
The 'Bucktails' was a nickname applied to the Tammany Society of New York City, from the circumstance of the members of the organisation wearing a buck's tail in their hat as a badge. The Bucktails were a political organisation, from 182 until 1828 forming the anti-Clintonian New York democrats. After Governor Clinton's death in 1828 they became the Democratic party of the State. Research Bucktails
Capuchins are monks of the order of St Francis, so called from the capuchon or capuce, a stuff cap or cowl, the distinguishing badge of the order. They are clothed in brown or gray, go barefooted, and never shave their beard. Research Capuchins
The Probert Encyclopaedia was designed, edited and programed by
Matt and Leela Probert
Abbreviations
Research Crescent
