It consisted of two colors (white and black), on this background there was a cross and a motto (“Not to us, not to us, but to Your name”).
The banner was divided horizontally into two parts - the upper black and lower white. Sometimes with a red cross located on a white field.
The meaning of the colors of the banner is still unclear.
Did it mean the victory of the forces of good over evil?
Or maybe it meant two classes within the Order - knights in white robes and sergeants in black cloaks?
There is also a version that the black part of the banner denoted the worldly, sinful life that the Templars abandoned when joining the Order, and the white part symbolized the purity of their current life, dedicated to battles for the faith.
Word baussant means "painted in two colors", in this case - black and white. Hence the banner itself began to be called knights le baussant.
Jacques de Vitry, who was one of the friends of the House and collected information directly from the Templars, says that they wear “a white and black banner, which they call “le Beaucent,” showing that they are open and friendly towards their friends, black and formidable for enemies.
"Lions in war, lambs in peace."
The images of the banner among different chroniclers differ in the question of which part was white and which part was black.
Matthew of Paris, chronicler of St. Albans Abbey, depicts a banner with a black upper part and a white lower part. Moreover, their ratios changed for him.
>B Historia Anglorum it depicts the banner of the Order divided into two parts: the upper third is black, the lower two thirds are white.
At the same time, he is in his other work, Chronica majora, gives images of the banner as with equal margins, and with unequal ones (as in Historia Anglorum).
The Church of San Bevignate in Perugia (Umbria) was built between 1256 and 1262. under the direction of the papal treasurer, Brother of the Order Bonvicino.
San Bevignate was one of the centers of the Order in Perugia (since the 80s of the 13th century - the only one).
Inside, on the western wall there are remains of a large fresco depicting the battle between the Crusaders and Muslims. On it you can distinguish the banners and shields of the brothers of the Order, divided into equal halves - the upper white (with a claw cross applied) and the lower black.
Perhaps the banner depicted on the frescoes of the Church of San Bevignate was the standard of the master, while Matthew of Paris painted the banner carried by the marshal (Article No. 164 of the Charter of the Order) and other hierarchs on the battlefield.
According to the same Charter, the right to wear the banner, both in military and in 
peacetime, had: seneschal (Article No. 99), commander of Jerusalem (Article No. 121), commanders of the regions of Antioch and Tripoli (Article No. 125), commander of knights under the Turkopolier (Article No. 170), commander of knights under the Marshal (Article No. 165) etc.
Obviously, the banner of the Order was not unique (like, for example, the Oriflamme of the French kings).
In any case, the order's standard played very important role on the battlefield (in addition to the “classical” role, of course): it showed the center of the order’s center, as well as the place to which the brothers were supposed to strive for regrouping and a new attack.
Its function was so important that there was a duplicate banner that was carried rolled up in case the first one fell.
And before the attack, the marshal appointed 10 knights, whose only task was to guard the banner.
If a brother abandoned the banner and fled from the battlefield, this was considered a very serious offense, for which this brother could be expelled from the Order (Article No. 232 of the Charter of the Order).
If a brother bowed the banner in battle, the chapter could deprive him of his cloak (Article No. 241). 
On April 27, 1147, Pope Eugene III attended the General Chapter of the Order of the Temple in their new home in Paris. In the presence of the King of France, Louis VII Capet, the Archbishop of Reims, one hundred and thirty Knights of the Order of the Temple and the Grand Master Evrard de Bar, the Pope granted the Templars the right to wear on the left side of the cloak, under the heart, an image of a scarlet cross “so that this victorious sign would serve as their shield.” , and so that they never turn back before any infidel.”
In the Middle Ages, the most basic way to show the authenticity of a document was to stamp 
and his seal. These seals were images carved into wood, bronze or precious metals and imprinted on wax or sealing wax.
At a time when even illiterate people needed to conduct business transactions, seals provided the ability to certify documents and symbolically explained the identity of the owner of the seal.
As you know, the traditional seal of the Templars depicts two knights riding on one horse - this is the seal of Master Bertrand de Blanchefort, adopted in 1168.
