Institutions cited

It was founded by Count Henry of Burgundy as a military and religious order, in the year 1093, in Beira Alta, Portugal, near the river Côa with the initial name of «Ordem de São Julião do Pereiro» ~ Order of Saint Julian of Pereiro.

In the year 1214, the defense of the city of Alcantara after its conquest was entrusted to the Order of Calatrava, but in 1218 the Calatravans relinquished it due to Alcantara being far from Calatrava.

To defend Alcantara, King Alfonso IX of León entrusted it to the new Order of the Knights of Saint Julian of Pereiro, requesting in return a certain level of dependency on the Order of Calatrava, which led the Knights of Saint Julian to adopt the Cistercian rule.

Once established in Alcantara, their original name referring to Saint Julian fell into disuse, and by 1253 there were already references to the «masters of the Order of Alcantara», with Saint Julian of Pereiro becoming the foundational center and a secondary commandery of the order.

On the origin and antiquity of the Military Order of Alcantara, and the form of its Commandery

[Avilés, J.; 1780b; treatise IV, chapter V, page 339] describes it as follows: «The Military Order, which we now call of Alcantara, was formerly that of Saint Julian of Pereiro, so named after the place where it was based, along the banks of the river Côa, in the Bishopric of Ciudad-Rodrigo, established in the year 1176 by King Ferdinand II of León, and confirmed in 1177 by Pope Alexander III. And the reason for changing its first name to the second, was because after the Knights of Calatrava had taken the City of Alcantara from the Moors and defended it bravely thereafter, they found it would be difficult to keep it, as their main house was very distant, from which the other Knights and reinforcements could not come whenever needed.».

[Avilés, J.; 1780b; treatise IV, chapter V, page 340] continues by telling us «They discussed this inconvenience with others they had at the time with the King of León, Don Alfonso IX, and it was resolved that the Master of Calatrava would give that town to the Knights of Pereiro so that they might defend it, as they did, under certain conditions in the year 1218, later performing marvels in its defense, earning through their fame and distinguished feats new graces from the Kings; and seeing how essential their residence was, the Knights of Pereiro moved to the town of Alcantara, establishing their Convent there, and thus transformed into Knights of Alcantara, who were previously Knights of Saint Julian of Pereiro».

---

Categories: Institution, Interpreted, Religious, Military, Illuminated, Outlined in sable, Freehand, Emblem, Cross of Alcantara, Cross couped and Cross.

The Order of Chivalry of Calatrava is both military and religious, founded in the Kingdom of Castile during the 12th century by Abbot Raymond of Fitero.

The purpose of its foundation was the protection of the town of Calatrava la Vieja, which currently belongs to the municipality of Carrión de Calatrava in Ciudad Real. At the time of the order's foundation, it was an important city, in the middle valley of the river Guadiana and with a strategic position, as it was a necessary passage on the road from Toledo to Córdoba to Toledo and between the west and east of the Iberian Peninsula.

On the origin and antiquity of the Military Order of Calatrava, and the form of its Commandery

[Avilés, J.; 1780b; treatise IV, chapter IV, pages 334] writes «The Military Order of Calatrava was instituted by Don Sancho III, King of Castile (called the Desired), in the year 1158, while he was visiting his Kingdom; and being in Toledo with news of the great army that the Moors were gathering to besiege Calatrava la Vieja (which is called so today to distinguish it from the new one, which was founded later); and as the Templars, to whom this Fortress belonged, did not have sufficient power to resist such a large multitude, they handed it over to King Don Sancho himself so that he could take charge of it, as he did».

[Avilés, J.; 1780b; treatise IV, chapter IV, page 335] continues by telling us «The Abbot of Santa María de Fitero», near the river Pisuerga as he will indicate next, «of the Congregation of Cistercian, in the Bishopric of Palencia (which is a Monastery of St. Bernard, located on the river Pisuerga), named Don Raymond, and Friar Diego Velazquez, his subject Monk, who followed the Court, despite the difficulty of the enterprise, requested it from the King to defend it, which was granted, trusting in the virtue of the Abbot, and the strength of the Monk, who had previously been a great Knight in deeds of Arms, and very practiced in war».

[Avilés, J.; 1780b; treatise IV, chapter IV, page 336] continues «Seeing themselves in such an obligation, and that by themselves they could not fulfill it, they turned to Archbishop Don Juan (who was the fourth of Toledo) for help; and he, granting many indulgences in all his Archbishopric to those who, for themselves and for others, supplied the Place with provisions, in the same way as those who, unable to go due to old age or illness, helped with weapons, horses, and men; and having spread this news, so much help came to them, that when the Moors learned that the number of people exceeded twenty thousand men, they abandoned the conquest, returning to their homes: for this reason, the King ceded the Town of Calatrava to the Abbot of Fitero, and his successors, to defend it from the Moors from then on, confirmed later by King Alfonso IX, his son».

