King Edward III founded the Order of the Garter around the time of hisclaim to the French throne.[4] The traditional year of foundation is usually given as 1348 (when it was formally proclaimed).
According toPolydore Vergil'sAnglica Historia, written in 1512–1513, 166 years after the event, the origin was a trivial mishap at a court function. King Edward III was dancing withJoan of Kent, his first cousin and daughter-in-law, at a ball held inCalais to celebrate the fall of the city after theBattle of Crécy.[5] Hergarter slipped down to her ankle, causing those around her to laugh at her humiliation. Edward placed the garter around his own leg, saying: "Honi soit qui mal y pense. Tel qui s'en rit aujourd'hui, s'honorera de la porter."[citation needed] ("Shame on anyone who thinks evil of it. Whoever is laughing at this [thing] today will later be proud to wear it."). Scholars typically consider this version to be apocryphal, as there are no contemporary sources for it, and as garters were not worn by women at that time.[5]
According to David Nash Ford:
While Edward III may outwardly have professed the Order of the Garter to be a revival of theRound Table, it is probable that privately its formation was a move to gain support for his dubious claim to the French throne. The motto of the Order is a denunciation of those who think ill of some specific project, and not a mere pious invocation of evil upon evil-thinkers in general. "Shame be to him who thinks ill of it" was probably directed against anyone who should oppose the King's design on the French Crown.[6]
The motto inAnglo-Norman, a dialect ofOld Norman French spoken by the medieval ruling class in England, appears in the late 14th century Middle English poemSir Gawain and the Green Knight ashony soyt qui mal pence, at the end of the text inthe manuscript, albeit in a later hand. The poem is connected to theOrder of the Garter.[7][8]In the poem, a girdle, very similar in its erotic undertones to the garter, plays a prominent role. A rough equivalent of the Order's motto has been identified in Gawain's exclamationcorsed worth cowarddyse and couetyse boþe ("cursed be both cowardice and coveting", v. 2374).[9] While the author of the poem remains disputed, there seems to be a connection between two of the top candidates and the Order of the Garter,John of Gaunt, andEnguerrand de Coucy, seventhSire de Coucy. De Coucy was married to King Edward III's daughter, Isabella, and was admitted to the Order of the Garter on their wedding day.[10]
Arms ofJohn of Gaunt include the garter and the mottoHoni soit qui mal y pense. Picture from a 16th-century depiction
InEnglish heraldry, the mottoHoni soit qui mal y pense is used either as a stand-alone motto upon a motto scroll, or upon a circular representation of theGarter. Knights and Ladies of the Garter are entitled to encircle theescutcheon of their arms with the garter and motto (e.g.The 1st Duke of Marlborough).[11][12][13]
Several military organisations in the Commonwealth incorporate the motto inscribed upon a garter of the order within their badges (or cyphers) and some useHoni soit qui mal y pense as their motto. Corps and regiments using the motto in this fashion are ('*' indicates usage as a motto in addition to inclusion in the badge):
Also used on items, e.g., the baton, of the Society of High Constables of Edinburgh (founded 1611), along with the phrase ' nisi dominus frustra'.
It is a motto for many schools and educational institutions; the title of theUniversity of Sydney student newspaper,Honi Soit, is derived from the motto.
It appears in the stage directions ofGiuseppe Verdi'sFalstaff, libretto byArrigo Boito, in Act 3, scene 1, where it is written above the door at the Garter Inn.
^It is sometimes translated with masculine gendering: as in "May he be shamed who thinks badly of it" ("honi soit qui mal y pense,n".OED Online.Oxford University Press. December 2014. Retrieved3 March 2015.) However, although grammaticallyhoni (in today's Frenchhonni) is masculine, conventionally masculine was the default gender to use during the Anglo-Norman period, when talking about someone whose gender is unknown or unspecified, so that technically females are not excluded from the application of the phrase.Honni and the feminine formhonnie sound exactly the same; likewisetel (feminine,telle) below.
^Friedman, Albert B.; Osberg, Richard H. (1997). "Gawain's Girdle as Traditional Symbol".The Journal of American Folklore.90 (157). American Folklore Society:301–315.doi:10.2307/539521.JSTOR539521.
^Fox-Davies, Arthur Charles (1996). "XXXVI Official Heraldic Insignia".Complete Guide to Heraldry (1996 ed.). Ware, Hertfordshire: Wordsworth Editions. pp. 583–84.ISBN1-85326-365-6.A Knight of the Garter has: (1) His Garter to encircle the shield ...
^An example of the full heraldicblazon description is provided in"Official Lineages Volume 3, Part 2: The Royal Regiment of Canada".National Defence and the Canadian Forces. Directorate of History and Heritage, Canadian Forces. 24 November 2010. Archived fromthe original on 28 July 2018. Retrieved19 June 2012.[A] garter Azure fimbriated buckled and inscribedHONI SOIT QUI MAL Y PENSE in letters Or (A blue garter with gold edges, gold buckle and inscriptionHONI SOIT QUI MAL Y PENSE in gold letters.) However, simplified blazons are also used.
^"Coats of Arms".Official Website of the British Monarchy. The Royal Household (2008-09). Archived fromthe original on 4 March 2009. Retrieved20 June 2012.
^"Artillery Heritage".Southern Gunners website. Royal New Zealand Artillery Association. 25 December 2010. Retrieved20 June 2012.
.svg)
.svg)
