did any templars survive

But in the early 1190s, in a remarkably short and powerfully effective campaign, Richard the Lionheart, King of England and leader of the Third Crusade, together with his allies the Templars, delivered a series of powerful blows against Saladin and recovered much of Christian territory. Are the Templars evil? If we assume that all above mentioned documents are trustworthy, then the version, that there was a certain “inner circle” inside the Order, begins to look quite plausible. I hear a resounding “no” from medieval scholars everywhere but let’s go through the various theories about how the Templars may have been in the New World a century before Christopher Columbus. All of this has been conjectured in the last two hundred or more years. In my youth I used to think that the Giants were so tall that they could stand on the mountain tops and "wade" out the Deluge. Having been to the Holy Land, he returned later on to France, where he was at first appointed lieutenant (i.e. The arrests caused some shifts in the European economy, from a system of military fiat back to European money, removing this power from Church orders. This was the case with Edward's treatment of the Templars in Ireland. Originally known as the Poor Soldiers of Christ, they became successful in defending pilgrims and locals against highwayman in the war-torn lands of Old Palestine. A. J. Forey’s “Ex-Templars In England” in the Journal of Ecclesiastical History (2002), says that “In 1318 John XXII instructed that Templars should enter a religious house of their choice, either as brothers or lodgers. Even their horses were trained to fight in combat, fully armored. Most were not so brutal as the French. The charges of heresy included spitting, trampling, or urinating on the cross; while naked, being kissed obscenely by the receptor on the lips, navel, and base of the spine; heresy and worship of idols; institutionalized sodomy; and also accusations of contempt of the Holy Mass and denial of the sacraments. If a noble wished to join the Crusades, this might entail an absence of years from their home. Their advocates claim they are saviors, holy warriors, protectors of the innocent, and champions of all that is good. The following profiles of the twelve known French Templar escapees was compiled by the brilliant Edward Zaborovsky of Latvia and we thank him for his permission to use his work. This strange document with the custody number fol. There is no evidence about a Templar with such a name, but the list of twelve knows a certain Richard de Montclair. If they did have any treasure remaining then it would not have amounted to much. Various nobles also had concerns about the Templars as well, both for financial reasons, and nervousness about an independent army that was able to move freely through all borders. . Although Blanc stated these accusations to be “lies”, the judges didn’t believe him. Barbor, Malcolm. Unfortunately the records give us no hints who he actually was, so we don’t know either why his name is present in the list[13]. Jean de Chalon, who collaborated with the investigators, could approve or tell whatever they wanted. And if he was already dead by that time, why is it stated that he fled? Apparently, this kinship made him not only very powerful but also contributed to his political career. The masonic lodge was founded in Scotland from what remained of the templars and that latter organisation would most likely have used that treasure as founding capital. The only thing we can assume is that according to their names they probably belonged to some noble families from Burgundy. The fourth was that the cord worn by the neophyte day and night was consecrated by wrapping it around an idol in the form of a human head with a great beard, and that this idol was adored in all chapters. Why did Gerard de Villiers need 50 horses? Come and join the growing army of Knights Templar! . The last mention of the Master Gerard de Villiers dates from the February 1307, and already in June, just a couple of months before the arrests, the documents signed by the Master of France bear the name of Hugues de Pairaud[24]. The accusations against him were among others that he reduced the alms for the poor and later on suggested to cancel them at all; he also shamefully practiced the reception into the Order in exchange for money. And it is precisely what we can hardly believe in. The treasury of the Visitor of France Hugues de Pairaud is most probably meant to be the treasury of the Paris Temple, but the confessions, which de Pairaud himself made much later, don’t support this theory. [5] Marion Melville in – La Vie des Templiers. ." Barber gathers this from official sources but his research has discovered … It turns out, that he was really expecting the arrests and thus in September 1307 gave a small chest with the treasures to a preceptor of the commandery in Dormelles for the sake of safety keeping. [3] In addition to battles in Palestine, members of the Order also fought in the Spanish and Portuguese Reconquista. The first was the renouncement and spitting on the cross during initiation into the Order. I did it in a sword fight. "[21] However, aside from being the sole source for this statement, the transcript indicates that it is hearsay, and this serving brother seems to be prone to making some of the wildest and most damning of claims about the Order, which have led some to doubt his credibility. Though they still had a base of operations in Cyprus, and controlled considerable financial resources, the Order of the Templars became an Order without a clear purpose or support, but which still had enormous financial power. opposition to the tiara of Rome and the crown of its Chiefs. No, the Templars are not evil. sergeant