When describing the seal of the order, symbolism is usually used; the outstanding physiologist and occultist Carl Jung showed himself most strongly in the symbolism of the seal:
“The image of these two knights riding on the same horse is thought to represent their 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 subsequent order, 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 they provided loans to monarchs and subsequently invented banking system for working with large finances.
Already at the Council in Troyes, when the order received the Latin Charter, the charter stated that a knight must have three horses.”
Some theories have linked the image of two knights on the same horse to the practice of homosexuality, which later figured in accusations against the order in 1307. (For more complete information, read the book "History of the Templars" by Legman and Lee, Rendom de Brie).
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 of the duality or conflict that 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 was an image of Christ.
As it is said in the Gospel, where Jesus Christ says:
“Wherever two or more gather in My name, I am in the midst of them.”
The altered seal showed Solomon's Temple or something similar to it.
In fact, this is an image of the Dome of Rock, because the Temple as depicted on the seal is not even close to Solomon's Temple as described in the Book of the Old Testament.
About twenty examples of seals of the Order of the Temple are known.
Seals with a cross and a Lamb, used by masters in England, are also known; these types of printing are repeated, differing in detail.
The remaining surviving copies, apparently, belong exclusively to the commanders of the order.
The Templars (from the French “templiers” or “temple” - “templars”, “church”, “temple”) were also called the Mendicant Knights of Christ and the Temple of Solomon. They were among the first to form military-religious orders. Thus, the order was founded in 1119 by a small group of knights, led by Hugh de Payns.
This occurred in the wake of the First Crusade, to maintain the new Kingdom of Jerusalem, surrounded by its defeated Muslim neighbors, and to provide security for the many European pilgrims heading to Jerusalem following its conquest. However, it is worth making a distinction between the actual creation of the Templar Order, the beginning of its life and official recognition from the Pope, when it became an independent monastic brotherhood.
A brief history of the spiritual-knightly order of the Templars
When the First Crusade (1096-1099), which was supposed to liberate the Holy Land from Muslim supremacy, ended, something like a Christian state was created in the Eastern Mediterranean, which was called the Kingdom of Jerusalem. There were also small state entities, along with Tripoli, Antioch, the Kingdom of Cilicia, the County of Edessa, as well as the Assassins.
These Christian lands were given a name - the Latin East, and the main capital city began to be called Jerusalem.
It was completely natural that European population began to systematically carry out pilgrimages to holy places. However, robbers, robbers, and dashing people roamed all the roads, unceremoniously and unscrupulously engaged in robbing pilgrims, and from time to time, killing them. Thus, the road to the east to visit holy places seemed to be a deadly dangerous undertaking.
Founding of the Templar Order
All this chaos continued for almost twenty years, until one day in 1118 a small detachment with noble knights passed along the dusty Palestinian roads. It was he who began to protect the pilgrims from robbers and all sorts of rabble. They went about their business with all their hearts, not out of fear, but out of conscience. The knights treated robbers mercilessly, and for believers they paved a safe road through holy places.
This small knightly team was led by a man named Hugh de Payns. He came from an ancient French noble dynasty, which at one time served its state faithfully and truly. At the age of fifteen, Hugo was knighted. From that moment on, the young man joined the caste of professional warriors - the French knights. The young man was lucky enough to become a participant in the crusade and liberation of Jerusalem.
Versions of the origin of the Templar Order
Hugh de Payns did not return home because he decided to stay on the land of Palestine. Having found unmercenaries like himself, he teamed up with them, and together they stood up to protect the wanderers. According to one version, these were nine knights known as nova militia christi, who united in France, where they vowed to protect pilgrims. After this they returned to Palestine.
Many of them were so poor that they did not have enough money even to purchase a sufficient number of horses. Often two riders could sit on one horse. However, this all lasted for about a year, until the court of King Baldwin II of Jerusalem paid attention to the fighting team protecting travelers for free.
The king himself treated the brave knights with favor, and under his patronage they decided to unite into an order. At the same time, they took the oath of allegiance not to the monarch, but to the Jerusalem Church of the Holy Sepulcher. We can say that this is exactly how the knights of the temple or templars appeared. On French it was pronounced - Templars. This is exactly how the Order of the Templars appeared in 1119, headed by Hugo de Payns.
