Perfidious Albion

Edinburgh University Medieval Society

Great Orders of the Realm

Order of the Scarlet Wyrm, Order of the Golden Spydere.

1. The Order of the White Sparrow

This Order is awarded to gentles who have worked with energy and dedication in the service of the Realm.

It was first presented to Aethelwulf as an award to recognise his efforts at the first Feast ever held in the Realm, during the organisation of which he had been driven to the brink of insanity. The award was upgraded to the status of an Order at Full Court the following year, and Aethelwulf was made its Senior Member. The original emblem was a sparrow, argent, on a field, sable. This was presented to Aethelwulf in the form of a sash on which the bird was displayed. He declared that in view of the nature of the award the sparrow should be lying on its back, deceased, and turned the sash upside down to wear it.

Several awards of the White Sparrow (Mort) were given for service to the Realm above and beyond the call of sanity.
Later on, the Order's charter was modified to allow the inclusion of those gentles who had served the Realm steadfastly for many years, but without any single excesses which threatened their reason. These gentles receive the Order of the White Sparrow (ordinary), which has a similar emblem, but without the unfortunate bird being demised.

Master Fenland Head of the Order

2. The Order of the Scarlet Wyrm.

Blazon of the Arms of the Order

Membership of this Order is offered to those who display significant prowess in the field of Arms. It indicates an unhealthy enthusiasm for running around muddy fields while physically abusing your friends. A certain liking for ale is normally displayed by the members of this Order, also.

The Order was instituted at Full Court in Year Two (Old Reckoning) along with the other two Great Orders, and it's founder members were the Knights of the Realm (at that time Sir Alastair, Sir Alexander, Sir Aethelwulf & Sir Andrew). It's Device is "On a field Azure, a Wyrm Rampant Proper (& this is a red one!)" (a red dragon, rearing up, on a blue background in English, for those who don't speak Heraldic). Later, a parallel branch of the order was created to be awarded to those who did not wish to strive towards the Chivalric Ideal of Knighthood. These people were to be full members of the Order but titled Sergeant instead of Knight. Consideration was given to creating a third strain, the Squire, for those worthy of the order but not yet ready for knighthood. After great deliberation we decided that this was getting far too complicated & we returned to a simple award of membership of the Order to all those worthy by right of their prowess. The correct title for all members is Sergeant of the Order of the Scarlet Wyrm. (Knighthood is now separate.)

Membership of this Order carries an obligation to be ready to defend the Realm & Person of Albion at all times. Most members of the Order take an Oath, renewed each year in the Presence of Albion, which clearly defines their obligations. It is rare for Albion to appear at a formal Event without an armed guard of Order members.

Sir Alastair Saunders, Head of the Order of the Scarlet Wyrm; Master at Arms to the Realm.

3. The Order of the Golden Spydere

This Order is awarded to those who have enrichment and beautified the Realm with their skills in the Arts, either by displaying them at events or by teaching to others. It recognises that the arts of peace are valued as highly as the arts of war within the Realm.
It was the last Great Order formed in the Realm and is the most diverse of all of them. Awards are given for talents such as music, dance, calligraphy, illumination, costume making, cooking, spinning, weaving, poetry and storytelling.

Lady Ragnhild Askilsdottir, Head of the Order of the Golden Spydere