[Avilés, J.; 1780b; treatise IV, chapter IV, page 337] concludes «Having obtained this grace, Abbot Don Raymond brought the most suitable Monks from Fitero to Calatrava, and everything else that was necessary for living and for the defense of the Town and its land, which with the people inclined to war who remained, formed the Order of Chivalry of Calatrava, taking this name from the place where the institution was made, which in Arabic Calatrava means Castle».

---

Categories: Institution, Interpreted, Religious, Military, Illuminated, Outlined in sable, Freehand, Emblem, Cross of Calatrava, Cross couped and Cross.

The Order of Saint Mary of Montesa and Saint George of Alfama, known as the Order of Montesa, was founded in the 14^th century by the King of Aragon, James, as a military and religious order, to which he donated a castle in Valencia from which they took their name.

To endow the new Order of Montesa, the assets of the Order of the Templars, dissolved by Pope Clement V, were used. This is recounted by [Avilés, J.; 1780b; page 342] writing that Montesa was created «from the incomes and ruin of the Templars; as their Order was being extinguished, at the request of the Kings, so that said incomes would not leave the Kingdom.».

The order established within the Castle of Montesa, which previously belonged to the Templars, their convent and church of the Order, the palace of their Master, their barracks for fighting men, being able to form up to a couple of thousand of them in their parade ground. Their first Master, for 70 days since he died just over two months after his appointment, was Guillermo de Eril.

The origin and antiquity of the Military Order of Montesa, and the form of its Encomienda.

[Avilés, J.; 1780b; treatise IV, chapter VI, page 341] describes it as follows «The Military Order of Montesa was instituted in the year 1317 by the King of Aragon, Don Jaime II, and confirmed in the same year by Pope John XXII.».

---

Categories: Institution, Interpreted, Religious, Military, Illuminated, Outlined in sable, Freehand, Emblem, Cross of Montesa, Cross couped and Cross.

Norsk Heraldisk Forening, in English, Nordic Heraldry Society, was founded on February 27, 1969, at the National Archives in Oslo, with the aim of promoting the study and knowledge of heraldry through meetings, lectures, excursions, and other dissemination methods, and additionally, to become an advisory body to resolve issues in matters of heraldry, flags, personal coats of arms, etc. Its first president was Dr. Philos Herman L. Løvenskiold.

Since then, these have remained the objectives of the Norsk Heraldisk Forening, and its membership count has remained between 150 and 200 members, and it cooperates with the Nordic Heraldry Society, «Societas Heraldica Scandinavica».

The website's address is Heraldikk.no, its content is available in both Norwegian and English, and they work systematically to expand it and provide greater and better information to both its members and those interested in heraldry.

Blazon

Alex Maxwell Findlater described it in English, including its crest, in an article that was on their previous website under the title «About the society», as follows: «Gules issuant from base two battle-axes addorsed Argent shafted Or overall at the nombril point an escutcheon Or; for Crest between two axes of the arms a panache of three peacock feathers proper; Mantling Gules doubled Or». But given that «shafted» applies to weapons with a shaft and «hafted» to weapons with a handle, in the case of axes, I use «hafted» although both terms correspond to the Spanish «fustado».

---

Note how the axes are described as battle-axes, just as in the blazon of the Norwegian coat of arms, where its lion holds a battle-axe.

Coat of arms I attempted to interpret in the Norwegian style, all in flat tinctures, without Sable outlines, lighting or shading, and only with a simple rough finish.

---

Categories: Institution, Interpreted, Socioeconomic, Semi-circular, Plain tincture, Outlined in the field tincture, Rough, Coat of arms, Without divisions, Gules, Axe, Argent, Hafted, Or, Addorsed, Issuant from base, Overall, At the nombril and Escutcheon.

RIAG

Argent, a cross patty Gules, cantoned of four mullets of eight points Azure; on a chief Sable, an elephant passant Or.

The Registro Internacional de Armas Gentilicias, is also known as RIAG, and riag.com.es is it domain.

It is a private register of coat of arms founded in 2006 in Seville, Spain by the herald Ignacio Koblischek Zaragoza.

---

Categories: Institution, Socioeconomic, Semi-circular, Illuminated, Outlined in sable, Outlined in the field tincture, Freehand, Argent, Diminished cross, Patty, Gules, Cantoned, Mullet, Eight, Azure, Chief, Sable, Elephant, Passant and Or.

In 1523, the Order of Santiago, the Order of Calatrava, and the Order of Alcantara were definitively incorporated into the Crown of Castile, which marked the consolidation of the Royal Council of the Orders of Chivalry of Santiago, Calatrava, Alcantara, and Montesa. However, it is known that this Royal Council already existed at the beginning of the same 16^th century, or even earlier, although there are no foundational documents available to date its inception.

The internet address of its website is ordenesmilitares.es where it also hosts the pages dedicated to each of its four orders:

• Order of Chivalry of Santiago: ordenesmilitares.es/orden-de-santiago.
• Order of Chivalry of Calatrava: ordenesmilitares.es/orden-de-calatrava.
• Order of Chivalry of Alcantara: ordenesmilitares.es/orden-de-alcantara.
• Order of Saint Mary of Montesa and Saint George of Alfama: ordenesmilitares.es/orden-de-montesa.

