Have You Ever Heard Of The Knights Templar?

By definition

Knight and Knighthood referred to a professional cavalryman and to his chosen profession of arms, a service which started and evolved throughout various countries of Europe during the Medieval period. Since It was important that one was properly suited for such a position there was usually a very long journey before one could finally attain their prestigious knighthood, a process that usually began sometimes as early as age seven when a boy might start by working as a page for his father up until he was about 12 years of age. He would then begin an extended period of training and apprenticeship during which he would learn about the world around him and receive the required military training.

Knighthood was a profession for neither the faint of heart nor for the poor as it first of all required adhering to a code of chivalry which demanded bravery, loyalty, generosity, courtesy and devotion and was secondly also a very expensive proposition. During the period of apprenticeship, the trainee, who at that point was pledged to some lord or monarch for service, might be referred to as a damoiseau (lordling) or varlet or valet, etc. depending upon the country with which they were associated. After it was determined the trainee was ready for active service he would accompany his lord into battle as either the lord’s shield bearer (écuyer or esquire) or as the arms bearer (armitage). Once it was determined that the apprentice was sufficiently proficient in his duties and knowledge and, most of all, was able to come up with the funds necessary to purchase his knightly wardrobe, either on his own or from his family, he would then be ready for the next step: the “dubbing.”

Depending upon the circumstances, whether during warfare or before or after such events, the dubbing could be an elaborate affair with all the pomp and circumstances befitting the occasion or simply handled on the battlefield as the man’s bravery was being recognized at that time. For the most part the process of dubbing during those times was pretty similar among the European countries and essentially the process remains the same today, i.e. the tapping of the shoulder with the flat side of a sword’s blade.

Though there is no commonly accepted modern definition of feudalism, at least among scholars, the dictionary describes it as “the dominant social system in medieval Europe between the 9th and the 15th centuries, in which the nobility held lands from the Crown in exchange for military service, and vassals were in turn tenants of the nobles, while the peasants (villeins or serfs) were obliged to live on their lord's land and give him homage, labor, and a share of the produce, primarily in exchange for military protection.”

In 1099 during the Crusades the Christians recaptured Jerusalem from Muslim control and once that happened groups of pilgrims from all over Western Europe started to come to visit the Holy Land, but many were robbed and some killed as they passed through territories that were still under Muslim control. To combat this problem, in 1119 Sir Hugh de Payens, a French knight, gathered a group of eight or nine of his fellow knights and created a small military order which he called Poor Fellow-Soldiers of Christ. Baldwin II, then king of the Kingdom of Jerusalem gave the knights his palace, which was a former mosque on the Temple Mount of Jerusalem, to use as their headquarters. Since that building had been commonly called the Temple of Solomon the order of knights soon became known as the Knights of the Temple or just the “Templars.”

Over the years the Knights Templar became a large organization of devout Christians whose mission, in addition to carrying out military operations, was to protect those European travelers who wished to visit sites in the Holy Land. By 1129 these knights were facing criticism from some religious leaders for being too warlike until they were formally endorsed by prominent French abbot Bernard of Clairvaux when his book, “In Praise of the New Knighthood,” extoling their virtues was published. This support was further solidified in 1139 when Pope Innocent II issued a Papal Bull giving the Knights Templar special rights to include exemption from taxes, the right to build their own oratories and declared them under no other authority than that of the Pope.

When formed, the order of the Knights Templar was to follow an austere code of conduct in accordance with rules found in “The Rule of the Templars” in which order members took an oath of poverty, chastity and obedience and were not allowed to drink, gamble, swear, wear pointy toed shoes or even kiss their mothers. On the other hand prayer was a daily essential and they expressed a particular adoration for the Virgin Mary, mother of Jesus.

By the 1150s the Templar’s basic structure was in place and it was headed by a grand master, elected for life, who remained in Jerusalem and from there oversaw their territories and chapters. The order members (brothers) were divided into two classes: knights and sergeants. The knightbrothers were those who came from the military aristocracy, assumed elite leadership positions, served at courts, both royal and papal and wore the distinctive outfit of a white surcoat marked with a red cross. The servingbrothers (sergeants) were usually from the lower classes, served as both servants and warriors and wore black outfits. Years later a third class (chaplains) was added and they were responsible for administering the sacraments, holding religious services and helping with the spiritual needs of the members.

The vow of poverty seemed to have fallen by the wayside as the Templars established a prosperous and very profitable network of banks which gained for them enormous financial influence. Their unique for the times banking system allowed religious pilgrims to deposit assets in their home countries and withdraw their funds when they reached the Holy Land. At the height of their influence, the Templars boasted a sizable fleet of ships, owned the Mediterranean island of Cyprus, and served as a primary bank and lending institution to European monarchs and nobles.

Tales of this mysterious order concerning their financial and banking acumen, their work on behalf of Christianity and especially their military prowess have fascinated historians for centuries. An example of their military might is evident when their highly disciplined cavalry group in tight formation, running straight at the middle of the enemy army’s line, would blast through the enemy creating havoc and disarray thus allowing their ancillary forces to follow up and defeat the remaining forces.

So here we have a major, influential group of men, superior in their fighting skills, dedicated to taking care of their responsibilities and extremely well off because of their management ability and business acumen and yet they just disappeared from sight and were none of those things during the 14th century – what happened? While some approved of the Templars others, especially rival orders of knights, were critical of them for too much power, too much money, no obligation to pay tax and freedom from most all authority.

By the end of 12th century the Muslims had retaken Jerusalem and other Crusader posts forcing the Knights to keep moving to seek shelter in other of their locations. At this point the successes of the Crusades were crumbling and in 1291, when Acre, the last Christian held fortress in the Holy Land, fell to the Mamluks, a group of Egyptian slave-warriors of medieval Islam, it was one of the most devastating events in Western history. With the erosion of European support for military activity in the Holy Land and the criticism from religious leaders about the wealth and power of the order, the Templars established their last base in Paris, where King Phillip IV reigned . Either because he feared their power or because the Templars had denied King Phillip the additional loans requested, he planned their demise and on October 13, 1307 (Friday the 13th),ordered all Knights Templar in France arrested especially their grand master Jacques de Molay. Once in custody the knights were tortured until they falsely confessed to a bevy of crimes which included financial corruption and devil-worshipping, heresy, homosexuality and fraud along with other despicable things after which most, including De Molay, were then burned at the stake. Under threat of military action, King Phillip then convinced Pope Clement V in 1312 to disband the order throughout Europe, turning their assets over to the Knights Hospitaller, a rival order, although it is probable that the kept most for himself.

The tales concerning the Knights Templar persist today and there is much speculation as to what happened to those members of the order who had escaped capture. Many of their rules and symbols have been adopted by other orders that were established in later years. The Catholic Church has since publicly declared that the persecution of the Knights Templar was completely unjustified and although historians believe the order fully disbanded others believe the order went underground and may exist in some other form today. There is also some speculation that the Templars may have guarded the Shroud of Turin, the Ark of the Covenant and the Holy Grail. There is little doubt that the Knights Templar has been an intriguing and fascinating subject for so many over the years and that it, in addition to many wild speculations about them, will continue over the foreseeable future years.