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The Order of Knights Templar

Foundation of the Order

    Originally the Templars were a military religious order -- the Order of Solomon's Temple -- first established around 1118 A.D. in the Middle East. 

    There is a void of first hand accounts of the Templars during their early years. The first chronicler to write of them, Guillaume de Tyre, did so some 50 years after the establishment of the Order. There are no records that they ever protected any pilgrims successfully. Furthermore the Comte d'Artois became a Templar in 1120, a mere two years after the supposed founding of the Order and seven years before they were to accept another member.

    Huyes de Payen came from Troyes (75 miles upstream from Paris), seat of the Counts of Champagne since 1019, and it was at Troyes in 1128 where the group was officially recognized by the church. Troyes had a reputation as a center for Kabbalist and esoteric magic since the establishment of the comital court.

    In 1104 A.D., the third Comte de Champagne (b. 1050, d. 1130) met with high ranking nobles who had just returned from the Latin kingdoms; he then himself departed for the Middle East, and returning in 1108 A.D. It is considered likely that the Count established the Templar Order himself, appointing his vassal Huyes to head the Order while he acted as an advisor.

During the Crusades

     The founder, Hughes de Payen of Troyes, and eight other knights banded together to protect themselves on their way to Jerusalem. They initially called themselves the milice du Christ, or 'the poor soldiers of the holy city,' but ultimately derived their name from their headquarters, which was thought to be build atop Solomon's Temple - hence, Templars. Their headquarters in Jerusalem was given to them by the abbot of the convent called 'the Temple of Jerusalem.' The original group ostensibly accepted no other candidates for nine years.

     Papal sanction was obtained in 1118 A.D. and the order quickly grew. Its chief power base was in the Latin kingdoms established by the First Crusade. Large donations of land and money allowed it to become the decisive voice in political matters. This led to the disaster at Hattin, July 4, 1187 A.D., where the armies of the Latin kingdoms were destroyed by Saladin. The fall of the various kingdoms after Hattin wiped out the gains of the First Crusade.

     From then, the power base shifted to the west where the Templars established themselves as bankers to various governments. They established chapters in England, France, Germany and Spain.

    There may have been sorcerers among the Templars during the Crusades, but clearly most of their members were non-magical soldiers.

Breaking of the Order

    Their independence, financial activities and enormous wealth made the Templars objects of hatred from both secular authorities and the clergy. In 1307 A.D. the Templars were charged with heresy and immorality by a former Templar, Squin de Flexian, who had been expelled from the order for the offense of heresy. Shortly before this, Phillip IV 'the Fair' of France had been forced to take refuge in the Templars' headquarters in Paris to protect himself from an enraged mob. This humiliation, combined with the large amount of wealth visible in the building, apparently caused Phillip to wish the destruction of the order.

    He struck on Friday, Oct. 13th, 1307. All Templars within his reach were arrested, imprisoned and tortured. Strange confessions were extracted and the order was accused of devil worship and other abominations. Phillip was determined to eradicate all traces of the order and seize their treasure. He failed in the latter objective but his persistent bullying of Pope Clement V resulted in a papal edict. This edict, promulgated in 1312, established neither the Templars' guilt nor their innocence. The order was simply dissolved. The Grand Master of the order, Jacques de Molay, was slowly burned to death in 1314. All Templar property in France was seized and Phillip convinced fellow monarchs in England, Spain and Germany to do likewise.

    Popular legend recounts that as Jacques de Molay was being burned alive, he called upon Clement V and Phillip IV to join him in less than a year. In any event, they both did, Clement dying from dysentery and Phillip under circumstances which remain mysterious to this day. It is rumored, however, that during their stay in the Middle East, the Templars learned first hand knowledge of poisons from the Cult of Assassins.

    When the Templars were broken in 1307, several curious incidents occurred. There is evidence of a tip-off. Jacques de Molay had time to order many of the Order's books and documents burned. He issued an official decree stressing that no information regarding the Templar's customs or rituals be released. Furthermore, the night before the arrests it seems the Order's treasure were removed from the Paris headquarters, to points unknown. There is no indication that the Order resisted Phillip IV when they were arrested. They submitted passively, as if under instructions to do so.

