Templars - who are they? History of the Knights Templar

In the history of mankind there are many puzzles that excite the hearts of lovers of antiquity and adventurers. Among such secrets, covered with dust of centuries, there is one, the solution of which, probably, no one will find. No one knows for sure who the Templars are, photo, or, more precisely, the image of which can be found in our article. Formally, their history is familiar with the school article. But there are too many blank spots that give food to fantasy.

The beginning of time

Before we deal with the question: "Templars is who?", It is necessary to plunge into the past and study the world situation of those years. Only the first crusade, organized by the Western world , ended. Religious youth, who responded to the call of Pope Urban II, decides to create his order. The first participants were nine noble knights, who set themselves a noble goal: to protect the pilgrims going to the Holy Land. The head was elected Hugo de Payne.

So, the Templars are members of a community, a knightly order with a religious bias. The date of its foundation is considered to be 1119, and their first charter appeared only nine years later, in 1128. But it is likely that the mysterious order arose much earlier, in 1099. Then Godfroi of Boulogne sent nine elected people to the rich Jerusalem, who were given special instructions. They founded a community known to us as the Order of the Temple. And then the mass recruitment of all comers, but at the same time worthy people began.

Mystery first

And here lies the first riddle, which the Templars left. Who are these valiant knights? Fanatics, warriors or mystifiers? It can be argued that their order arose precisely in 1099, as this date coincides with the crusade. But how could nine people provide reliable protection for the pilgrims? Of course, no, especially since they stayed in Jerusalem, where they were engaged in some sort of business. But what the Templars did these twenty years before the official appearance of the statute - no one knows. And why did they keep silent about their existence?

Scion of the Merovingian dynasty

The person who is the organizer of the Order, was named Godfroi of Boulogne. It belongs to the Merovingian dynasty, an ancient royal family. He might have some secrets lost in history, as well as his interest in Jerusalem, where his ancestors came from. It is likely that he had his claims to the throne, as a representative of the genus of David. Thus, the Templars are people whom Godfroi trusted, and who helped to achieve his secret goal. He died one year after the capture of the main city of the Holy Land. It is interesting that he was elected King of Jerusalem, but was not crowned, and, in principle, did not want this. The first ruler of the city is his brother. Godfroi, the Protector of the Holy Sepulcher, as he called himself, was buried in a temple where members of the community liked to sit.

Other founders

In addition to Godfroi of Boulogne, the founding of the community could be Hugo de Payne or Saint-Omer. About the second, practically nothing is known except the name. The first participated in the crusade and personally knew Godfroy. And they closely communicated at that time, were comrades in arms. In the Holy Land Hugo came with the nickname Pogany (Pagan). But in Godfroi's family he was loved, and the following kings of Jerusalem (Baldwin First and Second) helped him. The Order was joined by Count Champagne, Senor Payne, which shows that Hugo was an outstanding personality. Otherwise, could a noble nobleman obey his vassal?

Name and logo

Templars were especially special from the very beginning. Who are these poor knights? Common defenders of the Holy Sepulcher or an organization with its secret purposes? Probably, the truth is somewhere in the middle. Their name they received after the tradition to hold meetings in the mosque of Al-Aqsa. Thus, the Order of the Temple appeared. And the emblem appeared much later, after the adoption of the charter, somewhere in 1147-1148. The red cross was sewn on branded white clothes, which distinguished the brothers from other knights.

The fabulous wealth of the Order

So, it is quite obvious that the Knights Templar are the Crusaders, who stayed in Jerusalem for their own purpose. The Order, which at the beginning consisted of only nine people, became very revered in the west. Each royal court had its own representative of the brothers, they possessed lands, castles and were successful in financial transactions. Even the kings lent money from them to their own needs! The wealth of the Templars grew in leaps and bounds, which attracted many people. And the brothers were forgiven all the misdeeds and sins they had committed before. The power of the knights grew with incomes. They buy the island of Cyprus, where they create their own residence. Therefore, it is reasonable to ask: the Templars - who are such poor knights or real Rothschilds?

This could not but please the European monarchs, who often had half-empty coffers. French King Philip Beautiful, along with the pope, accused the Order of all mortal sins, ordered the arrest of brothers and their property in their favor. The last master, Jacques de Molay, cursed both the monarch and the apostate, who blessed the massacre, until the thirteenth tribe. All the participants in the destruction of the Templars have sunk to oblivion, having died a shameful death within a year after this event. The curse of the Knights Templar is another mystery of the Order. Although the remaining knights could avenge the burning of the Master and other brothers.

The causes of the destruction of the Order

Why were the Templars destroyed? Who are they - we have already sorted out, but we will give below the reasons why the Order was brought to trial. The first is untold wealth, which many never dreamed of - neither monarchs, nor churchmen. Of course, many would like to see these treasures shared with them. True, as time showed, by the time the community was liquidated, the knights had already lost all their possessions: their treasury was empty. Maybe they had time to hide everything? And this is the main riddle of the knights, which does not give rest to amateurs of easy profit.

The second reason is the influence and power of the brothers, who posed a serious threat to the power of any Christian country. The third is that the Templars were freed from tithes, that is, they did not pay the Pope to the Roman. And this, too, could not be of use to the Pontiff.

