Legends of the Knights Templar
Tonight I was watching a show on National Geographic about the Knights Templar. They’ve always fascinated me, mainly because of the intrigue. Powerful knights, hidden treasures, secret codes…it’s the source of numerous legends.
The knights were formed around 1118 AD, and I learned some interesting facts.
The pope excluded them from having to pay taxes in every European country.
They invented a banking system allowing pilgrims to deposit money in one location, receive a signed transaction, and they could then “withdraw” money from a different location. Essentially, they created travelers’ checks.
They were one of the few groups allowed to charge interest for loaning money. But loaning money to King Philip the Fair brought about their downfall. The king was in so much debt, he found it easier to accuse them of heresy and seize control of the money than to repay them. Hundreds of knights were seized on Friday the 13th in 1307 before they were tortured and later killed. This may be the origin of the myth of why Friday the 13th is considered unlucky.
Although the knights were officially disbanded and dissolved, most believe that secret groups flourished underground. Rosslyn Chapel in Scotland bears many symbols of the Knights Templar, and some believe that the chapel was built by the Templars in the same design as King Herod’s Temple in Jerusalem. If it’s true, then there’s a secret third underground level. No one has been able to learn if it’s true or not, for fear of collapsing the frail chapel. Some believe the secret chamber contains fabulous treasures; others think it contains religious treasures such as the Holy Grail or the Ark of the Covenant.
While there may be no secrets at all at Rosslyn Chapel in Scotland, it does make a good story. And there is evidence of Templars in medieval Ireland. I can just picture another Indiana Jones movie now. 
In romance, I believe Mary Reed McCall has a Templar trilogy and her newest is called The Templar’s Seduction. I might have to try that one. 
Have you read any Templar stories, fiction or otherwise? What did you think of the Da Vinci Code if you read it?
Michelle posted in Writing @ 9:04 pm | Viewed 2883 times
beth Says:
The Stephen Lawhead series on the Celtic Crusades talks some about the templars (and Irleand, obviously) and he’s one of my favorite historical fiction authors. Actually - you would probably really enjoy that series.
beth Says:
Oh - and DaVinci Code…bleh. The story was so-so, I thought, but honestly, I just don’t think Dan Brown is all that great of a writer for all his millions. (I know that’s tantamount to heresy, but I’ve never been afraid of the thin ice.)
Mary Reed McCall Says:
Hi Michelle,
In my usual sweep through the internet to find/see if anything new has been posted about the Templars, I stumbled upon your blog…and since my books are mentioned, too (thanks!) I thought I’d pop in and say hello.
As you can probably guess, I find the Templar Order fascinating as well. I’ve learned so much in the five or so years I’ve been researching about them - and if you or anyone else is interested in being pointed in the direction of some good, solid research texts about the Brotherhood (or the era of their suppression/Philip the Fair’s reign), I’d be glad to oblige. There’s a great deal of sensationalist, supposed “non-fiction” out there that highlights the legends only and draws conclusions that may be fun to think about but that have no real substance - so it’s best to avoid those if one is interested in getting the “real” dirt!
Of course in writing romances about three Templar Knights (the Prologue of the first book begins on the night of the mass arrests, Friday October 13, 1307), I took some fictional license, considering that most Templar Knights were under life-long monastic vows. But there are some loopholes - and of course as a fiction writer, I expanded on a couple of them (though I tried to make note of them in my Author’s Notes at the end of each book).
Anyway, I can’t resist discussing anything Templar, so I hope this post doesn’t feel like an intrusion on your blog. It’s actually nice to see the interest in the group/era, as medievals have been such a tough sell in the romance market for so long.
–MRM
Michelle Says:
Beth–I wasn’t a fan of the DaVinci Code either. Too much fictional license. It was a quick read, but I wanted a little more substance.
Mary–thanks for stopping by! I may e-mail you at some point to pick your brain on reference materials. There are so many “glamorized” resources that are based more on the drama than the actual facts, that it’s sometimes hard to pick out truth from fiction. If you’re still around, what’s your take on Rosslyn Chapel? Fiction or truth?
kacey Says:
wow, I would have loved to see that show. How fascinating! I just love learning about all that stuff.
I read the DaVinci code and found it a fast moving story line. It was interesting to see how he wove it all together. Never did see the movie though.
Bonnie Ferguson Says:
I really enjoyed reading the Da Vinci Code
Mary Reed McCall Says:
Hi Michelle,
re: Rosslyn Chapel
Based upon much of the research I’ve seen, there’s really no connection between the Templars and Rosslyn. It was built more than a hundred years after the suppression, but popular legend has linked the two because of some of the symbols present within the chapel itself, along with a few other pieces of “evidence”.
Here’s a few of the things from which the “legend” connecting the Templars with Rosslyn seem to stem:
1. early 14th century William St Clair (as opposed to the Sir William St. Clair who had the chapel built in 1446), died fighting the Moors in Spain while taking Robert the Bruce’s heart to be buried in the Holy Land. His gravestone has a cross on it, designed in such a way that it resembles the Templars’ cross. However, William testified *against* the Brotherhood during the trials in Scotland (and in fact there were very few Scottish Templars. Only two were arrested in Scotland and both of them were English).
