Why the Knights Templar are considered the most cruel in history and other facts about the holy warriors of Christianity

2024 Author: Richard Flannagan | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-15 23:55

Very little is actually known about the founding of the mysterious Order of the Knights Templar. After the capture of Jerusalem in 1099, Europeans began to make massive pilgrimages to the Holy Land. On the way, they were often attacked by bandits and even crusader knights. A small group of fighters, in order to protect the travelers, formed the Order of the Poor Knights of the Temple of King Solomon, also known as the Knights Templar. Over the next two centuries, the Order developed into a powerful political and economic force throughout Europe, literally making history. The tragic end of this powerful Order is known, but why the Templars are considered the most cruel warriors and are trying to imitate them today?

In 1118, several French knights gave the Patriarch of Jerusalem a vow of chastity, poverty and obedience, and also pledged to protect pilgrims and roads in Palestine from robbers. The order was led by a knight named Hugh de Payenne. The values of the newly formed community combined the monastic way of life with public service and harsh military discipline. The interests of the Order coincided with the interests of France in the Middle East, and therefore the Templars received powerful state support.

Baldwin II - the king of Jerusalem, ceded to the Templars part of his palace, which was adjacent to the temple of King Solomon. The knights began to be called "the poor soldiers of Christ, the defenders of the Jerusalem temple" or "templars." The very name "Templars" comes from the French word "temple", which means "temple". Hugo de Payen received the title of Grand Master. The charter of the Order was based on the writings of St. Augustine, as well as on the statutes of the ancient canons of the Holy Sepulcher and the Cistercians. The form of the Knights Templar was a white linen cloak, which showed an eight-pointed scarlet cross on the left shoulder (which symbolized martyrdom) and a white linen belt - a symbol of heartfelt purity. No decorations on clothing and weapons were allowed.

It is easy to guess that the knights of this Order, such pure thoughts and hearts, ready to give their lives for the glory of God at any moment, enjoyed powerful support even among ordinary civilians. The leadership was exercised by the Grand Master, who was elected. The Order had a clergy composed of chaplains and clerics. The confessors were exclusively subordinate to the Pope.

But, as you know, a person is capable of perverting any wonderful undertaking. Very soon the Templars ceased to be "poor soldiers of Christ." The secular authorities showered them with their favors, insanely rich donations were made to the Order from everywhere. Wealthy aristocrats wrote off their entire possessions and fortunes to them. The Templars had a lot of privileges. The order was patronized by the Pope himself and over time they turned into his personal army. Here are some surprising facts about these "holy" knights:

1. They offered the world a completely new model of the holy warrior

Everyone has heard the legends about the knights of King Arthur who dedicated their lives to the search for the Holy Grail and set an example of Christian virtues? It is noteworthy that in the stories of the Knights of the Round Table, written in the thirteenth century, the most perfect holy knight, Sir Galahad, wears a white shield with a red cross, which was the symbol of the Templars. Indeed, in the early Middle Ages, knights were considered simple warriors-cutthroats without any special noble character traits. They plundered the surrounding villages for their own profit. All this was before the Templars. These knights created a fundamentally different model, in which members of the Order were monks who swore an oath of poverty, chastity and obedience, devoted to the fight against the "infidels" in the Holy Land. Promising to serve the Christian cause, they received the pope's recognition at the Council of Troyes in Champagne in 1129.

2. The discipline in the Order was truly iron

Knights were required to lead a strict, humble life, according to the Rite of the Templars, a detailed code of daily conduct. They could only eat meat three times a week, except on special holidays, as eating meat was believed to decompose the body. Furs and fashionable clothing were strictly prohibited. The same was true for the then fashionable pointed shoes and shoe laces, since "these nasty things belong to the pagans." Of course, the observance of chastity was obligatory. The Templars were forbidden to kiss any woman, even their own mother. Violation of the rules entailed severe punishment: beating, expulsion from the fraternity, or humiliating eating food from the floor.

3. The Templars never surrendered

During the Crusades, all Christian forces were inherently motley armies with minimal training. Not the Templars. They were superbly trained warriors and were renowned as very fierce fighters. They acted as the main striking force in a number of battles during the Crusades, including the Battle of Monjisar, when they helped defeat a vastly outnumbered army led by the great Muslim general Saladin. Some of their cruelty probably stemmed from religious devotion, which allowed them to view breaking their vows as a fate worse than death itself. Templar rules instructed them never to retreat, surrender or attack without orders - a great property for any army that must remain disciplined at all costs.

4. The Templars were great strategists and fierce fighters

Although the knights of this Order were known for their piety and willingness to fight for the spread of Christianity, the Knights Templar sometimes advised their fellow crusaders to avoid rash actions. European Christians who reached Jerusalem for the first time often wanted to fight the Muslims as soon as possible. The Templars, who lived here for many years and maintained friendly relations with local Arabs, sometimes dissuaded hotheads from a particular battle, proving that this was not the best idea. “It is possible that the Templars at times seemed unbearably omniscient to those who had just arrived from the West,” says Ann Gilmore-Bryson, a historian at the University of Melbourne. Of course, this did not make the Knights Templar pacifists. They simply wanted to create larger and stronger armies so that they could effectively overwhelm the Muslim forces.

