Ian's World of History

With Jerusalem in Christian hands you would think that the surrounding area became alot safer. Indeed many Christians thought that this would be the case and they travelled to the holy land in their thousands on pilgrimages to the city lost for so long.
The route to the holy city was not a safe one, the Christians had encountered little resistance along the road to Jerusalem and so there were still many muslim infantry still at large. Although a route had been fortified en route to the holy city the crusaders still only held a fraction of the middle eastern lands. Syria was still a Musilm country and was a few hundred miles away from Jerusalem. Arabia was also still largely Muslim and Egypt was the Musilm superpower in terms of military strength. Effectively the hold that the crusaders had on the Holy land was voulnerable to say the least.
The Muslim army in their homeland had not far to go for supplies and had the advantage of knowing their terrain well. The Christians' supply line stretched as far as Constantinople (in modern day Turkey) and the route for supplies was hardly an easy one to negotiate. Also if reinforcements were needed in battle they could take weeks to arrive.
In the early years of the 1100's the Christian pilgrims on the route to the holy land encountered problems from highwaymen and displaced Muslim infantry. These incidents were increasingly becoming a problem and had to be sorted out.
In 1118 a French knight by the name of Hugh de Payens (somtimes Hughes des payn or Hugh des paynes) heard of the problems in the holy land and set out for Jerusalem with 9 other knights. These knights were not particuarly wealthy but were landowners trained in combat.
The 9 knights arrived in Jerusalem with a proposition for the then king of Jerusalem Baldwin II. The 9 knights recorded as being: Hugues de Payns, Gaufred de St. Omer, Payen de Montdidier, Archambaud de St. Amand, Hugues de Champagne, Robert de Craon, Andre de Montbard, Gondemar and Gaufred Bisol met with Baldwin and laid down their proposition that they would protect the Christian pilgrims on the road to the holy city. This proposition has been met with some controversy. Some say that the actual motives for the 9 knights' expidition was a contract to excavate the site at Temple Mount (where the knights Templar were given their headquarters) where legend had it that Solomon's temple stood. King Solomon had supposedly burried the Ten Commandments and other religious artifacts inside the mount.
When you think about it, the idea of 9 knights defending the Christian pilgrims in the whole of the holy land is absurd and the theory that their true motive was this excavation at Temple mount was their true inten makes sense. Indeed the idea that they found the mythical artifacts and hid them has caused quite a stir over the years!
Thus in 1118 the Order of the poor knights of Christ and the Temple of Solomon was formed. Their headquarters was on the Temple Mount, a fabled spot where Moses was said to have recieved the Ten commandments and where Mohammed ascended to heaven, also the site of the Temple of Solomon. They set about their excavations instantly but made a fatal mistake. The Dome of the rock (the Al Aqsa Mosque in Islam)...a structure which stands on the spot where the prophet Mohamment rose to the heavens, one of the holiest places of the Muslim faith was taken over and converted into a christian church!
This was a bad omen for the Christians....

