The Templar Cross is a mystical symbol and a powerful talisman.

The Templars, a European order of knighthood that actually existed in the 12th-14th centuries, in our time, thanks to journalists and writers prolific in sensational books, have become a kind of symbol of a secret occult society, the custodian of certain mystical knowledge. Consequently, the current perception of the symbolism of the Templars is moving in the same direction (certain symbolism was mandatory in the Middle Ages integral part any organization, from knightly orders to craft workshops). Now they are trying to find some hidden occult meaning in the Templar symbols, while scientists offer more traditional interpretations, believing that there was nothing special in the Templar symbols.

Basic symbols of the Templars

Currently, specialists are quite well aware of the main, most important and frequently used symbols of the Order of the Temple - especially since there are enough medieval sources explaining the meaning of these symbols and telling the story of their appearance. Particular attention should be paid to the fact that in Lately You can find many symbols that are attributed to the Templars, but which had nothing to do with the actual Templars. Of the reliable symbols of the Templars that have come down to us, the most significant are the following:

The so-called Lorraine cross of the Templars - it is believed that only the templars had the right to use this symbol, since it was legendarily associated with the Jerusalem Temple and the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, and the Templars appeared in Jerusalem;

Red cross - the Templars sewed a red cross of the simplest configuration on left side breasts In the middle of the 12th century, the Pope gave the order special permission to do this. On the one hand, the red cross was supposed to symbolize the readiness to endure suffering in the name of the Christian faith, on the other hand, it was supposed to act as a kind of divine shield that protected the heart of the knights in the fight against infidels;

White cloak - according to the charter of the order, the Templars could wear robes of only two colors, black and white, and the cloak had to be white. It symbolized purity of thoughts and faith, chastity of thoughts and actions, necessary for the struggle for a holy cause. White cloaks were a distinctive feature of the Order of the Temple; only its members could wear such attire;

Two riders on one horse is a symbol often used in illustrations of texts related to the Templars, and also became the official seal of the Order. According to the interpretation of the Templars themselves, it meant both the practical features of fighting in the Holy Land (when the horseman also carried an infantryman), and special fraternal relations within the order, where its members were ready to share everything with each other and at the same time always protect each other . It is noteworthy that during the prosecution of the Templars by prosecutors, this symbol was often interpreted as a sign of perverted orders within the Order, homosexual relations between the Templars.

Are the Templars Satanists?

Meanwhile, scientists admit that a number of temples and buildings built by the Templars contain various symbols: however, studies have not shown the presence of any special symbols unique to the Templars. Experts generally believe that rumors about a certain mystery of the Order of the Temple are greatly exaggerated: in reality, its activities and inner life were quite open. There were only two exceptions: the Templars confessed only to their own chaplain of the Order, and also did not allow outsiders to attend meetings of their leadership. As for the presence of certain alchemical or astrological symbols, present on some Templar temples, they are no different from exactly the same symbols on temples and buildings to which the Order had nothing to do - the fashion for mysticism in the Middle Ages was widespread.

The greatest rumors and controversy are caused by the symbol of Baphomet attributed specifically to the Templars - according to one opinion, some ancient pagan deity, according to another, one of the incarnations of the devil. In the lawsuit against the Templars, it was declared that Baphomet was one of the blasphemous idols that the knights of the order worshiped during their magical rituals. Baphomet himself is now represented as an androgynous creature sitting on a cube (that is, combining the characteristics of both sexes or asexual) with the wings and head of a goat - supposedly this is where he came from occult symbol an inverted five-pointed star, most often associated with Satanism. The court case does contain confessions of some Templars to the worship of Baphomet, but historians have doubts that these confessions were obtained under torture and “prompted” by the accused. There is not a single reliable evidence of the use of the Baphomet symbol by the Templars before the defeat of the Order, and the image of Baphomet itself appeared only in the 19th century in the works of the famous occultist Eliphas Levi.

With symbols Templars It’s not easy to figure it out: the historical thread going back to the early Christian centuries is illusory, and there are few sources that shed light on the origins of both the community itself and the distinctive signs in the hierarchy of the Order.

The symbols of power of the order's officials were wallet, from which alms were distributed, and bull(seal). Today, about twenty types of order seals are known. On one of them - master's seal depicted two knights riding on the same horse with spears at the ready. This plot can be interpreted from different points of view.

