Order of the Sword
Encyclopedia
Swedish language
Swedish is a North Germanic language, spoken by approximately 10 million people, predominantly in Sweden and parts of Finland, especially along its coast and on the Åland islands. It is largely mutually intelligible with Norwegian and Danish...
Kungliga Svärdsorden) is a Swedish
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
order of chivalry
Order (decoration)
An order or order of merit is a visible honour, awarded by a government, dynastic house or international organization to an individual, usually in recognition of distinguished service to a nation or to humanity. The distinction between orders and decorations is somewhat vague, except that most...
created by King Frederick I of Sweden
Frederick I of Sweden
Frederick I, , was a prince consort of Sweden from 1718 to 1720, and a King of Sweden from 1720 until his death and also Landgrave of Hesse-Kassel from 1730...
on February 23, 1748, together with the Order of the Seraphim
Order of the Seraphim
The Royal Order of the Seraphim is a Swedish Royal order of chivalry created by King Frederick I of Sweden on 23 February 1748, together with the Order of the Sword and the Order of the Polar Star...
and the Order of the Polar Star
Order of the Polar Star
The Order of the Polar Star is a Swedish order of chivalry created by King Frederick I of Sweden on 23 February 1748, together with the Order of the Sword and the Order of the Seraphim....
.
Awarded to officers, and originally intended as an award for bravery and particularly long or useful service, it eventually became a more or less obligatory award for military officers after a certain number of years in service. There were originally three grades, Knight, Commander and Commander Grand Cross, but these were later multiplied by division into classes.
The motto of the order is in Latin: Pro Patria which means For Fatherland.
In 1788 king Gustav III
Gustav III of Sweden
Gustav III was King of Sweden from 1771 until his death. He was the eldest son of King Adolph Frederick and Queen Louise Ulrica of Sweden, she a sister of Frederick the Great of Prussia....
created two new grades of the order, which could only be bestowed in war time, and those are;
- "Knight Grand Cross First Class" - The cross is in shape similar to the knights cross, but can be worn in necklet, and the star is in the shape of an upraised sword
- "Knight Grand Cross" - The cross is in shape similar to the knights cross, but can be worn in necklet, and the star is in the shape of two crossed upright swords
These grades proper were only given to commissioned officers, but an affiliated decoration, the Svärdstecken ("Badge of the Sword"), introduced in 1850, was given to non-commissioned officers; one thus decorated would call himself a svärdsman ("Sword man").
In 1952 a special medal of distinction was added to the order. These could only be bestowed in wartime. They are the War Cross of the Order of the Sword in Gold and in Silver. They come in the same ribbon as the order, and it is a medal struck in gold or silver, with an upraised sword in the center on the front.
The order is no longer awarded since 1975, but technically it still exists. His Majesty King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden
Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden
Carl XVI Gustaf is the reigning King of Sweden since 15 September 1973, succeeding his grandfather King Gustaf VI Adolf because his father had predeceased him...
frequently wears his Commander Grand Cross necklet and badge.
Grades
The Order of the Sword in peacetime had five classes:- Commander Grand Cross - wears the badge on a collarLivery collarA livery collar or chain of office is a collar or heavy chain, usually of gold, worn as insignia of office or a mark of fealty or other association in Europe from the Middle Ages onwards....
(chain) or on a sash on the right shoulder, plus the star on the left chest; - Commander 1st Class - wears the badge on a necklet, plus the star on the left chest;
- Commander - wears the badge on a necklet;
- Knight 1st Class - wears the badge on a ribbon on the left chest;
- Knight - wears the badge on a ribbon on the left chest;
plus the Badge of the Sword and the Medal of the Sword, both worn on a ribbon on the left chest.
Insignia
The collar of the Order is in gold, with nine blue enamelled swords with belts and nine "Amazon" shields.The badge of the Order is a white enamelled Maltese Cross
Maltese cross
The Maltese cross, also known as the Amalfi cross, is identified as the symbol of an order of Christian warriors known as the Knights Hospitaller or Knights of Malta and through them came to be identified with the Mediterranean island of Malta and is one of the National symbols of Malta...
in saltire
Saltire
A saltire, or Saint Andrew's Cross, is a heraldic symbol in the form of a diagonal cross or letter ex . Saint Andrew is said to have been martyred on such a cross....
