A 12th century fresco from the Templars' chapel at Cressac-sur-Charente, France, showing a single knight charging on horseback with couched lance. Although the literature of the time took the skill for granted, effective handling of the lance on horseback in battle required daily practise (Picture: M. Debes. Hurault phot., reproduced from La Peinture murale en France: le haut moyen age et l'epoque romane, by Paul Deschamps and Marc Thibout: Collection Arts et Historia, Editions d'histoire et d'art, Librairie Pion, Paris 1951
Two bearded Templars playing chess, showing their dark woollen monastic-style tunics, soft religious-style hats and white woollen mantles, and the red cross on the left breast of the mantle. This image, from a manuscript of King Alfonso X of Castile's Libra de Ajedrez, dados y tables, shows the Templars as courtiers rather than as warriors. Templars in commanderies or on the frontier of Christendom would not normally have the leisure for board games. The Order's regulations specified that they should not play chess or backgammon, and they were not allowed to gamble (Biblioteca del Monasterio de El Escorial, MS. T. I 6, fol. 25: copyright: Patrimonio 26 Nacional, Spain).
An outsider's view of the Order: two Templars on one horse, fully armed and showing the Order's black and white shield, with a black section above and white beneath. This drawing, based on the image on the Order's seal (see page 23), appears in the Chronica majora or 'Greater Chronicle' of Matthew Paris, chronicler of the abbey of St Albans in England. lt represents the most common outsiders' view of the Order: religious warriors united in the service of Christ (Corpus Christi College 26, p. 220: copyright: the master and fellows of Corpus Christi College, Cambridge).
Images produced by the Order: the lead seal of Brother Bertrand d!! Blancafort, master of the Temple, from a charter of 27 April 1168, showing two knights on one horse. Although its meaning was unclear, this was the best known image of the Order (see page 28). Outsiders variously believed that the image symbolised the poverty of the Order in. its early days, or the brothers' charity in helping other knights on the battlefield (Staatsarchiv Amberg, Kloster Waldsassen U 7/1;copyright Staatsarchiv Amberg).
Reverse side of the same seal, showing the cupola of the dome of the church of the Holy Sepulchre. This image was important for the Order because it had originally been set up by knights who had been lay members of the religious community at that church, and its overriding purpose was to protect the church of the Holy Sepulchre as the central shrine of the Christian faith
Church of the Holy Sepulchre
Temple Church in London provides a living reminder of the order’s influence. Like all Templar churches, it’s circular, to mimic the Church of the Holy Sepulchre
Circular Part of the Temple Church, London.
The 12th century circular nave of New Temple church, London, showing the tombs of noble knights who were associate members of the Order. Many nobles supported the Order by becoming associate members, and were received as full members on their deathbed. They made the Order a large donation in their will and were buried within one of the Order's churches. The circular design of the nave of New Temple church was based on the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem. This late 19th century drawing, based on a photograph by J. Clerk, Q. C., shows the interior of Temple church before it was burnt out by incendiary bombs on the night of 10 May 1941
Modern veneration of relics: the relics of the martyr St Euphemia in the Patriarchal Church of St George, Constantinople (Istanbul). The relics are housed in a 19th century silver casket covered in a white cloth decorated with red, as a symbol of martyrdom. To the left of the casket stands the icon of the saint. Behind the casket can be seen the magnificent iconostasis, dividing the nave of the church from the sanctuary, decorated with images of the Virgin Mary, Christ and the saints. Although this is a Greek Orthodox church rather than Catholic, the Templars' relics would have been similarly housed
A group of Templars on the tomb of Don Felipe in the Templar church at the commandery of Villasirpa (Palencia). The carving clearly shows their characteristic beards, religious-style soft, dark-coloured hats, long dark tunics and white mantles with the red cross on the left breast. They appear here as part of a noble household, surrounded by other members of Don Felipe's entourage. The presence of Templars in many noble and royal households was a testament to their reputation for piety, integrity and efficient financial management
And the end...
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