The Order of the Elephant

The puzzling "Order of the Elephant" ranks with the English "Order of the Garter." The selection of an elephant to represent the confraternity of the nobles of Denmark is still a mystery, as no record of the symbol has yet been found. A reasonable guess might be the Asiatic origin of the Scandinavian nation, the elephant belonging as well to Asia as to Africa. The first trace of this Order dates from Christian I. (1448-1481), the first King of the House of Oldenborg. He formed a clerical brotherhood, who wore as a badge a medal, with the Virgin on one side and an elephant on the other, which seems quite like a representation of the two great religions of the kingdom, Odin and Christ. After the Reformation the Order was in a measure repressed, owing to its Romanist origin, but it was revived by Frederic II. (1559-1588), with the elephant only as its badge. Under Christian IV. (1588-1648) the knights of the Order wore in rich attire a magnificent chain of white enameled elephants, with blue housings, between gold castles. The present badge of the Order dates from Christian V.--a single white enameled elephant in gold, with a Maltese cross of diamonds on the side.