54 FLORAL SYMBOLISM 



knights, chosen out of the principal ancient 

 families in Navarre, Biscay and old Castile. 

 Each of these knights wore on his breast a lily 

 embroidered in silver, and, on all festivals and 

 holy days, he wore about his neck a collar com- 

 posed of a double chain of gold interlaced with 

 Gothic capital letters ^]^ ; and pendent there- 

 unto an oval medal, whereon was enamelled, 

 on a white ground, a lily of gold springing out of 

 a mount, supporting a Gothic capital letter (9ifp),. 

 ducally crowned.' ' 



Thus the lily became the gage of the Virgin 

 borne by her knights. She was now gradually 

 moving from the subordinate though glorious 

 station as Mother of the Incarnate Word to a 

 position of her own as Queen of Heaven. Saint 

 Ferdinand, possibly unwilling to confront the 

 Moslem with the Christ whom they themselves 

 revered as a prophet, bore upon his saddle-bow 

 the ivory Virgen de las Batallas,^ and perhaps 



' • The efi&gies of the Kings of Navarre, successors to Garcias, 

 are still to be seen with this order about their necks in the Church 

 of St Mary at Nagera, St Saviour's de Layra and St Mary la 

 Reale of Pompelona, as also in the church at Ronceneux, and 

 at St John's de la Pigna.' (Edmondson.) 



" Now in Seville Cathedral. 



