Order of Saint John

The Order of Saint John is named in Don Quixote in a brief explanation of the enchanted company described by Montesinos. Its knights are connected to two of Ruidera’s nieces, placing the order within the kinship and religious associations of this legendary tale rather than making it a focus of the action.

Identity in the Narrative

Montesinos identifies the Order of Saint John as a holy order of knights. The passage provides no account of its organization, rules, or activities; the order’s identity is conveyed through this designation and its association with the knights.

Connection to the Enchanted Company

In his account to Durandarte, Montesinos says that Merlin has kept the company enchanted for more than five hundred years. Ruidera and her daughters and nieces are part of that company. Montesinos explains that the seven daughters belong to the kings of Spain, while the two nieces belong to knights of the Order of Saint John. The statement makes the order a point of connection between the tale’s enchanted family group and a named religious institution.

Narrative Significance

The Order of Saint John appears only as part of Montesinos’s explanation of the company’s relationships; no knight of the order enters the scene or acts in the plot. This limited reference gives the legendary account a social and religious frame, while leaving the order itself outside the episode’s main action.