Knights Templar History And Freemason Mysteries

If we look at the Knight Templar and Freemasons history, the most widely publicized theory of the origin of Freemasonry stems from the recognition of the Medieval Order of the Poor Soldiers of Christ and Solomons Temple, founded around 1118 and more commonly known as the Knights Templar. The Knights Templar is still known in freemasonry today.

It is widely believed that the Templar Knights were based in or near the original site of the Temple of Solomon and widely spread throughout France in the early 12th century. Being religious templar knights and reporting only to the Church, gave them exemption from many laws and enabled them to receive much land and property throughout the country enabling a network of wealth to be created, which some folk still beleive to be a secret of freemasonry today.

It is thought that the roads to Jerusalem were often patrolled by thieves looking to prey on unaware travelers to the holy city. This gave rise to a need for protection by Templar Knights to the travelers and it is thought that fees were generated by the templar knights in exchange for the protection offered.

This simple Templar system became an exercise of the knights which gave rise to the first form of banking whereby a patron would be able to leave funds with a knights templar preceptory in one city and receive a promisary note which could be exchanged in another city in order to eliminate the risk of having to travel cross country with large sums of money.

THE KNIGHTS TEMPLAR IN FRANCE

THE MIGRATION OF THE KNIGHTS TEMPLAR

In the late 12th century the Christian following,including Templar Knights, was removed from the holy city and the Knights Templar were no longer needed and thus returned to France where King Philip governed with the Knights still answerable only to the papal authority.

The King of France had been king since the age of 17 and had inherited much debt from his predecessors. This meant that loans were made from the Jews, the Church and the Knights Templar in order to maintain the country. This inevitably led to poor repayment by the monarchy and caused drastic swings in the economy leading to riots and a call for the removal of King Philip. The Knights templar allowed the king to seek refuge within their preceptory for a few days and it is believed that during this time King Philip forged a plot to arrest The Jews on June 24th 1307 and the Knights templar on Friday 13th October 1307 in order to retain their wealth, property and remove all debts that were owed to them by the monarchy, possibly explaining why Friday 13th is deemed unlucky by some people. It is believed that some of the Knights Templar avoided this arrest tactic and made their way to some of their ships in anchor and sailed for Europe to eventually land in Scotland.

THE KNIGHTS TEMPLAR AND ROBERT THE BRUCE

THE KNIGHTS TEMPLAR IN SCOTLAND

Arriving in Scotland it seems was a choice by the Knights Templar due to the fact that Robert the Bruce had been excommunicated by the church and papal authority did not apply in Scotland. This meant that the Knights Templar had sanctuary from the reaches of the pope in Scotland.

Robert the Bruce was at war with England and was pleased to have the expertise of such battle qualified knights in his army and it is believed that the Knights Templar were integral in the defeat of the English at the battle of Bannockburn. Robert the Bruce is often credited with forming the Freemasons as a means to hide the fact that there were Knights Templar present in his army. This was because he wanted to return Scotland to a state recognized under Christendom and had informed the church that no Knights Templar existed in Scotland. The Knights Templar were then able to continue as they had previously, but now under the name of Freemasonry.

FREEMASONRY AND THE STEPS TO KNIGHTS TEMPLAR

There are various avenues which can be followed in Freemasonry. The three most popular avenues being the Royal Arch, Rosicrucian (Rose Croix) or Knights Templar degrees.

There are 4 world wide accepted degrees which must be completed by a new person deciding to enter freemasonry which shall we say are the basis of understanding to Freemasonry. The other avenues are all different in their teachings and handle different aspects of Freemasonry.

There are many opinions and schools of thought on the dates that speculative Freemasonry came into existence with the most common being 1717.

The Knights Templar were said to have obtained secrets throughout their travels from the ancient mysteries in Alchemy, Magic and Building Techniques scattered through history by the likes of the Greek, Roman and Egyptian civilizations. Perhaps this is myth, however it makes for interesting research reading of the countless number of opinions and conspiracy theories out there in cyberspace.

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Knights Templar The Beginning

by Scott Higginbotham

The Knights Templar occupy a unique niche in the chronicles of history; those who write historical fiction have no shortage of fodder for their novels, as there is a wealth of information - sometimes conflicting. The Templar order was feared, hated, respected, hailed, and coveted across a wide spectrum of medieval society, both in Europe and the Holy Land. To be certain, this knightly order had few equals; they forged a new path and formed their bond upon a foundation like no other. They were true originals.