Activities of the Templar Order
At first, almost no one knew whether the Order of the Templars existed, but over time its fame began to increase. The noble knights were allowed to go to Europe and recruit people of noble birth into the order. European kings liked the idea. All of them respected the Knights Templar, who, guided only by the call of their hearts, stood up for the pilgrims going to the Holy Land.
A whole series of favors suddenly rained down on the Templars. All this was expressed in the granting of lands and castles to them. Thus, the poor knights became rich in an instant.
The French nobility was particularly generous. The fact is that the Grand Master of the Knights Templar treated their compatriots. Subsequently, they began to formally talk about the order as French. And this despite the fact that in its ranks there were people of very different origins.
Bull of the Pope
In 1139, during the time of the second master Robert de Craon, a bull was issued in the office of Pope Innocent II, in which the knights of the temple were exempted from all existing taxes. They were allowed to freely travel to any Christian countries other than Palestine, buy land, real estate, and also conduct financial activities aimed at strengthening their society. With all this, the noble knights had to report only to the Pope himself.
As a result, the Templars had complete independence. Their fate was in the hands of only God and the Pope. Heads of state and high-ranking holy fathers were not allowed to become involved in the affairs of the order. Moreover, they were prohibited from ordering what he should do or controlling his financial activities.
Money makes money
Generosity and altruism are, of course, the most beautiful human qualities. However, it was noted a long time ago that money motivates people to increase their wealth, and therefore make money. The Knights Templars could not avoid this either. Being educated people, the intercessors of the pilgrims began to become increasingly involved, first of all, in financial activities. These unlimited rights, together with complete lack of control, had an effect.
The Templars began to borrow money, and thus become moneylenders. They lent huge amounts of money at 10-15%. Whereas for Jews and Italians this service was no less than 40%.
Little by little, the newly minted moneylenders began to have debtors who were kings, dukes, and commoners. The Knights Templar expanded their vigorous financial activities throughout the European continent. The order's treasury began to fill with cash flows. So they began to get rich just before our eyes.
Construction of cathedrals, castles and roads
In addition to banking, the Templars began to build temples and castles. In total, over the entire history of the order, they built 150 cathedrals and 76 castles, which was more than a serious indicator of income. There is a version that in this way they, among other things, invested in real estate.
The Knights Templar were no strangers to road construction. At that time, European roads were in extremely poor condition. Moreover, they were all private.
The situation was aggravated by the robbers who lived in the wooded area. They often engaged in robbery and murder of unarmed people.
The Templars managed to build excellent roads, which were guarded and had inns, but what is most surprising was that they did not take customs fees from the people. All their roads were free and completely safe.
An important factor for the temple knights was charity. Each of them was instructed to meet with the needy three times a week and feed them freely. The charter of the Templar Order obliged this to be done, and all this was carried out unquestioningly.
The rigid hierarchical structure of the Templar Order
The order itself had a rigid hierarchical structure. It was headed by the Grand Master, who had unlimited power. The knights, who were equal partners in the order, numbered approximately a thousand people.
The community was also replenished with chaplains, clergy who performed additional duties. Knightly squires along with servants were considered members of the powerful union. Everyone took a vow of silence. All of them were forbidden to disclose to outsiders about internal activities Templars.
It was a secret society with a strict power hierarchy, independence, its own finances and the ability to manage it all at its own discretion. However, it did not interfere in the affairs of states in which they owned property. There were no persons in the order close to the monarchs. Thus, he had no influence on their policies.
The Order's abandonment of Palestine
The main headquarters of the order was in Jerusalem until the very end of the 13th century. From 1291 the Latin East no longer existed. The Kingdom of Jerusalem, like other small states, was destined to fall. The Muslims managed to regain this territory after almost 200 years.
The knightly order was forced to leave Palestine. He settled permanently in European countries, which were Spain, France, Germany, and also England. As a result, the order was left without its main bastion. Very soon his ill-wishers, who could not survive wealth and power, decided to take advantage of this situation.
Defeat of the Templar Order
To the main detractor, to the French king Philip the Fair (1268-1314) was haunted by the wealth of the order. He was not a supporter of tyranny and strived with everyone controversial issues deal with the court. However, due to the fact that he was above the judicial power and completely controlled it, it would not be difficult to foresee whose side the court would be on.
