Order of the Bath and foreign nationals may be made Honorary Members. The Order of the Bath is the fourth-most senior of the British Orders of Chivalry, after The Most Noble Order of the Garter, The Most Ancient and Most Noble Order of the Thistle, and The Most Illustrious Order of St Patrick (dormant). In the Middle Ages, knighthood was often conferred with elaborate ceremonies. These usually involved the knight-to-be taking a bath (possibly symbolic of spiritual purification) during which he was instructed in the duties of knighthood by more senior knights. He was then put to bed to dry. Clothed in a special
Order of the Hatchet their own." No other members were admitted to the order, and it is presumed that the order went defunct when the last member died. Toton, Sir Edward III. Modern Chivalry (2013) "The Order of the Hatchet". Retrieved December 14, 2013. Velde, Francois. "Women Knights of the Middle Ages". Retrieved December 14, 2013. Zoltack, Nicole. "Female Knights and the Order of the Hatchet". Retrieved December 14, 2013. Order of the Hatchet The Order of the Hatchet (Cat. "Orde de l'Atxa"; Sp. "Orden del Hacha") is a female honorific order supposedly founded in 1149, bestowed upon the women of the town of