BRETHREN OF THE SPANISH MILITARY ORDERS
An extract from Armies of Feudal Europe 1066-1300by Ian Heath
70, 71 & 72. BRETHREN OF THE SPANISH MILITARY ORDERS
Figure 70, from a ms. of the reign of Alfonso VIII (1158-1214), depicts the habit of a brother knight of the Order of Santiago, apparently made of some kind of very coarse material. Note the difference between the early espada device worn here and the later one depicted in 70a. Figure 71, by contrast, is a 13th century Santiagan knight in war-harness, taken from the 'Cántigas de Santa Maria'. He wears a faded red surcoat, while his helmet and shield are white, both bearing a red cross with fleur-de-lis ends and charged with 5 white cockleshells, apparently an alternative device of the Order which it also seems to have used - in a variant form - on one of its battle-flags (see Armies of the Middle Age, volume 1, figure 95f; also, figure 95e for the Order's principal flag). In the original from which he is taken some knights are depicted mounted on horses with similarly marked housings and red leather chanfrons, while others have mail bards.
Shortened, hooded habits split for riding, such as worn by figure 72 (an Alcántaran knight of c. 1300, based on an engraving from an 18th century work, P. Helyot's Histoire des Ordres Religieux), appear to have been worn in place of surcoats by some brethren. Long cloaks, sometimes fur-lined, might also be worn, though probably not in battle. Equipment would have otherwise been identical to that described under 63 and 64 and depicted in 71, except that Calatravan brethren always wore blackened armour- Confrère brethren of Santiago at least, and probably most if not all of the other Spanish Orders, bore their own arms on their shields.
The following list provides brief details of the habits and badges of the principal Spanish Orders:
Order Habit Emblem Knights of Calatrava White, later grey or black. Red cross with fleur-de-lis ends from 1397 (70b). Knights of Santiago At first a red cloak. Then a white habit, later black. The red cloak had a cross or cockleshell thereon. Habit had an espada, a red cross with the bottom arm extended to resemble a short sword blade (70a). 14th century and later sources show the hilt and guards ending in fleurs-de-lis. Knights of Alcántara White Green cross with fleur-de-lis ends from soon after 1397 (70b). Knights of Avis White Green cross from c. 1325. Knights of Our Lady of Montjoie (Montegaudio) White (G. G. King says red) Parti-coloured red and white cross. Knights of St George of Alfama White Red cross from 1400. Mercedarian Knights White - Knights of Sao Thiago White Espada like Santiago except that the blade too ended in a fleur-de-lis.
