Hey Ask Historians
I'm part of a group of people who make games. In order to avoid wild misrepresentation on female participation in warfare I would like to hear your perspective of both the creations- and of the order itself
This account is written in the 17th century in Elias Ashmole's The Institution, Laws and Ceremonies of the Most Noble Order of the Garter Ch. 3, sect. 3 on behalf of the Collage of Arms. (1672).
TL;DR Supposedly, females of Tortosa help out in a siege against the Moors. They're honored with privileges to status, property and are called knights.
The example is of the Noble Women of Tortosa in Aragon, and recorded by Josef Micheli Marquez, who plainly calls them Cavalleros or Knights, or may I not rather say Cavalleras, seeing I observe the words Equitissae and Militissae (formed from the Latin Equites and Milites) heretofore applied to Women, and sometimes used to express Madams or Ladies,though now these Titles are not known.
Don Raymond, last Earl of Barcellona (who by intermarriage with Petronilla, only Daughter and Heir of King Ramiro the Monk, united that principality to the Kingdom of Aragon) having in the year 1149, gained the City of Tortosa from the Moors, they on the 31 of December following, laid a new Siege to that place, for the recovery of it out of the Earls hands. The Inhabitants being a length reduced to gread streights, desired relief of the Earl, but he, being not in a condition to give them any, they entertained some thoughts of making a surrender. Which the Women hearing of, to prevent the disaster threatening their City, themselves, and Children, put on mens Clothes, and by a resolute sally, forced the Moors to raise the Siege.
The Earl, finding himself obliged, bythe gallentry of the action, thought fit to make his acknowlegements thereof, by granting them several Privileges and Immunities, and to perpetuate the memory of so signal an attempt, instituted an Order, somewhat like a Military Order, into which were admitted only those Brave Women, deriving the honor to their Descendants, and assigned them for a Dadge, a thing like a Fryars Capouche, sharp at the top, after the form of a Torch, and of a crimson colour, to be worn upon their Head-clothes. He also ordained, that at all publick meetings, the women should have precedence of the Men. That they should be exempted from all Taxes, and that all the Apparel and Jewels, though of never so great value, left by their dead Husbands, should be their own.
These Women (saith our Author) having thus aquired this Honor by their personal Valour, carried themselves after the Military Knights of those days.
Order of the Hatchet heraldry from the Catedral of Saint Mary of Tortosa.
Another version, Jaime Villanueva: Viage literario á las iglesias de España
What do you think we can withdraw from Ashmole's description and where are some common minefields to avoid from his 17th century perspective?
Thank you.
I by myself am searching for more information about this order, but to this date I have found nothing more than you. But if you are interested in women in warfare I can recommend these two articles to you, if you can get your hands on them (maybe through a university?).
the roles of women in the crusade movement - Christoph Maier women on the Third Crusade - Helen Nicholson they are both in the Journal of Medieval History and are talking about women in the third crusade.
