The Knights of Malta, 1530-1798: Aspects of military-religious masculinity

Autores/as

  • Emanuel Buttigieg University of Malta
  • Franco Davies Malta Historical Fencing Association
  • Fleur Brincat University of Malta

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.53351/ruhm.v8i17.569

Palabras clave:

Hospitallers, investiture, gender, swords, engineers

Resumen

The Hospitaller knights of the Order of St John (of Malta) are often represented in heroic poses that easily recall the image of the knight in shining armour. Yet their status was very particular. They were religious knights, but not bound to a monastic cloistered life. They hailed from the cream of European nobility, yet were expected to be loyal to their Order, while often being called to serve European sovereigns. There was a particular ‘Hospitaller gender regime’ which was dictated by the very act of belonging to the Order, but this was a multi-faceted organism. This paper will explore this regime through a study of ideas related to war, masculinity, swords, and military engineers, within the context of the Order of Malta. It will start with a discussion of how the conferment upon an individual of the Hospitaller habit – generally through an elaborate investiture ceremony – marked a point of transition for that individual, from a boy to a man, and a Knight of St John. During this ritual, a number of objects were used to animate this process, most prominent of which was the sword. Some Hospitallers, then, experienced the reverse procedure, the ritual of being defrocked of their habit as a result of some grave offence. Here again, masculine ideals were exhibited in highlighting one’s downfall from grace into infamy. While these procedures were symbolic, they were reflective of the realities experienced by members of the Order. The way Hospitallers related to weapons, swords in particular, said a lot about their cultural make-up. Furthermore, the role of military engineers employed by the Order, and who often were or became members of the institution during their service to the Order, is explored here by way of illustrating the variety of manifestations of masculinity in a noble military-religious-hospitaller institution like the Order of St John. 

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Biografía del autor/a

  • Emanuel Buttigieg, University of Malta
    Emanuel Buttigieg is a Senior Lecturer in early modern history at the University of Malta. He graduated B.A. (Hons.) at the University of Malta in 2002. During 2003-2004 he was engaged as a Principal Officer at the Office of the Prime Minister of Malta. In 2004 he was awarded a Commonwealth (Cambridge) Scholarship to read for an M.Phil. in early modern history at the University of Cambridge (Peterhouse); he wrote a dissertation about childhood history in early modern Malta. In 2005, he was awarded further scholarships in order to be able to pursue his studies at doctoral level. His Ph.D. dealt with nobility, faith and masculinity in the Order of Malta in the seventeenth century. His doctoral supervisor was Prof Mary Laven (Jesus College). His first book was entitled Nobility, Faith and Masculinity: The Hospitaller Knights of Malta, c.1580-c.1700 (London and New York: Continuum, 2011). Together with Dr Simon Phillips, of the University of Cyprus, he has co-edited Islands and Military Orders, c.1291-c.1798 (Farnham: Ashgate, 2013). He is also the author of several papers in journals and edited books. At present he is Vice-President ex-officio of the Malta University Historical Society (MUHS) and he was a Committee member of the Malta Historical Society (MHS) between 2011 and 2015
  • Franco Davies, Malta Historical Fencing Association
    Franco Davies qualified B.Sc. (Hons.) as a Physiotherapist in 2001 at the University of Malta and is specialised in musculoskeletal medicine in which he is currently reading an M.Sc. with the University of Queen Margaret, UK. He has an active interest in martial arts with over 10 years’ experience in HEMA (Historical European Martial Arts) and has been Secretary of the MHFA (Malta Historical Fencing Association) since it foundation in 2009. This interest led to an M.A. (Melit.) in Hospitaller Studies in 2014 with his research topic being the practical and symbolic dimensions of edged weapons for the Hospitallers, in particular swords. He has since collaborated and authored several papers on the topic. He was Deputy Mayor of Floriana, Malta, between 2007 and 2012, and Secretary to the Malta University Historical Society (MUHS) between 2013 and 2017.
  • Fleur Brincat, University of Malta

    Fleur Brincat is a qualified physiotherapist by profession. In 2010 she read for an M.A. in Baroque Studies, followed in 2014 by an M.A. in Hospitaller Studies at the University of Malta, graduating with distinction in both courses. She has an interest in early modern military engineers and has to date published two papers and a monograph on the French military engineers the Jacob de Tigné and their contribution to Hospitaller Malta. She is currently reading for a Ph.D. with the University of Malta on the French connection with Hospitaller Malta throughout the 18th century, under the supervision of Dr Emanuel Buttigieg and co-supervisor Prof Guy Rowlands from the University of St Andrews.

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Publicado

2019-12-16

Cómo citar

The Knights of Malta, 1530-1798: Aspects of military-religious masculinity. (2019). Revista Universitaria De Historia Militar, 8(17), 146-173. https://doi.org/10.53351/ruhm.v8i17.569