Order of the Band

The Order of the Band, Knights of the Band, or Equites Bindae, were a military order in Spain, instituted by Alfonso XI, King of Castile in 1332.[1] It takes its name from the banda, band, sash or red ribbon which came across over the right shoulder and under the left arm of the knight.

Order of the Band
Emblem of the Order of the Band, the same of the Royal Bend of Castile.
Awarded by Alfonso XI of Castile
TypeChivalric order in one class
Established1332
StatusDisestablished
GradesKnight

Membership of the order was awarded to certain distinguished knights and squires of the king, and has roots back as far as 1324.[2] This order was for none but nobles; the eldest sons of grandees were excluded; and a prerequisite to admittance was to have served at least ten years either in the army, or at court. They were bound to take up arms for Catholicism against infidels. The King himself was Grand Master of the order. After a period of decline it is considered to have been extinct by 1474.[2]

See also

References
  1. The New Cambridge Medieval History, vol. 6: c. 1300 - c. 1415, Michael Jones (ed.) (Cambridge, 1998), p. 209.
  2. "Members of the Order of the Band". Archived from the original on 2011-07-16. Retrieved 2008-03-24.

 This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Chambers, Ephraim, ed. (1728). Cyclopædia, or an Universal Dictionary of Arts and Sciences (1st ed.). James and John Knapton, et al. Missing or empty |title= (help)

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