According to one version, the image of these two knights riding on the same horse represented them oath of poverty. Members of the original order were so poor that not every knight could afford his own horse. Although, for the original order, which consisted of nine people, this may have been true, but for the order subsequently, and during the reign of de Blanchefort in particular, this could not be true, since the order was very rich. And this wealth was so great that the Templars provided loans to monarchs and subsequently invented a banking system to deal with large finances.

Some theories linked the image of two knights on one horse with the practice homosexuality, which later figured in accusations against the order in 1307.

According to other theories, the two Templars depicted on the seal on one horse are not a symbol of the oath of poverty, but rather a designation duality or conflict, who existed in the order:

• They were poor in oath, but rich in faith.
• They were engaged in self-knowledge, but were well versed in worldly matters.
• They were monks on the one hand, but warriors on the other.

One theory takes the Gospel as the source of the symbolic meaning of the seal, and argues that one knight was a Templar while the other is an image Christ.

Five-pointed star (pentagram)

Pentagram- correct geometric figure, possessing five-ray symmetry, which in nature is found only in living organisms. This simplest form a star that can be depicted with one stroke of the pen, without ever lifting it from the paper and without ever passing twice along the same line. The symbol is known to most peoples of the planet. There is an assumption that they were the first to talk about him Pythagoreans. They taught that the world consists of five interconnected elements ( Water, Air, Fire, Earth And Ether) and chose the pentacle secret symbol belonging to one's society. But there are also much earlier references to primitive pentagrams, which date back to about 3500 BC. e., these are five-pointed stars painted on clay, found in the ruins ancient city Uruk.

Inverted Pentagram at the beginning of the history of Christianity it was interpreted as a symbol of the Transfiguration, Christ. It is known that it appears on the seal of the Roman Emperor Constantine, who essentially made Christianity the state religion.

A. Lavey

The first mention of the pentagram as symbol of evil refers to the infamous Templar process. In the interrogation documents, she is mentioned by the knights as a symbol, hanging on her idol named Baphomet. According to these documents, Baphomet- golden. with ruby ​​eyes an idol of either a demon or the same one Satan, which the Templars, who had fallen into heresy, worshiped during "black masses".

In the lawsuit against the Templars, it was declared that Baphomet was one of the blasphemous idols that the knights of the order worshiped during their magical rituals. The court case does contain confessions of some Templars to the worship of Baphomet, but historians have doubts that these confessions were obtained under torture and “prompted” by the accused. There is not a single reliable evidence of the use of the Baphomet symbol by the Templars before the defeat of the Order, and the image of Baphomet itself appeared only in the 19th century in the works of a famous occultist Eliphas Levi.

However, the “symbol of Baphomet” (an inverted pentagram with the face of a goat inscribed in it), which most people consider to be the sign of Satan, was proposed and circulated Anton LaVey in 1966.

In medieval Western Christianity, the pentagram was a reminder of five wounds of Christ: from the crown of thorns on the forehead, to the nails in the hands and feet. During the Inquisition, the pentagram acquired negative connotations; it began to be called “ Witch's foot».

“Five” in the mysticism of the Cathars and Templars is a sign of atomization, diffusion of matter.

As for the presence of certain alchemical or astrological symbols present on some Templar temples, they are no different from exactly the same symbols on temples and buildings to which the Order had nothing to do - the fashion for mysticism in the Middle Ages was widespread.

Bee

It is a symbol of rebirth, immortality, order, purity of soul, and hard work. The bee, which is believed to never sleep, symbolizes zeal and vigilance among Christians. Bees are supposed to be parthenogenic and are therefore associated with virginity and chastity. This is a symbol of diligence, the desire for order. It is not for nothing that Christians often compare themselves to bees, and the temple to a beehive. Their essence is heavenly, and honey is an offering. The bee engraved on the tomb symbolizes immortality. Flying in the air - a soul entering the Kingdom of Heaven.

Rose

Perhaps the most popular flower symbol. According to legend, she grew up in paradise without thorns, but acquired them after the fall of man as a reminder. For Christians, the rose symbolizes martyrdom, as well as charity. White Rose - symbol innocence, cleanliness, chastity.