(i.e. "X" shaped), in silver for Knight class and in gilt
Gilding
The term gilding covers a number of decorative techniques for applying fine gold leaf or powder to solid surfaces such as wood, stone, or metal to give a thin coating of gold. A gilded object is described as "gilt"...
for the Knight 1st Class and above; crowns appeared between the arms of the cross. The obverse central disc bore an upright sword amongst Three Crowns
Three Crowns
Three Crowns is a national emblem of Sweden, present in the Coat of Arms of the Realm of Sweden, and composed by three yellow or gilded coronets ordered two above and one below, placed on a blue background....
on a blue enamelled background; the reverse central disc had an upright sword going through a wreath, and the Latin
Latin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
motto "Pro Patria" (For Fatherland) on a blue enamelled background. The badge hangs from a royal crown; blue enamelled crossed swords (pointing inwards) appeared between this royal crown and the cross; for the two highest classes additional blue enamelled crossed swords (also pointing inwards) appeared on the sides and at the bottom of the cross.
The Badge of the Sword is similar to the knight's silver badge of the Order, but the cross had no white enamel.
The star of the Order is a silver Maltese Cross
Maltese cross
The Maltese cross, also known as the Amalfi cross, is identified as the symbol of an order of Christian warriors known as the Knights Hospitaller or Knights of Malta and through them came to be identified with the Mediterranean island of Malta and is one of the National symbols of Malta...
, the central disc bore an upright sword amongst Three Crowns
Three Crowns
Three Crowns is a national emblem of Sweden, present in the Coat of Arms of the Realm of Sweden, and composed by three yellow or gilded coronets ordered two above and one below, placed on a blue background....
on a blue enamelled background. That of Grand Cross also had golden crowns and short silver triangular rays between the arms of the cross.
The ribbon of the Order is yellow with blue stripes near its borders (i. e., the Swedish national colours).
Formerly the Order also had a distinctive blue and yellow habit worn on formal occasions such as at chapters of the Order. The habit included breeches
Breeches
Breeches are an item of clothing covering the body from the waist down, with separate coverings for each leg, usually stopping just below the knee, though in some cases reaching to the ankles...
, waistcoat
Waistcoat
A waistcoat or vest is a sleeveless upper-body garment worn over a dress shirt and necktie and below a coat as a part of most men's formal wear, and as the third piece of the three-piece male business suit.-Characteristics and use:...
, coat
Coat
Coat can refer to any one of the following: *Coat, a layer of a certain substance, usually paint.*Coat , the natural fur coat of an animal.*Coat , an article of clothing for humans.*Coat , the natural fur coat of a dog....
, cape and a black top hat
Top hat
A top hat, beaver hat, high hat silk hat, cylinder hat, chimney pot hat or stove pipe hat is a tall, flat-crowned, broad-brimmed hat, predominantly worn from the latter part of the 18th to the middle of the 20th century...
with a plume
Plume
Plume may refer to:In science:* Plume , the form of effluent in water or emissions in air* Eruption column, or volcanic plume, a column of hot volcanic ash and gas emitted into the atmosphere during an explosive volcanic eruption...
of white ostrich
Ostrich
The Ostrich is one or two species of large flightless birds native to Africa, the only living member of the genus Struthio. Some analyses indicate that the Somali Ostrich may be better considered a full species apart from the Common Ostrich, but most taxonomists consider it to be a...
and black egret
Egret
An egret is any of several herons, most of which are white or buff, and several of which develop fine plumes during the breeding season. Many egrets are members of the genera Egretta or Ardea which contain other species named as herons rather than egrets...
feathers.
External links
- Swedish Royal Court: Orders and medals
- Image of the chain and stars of the Order of the Sword
- The Collection of Henrik Revens Website features orders and medals of Sweden as well as other Nordic countries.