In the Middle Ages, the most basic way to show the authenticity of a document was to put a stamp on it. 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.

There were seals of spiritual organizations, monarchs, secular knights and many others. Although the image of two Templars on one horse has, in modern times, become synonymous with the Templar Order, they had many different seals.

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 believed 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 consisting of nine people, this was possible so, 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 work 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."

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.

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 Legman and Lee's book "History of the Templars" by 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 claims 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.”.

From the center in Jerusalem, the activity of the order spread through the steps of a firmly established hierarchy to the entire Holy Land.
The main officials at first were:
- master- a powerful sovereign, but in most cases subordinate to the decisions of the chapter, where he himself had only one vote;
- seneschal, in charge of the supply and life of the House;
- marshal, responsible for military training and discipline in the monastery and often headed it during the war;
- caretaker of the garments, engaged in equipping the brothers.
Commanders of three provinces of the East- Jerusalem, Tripoli and Antioch - were subordinated only to the master and general chapter; each of them had under his command his own marshal and caretaker of clothes.
Behind the commanders of the Provinces were the chatelaines (castle managers) and House commanders; there were still knight commanders, who obeyed the marshal of their monastery.
House Keepers, often serving only as sergeants, they ruled the order's rural estates.

Lightly armed local mercenary units (Turcopols) were subordinate to the Turkopolier. The squires, also mercenaries, received orders from standard bearer

The most flexible structure was possessed by ten or twelve (their number was not constant) provinces of the West: France, England with Scotland and Ireland, Flanders, Auvergne, Poitou, Aquitaine, Provence, Catalonia, Aragon, Portugal, Apulia, Sicily, Hungary - there were masters everywhere or commanders, but commanders often ruled several provinces at the same time, for example, Provence with Catalonia, or “Provence and various parts of Spain.”
Monastery Spain served as an analogue to the Overseas House of the Order, since from Navarre to Murcia, as in the Holy Land, they fought continuously.
But all other provinces existed only to provide support to both monasteries; an exception was made only for some coastal cities, such as Toulon, where the commandery was included in the local defense system.
The order's possessions were divided into provinces, which were ruled by Grand Commanders.
Commanderies were allocated within each province.
Commanderies were headed by commanders. A typical rural commandery was a large farm on which several brothers lived.
The commandery had a church, a hotel for travelers, and many agricultural buildings. The commandery was the administrative center from which the order's property in the district was managed.
Typically, a commandery is a rectangle of walls with towers at four corners, inside which other buildings are placed. This is why the impression of a fortress is created, although the towers act more as a support than as a defense.
Such a structure could not withstand a real assault, but it was a fairly reliable shelter against a gang of robbers.
The walled rectangle is the core of the command. Quite often it was surrounded by ditches on two or three sides, while the rest were covered with a pond of natural or artificial origin.
Since meat consumption was strictly limited by statute, this pond was simultaneously a means of defense, a source of drinking water and a fish tank.
In the rectangle there was a “Big House” (in many places the name has been preserved) - in fact, it was a monastery house with cells for knights and the commander. It has two or more floors (hence the name), and often had support turrets built into the walls.
It was in this house that the knight's chapel was located - an empty room without windows, square or rectangular, which should not be confused with the chapel of the commandery, open to everyone.
Inside the rectangle are all the other houses: farm houses, “hospital houses” and craft houses.
Usually the monastery part, in other words, the “Big House,” is separated from the others by a wall. Remains of such walls have been preserved in almost all commanderies.
Farm houses are intended for ploughmen, shepherds, grooms, etc. While cultivating the land, they live here as families, but access to the monastery is closed to them - especially women.
The “hospital” house, or inn, is home to travelers and, depending on the position of the command, pilgrims. Quite often there is a hospital or leper colony behind the walls.

Each commandery has its own farms, or, as they are called, farms, which are exploited differently, depending on the traditions and customs established in a particular region: serfdom in Brie, vassalage in Normandy, sharecropping in Limousin.
In addition to farms, the commanderies have other property at their disposal: huts, lodges, forges, tile kilns, warehouses and other real estate.
Remote possessions were called sam egae (chambers). The camera was operated by one brother or rented out.
The commander of each commandery annually transferred a certain amount (responsion) to the great commander of the province. In turn, the great commander sent the collected funds to the Temple, located in the east.
The Grand Commander of the province held an annual meeting called the chapter.
During the meeting, the commanders reported and handed over money.
Every few years a grand chapter was held, at which the great commanders gathered, who, in turn, reported and paid.
At the grand chapter, new stewards were appointed and the sacraments were performed.