Rose is also a symbol secrets And silence. In ancient times, a rose was painted and depicted in bas-relief on the ceilings of halls or meeting rooms, symbolizing that everything said sub rosa (“under the rose”) was confidential.

In addition to being identified with joy and love, the rose symbol was associated with funerals and death in Greece, Rome, China, and later in a number of German-speaking countries. Often she was turned into a flower the afterlife. On the other hand, the rose on the graves of martyrs refers to the idea resurrection.

Rose symbolizes number 5, this feature of it is reflected in Catholic everyday life, where the rosary and a special prayer for them are called the “Rosary”. The “Rosary” corresponds to the meditation on the three “quintuplets” - the five “joyful”, five “sorrowful” and five “glorious” mysteries of life Virgin Mary, which itself is revered as a Rose or has a rose as its attribute. In Catholicism, the rose is also an attribute Christ, St. George, many saints, often symbolizing the church in general. The rose on the cross represents the death of Christ. The thorn of a rose is suffering, death, a Christian symbol of sin. A rose without thorns is ingratitude. a wreath of roses - heavenly joy, a reward for virtue. Also symbolizes the divine harmony of the universe.

The parts of the rose also have their mystical meaning: its greenness is associated with joy. the thorns are with sadness, the flower itself is with glory. The pinnacle of poetic and religious understanding of this image can be considered the rose as a mystical symbol that unites all the souls of the righteous, in the final « Divine Comedy» Dante.

WITH XII century Rose is introduced to heraldry, becoming one of its most stable signs. In baroque painting of the 17th century (Spain, Flanders), the rose is often isolated into independent symbolic still lifes.

Among other things, the rose became a symbol of the whole war - Scarlet and White Rose. The name "War of the Roses" was not used during the war. Roses were the distinctive signs of the two warring parties. It is not known exactly who used them for the first time.

If the White Rose, symbolizing the Virgin Mary, was used as a distinctive sign by the first Duke of York Edmund Langley in the 14th century, then nothing is known about the use of Scarlet by the Lancastrians before the start of the war. Perhaps it was invented to contrast with the emblem of the enemy. The term came into use in the 19th century with the publication of Anne of Geierstein by Sir Walter Scott, who chose the title based on a fictional scene in Part I of William Shakespeare's play Henry VI in which the opposing sides choose roses. different colors at Temple Church.

Although roses were sometimes used as symbols during the war, most participants used symbols associated with their feudal lords or protectors. For example, Henry's forces at Bosworth fought under the banner of the red dragon, while the army of York used Richard III's personal symbol, the white boar. Evidence of the importance of rose symbols was heightened when King Henry VII combined the factions' red and white roses into a single red and white Tudor Rose at the end of the war.

Cross

The name itself " cross» comes from a common Indo-European root cru with the meaning " curved". This root can also be traced in Russian words circle, crooked, in Latin - crux- cross. Since ancient times, the Indo-Europeans used this symbol, and it meant life, sky And eternity. Equal cross according to many scientists, it reflects the principle of unification and interaction of two opposite principles - female(horizontal line) and male(vertical).

Hand cross- a straight equilateral cross with widening ends. Among other associations, it was used in the Middle Ages by the Knights Templar (Templars). As such, there was no strict form of the cross. Crosses were often depicted on shields and banners, as well as on helmets painted black and white, but there is no talk of any canonicity.

The colors of the Templar banner were black And white. It is not known exactly what the banner looked like, although there are several versions:

• two horizontal stripes- black on top and white below. Later, a similar color scheme was used on the banner of the Kingdom of Prussia;
• several black and white stripes alternating with each other;
• a black and white square, like a chessboard (the floors in the lodges of modern Freemasonry, which consider themselves the heirs of the Templars, are laid out in a similar way).

Red Cross continued to serve as a common symbol of all knights who were ready to shed their blood for the liberation of the Holy Land, and the Templars served as a model and symbol of all crusaders. Therefore, their robes, shields and flags on their peaks were decorated with red crosses. However, images of templars with black and white shields and more have been preserved.

