Order of Saint Michael

*(Ordo Sancti Michaelis* or *Order of Saint Michael).* This militant and teaching Order of priests, brothers, and laymen, predominantly Deryni, was founded during the reign of Bearand King of Gwynedd to hold the forts of the Anvil of the Lord against Moorish incursions, and to, defend the sea-lanes from the Muslims and pirates. For its part in his campaign of the rnid‑8th century the Order was granted extensive lands throughout Gwynedd, with its new Gwyneddan headquarters being located at Cheltham in the Lendour Highlands.  After the destruction of that establishment by King Imre on the 15th day of December in the year 903, the Commanderie was moved to New Argoed at the Southern tip of Lendour.  The Vicar General at this time was Father Alister Cullen, with Earl Jebediah of Alcara as Grand Master.

At the Battle of Iomaire on the 25th day of June in the year 905 the Order suffered heavy losses; only 110 knights of the 200 who rode to war were reported as battle-ready at the Grand Chapter meeting in Valoret held on the 3rd day of July following.  Also noted at this meeting was the razing of 10 of the Order's 12 major establishments of the Michaelines by King Imre since the year 903.  The 2 surviving houses in July of the year 905 were Haut Eirial and Mollingford. Also at this meeting it was reported that the membership of the order then stood at 300 professed brothers and priests.  However, the great service tendered by the Order to King Cinhil I was rewarded by the Crown with the grant of 2 new pieces of land at Cùilteine and New Argoed, the latter of which became the Michaelines new Commanderie. Father Crevan Allyn was elected the new Vicar General on the 6th day of July in the year 905, and installed 2 days later.

The Order was suppressed in December of the year 917 by the Regents of King Alroy, but had already moved most of its surviving knights and lay brethren into outlying establishments in Torenth and Djellarda.  In later centuries the Order gradually evolved into the Knights of the Anvil *(Equites Incudis),* the name being officially adopted on the 1st day of January in the year 923, with the Mother House located at Djellarda in the Anvil of the Lord,

The priests of the Order of Saint Michael wore dark blue monastic robes or cassocks, with red cinctures or fringed red sashes, and dark blue mantles with the full Michaeline device on the left shoulder, and sported a token tonsure the size of a coin. Michaeline Knights were also tonsured, and wore dark blue surcoats with the full device on the front and back, white belts or fringed white sashes, and dark blue mantles.  Lay brethren and military sergeants wore badges of a plain white cross moline-fitchy. The Order's arms were: *azure,* a cross moline fitchy *argent,* issuing from a flame *gules* fimbriated or.

The many Abbeys of this Order included: Saint Liam's Abbey and School near Caerrorie (abandoned in the year 905), the Commanderie and Mother House near Cheltham (destroyed in the year 903), Haut Eirial in Lendour (given to another Order in the year 917), Mollingford in Haldane (given to another Order in the year 917), the Commanderie and Mother House at Argoed in Lendour (established in the year 905, abandoned in the year 917), Cùilteine on the border with Meara (established in the year 905, abandoned in the year 917), Saint Elderon in Tolán, Brustarkia in Arjenol, and the Commanderie and Mother House at Djellarda (established in the mid-700s, and serving as Mother House from the year 917).

The Order also established a secret underground Haven in the Lendour Mountains near Dhassa sometime prior to the year 903, and from that time through the Restoration of the Haldanes in the year 904 this facility served as the sanctuary of Prince Cinhil and his family and allies.  The Haven was reopened by Father Joram MacRorie in the year 917, and served as the home and headquarters of the Deryni underground through at least the year 928. [*Camber of Culdi*; *The Harrowing of Gwynedd; King Javan's Year; The King's Justice*].