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 a society, fellowship and college of knights, typically founded during or inspired by the original Catholic military orders of the Crusades ( 1099–1291) and pai ...

founded by Jean II Le Maingre and twelve other knights in 1399, committing themselves for the duration of five years. Inspired by the ideal of

courtly love Courtly love ( ; ) was a medieval European literary conception of love that emphasized nobility and chivalry. Medieval literature is filled with examples of knights setting out on adventures and performing various deeds or services for ladies b ...

, 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 Death, died and has usually not remarried. The male form, "widower", is first attested in the 14th century, by the 19th century supplanting "widow" with reference to men. The adjecti ...

s. It was an undertaking that earned the praise of

Christine de Pizan Christine de Pizan or Pisan (, ; born Cristina da Pizzano; September 1364 – ), was an Italian-born French court writer for King Charles VI of France and several French royal dukes, in both prose and poetry. Christine de Pizan served as a cour ...

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, 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 known for his Wives of Henry VIII, six marriages and his efforts to have his first marriage (to Catherine of Aragon) annulled. ...

, 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 A maypole is a tall wooden pole erected as a part of various European List of folk festivals, folk festivals, around which a maypole dance often takes place. The festivals may occur on May Day, 1 May or Pentecost (Whitsun), although in some co ...

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