It is believed that equilateral chair t with extended ends came into Templar symbolism from Celtic epic and is a symbol of the discovery of the world of the Universe. It denotes sacred number four: four cardinal directions, four apostles, four seasons, and so on. The second name of the Celtic cross is cross pate. It is believed that this Templar cross was the first symbol of the Order.

Symbolism of the Grail

Grail Sword

God's wrath against sorcerers, sorcerers, snakes and other evil spirits with which the Grail knights fight.

Grail Castle

The Grail Castle was called “Corbenois” - “Cornucopia” - a symbol of the Bridal Chamber, meaning the abundant grace of the future century. The first keepers of the Grail built a castle on a high mountain, and in it a refectory. Nearby stood a wondrous bell that made the sound of divine vibrations and rang itself when someone was innocently offended. According to legend, the Knights of the Grail always appeared where there was injustice, persecution, and slander.

Spear of the Grail

A symbol meaning the caduceus in the hands of Wisdom. From the blow of a spear, the heart is pierced and blood is poured out. The spear gives redemptive power and the highest anointing on earth - the lamb dying for love.

Coat of arms of the Holy Grail

In azure, green and blue tones - a sign of connection land And sky.

White Lion

It was extremely common in the secret teachings of the Templars and other knightly orders of the Middle Ages. This is a symbol of royal, virginal generosity. White Lion- a symbol of heavenly power given to the warrior of Christ. White color is a sign of a transformed new humanity in which the Christ principle operates.

White dove

A white dove with fluttering wings is a sign of the Holy Spirit.

White swan

Symbol of eternal childhood. She leads the golden boat - the church of the heavenly virtues of the messianic dynasty.

White Eagle

An important symbol contrasted with all kinds of monarchical double-headed eagles. The white eagle is a sign of a messianic divine monarchy or a true theocracy. A sign that it was not the king blessed by the priest (the so-called king-father) who came to power in the country, but the king in whom the Blood of Christ is.

Mother of pearl bone

The mystical concept of the gralead. According to legend, the first man was created from the bone of the Grail. IN spiritual sense- The Grail is the spiritual sphere of divine secrets, which can be materialized and personified in various ways - from a dish to a human guardian of the Grail - hence, the Womb, the Chalice, where the meeting and combination of God and man is possible, the image of a mother-of-pearl shell, etc.

In general, the world of the Templars is still shrouded in darkness. It is difficult to say which of the legends is fiction and which is true. But the fact remains undeniable that the Order of the Knights of the Temple of Solomon played important role in the formation of both medieval and modern society

They founded states and dictated their will to European monarchs. The history of knightly orders began in the Middle Ages and is not finished yet.

Order of the Knights Templar

Date of foundation of the Order: 1119
Interesting Facts: The Templars are the most famous knightly order, the history and mysteries of which are the subject of many books and films. The topic of the “curse of Jacques de Molay” is still actively discussed by conspiracy theorists.

After being expelled from Palestine, the Templars switched to financial activities and became the richest order in history. They invented checks, carried out profitable usurious activities, and were the main lenders and economists in Europe.

On Friday, October 13, 1307, by order of King Philip IV the Fair of France, all French Templars were arrested. The order was officially banned.
The Templars were accused of heresy - of denying Jesus Christ, of spitting on the crucifix, kissing each other indecently and practicing sodomy. To “prove” the last point, it is still customary to mention one of the emblems of the Templars - two poor knights sitting on one horse, which served as a symbol of the non-covetousness of the knights of the order.

Warband

Date of foundation of the order: 1190
Interesting Facts: The Teutonic motto is “Help-Protect-Heal.” Initially, this is what the order was doing - helping the sick and protecting German knights, but at the beginning of the 13th century it began military history order, it was associated with an attempt to expand the Baltic states and Russian lands. These attempts, as we know, ended unsuccessfully. The “black day” of the Teutons was the Battle of Grunwald in 1410, in which the combined forces of Poland and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania inflicted a crushing defeat on the Order.
Deprived of its former military ambitions, the Teutonic Order was restored in 1809. Today he is involved in charity work and treating the sick. The headquarters of the modern Teutons is in Vienna.