Hugues de Besançon [27]. Now let’s take a look on the trial’s records. And how trustworthy were the rumors about 1500-2000 Templars, hiding in the nearby of city of Lyon, the rumors, which were so popular in 1311, just before the Vienne Council[35]? The Templars, though relatively small in number, routinely joined other armies in key battles. Or as one Templar researcher put it, "Since they weren't allowed to charge interest, they charged rent instead. In 1128, the second baron of Roslin, Henry St Clair, had met the founder of the Knights Templar, Hugh de Payens, when he visited Scotland to spread the word about the new order. But Humbert Blanc was not the only one from the list of twelve who was captured. the right hand, spokesman) of the master of Auvergne, and from 1299 even became master of that province himself. The battle was not the final one with Saladin, but it bought a year of peace for the Kingdom of Jerusalem, and the victory became a heroic legend. Hospitallers of St John of Jerusalem and of Rhodes, archaeological digs in the Kingdom of Jerusalem, Richard the Lionheart and the Knights Templar, https://archive.org/stream/historyofinquis03leah#page/262/mode/2up, "Brethren Persecuted Part Two: Revenge Destroys Everything", Julien Théry, "Philip the Fair, the Trial of the 'Perfidious Templars' and the Pontificalization of the French Monarchy", in, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=History_of_the_Knights_Templar&oldid=992498906, Articles with unsourced statements from March 2007, Articles with unsourced statements from February 2011, Articles with unsourced statements from June 2018, Articles with unsourced statements from October 2012, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, 1917 Catholic Encyclopedia: Knights Templar, as hosted by, This page was last edited on 5 December 2020, at 16:15. Regarding the fact that his name could be spelled in different variations, it is possible that the knight meant here is the brother Petrus de Bocli, who had really managed to escape. That the Angel of History allows for meaningful understanding of the past. Templar, member of the Poor Knights of Christ and of the Temple of Solomon, a religious military order of knighthood established at the time of the Crusades that became a model and inspiration for other military orders. Further resources came in when members joined the Order, as they had to take oaths of poverty, and therefore often donated large amounts of their original cash or property to the Order. The dominant view is that Philip, who seized the treasury and broke up the monastic banking system, was jealous of the Templars' wealth and power, and frustrated by his enormous debt to them, sought to seize their financial resources for himself by bringing blatantly false charges against them at the Tours assembly in 1308. [23] Spelling variations:  Gérard de Vilars, Gérard de Villers, Gérard de Vîlliers, Gerardum de Villaribus, Gerardus de Villars, Gerardus de Villaribus, Girardo de Villariis, Girard de Villard, Géraut de Vîlliers, Gérot de Villiers, [24] Alain Demurger – Jacques de Molay: Le crépuscule des Templiers. The stone building, which has survived to the present day, was added around 1240. Of the knights who had not admitted to the charges, against those whom nothing had been found, or those who had admitted but been reconciled to the Church, some joined the Hospitallers (even staying in the same Templar houses); others joined Augustinian or Cistercian houses; and still others returned to secular life with pension. [22] Alain Demurger – Outre-mer. Disguising themselves as beggars didn’t help and they were soon captured. Follow the Templar on Facebook. In this he was abetted by the military orders, whose great castles stood like islands of Frankish power amid the Muslim torrent. Debate continues as to whether the accusation of religious heresy had merit by the standards of the time. But perhaps they had one more purpose. They fought alongside King Louis VII of France, and King Richard I of England. The Order's financial power became substantial, and the majority of the Order's infrastructure was devoted not to combat, but to economic pursuits. Be the first to answer! He also debased the coinage – that classic refuge of the spendthrift ruler….how many Roman emperors did the same to pay their armies? Wearing green robes, they conducted religious services, led prayers, and were assigned record keeping and letter writing. . One indication of their powerful political connections is that the Templars' involvement in usury did not lead to more controversy within the Order and the church at large. It is widely accepted that Philip had clearly made up the accusations, some nearly identical to those made against Boniface, and did not believe any of the Templars to have been party to such activities. 1. The historians know also the name of Pierre de Villiers, who held the high post of Templar commander in Aquitaine in 1292-1300. According to the foremost Templar Historian, Malcolm Barber (from his book, “The Trial of the Templars”) There were 12 officially named French Templar Survivors led by the Preceptor of France, Gerard de Villiers. Not all French Templars were burnt, 12 or more escaped. In addition to surviving physically as a living tradition of Templars, continuing by direct lineage as an “underground” network, the Templar Order also survived legally, continuing a lineage of Sovereign Succession of its independent legal status and authorities under customary international law. The Villiers family was one of the noblest and not only in the Temple Order, Jean de Villiers was for example the Grand Master of the Hospital, who heroically fought while defending Acre in 1291. As we see, most of the Templars in the list were engaged in the receptions of newcomers and holding chambers in commanderies. This explains the fact that sometimes in the trial he is mentioned as, for example, the head of such bailliages as Brie or Mont-de-Soissons. One of the greatest historical mysteries in which they have been involved began in the year 1307, when a fleet composed of dozens of ships, in which the Templars escaped the persecution of the French King Philip IV, disappeared without a trace. Domizio CIPRIANI gran prior Magistral. 