Order of the Dragon

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This is the Wiki page for the 15th century group called the Order of the Dragon. For the book series Order of the Dragon click here.[[1]]

The Order of the Dragon (Latin Societas Draconistrarum, German Drachenorden, Hungarian Sárkány Lovagrend, Romanian Ordinul Dragonului) was an elite Chivalric order for selected royalty and nobility of Europe.^[1] Founded in 1408 by Emperor Sigismund, King of Hungary, the Order primarily flourished in Germany and Italy. The members of the Order were known as Draconists.^[2] According to a surving copy of its statute, the Order required its initiates to defend the Cross and fight the enemies of Christianity. ^[3]

1 History
- 1.1 Symbol of the Order
2 Artifacts
3 References

[edit] History

The Order of the Dragon was first created on December 12, 1408 by Emperor Sigismund, then King of Hungary, and his wife Queen Barbara of Celje following the battle for possession of Bosnia.^[4] ^[5] From 1408-1437, the Order of the Dragon was the most important noble political association in Hungary and served as its main political force. The Order was only second in power to the King. The Order of the Dragon was inspired from the Order of St. George (Socitas Militae Sancti Georgii), created by King Carol Robert of Anjou in 1318. Its statute from 1326 required protection of the King from any plot against him, principles also upheld in Sigismund's Order. ^[6] The Order of the Dragon was quickly recognized internationally, and in 1409, it inspired the Spanish Order of Calatrava. ^[7] There was an initial group of inductees for Sigismund's Order, from 1408-1418, 24 in number. A second group of inductees were initiated between 1431-1437.^[8] Following the death of Sigismund, the Order lost prominence. However, the prestigious Order's emblem was retained on the coat of arms of several noble families, including Bathory, Bocskay, Bethlen, Szathmary, and Rakoczi. ^[9]

Selected list of inductees from 1408:

Selected list of inductees from after 1431:

[edit] Symbol of the Order

Reconstruction of the order patch (I) based on existing Austrian museum artifacts.

For its symbol, the Order designed an insignia of a dragon with its tail coiled around its neck; on the back of the dragon, from the base of the neck to the tail, is the Red Cross of Saint George, with the entire image on an argent field. A University of Bucharest annotation to the original edict, which established the Order, reads O Quam Misericors est Deus, Pius et Justus, which may been officially part of the emblem.^[25]

Reconstruction of the emblem (II) based on the sketches in Austrian Museum custody; the original badge is missing.

The various classes of the order had a slight variation of the dragon symbol. Common changes included the addition of inscriptions like O Quam Misericors est Deus ("Oh, how merciful God is") and Justus et Paciens ("Justifiably and peacefully"). One of the highest classes may have worn a necklace with a seal, ^[26] while a period painting of Otto von Wolkenstein depicts another type of class variation.^[27]

[edit] Artifacts

Few historical artifacts of the Order remain, although the Order's dragon emblem has been referenced on coins, art, and in writing. A copy, dating to 1707, of the edict forming the Order is the oldest known literary artifact of the society. Today, known materials are archived within the University of Budapest and the University of Bucharest. The Order was also inspirational for the writing of Dracula by Bram Stoker. ^[28] Interest in this mysterious knighthood and its members continue on today through scholarly research, entertainment, and popular culture and subcultures.