In modern times they are speculated upon in countless ways - the Templars control the banking system, the stock market, are behind every uprising around the globe, wear strange hats and drive jalopies in parades, their secret symbols are on currency, and if a scapegoat is needed then look no further than the The Order of the Poor Fellow Soldiers of Christ and the Temple of Solomon.

There is much speculation, informed and otherwise, concerning the Knights Templar, but this piece will briefly touch upon their humble genesis and what facts are undisputed by historians.

After Jerusalem was captured during the First Crusade in 1099, religious zeal swelled as the news of the Crusaders' victory spread across Europe. Pious pilgrims trekked to the Holy City; however, they were beset on the perilous roads of Palestine, suffering the loss of their belongings and even their lives. Nine knights later formed an armed brotherhood to protect the pilgrim roads of which Charles Addison puts it nicely:

To alleviate the dangers and distresses to which these pious enthusiasts were exposed, to guard the honour of the saintly virgins and matrons, and to protect the gray hairs of the venerable palmer, nine noble knights formed a holy brotherhood in arms, and entered into a solemn compact to aid one another in clearing the highways of infidels, and of robbers, and in protecting the pilgrims through the passes and defiles of the mountains to the Holy City.1

Red Cross Patt'ee - Scott Higginbotham

Moreover, their brotherhood was unique and original owing to the fact that these knights were warriors, but ones that embraced the same vows as that of monks - poverty, chastity, and obedience. The ideal of a dashing knight astride a pawing destrier, begging a lady's favor to wear on his arm had taken an odd turn. Troubadours and bards had lost a portion of the deep, chivalrous well upon which to draw their verse. Addison writes further, "They renounced the world and its pleasures, and in the holy church of the Resurrection, in the presence of the patriarch of Jerusalem, they embraced vows of perpetual chastity, obedience, and poverty, after the manner of monks."2

In 1118 these nine knights, led by Hugues de Payens the order's first Grand Master, were granted usage of a portion of the King of Jerusalem's quarters, which was part of the al-Aqsa Mosque, believed to be built over King Solomon's temple. "It was from this place that the Order took its name - the Order of the Poor Fellow-Soldiers of Christ and the Temple of Solomon (Ordo Pauperum Commilitonum Christi Templique Salominici); Templars for short."3

Beauseant - Scott Higginbotham

Until they were officially recognized, the Knights Templar remained a small and obscure force for about the first decade of their existence. They operated largely upon their own initiative, but with the blessing and support of the King of Jerusalem and its Patriarch. They initially wore no distinctive devices that proclaimed this new order, but their actions piqued the interest of Bernard of Clairvaux, head of the Cistercian monks, for it was Bernard that organized the Council of Troyes in 1129 thus giving the order official papal recognition. This council transformed this small band that simply protected pilgrims into the army of Christendom and the interests of the Church.4

Templar Cross Sword - Scott Higginbotham

The Order would soon grow to be one of the most formidable fighting forces in medieval Europe, transcending borders, and drawing some of the most skilled knights into their ranks. They were fighting men, but they were also monks, adhering to a strict Benedictine rule. The red cross patt'ee on their surcoats (with minor variances) and the black and white Beauseant shield and banner were soon adopted as part of their distinction - many knights during the crusading era had crosses etched into the pommel of their swords.

Future posts will expand upon their rise, their nuances, and their ultimate demise. But their legacy lives on as an interesting footnote in history and fuels much conjecture for novelists, theorists, and the curious. Be sure to watch the video that follows - approximately 6 minutes and delves into the psyche of the order's founder.

1Addison, Charles G. (2012-01-17). The History of the Knights Templars, the Temple Church, and the Temple (Kindle Locations 211-215). Kindle Edition. 2Addison, Charles G. (2012-01-17). The History of the Knights Templars, the Temple Church, and the Temple (Kindle Locations 216-218). Kindle Edition.3Temple of Mysteries (2010-12-01). The Knights Templar (Kindle Locations 116-118). Temple of Mysteries. Kindle Edition. 4Temple of Mysteries (2010-12-01). The Knights Templar (Kindle Locations 148-149). Temple of Mysteries. Kindle Edition. Scott Higginbotham is the author of "A Soul's Ransom", "a novel set in the fourteenth century where William de Courtenay's mettle is tested, weighed, and refined, and "For A Thousand Generations", where Edward Leaver navigates a world where his purpose is defined with an eye to the future.

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