Order of the Dragon

Date of foundation of the order: 1408
Interesting Facts: Officially, the Order of the Dragon was founded by the King of Hungary, Sigismund I of Luxembourg, but in Serbian folklore tradition its founder is considered legendary hero Milos Obilic.
The knights of the order wore medallions and pendants with images of a golden dragon with a scarlet cross curled into a ring. In the family coats of arms of the nobles who were members of the order, the image of a dragon was usually framed by the coat of arms.
The Order of the Dragon included the father of the legendary Vlad the Impaler, Vlad II Dracul, who received his nickname precisely because of his membership in the order - dracul means “dragon” in Romanian.

Order of Calatrava

Date of foundation of the order: 1158
Interesting Facts: The first Catholic order founded in Spain was created to defend the Calatrava fortress. In the 13th century it became the most influential military force in Spain, capable of fielding from 1,200 to 2,000 knights. During greatest prosperity, under Chiron and his son, the order controlled 56 commanderies and 16 priories. Up to 200,000 peasants worked for the order, its net annual income was estimated at 50,000 ducats. However, the order did not have complete independence. The title of grandmaster, starting from the time of Ferdinand and Isabella, has always been borne by Spanish kings.

Hospitallers

Date of foundation of the order: around 1099.
Interesting Facts: The Hospice Order, the Hospitallers, the Knights of Malta, or the Johannites, is the oldest spiritual order of knighthood, which received its unofficial name in honor of the hospital and church of St. John the Baptist. Unlike other orders, the Hospitallers accepted female novices into their ranks, and all men who joined the order were required to have a noble title.

The order was international, and its members were divided according to linguistic principles into seven langes in the Middle Ages. Interestingly, the Slavic languages ​​belonged to the Germanic language. The 72nd Grand Master of the order was Russian Emperor Paul the First.

Despite the vow of non-covetousness, the Hospitallers were one of the richest orders of knighthood. During Napoleon's capture of Malta, the French army caused almost three tens of millions of lire worth of damage to the order.

Order of the Holy Sepulcher

Date of foundation of the order: 1099
Interesting Facts: This powerful order was created during the First Crusade and the emergence of the Kingdom of Jerusalem. Its king stood at the head of the order. The order's mission was to protect the Holy Sepulcher and other holy places in Palestine.

For a long time, the Grand Masters of the order were the Popes. It was not until 1949 that the title was transferred to members of the Vatican Curia.
The order still exists today. Its members around the world include representatives of royal families, influential businessmen, and the political and scientific elite. According to a 2010 report, the order's membership exceeded 28,000. Its headquarters are located in Rome. More than $50 million was spent on the order's charitable projects between 2000 and 2007.

Order of Alcantara

Date of foundation of the order: 1156
Interesting Facts: The Order was originally created as a partnership to defend the frontier fortress of San Julian de Peral in Spain against the Moors. In 1177 the partnership was elevated to an order of knighthood; he pledged to wage perpetual war against the Moors and defend the Christian faith.
King Alfonso IX in 1218 donated the city of Alcantara to the order, where it settled under a new name. Before the occupation of Spain by the French in 1808, the order controlled 37 counties with 53 towns and villages. The history of the order was full of vicissitudes. It grew richer and poorer, it was abolished and restored several times.

Order of Christ

Date of foundation of the order: 1318
Interesting Facts: The Order of Christ was the successor to the Templars in Portugal. The Order is also called Tomar - after the name of the Tomar Castle, which became the residence of the Master. The most famous Tomarese was Vasco da Gama. On the sails of his ships there is a red cross, which was the emblem of the Order of Christ.
The Tomarians were one of the main pillars of royal power in Portugal, and the order was secularized, which, of course, did not suit the Vatican, which began to award its own Supreme Order of Christ. In 1789 the order was finally secularized. In 1834, the nationalization of his property took place.

Order of the Sword

Date of foundation of the order: 1202
Interesting Facts: The official name of the order is “Brotherhood of the Warriors of Christ.” The knights of the order received the nickname “sword bearers” because of the swords depicted on their cloaks under the clawed Templar cross. Their main goal was the seizure of the Eastern Baltic. According to the agreement of 1207, 2/3 of the captured lands became the property of the order.
The plans of the eastern expansion of the Swordsmen were thwarted by the Russian princes. In 1234, in the battle of Omovzha, the knights suffered a crushing defeat from the Novgorod prince Yaroslav Vsevolodovich, after which Lithuania, together with the Russian princes, began campaigns on the lands of the order. In 1237, after the unsuccessful Crusade against Lithuania, the Swordsmen joined Teutonic Order and steel Livonian Order. It was defeated by Russian troops in the Livonian War in 1561.

