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Knight of the week
Sir John of Felsenbau:
This week's Knight of the week: "The Knights Templar" - They were one of the best known military Crusading Order. The Order was founded in 1118 with the initial aim of protecting prisoners going to and from Jerusalem. By 1139 they owed allegience to noone but the Pope. The Order maintained their own hospitals, surgeons, seaports, shipyards and fleets. They established a system of banking and in effect became the bankers for every throne in Europe.
By 1303, the Templars had acquired a great wealth and posed a threat to the French King (Philip.) He envied the power and wealth of the Templars and vowed to disband them and take their wealth. First he engineered the kidnapping and murder of the Pope. Then secured the election of his own archbishop to be the next Pope. Armed with a list of made up charges he ordered the Templars arrested. Pope Clement V issed a papal order for their arrest, but it was at first kept secret, a secret which leaked out to the Templars. On Friday (the 13th) 1307 the officials of the French King set out to arrest and confiscate the Order of the Templars...that's how Friday the 13th got to be known as today's bad luck day... Those that were caught were tortured until they confessed to the untrue charges against them. Before that fateful day, the Templars had loaded their tresure in 3 ships and sailed away from France, and were never captured by the French. The Templars sought sanctuary and found it in Scotland since it's king had been excumunicated by the Pope, and therefore the Pope had no control there.
It was said that "Robert the Bruce" himself was a Templar. Many of the Templars fought with Robert the Bruce in the Battle of Banncockburn in 1314, which was the most critical battle that won Scottish Independance from the English. The estates of the Templars were scattered all over Scotland and their vast treasure hidden over the countryside, most of which was never found.
Sir Wolf:
huzzah, welcome back Sir John.
Sir James A:
Excellent Sir John, one of my favorite subjects. If you haven't seen/read the Chinon Parchment, look it up. It puts an interesting turn on the Templar's interrogations.
Lord Dane:
One of my favorite orders, Sir John. :) As usual, thanks for the stories & your noble efforts in telling these knight tales.
Sir William:
Sir John...nicely done; way to bring in the Scottish Templars. Did you know that they still exist? Naturally, not the original branch, it is a modern interpretation.
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