2. The images in the chapel are the origin of many theories about the “secrets” hidden there, particularly the popular legend of Rosslyn as the “grail chapel”, and the supposition that the Holy Grail lies beneath the floor of the underground sacristy, guarded by Templar Knights in full armour. In regards to the 100+ year difference in time between the suppression and the building of the chapel, there are those who assert (without any evidence in support) that there were other Templars in Scotland who had gone into hiding and had joined with other Templars in the forests of Scotland, banding together and creating a secret society of Templars (which is then tied to the legend of Templars helping the Bruce win the Battle of Bannockburn).
Now, I’m not saying the idea of renegade Templars, who either escaped during the mass arrests in France and the later arrests in England, Scotland etc, or who flaunted the pope’s command in 1312 for any remaining Templars (or those released from their imprisonment after confessing to heresy) to report to monasteries and live out the rest of their lives in prayer - is impossible. I even use a version of this in my fiction. It’s just that there’s no *proof* of it - and plenty of scholars who will say it’s anywhere from very unlikely to hogwash.
Here’s the facts about Rosslyn:
1. Sir William St. Clair (of the later, 15th century generation) had the chapel built in 1446 as a collegiate chapel where priests could sing perpetual masses for the souls of the St. Clair family. It was incredibly expensive to build.
2. The reason the interior looks as it does is that a. it bears similarities to the design of King’s College Chapel, Cambridge - though incredibly ramped up by the use of carvings and decoration to cover all surfaces. The explanation for this seems to stem from the fact that workmen hired to complete the interior came from all over (including Paris), but with some from local places as well. Historians believe that the bringing together of foreign and local artisans/workmen inspired craft jealousy and engendered a sense of competition - which resulted in the fantastical renderings inside the chapel.
One true story involves the “Apprentice” pillar. It’s supposed to have been modelled on the drawing of a similar pillar in Rome. The master mason decided to travel to Rome to look at the original, and while he was gone the apprentice completed the pillar. Upon his return the master was so angry/jealous that he killed the apprentice. There is a carving of a young man’s head in the south-west corner of the choir (supposed to represent the apprentice), along with the carving of a weeping woman (his mother) and a sour-faced older man (the master mason).
Anyway, I’d say there may indeed be some mystery attached to Rosslyn Chapel, simply because of all the people, artisans, history involved….but I’m not convinced that any of it has to do with the Templars, especially since the St. Clair family, who commissioned it, has no connection to the Brotherhood and actually testified against it during the trials of the Templars.
That’s my short version, LOL. Much of this can be found in scholarly texts, but one that condenses it rather well (and from which I obtained most of the above info) is THE KNIGHTS TEMPLAR IN BRITAIN by Evelyn Lord.
Hmmmm, after all that, maybe you’re sorry you asked me?
There is just so much to read about and think about in regards to these things, that I’ve literally spent days just researching and looking into one fact. It doesn’t help that it all occurred so long ago. It’s diffcult to weed through the fact and the supposition.
In all seriousness, though, thanks for asking. You gave me a chance to review my notes on Rosslyn and the Templars (because naturally, I considered the use of some of this in fiction, but decided it would be too far over into the realm of fantasy -and since I’m writing historical fiction as opposed to fantasy, I left it alone.
Oh - and it’s my opinion that Dan Brown should have perhaps labelled his work “fantasy” for many of the same reasons. It propogates the erroneous assumptions of legends as “truth” amongst the reading public who won’t know any better (and Beth - I was underwhelmed by his prose style also and could only get through the first few chapters…so we’ll be heretics together! :rotf: )
–MRM
Melissa Says:
I just finished reading The DaVinci Code last night. To tell you the truth, I skimmed through the last 1/4 of it because I got tired of the storyline. To me, it was the same thing over and over again. Flashes of “a-ha!’s and Robert Langdon telling Sophie about legends and symbolism again and again until I literally felt my eyes rolling.
The first part of the book is strong - but then the middle part was hard to slog through. For me, anyway. And I also felt that Langdon and Sophie were fairly wooden characters.
April Says:
I love reading about the Knights Templar. Lots of intrigue there. The Da Vinci Code was all right. The license that was taken with it was a little aggravating. I read it, but I wouldn’t necessarily put it on a keeper shelf.
heidi dahlquist Says:
I love the Templars and have numerous books about them and other secret organizations. I also saw the same show you did about six months ago. It contained alot of information. It would be amazing to go back in time and meet them.
As for the Di Vinci Code…I think it’s possible…the Catholic church as destroyed many documents over the decades and who knows….
jeanne s. Says:
Interesting topic. I watched something on the history channel about this. I enjoy reading about the medieval time era. I also enjoyed both of Dan Brown’s books.
Suzanne Says:
I loved the Da Vinci Code (the book much more than the movie) and really enjoyed the Knights Templar connection.
Tori Lennox Says:
I’ve been fascinated by the Templars for years (long before The Da Vinci Code). Great discussion!
Rene Says:
Oh, I thought the “Da Vinci Code” was dreadful. I actually thought the concept was interesting (although hardly unique) but the writing was so bad, I found myself shaking my head. His hero was TSTL and the heroine was whiny.
I find the Knights economic power interesting and the infrastructure they created. Not so much the secret society stuff.
Melissa Mc Says:
My priest said after reading The Da Vinci Code that those were eight hours of his life he could never get back. I could see it’s commercial appeal, but that was about it. I wouldn’t read another book by him nor did I see the movie.
Nicole Reising Says:
I love history… especially bits like this… they make for such fasinating bases!
Cole
Maude Says:
Oooh, I am so glad I came here today. I loved McCall’s comments and the overall post. Now I have to go buy some new books and read a new author.