379, 382, 383). However, the Pope’s verdict could not stop the king. Among these very doubtful confessions made by Jean de Chalon and cited in the report on the investigation in Poitou in 1308, which is now kept in the archives of Vatican[31], we find also the below given passage. Rumors run rampant about whether they're hiding the Ark of the Covenant or the secret bloodline of Christ. This terrifying onslaught would frequently have the desired result of breaking a hole in the enemy lines, thereby giving the other Crusader forces an advantage.[2]. The list mentions a Templar Hugues Daray (Dares), about whom we know almost nothing. He also said, that the leaders of the Order, expecting the trouble, have fled, and he himself met the brother Gerard de Villiers, who had 50 horses with him, and heard people talking that [he] put to sea with 18 galleys, and the brother Hugues de Chalon fled with the whole treasury of the brother Hugues de Pairaud. He could not have debt more than he could pay, and no infirmities. 0 0 1. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. Let the experts have the last word. The Templar Order is a military order of the Chantry that hunts abominations, apostates, and maleficar and watches over the mages of the Circle of Magi. All through these “Dark Ages” the local populations did their best to survive the chaos of war, famine and disease with little choice but to “place their faith” in the feudal system and in the Church to protect them from the invaders’ merciless struggle for power. We have no evidence at all about two more Templars – Geraud de Châteauneuf and Charembo de Conflant, who fled and were pursued. He can be perhaps indentified as Gillierm de Lurs, the fled preceptor of a mighty Villemoison commandery[14]. The list is a mere note, written of an unknown reason not in Latin, but in Old French. Prince Henry the Navigator led the Portuguese order for 20 years until the time of his death. The Templars were specifically charged with worshipping some type of severed head; a charge which was made only against Templars. It remains unknown, whether it was the whole Order’s treasury or just a part of it but the royal finances increased by 1189 golden and more than five thousand silver coins minted in 1303-1304[33]. They met Saladin's troops at Gaza, but were considered too small a force to be worth fighting, so Saladin turned his back on them and headed with his army towards Jerusalem. Nicholson's argument, however, is an assessment of the fleet in 1312 - according to the LaRochelle Theory, many ships would already have disappeared bound for many of the aforementioned destinations and stands to reason their fleet would seem depleted in the following years after the arrest of the Templars. [38], In September 2001, Barbara Frale discovered a copy of the Chinon Parchment dated 17–20 August 1308 in the Vatican Secret Archives, a document that indicated that Pope Clement V absolved the leaders of the Order in 1308. In the trial’s records we find some testimonies that he was quite stingy and skilful. [34] The late scholar Hugh J. Schonfield speculated that the chaplains of the Knights Templar created the term Baphomet through the Atbash cipher to encrypt the Gnostic term Sophia (Greek for "wisdom") due to the influence of hypothetical Qumran Essene scrolls, which they may have found during archaeological digs in the Kingdom of Jerusalem. The mission of most of the members was one of support – to acquire resources which could be used to fund and equip the small percentage of members who were fighting on the front lines. Being the ultimate defender of the Catholic faith, the Capetian king was invested with a Christlike function that put him above the pope : what was at stake in the Templars' trial, then, was the establishment of a "royal theocracy".[11]. I suppose, these facts show once again that the myth of the hidden treasure of the Temple has no real background. Some saw it as having horns.[27]. The famous Muslim military leader Saladin was attempting to push toward Jerusalem from the south, with a force of 26,000 soldiers. Even with the absorption of Templars into other Orders, there are still questions as to what became of all of the tens of thousands of Templars across Europe. The book Templars in America tells the story of a European noble family that explored America nearly 100 years before Columbus. A small group of knights and their heavily armed warhorses would gather into a tight unit which would gallop full speed at the enemy lines, with a determination and force of will that made it clear that they would rather commit suicide than fall back. None of the English Templars except him were sentenced to be imprisoned, so that Humbert Blanc was the only one who was put into irons[9]. [14][15] The majority of these charges were identical to the charges that had been earlier issued against the inconvenient Pope Boniface VIII: accusations of denying Christ, spitting and urinating on the cross, and devil worship. This group was believed to have contributed to the first naval discoveries of the Portuguese. The only thing he admitted to was the secretiveness of chapters’ gatherings, but he himself described this habit to be “stupid”. 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