Although the brothers of the order were scattered throughout the Christian world, they were in constant contact with the leadership of the order through a system of regular chapters.
In addition, the brothers in the east and west constantly exchanged letters.
There was a constant exchange of people and supplies between East and West. The West supplied people, horses, weapons, clothes and the main thing - money, the East, in turn, delivered sick and old members of the order, spices, silks and other exotic goods of the East to Europe.
In addition to commanderies and other real estate, the Templars owned a large number of houses in all major cities.
So in Paris, the Order of the Temple owned the entire Marais quarter - between the old Temple with the pier on the Seine and the new Temple.
To this we can add the Belleville hill with gardens laid out on it and the slopes of Montmartre reserved for vineyards.
On the left bank of the Seine they owned several houses in the Saint-Marcel quarter and most of the Faubourg Saint-Jacques.
In Troyes, the Templars owned about fifty residential buildings. Most of the listed houses were rented out by the Templars to private individuals.

Seal, banner and cross of the order

The Templar banner consisted of two colors (white and black), on this background there was a cross and the 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 Utemplars, 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 to 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.
IN 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, provides images of the banner with both equal fields and 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 a 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 the banking system to deal 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.

Recruitment of recruits and their admission into the Templar Order

The brothers of the Templar Order were divided into several classes. Since the main task of the order was to protect the Catholic faith, the most numerous class was the knights.
Knights of the order were knighted during a special ceremony.
In the first years of the order's existence, the status of the brother knights had not yet been fully determined, so many knights of the order came from the ignoble class.
But by the time the order was dissolved, the knightly class in Western Europe had received a high status, and therefore only knights of noble birth were accepted into the order.
Warriors of the Order of the Temple who did not have knighthood were called servientes in Latin or sergents in old French. On the battlefield, the sergeants supported the actions of the knights.
However, not all sergeants were warriors. This category also included workers and masters of the order.
The order had one more class: brothers - priests. Brother-priests were responsible for satisfying the spiritual needs of members of the order; they accepted confessions and celebrated masses.
In Europe, the order also included sisters, and the Templar Order itself had a couple of convents.
In addition, some sisters lived close to the commanderies. The sisters were exclusively engaged in work and prayer; they were not expected to take part in battles.
In general, they were not much different from ordinary nuns.
In addition, the order had many associated men and women who made regular donations or hoped to join the order in the future, without taking vows for now.
We want to tell, first of all, about the warriors of the order.
The vast majority of brothers joined the order as adults.
The order's charter prohibited the admission of children, however, there are known cases when children were raised by the order, for example, in cases where parents, before their death, bequeathed to the order to take care of the upbringing of their children.
At the same time, students were not obliged to join the order upon reaching adulthood.
The founders of the order determined that only those who could hold weapons in their hands could join the order. As a rule, young men under the age of thirty joined the order, although there were also young men under twenty, and in some cases teenagers also joined the order.
On the other hand, there are cases where elderly men who had already made a career in war and decided to live out their days in peace in the order’s domains in the west joined the order.
In addition, some people joined the order for a time and then returned to their families.
Each member of the order took vows for his own reasons.
Researchers have little evidence that directly mentions the candidates' motives, but in many cases the motives can be guessed at.
The Order of the Temple attracted many people. Landless knights found in him support for the rest of their lives, a comfortable existence. Noble lords received protection from any powerful enemies (including from their own sovereigns).
The main motive, of course, was a sincere desire to participate in the protection of Christian shrines in the Holy Land. It was believed that such a service would cleanse sins and allow one to go straight to heaven after death.
In those days, people’s lives were short, and such a thing as “confidence in the future” simply did not exist.
If now people hide from thoughts of death, indulging in entertainment, pursuing a career or chasing fashionable things, then in the 12th-14th centuries people looked at their fate more honestly, realized their own mortality and seriously thought about what awaits them beyond this line.
Glorious death on the battlefield was valued above death from disease or starvation.
Many joined the order after meeting the Templars who fought against the Muslims during a pilgrimage to the Holy Land. But these were positive reasons; there were also negative motives.
But many people who were greedy, who had forgotten everything sacred and were ready to commit any cruelty, joined the order. They were attracted by one of the main commandments of the Templars: “No crime committed for the benefit of the order is considered a sin.”
Some joined the order in order to change the situation. So, in the early 30s of the 12th century, a French knight named Guy Cornelli from Dijon joined the order because his wife fell ill with leprosy.
He entrusted his wife and daughters to the care of the abbot and monks, donated his possessions to the monastery, and he himself went to Jerusalem to end his life serving the Lord.
Some entered the order hoping to receive forgiveness of their past sins. One medieval text mentions Gerard de Ridefort, master of the Templars 1185-1189, who joined the order after falling dangerously ill while in Jerusalem.
There were also quite secular motives. Warriors joined the order looking for a way to make a career.
This was a good way out for the younger sons, who were not expected to inherit.
By joining the order, a knight could achieve a good position in society, influence and power, unattainable in the world. To an outside observer, the life of the brothers of the order looked comfortable, since the order provided its people with clothing and regular food, which was completely unattainable for the laity.
IN During the trial of the Templars in England in 1309, brother Hugo Tadcaster stated that he worked as a keymaster for the order and asked to be accepted as a member of the order.
Some members of the order joined because some of their relatives were in the order.
Others joined the order because their employers joined the order and they followed their masters.
Finally, some joined the order simply out of adventurism.
Those wishing to join the order were not accepted immediately, but after a probationary period. This point was defined separately in the charter.
