What is the Order of the Black Ermine?

[Chas]

It is one of hundreds if not thousands of bogus or fake 'Orders of Chivalry'. Most emulate from Australia or the United States, but many are now emerging from Middle/Eastern Europe due to turbulent hard to trace history.

True Orders of Chivalry have the Head of State of the country as the font of the honour. So, the Pope, a King or Queen, Emperor or Empress, Duke or Duchess or in modern times a President.

Many of these bogus orders have a supposed 'Baron' or similar as their font and are named after the most outlandish things: The Golden Crown; the Holy Crown; the Imperial Robe; the Blood of the Martyrs; the ****** Sword of ******* (fill in the blanks yourself); the Holy Foreskin (I'm not making this up); the bones of the Saints; St This, St That and St the Other. Many have a religious (Roman Catholic) feel to them.

By the way ermine is white with black spots or 'tails' so black ermine would be black on black. The traditional name for white spots on black fur is 'ermines'. So are they stupid and don't know themselves or are they just taking the mickey out of their 'members'. (In other professions, these 'members' are called 'tricks' or 'johns'.)

But all have the same the same end - to take your money. There is not one that is legal or bears any kind of scrutiny. There is an International Register of Orders which is on-line http://www.icocregister.org/emain.htm.

But men are vain and rather than being content with what we have, we strive to obtain what we have not and and more to the point that to which we are not entitled. So these bogus orders will flourish till the end of time to pander to men's egos.

Regards

Chas

Fellow of the International Association of Amateur Heralds
Former Committee member of both Norfolk and Suffolk Heraldry Societies
Associate of the International Association for the Promotion of the Heraldic and Genealogical Sciences
Trustee and Founder Member of the International Heraldry Society
Member of the Heraldry Society