The Knights Templar were formed in 1118 and officially recognised at the Council of Troyes in 1129 with Hugh de Payns, a nobleman from france, as the first grand master.
The result of the council was the recognition of the knightly order and the drawing up of their rule of life known as "In Praise of the New Knighthood". This outlined the rules and regulations by which the members of the order lived and was constructed by Bernard of Clairvaux.
Originally the order had just 9 members and were given their headquarters by king Baldwin II of Jerusalem on the Temple Mount, one of the holiest sites in the world, the site of the original temple of the legendary king Solomon from which they took their name. The full title of the order (one of many variations) was "The order of the poor knights of Christ and the Temple of Solomon" which can be shortened to just "Knights Templar".
The original knights vowed to live the lives of monks and therefore took vows of poverty, chastity and obedience to God, vows which were to be taken by every inductee into the order.
These were strict rules, if any member broke them they would be punished severely and even expelled from the order.
Gradually over time the size of the order grew and grew in numbers and in wealth...the order had developed into something never before seen in the western world...a band of warrior monks!
Usually monks rejected violence and lead peaceful lives while warriors often did not live the life of devotion and prayer associated with monks which made the templars different. So different in fact that it has become a large debate whether the Templars were more warrior then monk or vica versa.
Each member who joined the order had to take the vows and swear to live by the rule.
At first they were incredibly strict...nobody who had been married previously could join. Nobody who was not of noble descent could join, the order wanted to be an elite group of people. All earthly posession was given to the order: money, land, property, everything so as the size of the order grew and grew so did it's wealth...soon the "Poor knights of Christ" were the richest order in Christendom and had developed into a multi branched organisation.
They became bankers, warriors, crusaders, architects, politicians amongst other things. They owned property in every major country France, Spain, Britain, Italy to name but a few.
They were the first truly international bankers which offered a completely new service...they offered savings accounts and even loans.
Templars were also in charge of tithe collection in many parts of Europe on behalf of the church.
A problem that they encountered was that the church forbid them to charge interest on their loans but they got around this by calling the extra charge "rate" but it was, in effect, interest
The largest of the banks was the New Temple in London which served as an international banking centre for Europe.
The banking system was often anonymous and so monarch and peasent alike could entrust their money to the order. It bears many resemblences to the Swiss banking system of today, it is believed that the inspiration for it came from the templars and it is even speculated that some fugitive Templars fled to Switzerland after their abolition and set up the system themselves.
The Templars in the Holyland, as well as being guardian angels to the pilgrims and soldiers were also masons and served to build many castles and fortifications.
One of the largest templar castles was Beaufort which was designed to withstand a lengthy seige. They also helped to build other forts such as the Krak de Chevalliers and Jacobs Ford as well as the city walls of Acre and other cities.
They took part in major crusades lead by Guy de Lusignan and Richard the lionheart and were the elite force of these campaigns (see "Knights templar in battle").
Though the second and third crusades failed the Knights Templar became recognised as a feared enemy on the field of battle. In the banking department even kings begged them for money and they were trusted with the accounts of many monarchs throughout the known world.
They had become the largest and most decorated order of their kind in history but it was not to last...