5. The poor knights were actually fabulously rich

Though individually they swore to be poor, the Order as a whole became incredibly wealthy over time. It helped that the papal bull, issued by Pope Innocent II, exempted them from paying taxes. The Templars collected donations from all over Europe. Kings and queens gave them huge estates - Alfonso I of Aragon left them a third of his kingdom at his will. Ordinary people also made donations, made wills on them, leaving land and money to the Order. Ultimately, the knights began to own castles, farms and an entire fleet of ships, as well as the entire island of Cyprus. They didn't just hold onto this property. They used it to increase wealth. They traded crops, wool and wine throughout Europe and leased their land.

6. Over time, the Knights Templar became a financial institution, like the modern IMF

Since the original purpose of the Templars was to guard the pilgrims heading to Jerusalem, they came up with an entire financial system. Travelers could deposit cash at Temple Church in London and receive a letter of credit that they could redeem in Jerusalem. They also provided many other financial services to monarchs and elites. The colossal wealth allowed the Templars to go into banking. The order lent money at interest to all the royal courts, not only in Europe, but even in the Muslim world. Over time, the knights developed a complex system of financial records management and introduced into circulation bank checks, which, by the way, are still used by the whole world. In the early 13th century, they received the English Crown Jewels as collateral for a loan. And when King Henry III wanted to buy the island of Oleron, the Order not only acted as an intermediary in the deal, but also received payments in installments from the king. The French treasury also used the Knights Templar as a kind of subcontractor for many of their functions.

7. The Templars borrowed much from the principles of the Islamic legal institutions

Some scholars believe that it was the Templars who helped import "Muslim" ideas that changed Western legal and educational systems. For example, the court hotels in London, legal institutions formed during the medieval period and associated with the Knights Templar, bear a striking resemblance to madrassas built around mosques where Sunni scholars discussed the law. This connection may help explain why English common law differs significantly from Roman. The perpetual donation system for the maintenance of colleges may also owe its origins to the Muslim patterns observed by the Templars. The Waqf, a legal device in Islamic law, also helped scholars maintain their independence in the medieval Middle East. Walter de Merton, a businessman associated with the Order, founded Merton College, which pioneered this system in England.

8. They were so powerful that the French king decided to destroy them completely

The order practically became a state within a state. They had their own army, courts, police and finance. This could not fail to arouse envy, hatred and distrust on the part of the monarchs over time.

After all, the policy of the Order began to contradict its goals. The desire for power and wealth began to destroy the once correct Christian principles of the knightly order from the inside. By the 12th century, the Templars had been driven out of Palestine. For some time their residence was the island of Cyprus, after which it was moved to France.

Philip the Handsome could not tolerate the independence of the Templar Knights. Power was supposed to be only with him, in addition, he owed the Order a very impressive amount. The king could not pay. Few people know that King Philip IV even turned to the Grand Master of the Order with the lowest request to accept him into the Knights Templar. Grand Master Jacques de Molay refused the cunning king, realizing what was behind it. Then Philip tried, through the Pope, to initiate the merger of the Knights Templar with their main rivals - the Order of John. Having received a refusal here, the king was in an indescribable rage.

Philip decided to act dirty and despicable. He concocted many different defamatory accusations against the Templars, including idolatry, blasphemy, and even denial of Christ. In the spring, the Pope summoned Jacques de Molay from Cyprus, where he was preparing to march to Syria. The Grand Master and the Knights of the Order arrived in France. In the meantime, it was decided that all of them should be arrested and brought to trial by the Inquisition.

9. The fall of the Templars was as dramatic as the rest of their history

In the early morning of October 13, 1307, all members of the Order were arrested, and all their property was confiscated. The authorities sought to denigrate the Templars as much as possible in the eyes of the amazed people. After all, they needed to justify their wild and illegal actions. All were indignant, but out of fear that the same fate would befall them, they were silent.

Meanwhile, the king wasted no time. The court of the Inquisition was immediately appointed. The knights were brutally tortured, pulling out the necessary confessions in the wildest crimes. Many knights were simply executed without any trial. The papal commission hesitated to pass judgment on the leaders of the Order. The process dragged on. Only in March 1314 was the sentence finally announced - life imprisonment. Jacques de Molay was indignant, he boldly declared that there was no fault either on him or on his knights. King Philip was so afraid that his slander would be exposed that he decided to execute the highest officials of the Order. The sentence was carried out the next day. The Templars were burned over a low fire.

They say that during the execution they offered prayers, and when the fire almost completely engulfed them, Jacques de Molay, Grand Master, cried out: "Pope Clement and King Philip, in less than a year I will call you to the judgment of God!" This can be safely called the curse of the Templars, or retribution, because two weeks later the Pope died, and six months later Philip IV the Handsome went after him.

10. The Templars remained quite influential structure even after the destruction

In the 18th century, various elite organizations, such as the Freemasons, adopted the ideas and principles of the Templars. There is a fraternal order, which is informally called the Templars. They declare that it is their sacred duty to defend the Christian faith.

The images of the Knights Templar are also present in many areas of our modern life. For example, in pop culture. Video games, movies, Dan Brown's acclaimed novel The Da Vinci Code. The history of the Templars even inspired a certain Mexican drug cartel, which was named after them. The gang unveiled a set of rules, illustrated with crosses and knights on horseback, stating that their members are required to abide by a code of ethics, including helping the poor, respecting women and children, and not killing for profit.

The mystery of this politically and economically powerful organization with strict ethical principles based on religious piety is a very attractive idea to many. The spirit of the Templars lives on even more than 700 years after the death of the real knights of this Order.

If you are interested in history, read our other article on how Caesar was liquidated, or what actually happened on the ides of March.