From a humble start with just nine knights the Templars set off to protect pilgrims and the Holy Land. They grew to be the most powerful religious Order in all Christendom and after two centuries, were betrayed and murdered by those who were supposed to be their supporters: the King of France and the Pope.
Beginnings of the Order
The Knights Templar were founded in 1118 by a French nobleman called Hugues de Payens together with eight of his companions. They operated as a military organization to serve God and the Catholic Church. As other religious orders, they took vows of poverty, chastity and obedience. They did not have any possessions and even their clothes were donated by grateful pilgrims.
The Work of the Templars
Their main objective was to protect the pilgrims on their way to the Holy Land. At that time the East was a dangerous place for Christians and the Templars set off to protect the faithful who travelled to Jerusalem. The King of Jerusalem gave them accommodation in his palace, which was on the site of the ancient Temple of Solomon and it was from here that they took their name.
The Templars also devised an ingenious system to protect the money of the pilgrims who would pay an amount in their own country to the Order. In return the knights would give a coded letter in order to retrieve the money on their way to Jerusalem at their preceptories (monastic houses). They became the bankers of European kings.
The Relics
During their existence many superstitions and legends were connected to the Templars and it is these that have helped create the mysterious image that the Order still maintains today. Their alleged connection to several Church relics actually helped bring about their downfall. The most famous was undoubtedly the Holy Grail which they were supposed to possess.
Betrayal and Murder of the Knights
King Philip IV of France ordered the arrest of the Templars in France on Friday 13 October 1307. Pope Clement V had tried to delay the arrests but did not succeed, instead he had to take part in the investigation and final charging of the Knights. Philip IV was greatly in debt with the Templars and saw the perfect opportunity to get hold of the Order’s treasures by charging them with ridiculous accusations based only on myths. Pope Clement V could do nothing but comply with the king.
The Templars were accused of sodomy, veneration of false idols, not believing in the Mass and being in league with the Devil. Other European kings found those charges implausible and tried to protect the Order: Edward II of England never banned the Order from his dominions and the king of Portugal had the Order change its name.
De Molay’s Curse
On March 18, 1314, Jacques de Molay, the last Great Master of the Order was burned at the stake by order of the king. It is said that before he died he cursed both Philip and Pope Clement, summoning both of them to appear before God before the year was out. Pope Clement V died a month later and Philip IV was killed while on a hunting trip that November, fulfilling De Molay’s alleged curse.
Sources:
Read, Piers Paul. The Templars. Phoenix, 2003
Hodge, Susie. The Knights Templar. Hermes House, 2007
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