The knights Templar by the 1300's were the largest knightly order ever known in the history of the world.
They had their thumb in pretty much every pie: masonry, banking, taxation, property, agriculture, architecture, you name it the templars probably had a hand in it. Though each individual knight maintained his vows of poverty, chastity and obedience the order itself had grown so much it was incredibly rich. They had monarchs everywhere who had invested money with or loaned money off the Templars.
One particular monarch who had loans outstanding with the Templars was the king of France Philip le Bel (the fair).
Philip had inherited a country financially decimated by years of war with England and effectively his country was almost bankrupt.
He could not allow this to happen.
Also, in November 1305 a new pope was declared. This pope was Clement V who throughout history has a reputation for being corrupt.
The general idea is that Clement was totally unqualified to be pope and was merely appointed as a "puppet" to king Philip though this is a highly controversial viewpoint and there is evidence to show that Clement's CV was adiquate.
Philip saw an ideal source of money in the Templars who he owed money to as it was without borrowing more.
He set about devising a plan to undermine the Templars and went to Clement V with "evidence" to suggest that the Templars were corrupt.
The speedy response from Clement has caused many to be suspicious of Clement's faith in the Templars and of his loyalty to God although recently a file was found in the vatican archive signed by Clement V clearing the Templars of all charges but there are issues about it's authenticity.
On the 12th of October 1307 Philip sent out sealed envelopes to every police department in France with orders not to be opened until the following day.
On Friday 13th of October 1307 the biggest plot in history took place, every Templar in France was arrested and thrown into prison. This is the origin of the supersticion regarding the date Friday 13th which has since been universalised to all Friday 13ths throughout the year.
The Templars were not stupid however and some got word of the contents of the envelopes. On Friday 13th the Templar fleet of ships stationed at La Rochelle had vanished along with much of their gold.
This has fueled speculation that they were tipped off about the iminent arrests due to the speedy preparation and embarkation of the fleet.
The templars were handed to the inquisition who were a sect dedicated to dealing with infadels.
The list of charges against the templars was huge, they were accused of over 100 crimes including blastphemy, sodomy, devil worship, witchcraft, spitting on the cross, denying Christ etc
Most of the charges regarded Templar initiation ceremonies which were strictly carried out in secrecy.
The most famous charge of all is the allegation of the worship of an idol known as "Baphomet".
Amazingly several hundred Templars confessed to worshipping a head produced from a box.
A few templars in the Carcassonne region of southern France even mentioned Baphomet by name (probably after being asked if  the head was called Baphomet!) In reality, this is one of the only places where the term "baphomet" was used.
It is a complete and utter exaggeration to say that they were universally accused of and universially confessed to worshiping Baphomet.
This comes as no suprise to most historians. The Templars were tortured incredibly cruelly. A typical torture was to have the feet coated in fat and then roasted over a slow fire so the flesh gradually cooked causing maximum pain. Another was to be hung by the wrists with the hands tied behind the back thus dislocating the shoulder joints. When placed under this kind of torture there wasn't alot they wouldn't confess to. Although many confessed to worshipping an idol nearly every prisoner described it differently which would suggest the charge was completely fabricated.
What exactly was Baphomet?
Some of the more popular descriptions were a bearded figure with goats legs and horns, others included a 3 headed figure, a severed human head (speculated at times to be that of John the Baptist himself) and a hideous, vine spewing creature.
The word "Baphomet" may have been a corruption of the name of the prophet Muhammed (more commonly spelt Mahommet)which seems a sensible explanation. It may also have been a phrase from ancient Arabic or Urdu "Baphe mide". Another less likely explanation is that it comes from the name of a fabled Saracen king. Another name given to the idol was "Yalla" which may possibly have been misheard as it sounds very similar to "Allah" the Islamic God.
There is evidence to suggest that Baphomet was real. There are numerous instances of demonic heads in different forms being found at Templar chapels around Europe. A famous instance is in Templecombe, Sommerset where a painting dating from the time of the Templar preceptry in Templecombe is said to resemble a severed human head. This supports the "head of John the Baptist" theory of Baphomet and has baffled historians as to what it was based on. Another incident is in Garway, Herefordshire where a demon like head sprouting vines is embedded in the wall of the Templar preceptory (still standing  in part today). Garway was used for initiations and fits the bill superbly...it is literally in the middle of nowhere (Took me ages to find it)!The head however is similar to hundreds of others found in Britain and are said to be of Saxon origin which casts doubt over whether it was an exclusively Templar idol.
Fabricated charges or not the Templars were found to be guilty and grand master Jacques de Molay finally confessed. Generally the most confessions came from France as the interegations in other countries were often much more lenient. Some countries even record the presence of fully armed Templars being present at the hearing which meant they might as well have been writing the verdict at gun point, needless to say they were found innocent!
None the less after the arrests of Templars in every country, in 1312 the Order of the Knights Templar was officially disolved and excommunicated. King Philip had many Templars executed and had them hung on public gallows so that people could see the consequences of heresy. A famous gibbet stood at Montfaucon in Paris, it was a multi-arched structure where Templars were hung on hooks from each arch, it was not a pretty sight. The gibbet was destroyed during the French revolution in the 1600's.
In the year 1314 Jacques de Moley's number was finally up as he was called for retrial after retracting his confession. This retrial took place in front of Notre Dame cathedral on the banks of the river Seine where de Molay made a speech defending the order against the charges.
On the 18th of March 1314 Jacques de molay was burned at the stake on the Ille des Javiaux (now part of the Ille de la Cite) in the middle of the Seine and thus the Knights Templar (officially) were no more.
It is rumoured that Jacques de Molay muttered a curse while burning.
Within the next 12 months both Clement and Philip were dead, in fact the church holding Clement's body was destroyed by fire also.
Many believe that this was the curse of de Molay in action....

