The Order of the Ladies of the Cord (French: L’Ordre des Dames chevalières de la Cordelière" or "Ordre de la Cordelière"), was a

ladies order Orders of chivalry for women, orders of knighthood for women or ladies orders are orders of chivalry reserved solely for women. These knighthoods for women made their first appearance in 1600, and have been less numerous than traditional knightho ...

founded by the French queen

Anne of Brittany Anne of Brittany (; 25/26 January 1477 – 9 January 1514) was reigning Duchess of Brittany from 1488 until her death, and Queen of France from 1491 to 1498 and from 1499 to her death. She is the only woman to have been queen consort of France ...

in 1498. This rope with knots had been added by her step-grandfather

Francis I, Duke of Brittany Francis I (in Breton Fransez I, in French François I) (11 May 1414 – 17 July 1450), was Duke of Brittany, Count of Montfort and titular Earl of Richmond, from 29 August 1442 to his death. He was born in Vannes, the son of John V, Duke of ...

to his arms in honor of St. Francis its patron saint and her father

Francis II, Duke of Brittany Francis II ( Breton: ''Frañsez II'', French: ''François II'') (23 June 1433 – 9 September 1488) was Duke of Brittany from 1458 to his death. He was the grandson of John IV, Duke of Brittany. A recurring theme in Francis' life would be ...

had continued the emblem. The order was founded after the death of her husband king Charles VIII. The choice of name is not clear. Some sources speak of the node in the

Scourge A scourge is a whip or lash, especially a multi-thong type, used to inflict severe corporal punishment or self-mortification. It is usually made of leather. Etymology The word is most commonly considered to be derived from Old French ''escorgi ...

of the Savior, others from the cord of the sacred

Francis of Assisi Giovanni di Pietro di Bernardone, better known as Saint Francis of Assisi ( it, Francesco d'Assisi; – 3 October 1226), was a mystic Italian Catholic friar, founder of the Franciscans, and one of the most venerated figures in Christianit ...

and still others of deliverance from the pressing duty of the unfortunate and involuntary marriage of Charles and Anna. The symbol of the belt cord was also used in

manuscript A manuscript (abbreviated MS for singular and MSS for plural) was, traditionally, any document written by hand – or, once practical typewriters became available, typewritten – as opposed to mechanically printing, printed or repr ...

ordered by Anne of Brittany, for example, in the prayer book that let make between 1492 and 1495 for her son, Charles-Orland, the Dauphin. The motto of the order was "J'ay le corps délié" ("''I have the body untied''"). Ackermann writes that the later French habit of drawing cords around the arm of a French noble widow, a so-called ''Cordelière'', can be brought back to the symbol of this order and mentions this order as a historical order of France.

References

* Laurent Hablot, « Pour en finir – ou pour commencer ! – avec l'ordre de la Cordelière »; in ''Pour en finir avec Anne de Bretagne ? Actes de la journée d'étude organisée aux Archives départementales de la Loire-Atlantique le 25 mai 2002'', ed. Dominique La Page (Nantes, 2004): 47–70. *

Gustav Adolph Ackermann Gustav Adolph Ackermann (16 January 1791 – 19 February 1872) was a German lawyer and author of a notable book on European knightly orders. Ackermann was born in Auerbach in Vogtland, Saxony. He was ''Königlich Sachsischer Appelationsrat'' oyal ...

, " ''Ordensbuch, Sämtlicher in Europa blühender und erloschener Orden und Ehrenzeichen'' ". Annaberg, 1855, p 211 n°94. "Orden der Damen vom Strich" or "Orden der gegürteten Damen" (Order of the belted Ladies)
Google Books
(Former orders of France : p. 205-214) {{DEFAULTSORT:Ladies of the Cord Orders of chivalry of France Orders of chivalry for women