#Honorary knighthood series#

Saint Arnould was born as Arnold in 1040 in Tiegem, a sleepy Flemish village between the Lys and the Escaut. Saint Arnould is the patron saint of brewers and is also the source of the name given to the Arnoldus Group.

Saint Arnould : Son of a brewer who went on to become a patron saint He died in 1249 from wounds he received during a tournament in Bar-le-Duc. And this is how he became a legendary figure.Īnother of his enthusiasms was taking part in tournaments but this provided to be his undoing. With a foaming mug in one hand, he addressed the crowd by proposing a toast to his country and the health of his people. Determined to make a speech to these hearty fellows, he climbed on top of a pile of barrels and sat astride the highest one. During the festivities, he went to an inner courtyard where his soldiers and servants were making merry. One day, at the end of a fierce battle, Jan Primus invited all the noblemen to celebrate the victory. Legend has it that during a three-day banquet he drank mug after mug of foamy beer and he was known forever after as the King of Beer. He was known for being very fond of a mug of beer.

He was also the honorary President of the Brussels Brewers’ Guild. He laid down the foundations for Brabant’s brewing industry by allowing the deputy mayors of Brussels the right to grant licences for brewing and selling beer. He also became a famous figure in the history of Belgian beer-making. He was famed for being a benefactor and a genuine hero. Born in 1210, he inherited both the duchies of Brabant and Lorraine. Gambrinus is a deformation of the name 'Jan Primus', which is the Flemish name for Duke Jean I, the son of Henri III and Alix of Burgundy. The following story will explain why the Knighthood of the Brewers’ Paddle pays tribute to Gambrinus and why he is nearly always shown sitting astride a beer barrel. The new knights are inducted or 'enthroned' during a ceremony specific to the Knighthood. The Knights by rights form the General Assembly, which elects the Grand Council. The knights by rights are active members of the Brotherhood who, owing to their profession, birth or alliance, are closely related to the brewing industry. Honorary knights are individuals who have rendered loyal services to the brewing profession. The memory of the patron saint of brewers, Saint Arnould, is revered in September, during the Beer Weekend staged every year on the Brussels Grand’ Place.ĭuring these events the new knights by rights and honorary knights are 'enthroned'.

#Honorary knighthood series#

It is now perpetuating the traditions and nobility of the brewer’s trade as developed over the centuries.įaithful to their traditions, Belgian brewers organise a series of festivities every year (in February or March) to pay tribute to Gambrinus, the 'King of Beer'. The Knighthood of the Brewers’ Paddle (Belgian brewers’ Guild) is the direct descendant of the secular Guild of Brewers.