Combat skills were an essential part of the Templar way of life.
As all noble warriors did, they attacked from horseback and so the majority of their training was done on horses.
They trained every day on the use of the lance, sword and mace.
The main weapon used by the templars during a cavalry charge was the lance which developed over time.
At first a typical knights Templar lance would have been a long, thin stick with a sharp end. They would ride at full speed towards the enemy and launch it like a javelin at the enemy infantry.
This method was very crude and ineffective and there was the problem of having to pick the lance up again after it had been thrown! It was literally a hit or miss action.
The lance was developed into a shorter, thicker stick with 1 sharpened end. It would be tucked under the armpit and would be used as a battering ram while riding as full speed. This was stronger, quicker and more effective.
A cavalry charge with these was like a moving wall of spikes which would run everything flat, especially considering the weight of the armoured horse! Another weapon the templars trained with was the sword, a typically noble weapon. Their sword skills were impecable and they handled a sword very well from horseback.
The swords the Templars used were not the quick, nippy katana like swords used by the Saracen (Muslim) forces but big, heavy swords that would cut a person clean in half if swung at full force. This presented the problem of manuvrebility and thus they were often beaten to the punch by the quicker swords of the Saracens in one on one combat. They would stay on their horse if at all possible.
The final weapon would be the mace, not commonly used and not particuarly associated with the order but they were utilised in battle. Basically a mace was a ball or a spiked ball on the end of a short chain or a club. It was spun around in a threshing motion and anything in the way was splattered by the weight of it. It was a very crude weapon but there was nothing pretty about crusader warfare.
The templars were fierce warriors in battle, they never asked how many the enemy numbered (although there was an unwritten rule that they could retreat if outnubered by 7-1 or greater). They would always be the first unit onto the battle field and could only leave/ retreat when the last Christian banner fell. They would ride into battle under their infamous black and white banner known as Beauseant (also Beaucent and Beucent) which has a number of meanings, some say it came from the word in Arabic meaning "piebald" and another source says it came from the words "Beau Ceant!" which was also a battle cry meaning "Be Glorious!". The correct theory is unclear although the piebald one is more generally accepted.
The Templars would gather before every battle to pray and recite the Psalm of David: "Non Nobis, non nobis Domine, sed nomine tuo da gloriam" which translates as "Not unto us, not unto us o' lord but unto thy name give the glory"
This emphasised the idea that they weren't fighting for themselves but for the glory of God.
The standard practice for Templars captured was to be executed, the Musilms felt it pointless to ransom them seeing as the only ransom they could offer was their belt and sword.
The templar warriors saw it as glorious to die as martyrs and so did not fear death in battle, they would die before they surrendered.
This often led to trouble...the templars were notorious, especially under the leadership of grand master Gerard de Ridefort and under the guidance of the troublemaking Raynald of Chatillon for ambushing Muslim units against the will of the papacy and the King of Jerusalem. This led to many of them being arrested and hanged for misconduct.
The standard gear for a Templar knight was an armoured horse, chainmaile, White mantel with red cross on chest, shield, sword and other weapon e.g lance. This was demanding on the templars as they would often be fighting in temperatures of over 40 degrees Celcius! This was not a pleasant experience for the heavy knights of the crusader army.
The task was often too hot for the crusaders to handle....literally.

There are many elements to consider when deciding whether the templars were innocent or guilty of the charges laid against them in 1307.
In this essay I will look at some of the charges pressed against the Templars by  the inquisition and  assess  their guilt.
Firstly, each member upon admission had to take an oath of Poverty, Chastity and total obedience to Jesus Christ. Each Knight had to give all earthly possessions to the Temple which forced them to live in personal poverty. They only clothes they wore were robes tied by a single piece of rope covered by the white cloak emblazoned with the Red Cross of the order. In battle they wore chain mail covered by this same cloak and all they could offer as ransom if captured was their belt and dagger. This evidence shows that they lived by their first oath of poverty.

