Danebrog or Dannebrog was a Danish order of knighthood, said to have been instituted in 1219, and revived in 1693. The decorations consisted of a cross of gold pattee, enamelled with white, and suspended by a white ribbon embroidered with red. Research Danebrog
The Edward Medal is a British award for heroism in civic life, especially in mines and quarries. The Edward Medal was instituted in 1907 by Edward VII and forms two classes: the Edward Medal and the Edward Medal in silver. It has a dark blue ribbon with yellow edges. Research Edward Medal
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 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 Royal Red Cross is a decoration for lady nurses distinguished by their services to sick or wounded soldiers and sailors. It was instituted by Queen Victoria on April the 23rd 1883. The cross, of crimson enamel, gold-edged, is fastened to the left shoulder by a bow of dark blue, red-edged ribbon. Research Royal Red Cross
The Eastern Ribbon Snake (Thamnophis sauritus) is an American species of Garter snake growing to about 66 cm in length and characterised by a very dark coloured body with three distinctive stripes, of varying colours, on the mid-dorsum and the sides. Research Eastern Ribbon Snake
Limpets are gastropod molluscs, characterised by the simple cap-shaped shell, and by the nature of the radula or tooth-ribbon. Limpets breed in spring and the young are ciliated free-swimming larvae, devoid of shells. The foot is an almost circular mass of muscle; around it is visible the mantle, lining the shell, and bearing a circlet of vascular folds which functionally replace the missing gills. The mouth is at the end of a short proboscis; within it lies the very long radula, by means of which the limpet rasps its food from the surface of rocks. At either side of the mouth are the tentacles, bearing each an eye at its base. Research Limpet
The Western Ribbon Snake (Thamnophis proximus) is an American species of Garter snake growing to about 123 centimetres long and distinguished by labials greatly offset from the rest of the head by being lighter in colour to the rest of the dark coloured head. Research Western Ribbon Snake
John James Hamilton was an Irish peer. He was born in 1756 and died in 1818. The first marquess of Abercorn, he was an eccentric man notorious for his love of the extravagant. Sir Walter Scott recounts how on a visit to John Hamilton he came upon a procession of five carriages, twenty outriders and a man on horseback wearing the blue ribbon of the Knights of the Garter, who turned out to be John Hamilton on his way to dine alone at a pub in the village of Longtown. John Hamilton was noted for his love of solitude, which extended to visitors to his home being given free reign to do what they liked, so long as they didn't speak to him. Research John Hamilton
The Probert Encyclopaedia was designed, edited and programed by
Matt and Leela Probert
Abbreviations
Research Danebrog
