In another version of the myth, Pelias asked Jason what he would do if he met the man who would cause his downfall. One version of the myth states that Pelias agreed to surrender the kingdom to Jason, but asked the hero to bring him the Golden Fleece, so as to lift a curse from his family. Therefore, when he arrived in Iolcus, Pelias recognized him as the man with one sandal foretold by the oracle, and became alarmed. In any case, Jason lost a sandal whilst crossing the river. This old woman was supposed to have been the goddess Hera in disguise. As Pelias was fearful that he would lose the throne, he consulted an oracle, who warned him that a man wearing one sandal would cause his downfall.Īccording to one version of the myth, Jason, whilst on his way back to Iolcus, met an old woman, and carried her across the Anauros River. Jason, Pelias and the Golden Fleece ( Public Domain )īy that time, however, the throne had been usurped by Pelias, Aeson’s half-brother. When Jason was still a baby, he was sent to the centaur Chiron to be raised, returning to Iolcus in adulthood. The main protagonist of the tale is Jason, the son of Aeson, the King of Iolcus, in Thessaly. Jason and the Golden Fleece is an ancient Greek myth, the most famous version of which comes from Apollonius of Rhodes’s Argonautica. One of these, for instance, asserts that the order’s name was inspired by Isabella’s red hair, whereas another claims that it was named after the blonde hair of Mary van Crombrugghe, the most famous of Philip’s 24 mistresses. There are however several alternative, though less convincing, explanations for the order’s name. It is rather intriguing to consider that whilst Christianity and chivalry are supposed to be at the core of the Order of the Golden Fleece, its name, ironically, appears to refer to the story of Jason and the Golden Fleece, a pagan myth centered around a hero with questionable morals. Moreover, there was a religious dimension to the order, as its knights were to promote the glory of God, and to defend the Christian faith.
The creation of the Order of the Golden Fleece was also aimed at upholding a chivalric standard amongst its members. Thus, Philip sought to use the Order of the Golden Fleece to strengthen his ties with the nobility, thereby increasing his own power and prestige. Whilst the order started with 24 knights, their number was later increased, though still limited.Īpart from these members, only high-ranking nobles were eligible to become a knight of this order. In addition to the grand master, the order had four other officers – a treasurer, a master-at-arms, a chancellor, and a registrar. Naturally, the first grand master of the order was the duke himself. Philip III, Duke of Burgundy wearing the chain of the Order of the Golden Fleece (Musée des Beaux-Arts de Dijon / CC BY-SA 4.0 )ĭuring the meeting, the regulations of the order were acknowledged, and the first 24 knights were nominated by Philip. The new order was therefore dedicated to Saint Andrew, as well as to the Virgin Mary. This day is significant, as it is the feast day of Saint Andrew, the patron saint of the House of Burgundy. The first ceremonial meeting of the Order of the Golden Fleece was held in Lille on the 30 th of November, 1431. Incidentally, Isabella’s maternal great grandfather was Edward III of England, who established the Order of the Garter in 1348. The creation of the chivalric order was announced during the wedding celebrations, and its first ceremonial meeting took place in the following year. The Order of the Golden Fleece was founded in Bruges, Flanders, on the 10 th of January 1430 by Philip III ‘the Good’, the Duke of Burgundy, to commemorate his marriage to Isabella of Portugal. Some of the more famous members of the order include the French emperor Napoleon Bonaparte, Emperor Meiji of Japan, and Queen Elizabeth II. Through the centuries the order passed from the House of Burgundy to the House of Habsburg, split into two branches as a consequence of the Spanish War of Succession in the early 18 th century, and survives even to this day. The Order of the Golden Fleece is an order of chivalry that was founded by Philip III, the Duke of Burgundy, on the occasion of his marriage to Isabella of Portugal in the 15 th century.
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