Figure 1: Order of the Dragon., circa 1500 badge. Image from the author’s archive.
Introduction: In this blog I am going to discuss the Order of the Dragon (Orden des Drachen): This is one of the oldest orders issued in the Austro- Hungarian Empire. This order which was founded by Sigismund of Luxembourg who was King of Hungary at the time, and who would become the Holy Roman Emperor has a rich and mystical history befitting one of the earliest orders of knighthood. It was intended to encourage the defense of the Hungarian monarchy against the Ottoman Empire and other foreign and domestic enemies, and to protect the Catholic Church from heretics and pagans. It was also intended to serve to bind the nobles of Hungary to Sigismund.
Date Issued: December 12, 1408– circa 1799
Reason Issued: The order was founded by Sigismund of Luxembourg who was King of Hungary at the time, and who would become the Holy Roman Emperor, to fight the Ottoman Empire, defend the Hungarian monarchy from foreign and domestic enemies, and the Catholic Church from heretics and pagans. It also served to bind the nobles of Hungary to his reign.
Classes or Types: Two
· Dragon insignia with cross
· Dragon insignia without cross
Interesting Facts:
· When it was founded the official name of the order was the Societas Draconistarum (Dragon Society). It was also sometimes referred to as the Order of the Dragon overthrown
· The Order flourished during the first half of the 15th century, primarily in Germany and Italy. After Sigismund’s death in 1437, its importance declined in Western Europe. However, after the fall of Constantinople in 1453, it continued to play a role in Hungary, Croatia, Albania, Serbia and Romania.
· Membership in the order society was open to Hungarians and nobles form other lands
· The Insignia of the society symbolizes the victory of Christianity over its enemies. A dragon with a knotted tail, as represented by the insignia of the society, stands for the destruction of evil, because it was believed that – as with the Scorpion – the power of the dragon was in his tail.
· There are no contemporary insignia from the founding era known thus all known examples are from later periods in the orders history
Hallmarks: None Known
Figure 2: Type I dragon insignia. Image from the author’s archive.
Design:
- Badge: A dragon with a curved back, the tail of which is wrapped around its neck (see above).
- Cross: A red enameled Greek cross with flaming ends (See below)
Figure 3: Dragon Order cross insignia. Image from the author’s archive.
Obverse:
· Badge: A detailed dragon in a curved form with its tail raped around its neck and a cross in the design of its back. (See above)
· Cross: A red enameled Greek cross with flaming ends (See above)
Reverse: Unknown
Weight: Unknown
Size: Unknown
Type of Material: Metal and bullion thread
Variations:
· Type I insignia: A dragon badge as described in bullion materials (see above)
· Type II Insignia: As described but in metal and with a red enameled cross on the back of the dragon badge and an attached red enameled Greek cross (see below)
Figure 4: Dragon Order, Type II insignia. Image from the author’s archive.
- Type III Insignia: A metal dragon badge without the cross design on the back and an attached cross without enamel. (See below)
Figure 5: Dragon Insignia, Type III. Image from the author’s archive.
· Type IV Insignia: The type I or II dragon badge accompanied by an unattached red enameled Greek cross with flaming ends ( see figure 3).
Designer: Unknown
Manufacturer: Unknown
Number Issued:
- There were originally 24 knights of the order with badge and cross
- There were an unknown number of members with the badge without the cross
Case: Unknown
Ribbon: None
Attachments: None
Miniature: None known
Hope you enjoyed this blog. Until next time, I hope you find joy in our shared interest.
Rick
I am reverend BUZI Michael kariongo from uganda , KAMPALA .
I am requesting for membership.
Thank you .
Reverend Kariongo
I have directed your inquiry to our membership chair person and I believe he will be contacting you soon if he has not already done so. I look forward to your membership in this organization and I hope it brings you a lot of satisfaction.
Rick
I am hungarian lineage and hungarian speaker who has a interest in the history and i would like to know if there is a way to be inducted into this Order.
Mr. Pico
I am not sure, but to the best of my knowledge, the Order of the Dragon is an extinct order. It was founded in 1408 and was active through the early eighteen hundreds. However, I do not think it is active today.
Rick
Where can I find more on the order of the dragons? I am very intrested in it.
Dorin
I am sorry I am unable to provide you with additional sources of information on this order. Over the years I have collected all of the reliable information I was able to identify and have distilled it in the blog that I published on the subject
Rick
Request for membership in the organization
Reverend Koriongo
I have forwarded your request to the Blog Coordinator who will in turn send it to the membership chairman. I expect him to contact you soon regarding your membership.
Rick
Hey, my name is Jonathan. I live in the u.s, first of all I wanted to say that I hope you all are doing well and I look forward to getting to know you. I am also asking fir information on the order of the dragons.
Jonathan
What information are you seeking in addition to that which has been provided in the blog post.