The case against this is that the Templars were the most wealthy organisation in the known world and owned property all over Europe. They had thousands of people’s money in their possession so how could they consider themselves poor? It really depends on your perspective, the organisation as a whole was immensely wealthy but each individual member owned no property or personal possessions.

Apparently, from a record from a resident of Templecombe, Somerset, the site of a huge Templar complex, the personal appearance of a Templar left a lot to be desired! The account says roughly that the Templars were “Arrogant, odiferous, unclean people… wearing dirty, tattered clothes… their faces burnt by the sun” This would certainly suggest poverty but it could also suggest disrespect for their appearance which was unforgivable for a representative of God. They were condemned by Pope Innocent III in 1207 as being “abusive, proud and haughty” which would reinforce the previous statement but would hardly condemn them to being heretics.  

   As for chastity, knights and monks in monasteries were kept away from women just like nuns were kept from men but on crusade it was hard to keep track of what each member was getting up to and so on rare occasions a member may have broken his oath. There are records of the Temple Church in London, the headquarters of the order in England which still stands today, being situated near an area notorious for brothels and prostitution though there are no records of Templars using the facilities.

In the order Templars were permitted to masturbate and the records show that in some preceptories homosexuality was allowed which is controversial as it is often seen as forbidden by the bible. This was duly bought up by King Phillip as one of the sacrilegious sexual practices carried out by the order. The Templars were accused of carrying out practices involving lewd kisses at the base of the spine and other unmentionable actions but all were carried out in secret. This is precisely why not a shred of proof exists that the Templars actually did this. One account from a Templar says that he was made to perform these actions upon his initiation ceremony. The problem is that all recorded accounts were confessed upon being tortured which heavily places doubts on their authenticity. The prize for confession was that they would be killed quickly rather than being tortured to death which again undermines the fact that they were ordered never to surrender. Another fact is that the methods of torture used would make anyone confess to anything. A record from a guard of the inquisition says that a prisoner was seen crawling down the street with both of his feet burnt off and missing all of his fingers. Such harsh torture would break anyone down.  

Records exist of Templars committing rape and adultery which are sacrilegious actions but most records show that they didn’t get away with it. Of the few that were found to commit such crimes nearly all were court marshaled and expelled from the order, a few mysteriously vanish from existence after expulsion which is fairly suspicious!

   Finally, obedience which is the main focus of this essay. Nearly all allegations against the Templars were charges of heresy which would mean they broke this part of the oath. I will look at accounts of them following their religion and allegations about them not.

   The order was based on Temple Mount which is a deeply religious site and would certainly not have been trusted to anyone who did not seem sincere. The Templars also appreciated the significance of this location as they agreed to carry out an archeological dig on the area as it was rumored to be the burial place of vastly important treasures. The Templars carried out this dig in the early 1100s after their creation. The results of the dig were never publicised and there are a million stories surrounding the discoveries at Temple mount which makes it hard to determine whether anything was found at all. Rumored findings range from the Ark of the Covenant to the Shroud that Jesus was covered in after his death. We know for a fact that the church possessed an item known as the True cross, supposedly that which Jesus was crucified upon. It is also true that the Temple was in possession of this relic for a period of time during the crusades before it was lost to the Muslim army which again suggests that in the early years of existence the Order was deeply trusted by the Pope and the church.

The secrecy of the discoveries has often led to allegations of them keeping any found treasure for their own wealth which is also a possibility with no clear evidence. The only clear thing is that many stories point to the Templars being in possession of, by hook or by crook, the Holy Grail, the Ark of the Covenant, the True cross, the secret confession of Christ, the record of Jesus’ alleged marriage to Mary Magdalene, the true meaning of Christianity, the meaning of life and any other unsolved mystery you can possibly think of!

    The military side of the Knights Templar has often led or misled people into thinking that this undermined their religious belief as the laws of murder, stealing and loving of one’s neighbor are all broken during war. This is true but when you consider the cause they were fighting for it becomes less of an issue. They swore to protect their brethren and all followers of the Christian faith so they were effectively fighting for their God and not against his beliefs, they were even nicknamed the Militia of Christ. Before they engaged in battle they prayed and chanted the psalm of David to bless the army as well as kneeling before the true cross when it was in Christian possession.

