Ban (Hun. ban, a corruption of the Slavic pan, lord), the title of the governor of Croatia and Slavonia; formerly also of the governors of various other provinces belonging to the Hungarian crown.

Ban #1

Ban, a proclamation; in old English and civil law, applied most commonly to an excommunication or curse publicly pronounced against those who had been or should be guilty of certain specified offences. In Germany sometimes persons, cities, or districts were placed under the ban of the empire by some public act or proclamation, and thereby political rights and capacities were taken away, and in case of individuals they were cut off from society and deprived of rank, title, privileges, and property. - The ban and arriere ban of France was the entire feudal levy of the realm, raised by public proclamation (ban) of the king, denouncing penalties against all who should fail to appear. The ban comprised all the great vassals, holding of the king for homage; the arriere ban included all the vassals or tenants of the second class. The whole ban and arriere ban, therefore, constituted the entire military force of the crown of France during the feudal ages, and prior to the establishment of standing armies.

It could only be called out by the king in person, and usually only when he was himself in the field, although the leading of it often was given to the constable, or some other high officer of France. The calling out of the ban and arriere ban usually implied the invasion of the soil of France; the revolt of some great feudatories; or, in some serious way, the supreme peril of the crown and state. It was attended with solemn ceremonies, and on the assemblage of the powers by the displaying of the orijfamme, or sacred banner of the monarchy, green, langued with tongues of gold, emblematical of the fiery tongues of the Pentecost, by the count d'Harcourt, who was the hereditary holder of that office.