Great Orders of the Realm
Order of the Scarlet Wyrm, Order
of the Golden Spydere.
1. The Order of the White Sparrow
This Order is awarded to gentles who have worked with energy and
dedication in the service of the Realm.
It was first presented to Aethelwulf as an award to recognise his
efforts at the first Feast ever held in the Realm, during the organisation
of which he had been driven to the brink of insanity. The award was
upgraded to the status of an Order at Full Court the following year, and
Aethelwulf was made its Senior Member. The original emblem was a sparrow,
argent, on a field, sable. This was presented to Aethelwulf in the form of
a sash on which the bird was displayed. He declared that in view of the
nature of the award the sparrow should be lying on its back, deceased, and
turned the sash upside down to wear it.
Several awards of the White Sparrow (Mort) were given for service to the
Realm above and beyond the call of sanity. Later on, the Order's charter was modified to allow the inclusion of those
gentles who had served the Realm steadfastly for many years, but without
any single excesses which threatened their reason. These gentles receive
the Order of the White Sparrow (ordinary), which has a similar emblem, but
without the unfortunate bird being demised.
Master Fenland Head of the Order
2. The Order of the Scarlet Wyrm.
Blazon of the Arms of the Order
Membership of this Order is offered to those who display significant
prowess in the field of Arms. It indicates an unhealthy enthusiasm for
running around muddy fields while physically abusing your friends. A
certain liking for ale is normally displayed by the members of this Order,
also.
The Order was instituted at Full Court in Year Two (Old Reckoning) along
with the other two Great Orders, and it's founder members were the Knights
of the Realm (at that time Sir Alastair, Sir Alexander, Sir Aethelwulf &
Sir Andrew). It's Device is "On a field Azure, a Wyrm Rampant Proper
(& this is a red one!)" (a red dragon, rearing up, on a blue
background in English, for those who don't speak Heraldic). Later, a
parallel branch of the order was created to be awarded to those who did
not wish to strive towards the Chivalric Ideal of Knighthood. These people
were to be full members of the Order but titled Sergeant instead of
Knight. Consideration was given to creating a third strain, the Squire,
for those worthy of the order but not yet ready for knighthood. After
great deliberation we decided that this was getting far too complicated &
we returned to a simple award of membership of the Order to all those
worthy by right of their prowess. The correct title for all members is
Sergeant of the Order of the Scarlet Wyrm. (Knighthood is now separate.)
Membership of this Order carries an obligation to be ready to defend the
Realm & Person of Albion at all times. Most members of the Order take
an Oath, renewed each year in the Presence of Albion, which clearly
defines their obligations. It is rare for Albion to appear at a formal
Event without an armed guard of Order members.
Sir Alastair Saunders, Head
of the Order of the Scarlet Wyrm; Master at Arms to the Realm.
3. The Order of the Golden Spydere
This Order is awarded to those who have enrichment and beautified the Realm with their
skills in the Arts, either by displaying them at events or by teaching to others. It recognises that the arts of peace are valued as highly as the arts of war within the Realm.
It was the last Great Order formed in the Realm and is the most diverse of all of them. Awards are given for talents such as music, dance, calligraphy,
illumination, costume making, cooking, spinning, weaving, poetry and
storytelling.
Lady Ragnhild
Askilsdottir, Head of the Order of the Golden Spydere
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