Philip IV also decided to act strictly according to the law with the Templars. The autocrat was too eager to take away all the wealth of the order and use it to replenish the state treasury. However, serious reasons had to be found for this. And they presented themselves in August 1307.
One day the king received a denunciation that a criminal sentenced to death had some important information of national importance. The criminal told the crowned lady about the terrible things that the noble knights did. He happened to sit in the same cell with the same “suicide bomber,” who turned out to be one of the members of the Order of the Templars.
Shortly before the execution, he decided to ease his soul and told about what was happening in their castles. As it turned out, the Knights Templar, using their enormous financial resources, planned to seize power on the European continent. They had debtors from among very influential nobles, so the revolution was a matter of technology. Moreover, the Knights Templar were engaged in seducing boys, spitting on crosses, and also corrupting virgin peasant women. Thus, they were not true Catholics, but servants of Satan.
All this information was carefully documented, and became the reason for Philip the Fair to send an appeal to the Holy See. There were more doubts about the reliability of the prisoner’s testimony; it was unclear how the templar ended up in the royal casemate, and besides, he had a death sentence, because members of the order were not controlled by the monarchs, and they did not have the right to arrest them, much less judge and execute them.
Destruction of the Templar Order
However, Pope Clement V did not care about this essential detail. He hinted to Philip that he would not interfere with him and, in fact, authorized the arrest of all the Templars. As soon as the monarch's hands were untied, he ordered the arrest of all French Templars. It was decided to carry out this top secret action within one day. So on the morning of Friday, October 13, 1307, all members of the order were arrested on French territory.
They were thrown into dungeons, tortured and tormented. The torture of the Templars was so sophisticated that people could not stand it and gave any confession. The Grand Master of the Order, Jacques de Molay, also had to make confessions, although he later renounced them.
In total, 543 knights were arrested in France. Philip demanded that European monarchs also arrest the Templars who found themselves in their states, but they did not listen to Philip. Only in England were the Templars exiled to monasteries, but in Scotland, on the contrary, many Templars were lucky enough to take refuge.
Charges brought by the Inquisition
The charges brought by the Inquisition against the Templars were as follows:
- They bowed to some cat that sometimes appeared at gatherings;
- In the provinces they possessed one to three-faced idols, actual heads and human skulls;
- They bowed to these idols at their gatherings;
- They honored these idols, which were for them representatives of the Lord and Savior;
- They argued that the head could save them and make them rich;
- Because of the idols the order received all the wealth;
- Because of the idols the earth bore fruit and the trees blossomed;
- They tied the heads of the idols or touched them with short ropes, after which they put them on the body under shirts;
- When newcomers were accepted into the order, they were given these ropes;
- Everything was done out of reverence for idols.
Basically there were ten charges, like the ten commandments.
End justifies the means
Investigative measures against members of the order went on for several years. In October 1311, i.e. four years after the arrests, they decided to hold a trial at the Council of Vienne. At it, the clergy and the Vatican authorities, led by the Pope, decided to dissolve the once powerful order and distribute the property to other knights-monks. These were the Hospitallers, better known as the Knights of Malta.
The biggest jackpot in finance and real estate went to Philip the Beautiful as compensation for legal costs. As a result, he achieved his goals and found what he wanted. Then the trials of the Templars began. Mostly they were sentenced to life sentences. Others received long prison sentences, but only a few were released at an old age.
Execution and damnation of the last Templar Grand Master
Grand Master Jacques de Molay, along with Geoffroy de Charnay, was sentenced to be burned. On March 18, 1314, the sentence was carried out. Engulfed in fire, Jacques de Molay managed to curse the Pope and Philip, which definitely came true.
Clement V died within a month of his execution. King Philip died in November of the same year at the age of forty-six as a result of a massive cerebral hemorrhage (stroke), although the king had always been in excellent health and never had any complaints. Under strange circumstances and unclear reasons, his three sons also died within fourteen years after the death of their father. They were all unlucky enough to leave successors, and the dynasty was destined to end.
Mysteries of the Templar Order
Most people immediately saw the cause of the mysterious deaths in the curse that Jacques de Molay imposed, because the Templars always had a trail of the unknown and mysterious. Popular rumor called them possessors of magical knowledge.
