The ''Emprise de l'Escu vert à la Dame Blanche'' ("Enterprise of the Green Shield with the White Lady") was a

chivalric order An order of chivalry, order of knighthood, chivalric order, or equestrian order is an order (distinction), order of knights, typically founded during or inspired by the original Catholic Military order (religious society), military orders of the ...

founded by

Jean II Le Maingre Jean II Le Maingre (Old French: Jehan le Meingre), also known as Boucicaut (28 August 1366 – 21 June 1421), was a French knight and military leader. Renowned for his military skill and embodiment of chivalry, he was made a marshal of France. ...

and twelve other knights in 1399, committing themselves for the duration of five years. Inspired by the ideal of courtly love, the stated purpose of the order was to guard and defend the honor, estate, goods, reputation, fame and praise of all ladies, including

widow A widow (female) or widower (male) is a person whose spouse has died. Terminology The state of having lost one's spouse to death is termed ''widowhood''. An archaic term for a widow is "relict," literally "someone left over". This word can so ...

s. It was an undertaking that earned the praise of Christine de Pizan.

Foundation

According to his '' Livre des faits'', in 1399 Jean Le Maingre, tired of receiving complaints from ladies, maidens, and widows oppressed by powerful men bent on depriving them of the lands and honours, and finding no knight of squire willing to defend their just cause, out of compassion and charity founded an order of thirteen knights sworn to carry ''une targe d'or esmaillé de verd & tout une dame blanche dedans'' ("a shield of gold enamelled with green and a white lady inside"). The thirteen knights, after swearing this oath, affirmed a long letter explaining their purpose and disseminated it widely in France and beyond her borders. The letter explained that any lady young or old ''de noble lignée'' ("of noble lineage") finding herself the victim of injustice could petition one or more or the knights ''de l'Écu Vert à la Dame Blanche'' for redress and that knight would respond promptly and leave whatever other task he was performing to fight the lady's oppressor personally. The thirteen knights promised not just this, however. They offered also to release any other knight from a vow requiring him to fight a duel before a judge. The letter was signed 11 April 1399 by Jean le Maingre,

Charles d'Albret Charles I d'Albret (December 1368 – 25 October 1415) was the Lord of Albret and the Constable of France from 1402 until 1411, and again from 1413 until 1415. He was also the co-commander of the French army at the Battle of Agincourt where he ...

, Geffroi le Maingre, François d'Aubrecicourt, Jean de Lignères, Chambrillac, Castelbayac, Gaucourt, Chasteaumorant, Betas, Bonnebaut, Colleville, and Torsay.

Symbols

The emblem of the order was the shield of gold enamelled with green and a white lady inside. The ''dame blanche'' represented the purity which the knights of the order were to protect; what the green background signified is not so clear. That white and green were sometimes associated together in connection with the observances of May is shown by an account, in Hall's ''Chronicle'', of a "maying" of

Henry VIII of England Henry VIII (28 June 149128 January 1547) was King of England from 22 April 1509 until his death in 1547. Henry is best known for his six marriages, and for his efforts to have his first marriage (to Catherine of Aragon) annulled. His disa ...

, in which the company were clad in green on one occasion and in white on another. In Machyn's ''Diary'', too, there is mention of a white and green Maypole around which danced a company of men and women wearing " baldrykes" of white and green.

Literature

*Lalande, Denis (1988). ''Jean II Le Meingre, dit Boucicaut (1366–1421): étude d'une biographie héroïque''. *Marsh, George L. (1906) "Sources and Analogues of 'The Flower and the Leaf': Part I." ''Modern Philology'', pp. 153. * Riquer, Martín de (1967). ''Caballeros andantes españoles''. Madrid: Editorial Espasa-Calpe.

Foundation

Symbols

Literature

See also