Order of Saint Lazarus

Date of foundation of the order: 1098
Interesting Facts: The Order of Saint Lazarus is notable for the fact that initially all its members, including the Grand Master, were lepers. The order received its name from the place of its founding - from the name of the hospital of St. Lazarus, located near the walls of Jerusalem.
It is from the name of this order that the name “infirmary” comes from. The knights of the order were also called “Lazarites”. Their symbol was a green cross on a black cassock or cloak.
At first the order was not military and dealt exclusively charitable activities, helping lepers, however, from October 1187, the Lazarites began to participate in hostilities. They went into battle without helmets, their faces, disfigured by leprosy, terrified their enemies. Leprosy in those years was considered incurable and the Lazarites were called “the living dead.”
At the Battle of Forbia on October 17, 1244, the order lost almost all of its personnel, and after the expulsion of the crusaders from Palestine he settled in France, where he is still involved in charity work today.

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INSIGNIA OF THE KNIGHTS TEMPLAR

In 1099, the Crusaders occupied Jerusalem, and many pilgrims immediately poured into Palestine, rushing to worship the holy places. Twenty years later, in 1119, a small group of knights, led by Hugo de Payens, vowed to devote themselves to their protection, which required the creation of a religious organization. The knights took vows of poverty, chastity and obedience to the Patriarch of Jerusalem Gormond de Piquigny and joined the monks of the Holy Sepulchre, who lived according to the rule of St. Augustine. King Baldwin II of Jerusalem allocated a place for them to live, not far from which, according to legend, the Temple of Solomon was located. The knights called it the Temple of the Lord - in Latin "Tamplum Domini", hence the second name of the Knights Templar - the Templars. The full name of the Order is “Poor Knights of Christ and Solomon’s Temple.”

In the first years of its existence, the Order consisted of only nine knights, and therefore did not attract attention either in the East or in the West. The Templars really lived poorly, as evidenced by one of the very first seals of the Order, which depicts two knights riding the same horse. The Knights Templar were originally created to guard the road along which the pilgrimage from Jaffa to Jerusalem took place, and until the 1130s the Templars did not take part in any battle, no matter how formidable the danger. Thus, unlike the Knights Hospitaller, who were in charge of shelters and hospitals in the Holy Land, the “Poor Knights of Christ and Solomon’s Temple” devoted themselves exclusively to the protection of pilgrims. Protecting the conquered lands was not an easy task; there were not enough warriors to repel the Muslims, let alone protect the pilgrims arriving in large numbers. Moreover, for 9 years from the founding of the Order, new members were not accepted into it.

At first, the Templar Order resembled a kind of private circle united around the Count of Champagne, since all nine knights were his vassals. In order for their brotherhood to be recognized in Europe, the knights sent a mission there. King Baldwin II sent a letter to Abbot Bernard of Clairvaux to ask Pope Honorius II to approve the charter for the life and activities of the Templar Order. To consider the Order's petition to grant it its own charter, the Pope chose Troyes - main city Champagne. At the Council of Troyes on January 13, 1129, many fathers of the Holy Church were present, among whom were the papal legate Mathieu, the bishop of the Order of Saint Benedict, many archbishops, bishops and abbots.

Abbot Bernard of Clairvaux was unable to attend the Council of Troyes, but he wrote a charter for the Templar Order, based on the charter of the Cistercian Order, which in turn repeated the statutory provisions of the Benedictines.

Abbot Bernard, in honor of the Knights Templar, also wrote a treatise “Praise to the New Knighthood,” in which he welcomed “monks in spirit, warriors in arms.” He extolled the virtues of the Templars to the skies and declared the goals of the Order to be the ideal and embodiment of all Christian values.

The Order of the Templars was created as a purely monastic, rather than knightly, organization, since monasticism was considered closer to God. But Abbot Bernard managed to justify the activities of knightly orders, reconciling military affairs with serving God. He stated that knights are God's army, which is different from worldly chivalry. God's warriors need three qualities, speed, keen eyesight so as not to be attacked by surprise, and readiness to fight.