Many even believed that the Templars had the Shroud of Turin and even the Holy Grail. And some researchers admit this, because the knights of the temple had to live in Palestine for almost two hundred years. Their generosity, coupled with their devotion to faith, aroused great respect in the Christian world.
Thanks to this, all those who kept shrines and relics calmly handed them over to the Templars. No one doubted the noble knights. Everyone was confident that the priceless Christian treasures were not destined to be lost, and they would be in good hands.
With the liquidation of the order everything changed. The Holy Grail may have been hidden in Scotland, and the Shroud of Turin was inexplicably discovered in France. The Pope and Philip achieved the abolition of the order, but he continued his life in Europe.
No one excludes that the order secretly continued to exist. Perhaps even now the Knights Templar continue their activities hidden from prying eyes, because all these people possessed secret magical knowledge. Actually, the craving for everything occult, like a magnet, attracts true spiritual seekers, and the courage, selflessness and devotion to the faith of the Templars remained in human hearts.
If you have any questions, leave them in the comments below the article. We or our visitors will be happy to answer them
In one historical (or, more likely, pseudo-historical) article, I once came across a description that a combined detachment of crusader knights, starting to attack a much superior enemy, suddenly sang “Kyrie Eleison” in unison. Became interesting.
After all, “Kyrie Eleison” is now known only as a very humble song and prayer call, very often used in the rites of worship in churches. It comes from the prayers of the blind men of Jericho: “Have mercy on us, Lord.” In Orthodoxy, it is a short form of the Jesus Prayer. Vladimir Monomakh especially loved this prayer. In Catholicism, this is usually the first chant of the mass.
However, one must understand that in general knighthood did not represent any single organized force, it did not have a single unifying idea.
But, as an exception, the crusading knights, having a common worldview and ideology, although only within a specific order, had common battle rituals, battle cries and the like. Here are some of the well-known knight's battle cries:
Saint George!, Sometimes White Dragon! - "White Dragon!" - the battle cry of the English knights, which somewhat later spread to all English warriors.
Caelum denique!- Paradise is coming! Derived from a common Latin expression. It is believed that it was used by the crusaders regardless of order affiliation.
Montjoie! Saint Denis!- Montjoie! Saint Denis! the cry of the knights and then of all the warriors of the French kingdom
Deus vult!- This is God's desire! It is believed that this call originated during the 1st Crusade. Then its modification in the form " Deus lo vult", became the battle cry of the knights in the Order of the Holy Sepulcher of Jerusalem, which became the main force of the Kingdom of Jerusalem following the conquest.
Vive Dieu Saint Amour!– Glory to God, Holy Love! This is the officially documented battle call of the Templar Order.
Gott mit uns!- God is with us! The most famous battle cry of the Teutonic knights in Russia. Although, most likely, this is more of an order motto than a real military call.
Pro Fide!- For faith! Knights of the Hospitaller Order (Johnnites, or they are Order of Malta) used this particular cry in battle.
Although it is completely possible that most of the crusader knights actually fought, like the famous Viking fighters - either silently, or simply talking loudly and shouting - incoherently and illogically. It’s generally funny about the Vikings - some of them, especially gifted ones, composed “vises” out loud during battle - this is a type of Scandinavian poetic genre.
Popular existing battle cries.
The most famous battle cries
Some of the most famous and formidable warriors of all times - Roman legionnaires - shouted “Bar-rr-ra”, imitating the roar of an elephant.
In addition, the cry “Nobiscum Deus!” was attributed to either the Romans (from the late empire) or the Byzantines. that is, God is with us translated from Latin.
By the way, there is a version that the legionnaires did not use their cry constantly, but only as encouragement for recruits or when they realized that the enemy was so weak that they could be suppressed primarily morally.
The use of war cries by the Romans was mentioned when describing the battle with the Samnites, but at the Battle of Mutina the legions fought in silence.
An intermediate conclusion can be drawn as follows: elephants seemed scary to the Romans, and they were also fully aware of the fact that if the enemy was superior in strength, then no battle cry would help.
