▁Gr if o ▁( Order ▁of ▁the ▁Griff in ) ▁ ▁Origin ▁legend ▁The ▁legend ▁of ▁the ▁orig ins ▁of ▁the ▁Order ▁of ▁the ▁Jar ▁may ▁date ▁back ▁to ▁its ▁actual ▁found ing ▁in ▁ 1 4 0 3 . ▁Ferdinand , ▁in ▁order ▁not ▁to ▁be ▁seen ▁as ▁t reading ▁on ▁the ▁authority ▁of ▁his ▁brother , ▁King ▁Henry ▁III ▁of ▁Cast ile , ▁may ▁have ▁sought ▁to ▁ground ▁his ▁order ▁in ▁an ▁older ▁( and ▁foreign ) ▁foundation . ▁Thus , ▁according ▁to ▁legend , ▁the ▁Order ▁of ▁the ▁Jar ▁was ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁oldest ▁military ▁orders ▁in ▁Europe , ▁having ▁been ▁founded ▁in ▁the ▁Kingdom ▁of ▁Navar re ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 1 th ▁century . ▁ ▁There ▁are ▁several ▁versions ▁of ▁the ▁Navar res e ▁legend . ▁According ▁to ▁one , ▁the ▁order ▁was ▁founded ▁by ▁San cho ▁III ▁the ▁Great ▁in ▁ 1 0 2 3 . ▁In ▁another , ▁it ▁was ▁San cho ▁IV ▁( re igned ▁ 1 0 5 4 – 1 0 7 6 ). ▁In ▁the ▁most ▁elaborate ▁version , ▁it ▁was ▁García ▁III ▁on ▁ 2 5 ▁March ▁ 1 0 4 3 . ▁He ▁was ▁hunting ▁with ▁his ▁fal con , ▁which ▁was ▁ch asing ▁a ▁p ige on . ▁Both ▁birds ▁stood ▁at ▁the ▁entrance ▁to ▁a ▁cave ▁in ▁N áj era , ▁inside ▁of ▁which ▁there ▁was ▁an ▁image ▁of ▁the ▁Virgin ▁Mary ▁next ▁to ▁a ▁jar ▁of ▁l il ies , ▁symbol ▁of ▁the ▁Ann unci ation .