Masonic Lodge

We can safely say that the Templars are Masons. Before his death, the great master still managed to appoint a successor, who continued to conduct their activities, albeit in the strictest secrecy. He managed to organize four Masonic lodges - in Paris, Edinburgh, Stockholm and Naples, that is, for the east, north, west and south. It is also likely that the remaining knights took refuge from the Masons, who acted long before the founding of the Order of the Templars. These closed organizations still exist.

It is worth noting that after the fall of Akka in 1291, the knights moved to Cyprus, and then to Paris, choosing the French capital as their headquarters. Here they built their residence and temple, which resembled the Jerusalem shrine, massive fortress walls. But most of the buildings were not preserved: they were either destroyed or part of other churches. But the creation of the Order in the form of Masonic lodges is still valid today. In Paris, the brothers are located on a quiet street Kade, 16. There is a headquarters, a museum and several other institutions. The interiors are decorated with appropriate symbols and regalia. Even the floor in the halls is drawn with red and white squares. And who are the Templars and Masons in fact - still have to figure it out.

Assassins and Templars

To talk about the relationship of these two legendary communities, one must know well who the Assassins and Templars are. The Templars are a knightly order, in which only Christians accepted to devote themselves to the good cause - to protect the pilgrims and the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem. The Assassins are the offspring of the "Elder of the Mountain" Hasan-as-Sabah, who professed Islam. Members of the community were ready to go to their deaths, because they were waiting for a reward - paradise garden with virgins. And they also said that the head used stupefying herbs, in particular hashish, and hypnosis.

These two organizations have common features: iron discipline, deep faith in God, down to fanaticism, unquestioning execution of the master's will, strength and influence on the world, wealth. Even the images of their members are very similar. However, they professed different religions, who fought for dominance on the planet. Therefore, when answering the question "who are the Assassins and the Templars", one can argue that these are opponents, not allies.

Other orders of the Crusaders

The reader already knows who the Templars are. Hospitallers, Teutons are other organizations that emerged during the time of the Crusades. They had a lot in common, but there were also differences. Often brothers, belonging to different orders, were at war with each other. After all, Christian knights were allowed to participate in wars with infidels and shed blood in the name of Christ. Accusing each other of heresy, they fought for influence. But if the Templars were liquidated and banned, the Teutons and Hospitallers could safely exist and continue their work. True, such successes as the Templars did not even dream of.

Order of Hospitallers

The Order takes its origin in 1070, when a merchant - Mauro from Amalfi - founded a house for pilgrims and pilgrims, the so-called hospital. It gathered people who looked after the wounded and sick, and maintained order in the monastery. By 1113 the society had grown so much that the pope granted him the title of a spiritual and knightly order.

Hospitallers took a vow of obedience, chastity and poverty. Their symbol was a white cross with eight ends, which was applied to the black clothes on the left side. The mantle had narrow sleeves, which spoke of the lack of freedom among the brothers. Later, the knights dressed in red clothes, and crossed on the chest. Members were divided into three categories - chaplains, knights and employees themselves. Important decisions were made by the Grand Master and the General Chapter.

The Hospitaller Order from the very beginning set a goal - to help the sick and wounded, poor pilgrims and abandoned children. But then the knights began to actively take part in wars and crusades. At the beginning of the fourteenth century, they settled on the island of Rhodes and lived there until the middle of the sixteenth century. Then they settled in Malta, where they continued to fight the infidels. Then Malta captured Napoleon and expelled his brothers. So the Hospitallers came to Russia.

The nobility and free men, monarchs and even women could enter the order (the Templars accepted only men). But the Grand Masters became exclusively aristocrats. Attributes of the brotherhood were the crown, sword and seal. Since the middle of the nineteenth century, the Order of Hospitallers (Ioannis, Maltese Knights) is considered a spiritually charitable corporation with a residence in Rome.

Warband

In Jerusalem in the twelfth century, the German-speaking pilgrims organized their hospice home. This can be considered the beginning of the development of the Teutonic Order, which at first was a formal part of the Hospitallers. In 1199, the charter was approved and the Grand Master was elected. But only in 1221 the Teutons received privileges, which are due to the knightly order. The brothers accepted three vows - obedience, chastity and poverty. And only members of the German-speaking population joined the Order. The symbols of the community were an ordinary black cross, worn on a white cloak.

Very soon the knights ceased to fulfill the duties of the Hospitallers, completely moving to war with the infidels. But they did not have such influence in their homeland as the Templars had in England or France. Germany was going through hard times, was fragmented and poor. The Teutons left the Holy Sepulcher to other knights, directing efforts to seize the eastern lands, which became their property. Then they turned their eyes to the northern territories (the Baltic States), where they founded after the conquest of Riga, and the ownership of the Prussians. In 1237 the Teutons united with another German order - Livonian, together with which they went to Russia, but lost.

The Order actively fought against the Polish-Lithuanian state. And in 1511, Master Albert Hohenzollern proclaimed himself the ruler of Prussia and Brandenburg and deprived the organization of all privileges. Teutons have not been able to recover from the last blow, dragging out a miserable existence. And only in the twentieth century the fascists extolled the past merits of knights and used their cross as the highest reward. The Order still exists to this day.

Instead of an afterword

So who are the Knights Templar? History can not yet give an accurate answer to this question, too much is forgotten or hushed up. Therefore, white spots are filled with various kinds of fantasies and original interpretations, like the theory of Dan Brown and his colleagues. But from this the Order of Templars becomes only more attractive for fans of antiquity.