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 Thistle is a Scottish order of knighthood. It was founded in 1687 by James II. The order consists of the sovereign and sixteen knights. The knights wear a collar of thistles, alternating with double sprigs of rue in saltire in their proper colours and pendant there from a golden star of eight rays, called the glory. Upon the star is the figure of St Andrew in a green and purple cloak, holding in front of him a white saltire. The ribbon is green. The motto of the order is Nemo me impune lacessit. Research Order of the Thistle
The Greyhound is a variety of dog distinguished by a greater length of muzzle than any other; very low forehead, short lips, thin and long legs, small muscles, contracted belly and semi pendant ears.
There are several varieties, as the Irish greyhound, the Scottish, the Russian, the Italian, and the Turkish. The common greyhound is of an elegant make of body, and is universally known as the fleetest of dogs. A good hound has a fine, soft, flexible skin, with thin, silky hair, a great length of nose, contracting gradually from the eye to the nostril, a full, clear, and penetrating eye, small ears, erect head, long neck, chest capacious, deep, but not wide, shoulders deep and placed obliquely, ribs well arched, contracted belly and flank, a great depth from the hips to the hocks of the hind-legs, fore-legs straight, and shorter than the hinder. The name appears to have no reference to the colour, but is derived from the Icelandic grey, a dog.
Greyhounds were originally used for coursing, for which their peculiar shape, strength, keenness of sight and speed make them exceedingly well fitted, but are now bred for racing, being the fastest running dogs. As a pet Greyhounds are very gentle and affectionate - but should be kept away from small mammals such as pet rabbits - but require wide open spaces to run about in. Research Greyhound
Evariste Regis Hue was a French missionary and traveller. He was born in 1813 and died in 1860. After studying theology, about 1837 he entered the order of the Lazarist Fathers, was ordained priest in 1838, in 1839 went to China as a missionary, and in company with Pere Gabet made a journey of exploration in the interior of the empire and of Tibet. After this he returned in poor health to France, where he published Souvenirs d'un Voyage dans la Tartarie Ie Thibet et la Chinependant les Annees 1844, 1845, et 1846; L'Empire Chinois (1857); Le Christianisme enChine (1857). Research Evariste Hue
The Ankh was the ancient Egyptian amulet of life symbolising immortality and life that is to come. It was formed of the combined male and female symbols of Osiris and Isis. It was usually employed as a pendant for a necklace. Research Ankh
An infula was originally a Roman sacredfillet, made of wool, worn on the head by priests, victims, and persons who fled to any place for mercy or protection. It was also worn by the emperors and magistrates on solemn occasions. The name was later applied to the head-dress of a Christian priest, and, still later to a pendantornament at he back of a mitre. Research Infula
A tippet is a cape of fur or other material for the shoulders. Tippets are an item of the official costume of judges and clergy, and frequently formed part of the outdoor livery of coachmen and footmen. Anciently the tippet was the pendant part of the hood or sleeve. Research Tippet
In architecture bargeboard (barge-board) or vergeboard is the ornament of woodwork upon the gable of a house where the covering of the roof extends over the wall, used extensively in the 15th century. It was generally suspended from the edge of the projecting roof and in a position parallel to the gable wall, covering the rafters which would otherwise be exposed or occupying the place of a rafter.
Early bargeboards are known to exist from the 14th century; these generally have a bold and rich effect from their being deeply cut. They are very commonly formed into featherings or cusps, with one or two subordinate series of featherings, the spandrels being either carved or pierced with trefoils etc., as at the north porch of Horsemonden church, Kent, and the George Inn at Salisbury; sometimes a series of small tracery panels is used in addition to these featherings, as at Salisbury.
After the 14th century bargeboards were used most abundantly, and of a very many designs, and they often supported a hipknob on the point of the gable, the upper part of which rises above the roof and terminates in a pinnacle, while the lower part hangs as a pendant below the bargeboard, or a pendant alone was used without any pinnacle above the roof, as at Eltham palace.
Many bargeboards of the 15th century have a very rich and beautiful effect, although for the most part they are less deeply cut than those of earlier dates; they are usually either feathered, or panelled, or pierced with a series of trefoils, quatrefoils etc, and the spandrels carved with foliage; when feathered, the cusps or points of the principal featherings have flowers sometimes carved on them. As Gothicarchitecture advanced, the bargeboard continued gradually (though with some exceptions) to lose much of their bold and rich effect, and in late work they are frequently merely carved with a line of stiff foliage in very low relief; they are also often without ant enrichment beyond a few plain, straight mouldings. Research Bargeboard
In architecture a hip knob is a finial, ball, or other ornament at the intersection of the hip rafters and the ridge. On Ecclesiastical edifices, previous to the Reformation, crosses were usually fixed in these situations, but on other buildings ornaments of various kinds were used; when applied to gables with barge-boards, the lower part of the hip-knob frequently terminated in a pendant. Research Hip Knob
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Matt and Leela Probert
Abbreviations
Research Order of the Garter