    Confessions extracted from the captured Templars ranged from the absurd to the bizarre. By far the strangest claim was that they had repudiated their Christian heritage and fell to worshipping a devil named Baphomet. The claims made against the Templars were not without precendent. In 1208, during the Albigensian Crusade, Pope Innocent III censured the Templars publicly for "causing their churches to be thrown open for Mass to be said every day with loud ringing of bells, bearing the cross of Christ on their breasts but not caring to follow his doctrines which forbid giving offence to the little ones who believe in him. Following the doctrines of demons ... and thus they themselves, being captive to the devil cease not to make captive the souls of the faithful, seeking to make alive those whom they know to be dead ..."

    Baphomet is possibly related an Old French corruption Mahomet of the Arabic name Muhammad. An 18th Century Illuminati scholar claimed the term was derived from the Greek baphe metous, "Baptism of Wisdom"; many other dubious claims about the Templars' "true" origin and allegiances have been made.

    Pope Clement V called the Council of Vienne (1311-1313) to investigate the charges against the Templars; it would appear from surviving documents that Clement adjourned the Council because initial testimony pointed to a (guilty) verdict, and further revelations were deemed inadvisable. How independent the Council may have been, or what 'further revelations' would have emerged, are unknown.

The Templars in Modern Times

    The current Order of Knights Templar claims a hatred of (some say a rivalry with) any person or group practicing human sacrifice, or engaging in the summoning of evil spirits. The Order retains a military bearing, and is influential among the senior officers of several nations (the United Kingdom, France, Bavaria, Austria, and Spain). However, no nation will allow a known Templar to serve as a military officer (since their Templar oath, and an officer's oath of national loyalty, would often conflict).

     Their banner consists of black and white diagonal stripes, with a red cross centered. A red Maltese cross worn over the heart characterizes their ceremonial garb.

    The Templars survived papal and royal wrath only in Scotland, where apparently some of the senior French Templars sought refuge.Even so they went 'underground' for over a century.

    By the 15th century, the Templars were a respectable but little-known group in Scotland, and had also reappeared in Spain. In this new incarnation, they made extensive use of magic; in fact, the Order is now apparently composed solely of sorcerers. The Spanish chapter of the Order has been accused of involvement in the mass extermination of the Indian peoples of Central and South America -- probably as punishment for the supposed crime of 'human sacrifice.'

    The Templars maintain several castles in Scotland; the focus of their mystic art is Rosslyn Chapel, near Edinburgh. Chapters are also known exist in London, Paris, Munich, Vienna, Madrid, St. Petersburg, and Washington. The German Chapter was suppressed by Chancellor Bismarck 15 years ago, and the Russian chapter has to tread carefully.

    Several groups today claim descent from the Templars, or knowledge gained from the Templars, including Theosophists and other occult wisdom groups.

Organization

     Originally, as a Catholic order, there were three grades:  knights, sergeants, and chaplains. The order itself did not, and still does not, grant knighthood -- the knights of the order are knighted already. Knights wore white robes or surcoats.

     Chaplains were Catholic priests. Since the order was dissolved by the pope there have been no chaplains.

     In practice, the sergeants have always made up the bulk of the order, even holding some of the most important offices. They wear black or dark brown robes for formal appearances.

     Squires, and other staff and servants, are employed by the order, but are not members.

     Masters, of the individual chapters, and a Grand Master, direct the order's operations. Various other positions -- constables, admirals, generals, wardens, captains, etc. -- have come and gone as convenience and military culture required.

Rituals and Rules

     It is customary for Templars to wear long, prominent beards -- though it's not a requirement.

     New members must sign over all of their wealth and goods to the order and take vows of poverty, chastity, piety, and obedience. Membership is for life. Married members may not wear the white mantle (they wear the black or brown mantle), and are nominally supposed to remain chaste.

     Only men may join this order.

Lore

    They are known to possess two of the Four Mysteries of Osman the Prophet, lorebooks stolen obtained in the Holy Land during the Crusades. The intensity of the Templar's search for the other two Mysteries has only become apparent in the last few decades -- Templars have accompanied several European armies during conquests in north Africa and in the Middle East, seeking the lost knowledge of Osman in the loot of ancient libraries. One of the lost Mysteries is known to have appeared in Siam recently; the Templars are fairly eager to obtain it.

     In addition, the Writings of Unspeakable Knowledge were originally created by a powerful Templar sorcerer, LeRouen the Black, but are currently lost to this order.

Spells

      The usual cantrips (Sense Magic, Magelight, Candleflame, Confusion, Simple Illusion, Minor TK, Resistance to Sorcery, and Housewifery) are also available and taught. The common magics of Wards and Focuses are regularly cast.