  Chivalric ordersThis page is about (historical) knightly societies. See here for the decoration.  The chivalric orders in Friland have a turbulent history; they arose from religious conflicts and therefore originally had a military character. Of the five orders, two still exist: the Traudridars (Ferna Sed) and the Meldridars (Protestant), who nowadays are mainly concerned with charity. During the Middle Ages the orders were powers of significance. The introduction of freedom of religion in 1570 put an end to the many religious disputes, from which the orders partly derived their right to exist. Their fate was sealed in 1587 with the introduction of the orders law (hairskapanlag), which stipulated that all orders had to demilitarise: they could choose between dissolving themselves, integrating with the national army, or continuing as a purely religious and/or charitable order. Their estates, castles and other possessions were no longer considered sovereign and were given the same status before the law as the possessions of companies and institutions. The order law was devised by the Riksțing and king Erilgast, who took office in that year. They wanted to restore central authority and limit the power of the knights. The orders originally only admitted men of nobility. Since the 20th century, however, they have also been open to women of nobility and non-nobles who are considered worthy, although they are still aristocratic strongholds. Frilandic orders of chivalry The orders indicated in green are still active, those in red aren't: Jorgsridars The Order of Saint George (Wi-Jorgshairskap), shortened to Knights of George (Jorgsridars), was a Catholic order that was active in Walamark from 1272 to 1580. It was founded by Catholic Frilandic noblemen led by Seimon Josefung Națanssun. The lack of central authority during the Third Kingless Period (1264-1432) allowed the Jorgsridars to expand their power almost unopposed in Walamark, where a minority of the population had already converted to Christianity. The purpose of the order was the protection of Christians and their holy places and the eventual conversion of Friland. Due to a lack of support among the population, the Jorgsridars increasingly sought cooperation with Hiveria, which was also Catholic. The Stahlridars, who defended the Ferna Sed faith, were their mortal enemies. Both orders fought each other almost incessantly, with the Jorgsridars supported by Hiveria and the Pope. After the restoration of the Frilandic monarchy in 1432, the resistance to the Christianization of Walamark became stronger and more united. The Jorgsridars came under increasing pressure because of this. During the Reformation (16th century) part of the order split off and formed the Protestant Meldridars, with whom the Jorgsridars have bitterly fought ever since. In 1580 the Jorgsridars were destroyed by an alliance of Stahlridars and Meldridars, probably with the approval of the Frilandic authorities, which considered the pro-Hiverian Jorgsridars too unreliable. Meldridars The Order of Mercy (Meldhairskap), colloquially known as Knights of Mercy (Meldridars), is a Protestant order that split from the Jorgsridars in 1558 under the leadership of Lord Martin Kunstantinung Nikaudemssun. Its purpose was to protect Christians and their holy places and to help the poor. The order did not strive to convert Friland, but to maintain the status quo. Although the Meldridars regarded the Ferna Sed faith as pagan, they took a conciliatory attitude towards the followers of this faith because they also fought against the Jorgsridars, whom they eventually defeated together with the Stahlridars. The new freedom of religion and the fact that the Meldridars were not pro-Hiverian, allowed the order to be tolerated and acquire a place in Frilandic society. After the introduction of the order law, the Meldridars continued as a charitable order. Nowadays they are mainly involved in homeless shelters and development aid. The head office of the Meldridars is located at Haustrat 5 in Spirdung. There are also branches in Mulivai (East Tagaloa) and Kwana (Kumanga). Stahlridars The Knights of Steel (Stahlridars) named themselves after their steel swords, an expression of wealth at a time when this metal was still very precious. The order was founded in 1096 by king Habuk in response to the growing power of Christian Hiveria and the threat it posed to the indigenous Ferna Sed faith. Its purpose was the protection of Ferna Sedars and the preservation or reconquest of their sacred sites. The Stahlridars fought in the Second Frilandic-Hiverian War (1142), in which many of them died at the fall of Austanburg. Since the Third Kingless Period (1264-1432), the king was no longer the head of the order and the knights elected their own grand master. During the Third Frilandic-Hiverian War (1448) they fought together with the Sturmridars in king Țeudrik's army and took part in the liberation of Walamark. They were also involved in the reconquest of Austanburg, with which they were finally able to rectify the loss of this castle after three centuries. In 1580 they got even with their archenemies, the Catholic and pro-Hiverian Jorgsridars, by dealing them a crushing defeat with the help of the Protestant Meldridars. The order law introduced in 1587 caused division among the Stahlridars; some of them decided to cut their losses and split off as the Traudridars, but the majority refused to accept the order law because it drastically curtailed the order's power and independence. The Stahlridars were a wealthy and powerful organization, owning extensive estates and castles. Their most important castle was Hlemburg and their headquarters were in Tillau, where they often had more influence than the Frilandic government. In the rest of Walamark, too, there