According to the charter, a knight of the Templar Order is a man who is able to bear arms, wield them and rid the earth of the enemies of Christ. They should have their beard and hair cut short so that they can look forward and back freely. The Templars put on their clothes white, which were worn over knightly armor, and in a white robe with a hood. Such cloaks, if possible, were provided to all brother knights in winter and summer, so that they could be recognized by all who spent their lives in darkness, since their duty was to devote their souls to the Creator, leading a bright and pure life. And no one who did not belong to the aforementioned knights of Christ was allowed to have a white cloak. Only he who has left the world of darkness will be reconciled with the Creator by the sign of white robes, which signifies purity and perfect chastity - chastity of the heart and health of the body.

Since 1145, the left side of the knights' cloak began to be decorated with red eight-pointed cross- the cross of martyrdom and the symbol of fighters for the church. This cross, as a sign of distinction, was granted to the Templar Order by Pope Eugene III with exclusive rights to its heraldry. In accordance with the vow of poverty, the knights did not wear any jewelry, and their military equipment was very modest. The only allowed item that complemented their attire was a sheepskin, which simultaneously served as a bedding for rest and a cloak in bad weather.

After the Council of Troyes, the Templars dispersed throughout Europe to recruit new knights into the Order and establish commanderies on the continent. Abbot Bernard became an ardent champion and propagandist of the Templars, called on all influential persons to give them lands, valuables and money, and to send young people from good families, to tear young men away from a sinful life for the sake of the cloak and cross of the Templars.

"INsignia of the Knights Templar"

The trip of the Knights Templar across Europe was a stunning success: the brothers began to receive lands and estates, gold and silver were donated to the needs of the Order, and the number of soldiers of Christ quickly grew.

By the end of 1130, the brotherhood was finally formed as a military-monastic organization with a clear hierarchy system. All members of the Order were divided into three categories: brother knights, brother chaplains and brother sergeants (squires); the latter wore a black or brown cloak. There were also servants and artisans, and each category of brothers had their own rights and duties. At the head of the Templar Order was the Grand Master, whose rights were partially limited by the Order Chapter. In the absence of the Master, he was replaced by a seneschal - the second executive Orders. He was followed by a marshal, who was in charge of all military affairs of the brotherhood, etc. The hierarchical ladder of the Knights Templar consisted of up to 30 steps.

To be knighted, one had to be of noble birth, not have debts, not be married, etc. The service of the Templars combined strict monastic obedience with the constant risk of being injured or dying in battle in the Holy Land and for the Holy Land, which atones for any earthly sin . Each Templar knight was required to obey his elders without question; the charter strictly regulated the duties of a knight and listed punishments for various kinds offenses and deviations from the ascetic lifestyle. And since the Order began to obey only the Pope, it had its own punishments for misdeeds, up to death penalty. The knights could not hunt or gamble; during leisure hours they had to mend their clothes themselves and pray every free minute.

A knight, without permission, was not to move further from the camp than the sound of a voice or a bell could be heard. When it came to battle, the head of the Order took the banner and allocated 5-10 knights who surrounded him to guard the standard. These knights had to fight with the enemy around the banner and did not have the right to leave it for a minute. The commander had a spare banner wrapped around the spear, which he unfurled if anything happened to the main banner. Therefore, he could not use a spear with a spare banner, even if it was necessary for his protection. While the banner was flying, the knight could not leave the battlefield under the threat of shameful expulsion from the Order.

The Templar banner was a banner top part which was black, and the lower one was white.

"INsignia of the Knights Templar"

The black part of the banner symbolized the sinful part, and the white part symbolized the immaculate part of life. It was called "bo san", which was also the battle cry of the Templars. The Old French dictionary defines the word "beausant" as "a horse of a dark color with white apples." The meaning of the word “beau” today usually comes down to the concepts of “beauty”, “beauty”, but in the Middle Ages its meaning was much broader than “nobility” and even “greatness”. Therefore, the battle cry of the Templars meant "To greatness! To glory!"