Finally, before the battle began they would chant the phrase:

“Non nobis, non nobis domine, sed nomini tuo da gloriam.”

This translates as:

“Not unto us, not unto us, O Lord, but unto thy name give the glory.”

This is saying that they never fought for themselves but for the glory of their God. They were never interrupted during this ceremony and they never interrupted Muslim ceremonies either. There is a vague record that during a minor engagement during the crusades of the Christian army breaking this rule but again it is so vague that it is hard to say whether the Templars were involved in this.

   Another ideal was that all prisoners had a right to life and that none should be killed without the consent of the pope. Prisoners taken at Arsuf by Richard I in 1189 were all beheaded when he realised he had not the capabilities to hold them all. It was argued that these were actions that were disrespectful to the ideals of the Christian religion and that Saladin, the Muslim leader would never stoop to such low standards as he was a man of honour. It is a fact that there is no evidence to say that the Templars were involved in the execution of these prisoners and they never took orders from anyone other than the Grand Master or the pope. It is also solid fact that Saladin had every Templar prisoner he took at Hattin in 1187 beheaded and also every captive at Acre hung from the city walls which is contrary to the belief that he was a respectful man.

    The Templar oath swore that they, at every conflict, would be the first onto the battlefield and the last to leave alive or dead. This was a genuine tradition evident at most major conflicts. The first banner to be seen would be the black and white of the Beuseant, the symbol of the Grand Master of the Knights Templar. There is evidence to say that the Templars did not always stick to this tradition as in 1163-9 during Amalric’s famous expedition to Egypt 12 Templars were hanged as a result of surrendering an “impregnable cave” to the Egyptian army. Whether the cave was as impregnable as described is uncertain and whether the Templars actually physically threw down their weapons is also uncertain but their accuser Almaric certainly believed so! It left a scar on the reputation of the temple.

    The private, sometimes incredibly and very suspiciously private side to the Order is the main reason behind the belief that they were heretics.

When you look at typical locations of Templar property it is easy to see why! Aside from the large properties and tithe barns in cities and large towns where they conducted their masonry and banking business as well as the majority of their living time, most preceptories and churches are in very remote areas of countryside. Believe me, I’ve found or tried to find most of them! A typical example is Garway, Herefordshire which is the most complete Templar and Hospitaler property outside of London. After many narrow and winding country lanes you stumble across the most amazing yet minimalist church surrounded by at most 10 more modern houses. The church was in possession of the temple since their arrival in Britain and was passed to the Knights of St John after 1314. It remained in their possession until they were disbanded by Henry VIII during the reformation. It is a location where they initiated new members and judging by some accounts of what happened at these ceremonies it is easy to see why they were so secretive. One account from Garway says that he was made to bow to the image of a gruesome head carved onto the wall (still visible today) before being forced to denounce Christ and urinate on a cross. Again this account comes from the inquisition and was confessed under torture but the head is still there today which may be evidence to say that this ritual was true. The problem is that the head is not an uncommon sight in many churches pre and post Templar. It shares characteristics with heads seen in Southwell, Litchfield, York, Winchester and most cathedrals and churches as well as many in other countries. The head, a hideous face with vines sprouting from it’s mouth is a common site used to scare away evil spirits.

  This brings me onto my next point, the accusation of the Templars worshipping a severed head known as Baphomet.

This was invented by the inquisition and they took drawings based on accounts from tortured Templar prisoners.

Many theories exist as to the meaning of the name Baphomet. One possibility is that is a corruption of the name Mohamed, it even comes up as this on spellcheck! They sound similar when considered they would be from men hardly able to speak after torture. It could also mean Baphe Metis, from the Greek meaning “absorb into wisdom” or abufihamet from the Arabic meaning “source of wisdom”.