After the Crusades ended and following the model of the military orders created in the Holy Land, European kings established Orders of Chivalry, many of which were military and religious institutions, like the four grouped under this Royal Council.

---

Categories: Institution, Interpreted, Socioeconomic, Illuminated, Outlined in sable, Freehand, Emblem, Cross, Quarterly per saltire, Cross of Saint James, Cross couped, Cross of Calatrava, Cross of Alcantara and Cross of Montesa.

The Order of Chivalry of Santiago is both military and religious. It was founded in the Kingdom of León during the 12th century, although there is a difference of opinion regarding its exact year of foundation. It is named after the patron saint of Spain, James the Greater.

The purpose of its foundation was the protection of the Way of Saint James and the pilgrims who traveled it, and to participate militarily in the advancement of the reconquest of the Iberian Peninsula.

Of the Military Order of Santiago of the Sword, of its origin, and antiquity, as well as the form of its Commandery

[Avilés, J.; 1780b; treatise IV, chapter II, page 325] writes «The oldest authentic instrument that is found regarding the origin of the Order of Chivalry of Santiago of the Sword», observe how José de Avilés e Iturbide refers to the order in the masculine form, «is the donation made in the years of 848», note how the Marquess of Avilés does not doubt the antiquity of this order and even in other subsequent paragraphs, he dates it even earlier than currently believed, «made to the Church of Santiago by the King of León Don Ramiro in memory of the famous victory he achieved against the Moors in the battle of Clavijo (two leagues from Logroño), as evidenced by its Privilege, for having seen this Holy Apostle armed and mounted on a Horse, fighting in defense of the Christians; to whose devotion, and in this recognition, the said Order was instituted, taking from it its origin and name, as well as the same Cross that the Saint bore on his chest, and Shield, represented in the form of a Sword, of red color», gules ~ red, «for the blood shed of the Infidels, of whom Don Rodrigo Ximenez, Archbishop of Toledo, in his Chronicle Book VII says»: «Kubet ensis sanguine Arabum».

Drawing with a single stroke

Cross of Saint James the Greater drawing by me with a single stroke. This is the reason why it is asymmetrical, it has the base tip crooked, there are some sides higher than others, and it shows the failure of my pulse in a certains turns.

It is by far my most downloaded and copied painting, the most used on websites, citing me or not, the most used in hotels advertising, parish sheets... and even on T-shirts.

---

Categories: Institution, Interpreted, Religious, Military, Illuminated, Outlined in sable, Freehand, Emblem, Cross of Saint James, Cross couped and Cross.

Founded in the year 1987, it is the first organisation of its kind in the world

Azure, an inescutcheon Argent, enflamed in orle of sixteen points and irradiated throughout of sixty-four lines Or.

Escudo de azur, un escusón de plata, llameante en orla de Dieciséis llamas y radiante de sesenta y cuatro líneas movientes todas de oro.

---

First versions

---

The Society of Heraldic Arts is an international organization founded in 1987, committed to the promotion and preservation of heraldic art. The society brings together artists, craftsmen, and enthusiasts who work in various forms of heraldic expression, from painting and sculpture to calligraphy and jewelry. With members worldwide, the SHA encourages the exchange of knowledge and skill development through exhibitions, publications, and events.

---

Categories: Institution, Interpreted, Socioeconomic, Illuminated, Semi-circular, Coat of arms, Azure, Inescutcheon, Argent, Enflamed, In orle, Sixteen, Flame, Irradiated, Sixty-four, Line, Throughout (all sides) and Or.

Quarterly Azure and Gules; overall a leopard face, crowned Or, langued Gules, within a tressure flory Or.

TheHeraldrySociety.com was founded by John P. Brooke-Little, MA, FHS in 1947.

Its objetives are to increase and extend interest in and knowledge of heraldry, armory, chivalry, genealogy and allied subjects.

I am member of The Heraldry Society since 2014. As member, my coat of arms appears in their web site in the following address TheHeraldrySociety.com/membersarms/antoniosalmeron.htm.

Plain tincture and lights and shadows

---

Categories: Institution, Interpreted, Socioeconomic, Pointed, Illuminated, Outlined in sable, Freehand, Coat of arms, Quarterly, Azure, Gules, Overall, Head, Leopard, Crowned, Or, Langued, Within, Tressure and Flory.

Vert, an inescutcheon Argent; overall a compass rose Sable and Or.

Escudo de sinople, un escusón de plata; brochante sobre el todo, una rosa de los vientos de sable y oro.

The International Heraldry Society has its Facebook group in the following address facebook.com/groups/int.herald.

---

Categories: Institution, Without divisions, Vert, Inescutcheon, Argent, Surmounted, Overall (deprecated), Compass rose, Sable and Or.