Sometimes the order’s motto “Non nobis, Domine, non nobis, sed Nomini Tuo da gloriam” (“Not to us, Lord, not to us, but to Your name!”) was embroidered on the banner. Templar banners were also found in the form of a military standard, divided vertically into nine white and black stripes. Presumably in 1148, at the Battle of Damascus, a standard with a red order cross in the center was first deployed.

Following his vow of poverty, Hugues de Payen transferred all the property and wealth he had donated to the Order, and all other brotherhoods followed his example. If a novice newly entering the Order did not have any property, he was still supposed to bring a “dowry,” even if it was a very symbolic one. A Templar could not own money or any other property, not even books; the trophies obtained were also at the disposal of the Order. The order's charter stated that knights should be modest both at home and on the battlefield, and obedience was highly valued among them. They come and go at the sign of the mentor, they put on the clothes that he gives them, and do not accept either clothing or food from anyone else. They avoid excess in both ways, and care only about satisfying modest needs. The vow of poverty was observed very strictly, and if money or anything else was found with a Templar after death, he was expelled from the Order and forbidden to be buried according to Christian custom.

However, a century after the creation of the Order, the wealth of the Templars amazed the imagination of their contemporaries. They owned lands, houses in cities, fortified castles and estates, a variety of movable property and innumerable amounts of gold. But while the Templars were accumulating wealth and buying up lands in Europe, the affairs of the crusaders in Palestine were going from bad to worse, and after the capture of Jerusalem by Sultan Salah ad-Din they had to leave here. The Templars took this loss quite calmly, because their land holdings in Europe were huge and their wealth was great.

The position of the Templars was especially strong in France, since Substantial part knights came from among the French nobility. In addition, by this time they were already so experienced in financial matters that they often headed treasuries in states.

In France, it would seem that nothing threatened the well-being of the Order, but the time came for the reign of King Philip IV the Fair, who devoted his entire life to the creation of a unified and powerful state. And in his plans there was absolutely no place for the Order of the Templars, in whose possessions neither royal nor general church laws were in force. Philip the Fair initiated an inquisitorial inquiry against the Templars, and 10 months after the arrests began in Paris, the “confessions” of the accused knights were collected and sent to Pope Clement V. The Pope appointed 15 meetings of the Ecumenical Council, which was to be held in Vienna to resolve a number of general issues, discussing plans for a new crusade and determining the future fate of the Templar Order.

However, the participants in the council showed indecisiveness, and Pope Clement V himself spoke out with such reluctance that even five months later the question of the fate of the templars was not resolved. The final resolution of this issue could lean towards both condemnation and acquittal of the Templars, and Philip the Fair certainly could not allow this.

Many historians believe that the Pope was completely submissive to the will of the French king, but a study of the materials of the Council shows that the Pope could have insisted on his own - to merge the Templar Knights and the Knights of St. John into a new Order. Therefore, Clement V did not want the dissolved Templar Order to be completely branded as heretical. At the beginning of April 1312, the pope issued another bull, which dissolved the Templar Order without mentioning the charges brought against it.

Templars released from prison could join the Order of St. John, but there were very few such cases. The persecution of the Templars in France continued for more than 6 years. In England and Scotland, the knights were warned in a timely manner, and in the countries Iberian Peninsula and completely justified.

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The Templar Cross is the symbol of the Order of the Poor Knights of Christ or the Temple. Its better known name is the Order of the Knights Templar. He was famous for his struggle for Christian values ​​and the destruction of those who did not want to accept given faith. The Order at one time received the blessing of the Pope for the release of the Holy Sepulcher. The knights who belonged to it became known for their Crusades and brutal reprisals against people of other faiths. Until now, this Order has a large number of followers.

The cross of the Templar Order is considered one of the most mysterious symbols. Despite the fact that it was used as a symbol by the Knights of Christ, its roots go back far to the times of the pagans. Today the Templar Cross is used mainly as a talisman. In this article we will talk about the history of its origin, meaning and rules of use.

It is still not known for certain how this cross came into being. However, many historians claim that its roots stretch back to the Celts. The fact is that this symbol represents four identical rays that are enclosed in a circle. Thanks to these rays, it acquired another name - the Palm Cross. This is precisely the symbolism that was inherent in the Celts.

The opinion of other historians is that this symbol arose during the times of the pagans, when the Christian faith had not even arisen.