It is said that the Templars worshipped the idol Baphomet as a messenger to God. It is uncertain and there are as many descriptions of Baphomet as there were suffering Templars who described him so it is hard to say whether the allegations are true. At Cobb hall in Lincoln castle where Templar prisoners were held in 1312-14 there are many etchings on the walls dating from the 1300s. These etchings are mostly of crucifixes and crosses for respite while in prison but there are one or two of strange creatures and faces which suggest more sinister thoughts. There is a possibility that these could be images of figures seen during obscene rituals but it is hard to say what they could have been put through, many may have been driven insane by torture.

   As for rituals there are many theories and records from the inquisition to suggest obscene sexual practices and sacrilegious actions.

It is fact that the Templars held rituals in isolated places at midnight, patrolled by many Knights for miles around but it is not clear what they were doing at such places. The only inside evidence is from the accounts taken by the inquisition as all members were sworn to secrecy.

Accounts range from being forced to kiss another brethren’s spine at the base to being forced to pay homage to a severed, mummified head produced from an old wooden chest (worrying as there is a chest just like this in Tutbury church, a former Templar property which hasn’t been touched for centuries and isn’t open to the public!). There are several accounts of spitting, defecating and urinating on a cross but none are very consistent and the head ranges from the one described above to a statue, carving with three heads, an image of a bearded man and even a statue of a goat with a cockerel’s head! As you can see the evidence is of great imagination but is lacking in consistency and fact. It is also explained that they were forced to deny Christ as a test of character upon initiation and as a precaution before they went on crusade. The theory was that they may be forced to deny Christ if captured by Muslims. This is perfectly acceptable as such methods are practiced by the SAS today. It is however considered a sin to deny your religion for the sake of your own life and so it also works against the Templars as they were accused of surrendering on several occasions.

Also there is evidence of a sick ritual being carried out which is quite acceptable. In the 1800s an excavation was carried out on the church at Temple Bruer, Lincolnshire and there were a maze of secret tunnels unearthed and evidence of an oven containing charred human remains possibly of a child. The church is very isolated and absent from most maps and would be a perfect secret location. The origin of the remains is a mystery and so it is hard to say what they were there for. There were no really direct accusations of cannibalism at the inquisition but who knows what could have happened if there is any truth at all in the allegations.

   The treasure of the Templars is very real but it’s location and even what form it takes are anyone’s guess. It could be anywhere in Europe, Britain and even rumored to be in America. There are many theories surrounding the treaure but the most advertised and the most realistic to be perfectly honest is the legend surrounding Rosslyn Chapel near Edinborough.

The chapel is of the most intricate and breathtaking design and is based exactly on the original Temple of Soloman which stood on Temple mount. The church contains carvings of fruit and veg from the new world. This is ominous seeing as the Americas weren’t discovered when Rosslyn Chapel was built! It has a direct Templar connection even though it was built in the 1400s 100 years after the Templars were disbanded. It was built by William St Clair, a direct relative of one of the knights who appeared at the council of Troyes in 1118 and rumored to be the person that the Temple survived through. About 10 years ago a huge tapestry measuring 14 feet by 6 was unearthed in the Orkney isles and depicted an exact floor plan of Rosslyn chapel showing two antechambers guarded by the tombs of 2 Knights. One is said to contain the Ark of the Covenant and the other the Holy Grail. Unfortunately the tapestry was carbon dated to the 1600s but who is to say that the Templars ceased to exist in 1314? Who is to say that they don’t still exist underground today? There have been archeological digs at Rosslyn chapel but there are laws surrounding it as a grade 1 listed building so it cannot be damaged. It is possible that the treasure, if any, will ever be uncovered and, personally, I believe that if it is so important the Templars never meant it to be discovered and so they made the chapel impregnable.

The point to this being that the temple was trusted enough to be placed in possession of these Holy relics and therefore was probably not suspected of any heresy by the church.