The candidate had to be with the brothers for a certain time, during which he could be convinced of the strength of his intentions, and the order could determine the true reasons prompting the candidate to take the vow. If the candidate successfully completed the probationary period, he was accepted.
True, since the order suffered heavy losses in battles, the level of requirements for candidates decreased, and in the end candidates began to be accepted into the order almost immediately.
In the first years of its existence, excommunicated people were not accepted into the order, but later they began to believe that the order was a good team for the re-education of sinners.
Abbot Bernard of Clairvaux wrote that robbers, murderers and other criminals should go to defend the Holy Sepulcher. This will achieve two goals: criminal elements will leave Europe, and new soldiers will arrive in Palestine.
For example, in 1224, Pope Honorius III ordered the master to accept into the order for seven years the knight Bertrand, who killed the bishop.
Soon the number of criminals in the order reached a critical level and their presence began to pose a problem.
Among the crimes committed by the “corrected” were fights between brothers, the murder of Christian merchants and theft from Christians. The order for such crimes was punishable by flogging or life imprisonment.
Although simony - appointment to a position for money - directly contradicted church canons, a custom took root in the order, according to which the candidate was required to make a donation before being initiated into the order.
During the order's trial, some brothers testified that they had to pay a fee to join. This contribution was called passagium, since it was believed that with this money the order would organize the transportation of a new member to Palestine.
A similar contribution was collected in the Order of the Hospitallers. One brother from England, Roger Dalton, reported that he paid a passagium of sixty marks, that is, forty pounds sterling.
The admission of new brothers into the order was a solemn ceremony. Among other attributes there was a scroll with the order’s charter and statutes. customs and regulations.
The brothers responsible for accepting new members were present at the ceremony.
At the trial of the order in 1307-1312, it was established that the ceremony took place in secret and at night, although many brothers claimed that they were received in person at dawn or just after sunrise.
This contained a certain symbolism, since along with the new day, a new life began for those accepted into the order.
Some brothers said that no outsiders were present at the reception ceremony, but one English brother, William Raven, claimed that about a hundred guests were present at the ceremony when he was received into the order.
The initiation was usually carried out by the provincial commander during the meeting of the provincial chapter in any of the commanderies. But if necessary, the ceremony was carried out in any more or less suitable room. For example, the Englishman William Scoto was initiated into the Templars in his bedroom.
Before a candidate was initiated as a brother, he was called to a chapter meeting. Two or three brothers talked with the candidate, telling him about what kind of life he would lead once he became a member of the order, what work he would do, what problems he would face, and what punishment awaited him if he disobeyed.
This was done so that the candidate had a good idea of ​​his future. If the candidate's intention remained firm, he was asked whether he had any unfinished business in the world, whether he was married, whether he was a member of other orders, whether he owed money to anyone, whether he was healthy, whether he whether on trial.
If the candidate did not have any of the above, nothing prevented the candidate from joining the order.
Next, the candidate member of the order appeared at the chapter council and made a formal statement of his desire to join.
The chairman of the chapter responded by announcing to the candidate that although life in the order seems pleasant to outsiders, in reality members of the order must unquestioningly follow orders, go even if they don’t want to go, and do what they don’t want to do.
“You only saw the surface. On the surface it appears that we have magnificent horses, fine equipment, drinks and food, wear beautiful clothes and seem to lead an easy life.
But you don’t know what strict orders we have to follow.”
Examples of "strict orders" related to the candidate's future status. The knights had to go to war overseas, although not necessarily to the Holy Land.
Sergeants were required to do manual labor, such as raising pigs.
The candidate was told that the only reason to join the order was the desire to escape from the sinful world, work for God and atone for one’s sins.
By joining the order, the candidate became a slave of the order.
If the candidate agreed to such conditions, he was asked to leave the meeting room, after which a discussion of the candidacy began. If the chapter agreed to accept a candidate into the order, he was asked to return, after which he was cross-examined as to whether the candidate had any obligations that could be revealed after joining the order.
The candidate was warned that if he lied and the lie was discovered, he would be expelled from the order.
If the candidate's answers satisfied the chapter, he was asked to take an oath "to the Lord and the Virgin Mary" that he would obey the orders of the master of the order, observe celibacy and non-covetousness.
In addition, the candidate swore that he would observe the traditions and customs of the order, help defend the Holy Land and never leave the order without the permission of the master and chapter.
When all the necessary oaths had been pronounced, the chairman of the council welcomed the new member of the order and placed the order's robe on his shoulders.
In addition, an accepted member of the fraternity could receive a woolen cord for his belt, as a symbol of chastity, and a soft cap.
The brother priest read a prayer, after which he and the chairman kissed the new brother. Next, the new brother sat on the floor, and the chairman read him extracts from the charter and customs of the order, and also answered questions asked by the newcomer.
Finally. the chairman blessed the newcomer and released him.
The new brother did not necessarily remain to serve in the command where he was accepted. He could have been sent to any other place.
Thus, Brother Roger Dalton was received in Balsalla, Warwickshire in 1305, and was soon sent to Denny, Cambridgeshire, where he took charge of a farm that was part of Denny's commandery.
In contrast, Brother Robert de la More, a knight who had entered the order at Dinsley, Hertfordshire in 1304, was sent to Cyprus.
Probably, the new brothers, who had military training, immediately went to Utrmer, while various specialists and managers remained on the farm in Europe.
Each brother had the right to take with him one squire who would look after the horses and equipment, and also help the knight on the battlefield.
Some squires were hired by the order, while others served the order "for an idea" for a short period.
The third squires were in the order as brother-sergeants.
Finally, mercenaries also served in the army of the order. The charter of the order mentioned turcopoles - hired light cavalry, led by a brother turcopolier.
Mercenaries were used by the order as needed, and their services were paid for by the order by agreement.
Although the brothers often fought alongside ordinary crusaders, the Templars themselves were not classified as crusaders. Crusader status was temporary, while the brothers of the order took lifelong vows.
could ask for permission to transfer to another order. If a Templar brother fled, the order took measures to find the fugitive and punish him.