were regular clashes between the power of the Stahlridars and that of the central authority, which is one of the reasons why it introduced the order law. When the leadership of the Stahlridars was charged with non-compliance with the order law, it decided to openly rebel against the Frilandic government. To organize this, grand master Harberht Tisgeldung Karilssun and his loyalists met on July 1, 1587 in their headquarters, the Stahlridarhus in Tillau. During the meeting, armed Sturmridars broke into the building and killed everyone present. This prevented a bloody revolt and effectively "decapitated" the order. The Stahlridars were then disbanded and their possessions confiscated. Sturmridars Storm Knights (Sturmridars) or Storm Riders is a nickname of the Ainharjars, the army of the dead led by the god Wodan. The order named after them was originally the bodyguard of king Țeudrik, who elevated it to a chivalric order in 1434 with him as grand master. The Sturmridars swore allegiance to Țeudrik and his successors. Their purpose was to preserve the unity and independence of the kingdom, thus forming a counterweight to the often self-operating Stahlridars. They were also an elite unit, to which only the best and most warlike knights were admitted. They fought in the Third Frilandic-Hiverian War (1448) and played a decisive role in the Battle of Dannanwalț. When the order law was introduced in 1587, the Sturmridars became an integrated part of the Frilandic armed forces. Since then they are no longer formally a chivalric order but a military unit. The current Sturmridars are open to everyone of Frilandic nationality, although they still have a large attraction to young noblemen, who, however, have to meet the same sky-high requirements as the other recruits for their admission. Traudridars The Pitiful Knights (Traudridars) are a religious and charitable order. They split from the Stahlridars in 1587 led by Țunarber Ansțewung Hagalradssun. They distanced themselves from the wealthy and ambitious Stahlridars with a humble and austere lifestyle, to which their name refers. Of its income, the order uses only what is necessary for its maintenance, the rest is used to help the sick and people in psychological distress. In addition to these purposes, the order considers itself a defender of the Ferna Sed faith, although nowadays this is no longer done with the sword but with the pen. The head office of the Traudridars is located at Furdweg 16 in Tillau. There are also branches in Hwarbgard (Frilandic Tagaloa) and Berginstad (Frilandic Kumanga). Hiveria Hiveria has known two chivalric orders, of which only the Catholic Chevaliers de Boniface still exist. Hiverian orders of chivalry The orders indicated in green are still active, those in red aren't: Chevaliers de Boniface The Hospitaller Order of Saint Boniface (Ordre hospitalier de Saint-Boniface), also called Knights of Boniface (Chevaliers de Boniface / Fri: Bonifatsridars), is a Catholic chivalric order that has its origins in the Second Frilandic-Hiverian War (1142). An army of crusaders, consisting of Hiverians and English, French and Spanish volunteers, made an unsuccessful attempt to convert Friland to Christianity. After the war, the remains of this crusading army formed the Chevaliers de Boniface, which was founded in 1143 by the French nobleman Bouchard de Vascoeuil. The order was based in Hiveria, but also had possessions in Jerusalem and Antioch to support pilgrims in the Holy Land. The order lost its possessions in Jerusalem in 1187 and in Antioch in 1268, although it has now resumed its activities in Jerusalem. The Chevaliers de Boniface fought on the Hiverian side in the Third Frilandic-Hiverian War (1448), in which the House d'Alençon gave way to the House Concarneau. Due to their connections with the old royal house, the relationship between the Chevaliers de Boniface and the new House of Concarneau was difficult. In 1532 the order was therefore demilitarized by king Pasquier Concarneau, who considered it too influential. The Chevaliers de Boniface then began to focus more on charity work and spreading Christianity in the Hiverian colonies. After the Hiverian revolution (1794) the order was banned, although it continued its work in secret until the ban was lifted in 1884. The order is now a religious charity that focuses on development aid, evangelism, providing medical care to the less fortunate and organizing pilgrimages to Jerusalem. The Chevaliers de Boniface have great difficulty finding enough Catholic men of nobility to continue their work. This makes most knights very old. To prevent staff shortages, the lower staff of the Chevaliers de Boniface may now also consist of Catholic non-nobles. The headquarters of the Chevaliers de Boniface are located at Rue la Fontaine 16 in St. Gérard. There are also branches in Jerusalem, Port Gaudin (Esrayette) and Port-de-Vivre (Hiveriaans-Kumanga). Chevaliers Huguenots The Order of the Huguenots (Ordre des Huguenots), also called Huguenot Knights (Chevaliers Huguenots / Fri: Huganautanridars), was a Protestant chivalric order. The order was founded in 1787 by the Hiverian nobleman Maximilien de Coligny and consisted mainly of Hiverian and (refugee) French Protestants, who, following the French example, called themselves Huguenots. The purpose of the order was the protection and spread of Protestantism in Hiveria. The Chevaliers Huguenots had no military character but mainly tried to gain influence in Hiverian politics. This was possible because Protestantism in Hiveria, after almost two centuries of oppression, had become so insignificant that it was less severely persecuted. The Chevaliers Huguenots were banned after the Hiverian revolution (1794), which, unlike the Catholic Chevaliers de Boniface, they did not manage to survive.  |