Order of the Jar

Origin legend

According to legend, it was one of the oldest military orders of Europe. It was created in Nájera, then Kingdom of Pamplona , around 1040 in honor to the image of Our Lady the Royal. Its symbol is a jar with annunciation lilies. This came to be taken as the name of the order, thus being also known as Order of the Jar and Order of the Annunciation Lilies, and since the 14th century as Order of the Jar and the Griffin.

According to legend, since Gartzea was hunting with his falcon, which was launched chasing a pigeon. Both birds will stand at the entrance of a cave of Nájera, which inside there was an image of the Virgin next to a jar of annunciation lilies, he decided to build a monastery near to the cave, which is the Monastery of Santa María la Real of Nájera and create the Order of the Terraza.

Members

In 14th century, when Ferdinand I of Aragon it restituted, according to the testimony of Fray Jerónimo Román in Las Repúblicas. The August 15 of 1403 was Ferdinand in Medina del Campo imposed the collar to his children Alfonso, John, Henry, Sancho and Peter.

... to the infante Don Alonso that after of his father was king of Aragon..., the second gave to the infante Don John, who was king of Navarre for his wife Doña Blanca, and also King of Aragon, after died his brother Don Alonso, in third he gave to the infante Don Henry, Grand Master of the Order of Santiago, fourthly to the infante Don Sancho, who was Master of the Order of Calatrava, and Don Peter... fifth, and in honoring to his children with the motto enlightened of the Virgin, he was giving by his order to his many favorite knights

After being named king, Ferdinand I of Aragon, after the battle and the conquest of the city of Balaguer, honors the Knights of greater courage in the battle (about eighty) with the shield of the order, which this time consisted of the jar of annunciation lilies in griffin.

Etymology

The denomination "of the Terraza" comes from the name formerly given to jars.