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, provides images of the banner with both equal fields and 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 a 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 the banking system to deal 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 are one of the most mysterious secret orders in human history. Its history is surrounded by many secrets and conspiracy theories. Here are ten interesting facts about the soldiers of Christ and the Temple of Solomon, as the Templars called themselves.

10 PHOTOS

1. At the peak of its popularity, the Templar Order numbered about 20,000 people.

This fact perfectly illustrates the power and prevalence of the order in the Middle Ages. Many of the order's members were warriors, others performed medical duties or looked after various financial matters. All Templars were subordinate to the Supreme Master, who made all the most important decisions, although he was obliged to consult with his staff, which included the seneschal, his deputy, the marshal and other assistants.

Surprisingly, it was they who came up with a method of protecting finances that is used by all modern banking systems. In order to protect various pilgrims, travelers and merchants in the unsafe surroundings of Jerusalem, the knights created a system in which anyone traveling to the Holy Land could deposit any valuables into one of the local branches of the Templars. In exchange, they were given a charter, which could then be exchanged at any other Templar branch in the Holy Land in accordance with the value of the goods in gold or the equivalent of a precious metal.

One of the main goals that the Knights Templar had was to provide pilgrims with safe passage to the Holy Land. To achieve this, the knights built a huge number of castles, fortifications and other buildings throughout the European continent. Famous examples of surviving buildings built by the Templars include the Temple Church in London and the Convento de Cristo in Portugal.

As befits such a large and influential order, the Templars had their own seal. The traditional Templar seal depicts two knights on one horse, which is a symbol of the vow of poverty taken upon joining the order. The Templar seal was used instead of a signature to seal agreements and authenticate documents.

Each full member of the order could wear a white tunic with a red cross, which was one of the most recognizable symbols of the order. The white color of the tunic symbolized the purity of the knight, and the blood-red cross meant the readiness to die in battle without losing dignity.

To become a member of the order, a person first had to earn the attention and trust of someone from the Templar command. In addition, the requirements that were placed on current members of the order regarding their lifestyle and behavior were very strict.

Members of the order were expected to demonstrate piety and humility in all areas of their lives. For example, the Templars were required to take a vow of celibacy and were forbidden to have relationships with women.

Most Templars, when they died, left all their acquired property and lands to the order. Considering that many of the Knights Templar managed to build entire castles during their lives, before its collapse the order had fabulous wealth.

According to rumors, in the Middle Ages a cup was found that was supposedly the same one from which Jesus Christ drank at the last supper. Of course, only the Templars could be trusted to guard such a relic. Today we will never know the whole truth, but in the Valencia Cathedral you can see a cup that looks suspiciously like images of the Grail. Of course, it does not have any magical properties.

By the early 1300s, the Templars had made many powerful enemies due to their wealth and influence. The main initiator of the extermination of the order was King Philip IV, who owed the Templars a lot of money. He decided that it would be more profitable not to repay the debts, but simply to get rid of the Knights Templar, simultaneously acquiring their wealth. Declarations of heresy were made against the Templars, and on Friday, October 13, 1307, persecution of all members of the order began.