By the way, the same Romans used the word baritus to designate the cry of elephants, as well as the war songs of Germanic tribes. In general, in a number of texts the word “barite” or “baritus” is an analogue of the phrase “battle cry”.
And, since we are talking about the war cries of ancient peoples, it would be worth mentioning that the Hellenes, that is, the Greeks, shouted “Alale!” (in their opinion, this is exactly what the terribly scary owl bird screamed); "Akharay!" was the cry of the Jews (translated from Hebrew it means “Follow me!”), and “Mara!” or “Marai!” - this was a call for murder among the Sarmatians.
In 1916, during World War I, French General Robert Nivelle shouted the phrase: “On ne passe pas!” It was addressed to German troops during the clash at Verdun and translated as “They will not pass!” This expression was actively used by the artist Maurice Louis Henri Newmont on propaganda posters. About a year later it became the battle cry of all French soldiers, and then Romanian ones.
In 1936, “They Shall Not Pass!” sounded in Madrid from the lips of the communist Dolores Ibarruri. Exactly at Spanish translation“No pasaran” this cry became known all over the world. He continued to inspire soldiers during the Second World War world war and in civil wars Central America.
The emergence of the cry “Geronimo!” we owe it to the Goyatlay Indian of the Apache tribe. He became a legendary figure because for 25 years he led the resistance against the American invasion of his lands in the 19th century. When an Indian rushed towards the enemy in battle, the soldiers cried out in horror to their Saint Jerome. So Goyatlay became Geronimo.
In 1939, director Paul Sloane dedicated his western "Geronimo" to the famous Indian. After watching this film, Private 501st airborne regiment Eberhard, making test parachute jumps, jumped out of the plane shouting: “Geronimo!” His colleagues did the same. Today, the nickname of the brave Indian is the official cry of American paratroopers.
If someone hears “Allahu Akbar”, then the imagination immediately draws unpleasant pictures of radical jihadists. But this phrase in itself does not carry any negative connotation. "Akbar" is superlative the words "important". Thus, "Allah Akbar" can be literally translated as "Allah is Great."
In ancient times, when China was ruled by the Tang Dynasty, people widely used the phrase “Wu huang wansui,” which can be translated as “May the emperor live for 10 thousand years.” Over time, only the second part of the expression “wansui” remained. The Japanese adopted this wish, but in the transcription of the Land of the Rising Sun the word sounded like “banzei”. But they continued to use it only in relation to the ruler, wishing him long health.
In the 19th century the word changed again. Now it sounded like “banzai” and was used not only in relation to the emperor. With the advent of World War II, "banzai" became the battle cry of Japanese soldiers, especially kamikazes.
It is interesting that battle cries used to be a kind of marker of the clan. As an example, we can recall the Kazakh “uraniums”. Each clan had its own “uranium”; most of them cannot be restored today, since battle cries outside the battlefield were considered taboo vocabulary and kept secret.
Of the most ancient Kazakh “uraniums,” the popular one is known - “Alash!” We know about the battle cry of the Kazakhs from the manuscript “Baburname”, which was written by Tamerlane’s great-grandson Babur.
In particular, it says: “The Khan and those who stood next to him also turned their faces to the banner and splashed kumiss on it. And immediately the copper trumpets began to blare, the drums beat, and the soldiers lined up in a row began to loudly repeat the battle cry. From all this, an unimaginable noise arose around, which soon died down. All this was repeated three times, after which the leaders jumped on their horses and rode around the camp three times...”
This fragment of the Baburnama is important because it shows that the battle cry was used not only in battle, but also before it. This was a kind of formula for setting the mood for a successful battle. The then uranium of the Kazakhs “Ur-r” shouted out like our triple “Hurray”.
There are many versions of the etymology of the battle cry “Hurray”. Philologists are inclined to two versions of the origin of this word. It is used in English and German cultures. There are consonant Hurra, Hurah, Hooray. Linguists believe that the cry originated from the High German word “hurren”, i.e. “to move quickly”.
According to the second version, the cry was borrowed from the Mongol-Tatars. From Turkic “ur” can be translated as “hit!”
Some historians trace our “hurray” to the South Slavic “urrra,” which literally means “let us take over.” This version is weaker than the first. Borrowings from South Slavic languages mainly concerned book vocabulary.