   A very interesting point to make finally is the last Grand master Jacques de Molay’s practicing of witchcraft. This is very true and the Order knew this when he was placed in charge. It may not be serious but it is a pagan custom which are outlawed by Christians.

The point about this is that when Jacques de Molay was burned alive in 1314 he muttered a curse. This is also true and is accounted for by many bystanders. It may be pure coincidence but in the next few months King Phillip IV fell ill and died as a result. To add to this, the place where his body lay caught fire and his body was never seen again! Also, in the same year 1314 Pope Clement V who had excommunicated the Templars passed away as he slept so in the space of 8 months the two conspirators against the Templars were dead. Call me superstitious but I find this incredibly spooky!    

Whether it was actually a curse de Molay spoke on his deathbed or whether it was a prayer is uncertain but the history is written by those who destroyed the Templars so quite often the Templars are the bad guys.

    So what other reasons could King Phillip and pope Clement V have had for this conspiracy?

It is possible that the Templars knew too much about the religions that if it got out it would undermine the entire Christian faith. There is no evidence but it isn’t hard to look at the size and depth of the Order of the Temple and assume that they could be capable of anything. The other explanation could be that they drew this conclusion and decided to find this secret by force. They may or may not have found anything but if they did it is locked far out of public view where it can do no harm, I’m not suggesting that the Christian religion is based on lies but anything is possible in these circumstances! It is even possible that what the Templars followed was the true Christian beliefs and everyone else was just following what the Papal commission wanted them to believe.

The most likely explanation is that the Templars possessed immense wealth and legendary treasures and King Phillip was broke. The historical fact is that France were in the early years of the Hundred Years war and it was expensive business. He could also have been afraid of the order’s power. They were the largest organisation in the world and had almost mythical status, they still do and people shuddered to think what they were capable of if they decided to attempt a take over. The truth is the Templars never, as far as we know, planned any such thing and lived in the trust of the world’s leaders in every country but again we do not know the whole story.  

    In conclusion, the allegations against the Templars are vast in number but none are really concrete evidence to condemn them so it is hard to say whether they are genuine. Many accounts are also lost in the sands of time or some believe that the Templars and even the Papal commission itself covered up what actually happened. It is quite possible that the Templars were conspired against as recently a document has been discovered in the Vatican archives written by Clement V in 1314 clearing the Templars of all charges of heresy and witchcraft set by the inquisition. It is hard to say whether it was pure guilt of even by force that this was written but for me it is enough, combined with the evidence of the Templars being a chivalrous, religious and devout organisation to say that the Templars fell victim to the biggest conspiracy in history and were perfectly innocent. That is my personal opinion but the truth is so shrouded in mystery, blood and conspiracy that it is really impossible to say whether they were or even are guilty or innocent.

Sources used:

·        The Rise an Fall of the Knights Templar, Gordon Napier, 2003, Spellmount Ltd

·        www.Templarhistory.com, articles on Baphomet, Accusations

·        The Trial of the Templars, Malcolm Barber, Cambridge, CUP, 1978

·        Europe’s inner Demons, Norman Cohn, Sussex University Press, 1975

·        The Cross and the Crescent, Malcolm Billings, BBC books, 1981

·        Time Team (TV show), Templecombe, Discovery History

·        www.web-site.co.uk/Knights-Templar,

      .    www.Templars.org.uk/History

Hughes de Payen               1118

Robert de Craon                 1137

Everard des Barres            1149

Bernard de Tremelay          1152

Andre de Montbard             1153

Bertrand de Blanqefort       1156

Philip de Milay of Nablus    1169

Odo de St Armand              1171

Arnold de Toroja                  1180

Gerard de Ridefort              1185

Robert de Sable                  1191

Gilbert Eraile                        1194

Philip de Plessiez                1201

Guillaume de Chatres         1210

Peter de Montaigu               1219

Armand de Perigord            1232

Richard de Burres                1244

Guillaume de Sonnac          1247

Thomas Berard                    1256

Guillaume de beaujeu         1273

Theobold Guadin                 1291

Jacques de Molay              1293