Order of the Elephant

Denmark's highest Order. The explanation for the elephant as the symbol of the Order is most likely that a warrior elephant was used as a symbol for the defenders of Christianity who were incensed at the sight of Christ’s blood. At the same time the elephant symbolised purity and chastity [?]. The Order of the Elephant was founded together with the Society of the Mother of God [?] when King Christian I built a burial chapel at Odense Cathedral. The upper story of the chapel was called the Knight’s Hall and here the members met until the Order started lapsing in pace with Catholicism just before the Reformation in 1536. The originally Catholic order was back in business at the coronation of Frederik II in 1559 when the Order of the Elephant was once again awarded. Given to and taken back from Nicolae Ceauşescu. As worn by our Mary. Link…