Round churches on Bornholm Island, Denmark - Templar or not?

Located 40 kilometers southeast of the southern tip of Sweden but territorially part of Denmark, the island of Bornholm is one of the oldest visible rocks in the world. The island has been settled since at least 3600 BC when numerous dolmens and Neolithic mounds began to be constructed. From medieval time churches remain, which are linked to the Knights Templar. Is there hard evidence for a Templar origin?

Basic Layout of a medieval Cistercian Monastery

In reaction to the development of non-basic elements in Cluniac Benedictine monasteries, the Cistercians originally adopted a very simple and strickt lay-out for their monasteries. No unnecessary elements were allowed. What were the main aspects?

Spread of Cistercian monasteries 11th 12th century

In many posts proof of the direct relationship between the Cistercian monastic Order and the Order of the Knights Templar is documented. Therefore there may be a regional relationship also between the development of Cistercian and Templar sites. This blog focusses on the spread of Cistercian monasteries.

2013 OSMTH Commemoration Jacques de Molay and Investiture, Paris, France

OSMTH video of 2013 OSMTH commemoration of Jacques de Molay and Investiture, March 22-24, Paris, France. source

Charge Given to the Knights

No, this "Charge" was not intended for the Knights Templar. It was given by King Arthur, the legendary British leader of the late 5th and early 6th centuries, to his Knights of the Round Table. No links whatsoever. Or are there....?

"God make you a good man and fail not of beauty. The Round Table was founded in patience, humility, and meekness.Thou art never to do outrageousity, nor murder, and always to flee treason, by no means to be cruel, and always to do ladies, damosels, and gentle women succour. Also, to take no battles in a wrongful quarrel for no law nor for no world's goods.

Thou shouldst be for all ladies and fight for their quarrels, and ever be courteous and never refuse mercy to him that asketh mercy, for a knight that is courteous and kind and gentle has favor in every place. Thou shouldst never hold a lady or gentle woman against her will.

Thou must keep thy word to all and not be feeble of good believeth and faith. Right must be defended against might and distress must be protected. Thou must know good from evil and the vain glory of the world, because great pride and bobauce maketh great sorrow. Should anyone require ye of any quest so that it is not to thy shame, thou shouldst fulfil the desire.

Ever it is a worshipful knights deed to help another worshipful knight when he seeth him a great danger, for ever a worshipful man should loath to see a worshipful man shamed, for it is only he that is of no worship and who faireth with cowardice that shall never show gentelness or no manner of goodness where he seeth a man in any danger, but always a good man will do another man as he would have done to himself.

It should never be said that a small brother has injured or slain another brother. Thou shouldst not fail in these things: charity, abstinence and truth. No knight shall win worship but if he be of worship himself and of good living and that loveth God and dreadeth God then else he geteth no worship here be ever so hardly.

An envious knight shall never win worship for and envious man wants to win worship he shall be dishonoured twice therefore without any, and for this cause all men of worship hate an envious man and will show him no favour.

Do not, nor slay not, anything that will in any way dishonour the fair name of Christian knighthood for only by stainless and honourable lives and not by prowess and courage shall the final goal be reached. Therefore be a good knight and so I pray to God so ye may be, and if ye be of prowess and of worthiness then ye shall be a Knight of the Table Round."

Text source, illustration shows King Arthur - source

Support TemplarsNow™ by becoming a Patron, tipping us or buying one of our Reliable Books

The Payens Commandery near Troyes - a 3D reconstruction

This 3D reconstruction of a Knights Templar commandery is based on discoveries made during the archaeological survey (1998) of the commandery at Payens in the French Departement Aube. Production: General Council of Département de Aube. Director: Okénite Animation. Length 6 minutes. Explanation in French.

 

Support TemplarsNow™ by becoming a Patron, tipping us or buying one of our Reliable Books

Troyes - trading hub and Templar cradle

The court of one of the founding fathers of the Knights Templar, Hugues I Count of Champagne (c.1074–1130) stood at the old city of Troyes. Troyes has been in existence since the Roman era, as Augustobona Tricassium. It stood at the hub of numerous highways, primarily the Via Agrippa. Key to its international position.

Agnus Dei - a papal and Templar symbol

During his inauguration on March 19, 2013 pope Francis used a papal staff or ferula which shows on the front of the cross in the center the Agnus Dei (Lamb of God) and at the end of the limbs the four Evangelists. On the back of the cross are in the center Jesus with the monogram PX and at the end of the limbs the Fathers of the Eastern and Western Church Augustine and Ambrose, Athanasius and John Chrysostom.

xxxxx

Pope Francis, March 19, 2013 source abc-news

templar seal source

source

In heraldry, a Lamb of God (or paschal lamb, or agnus Dei) is a lamb passant proper, with a halo or charged with a cross gules, and the dexter forelimb reflexed over a cross staff from which a pennon of St. George (Argent a cross gules) is flotant. The seals of the Masters of the Temple in England: of Aimery de St Maur, 1200, Robert of Sandford, 1241, Richard of Hastings, 1160–85, and William de la More, 1304, showed the agnus Dei. To drive home the point his counter-seal had the head of John the Baptist with the inscription 'I am the guarantor of the lamb'.

Pope Benedict XVI holds the same ferula with agnus Dei
in mass at St Peter's on New Year's Day 2011

source

Some of the seals of the English Templars were a semi-typical Pascal lamb bearing sometimes, not the flag of St George (or the cross), but the Beauseant, the battle banner of the order. The motto accompanying the seal reads TESTIS SUM AGNI, (not Agnus as is correct), meaning "I am a witness to the Lamb". The translation of the Latin word AGNI raises several areas of contention, however a similar word AGNITIO translates to "of the nature of the mind or wisdom". Note the missing of the word Dei.

source

The stone carving to the left of a paschal lamb, or Agnus Dei, is located in the west wall of the Templar chapel of St Michael's Church, Herefordshire, England. According to Brighton it is a symbol of St John the Baptist and a motif used by both the Medieval Templar and Hospitaller orders. This example carries both a staff and banner sporting Templar crosses. Image ©Simon Brighton.






This website (in German, use Google for translation) elaborates on the ferula or pope staff. It also shows in detail the ferula with crucifix, ordered by pope Paul VI in 1963 often used by popes Paul VI, John Paul II and occasionally pope Benedict XVI.

based on wikipedia.org

Champagne, the Templar cradle

To understand the origin of the Knights Templar and the mechanisms that lead up to their birth, one should explore their place of origin. Standard historical belief places their origin in Jerusalem in the year 1118, 1119 or 1120. This, however, is not the case. The cradle of the Knights Templar stood at the court of the Count of Champagne in the French town of Troyes. The establishment of a fraternity at Jerusalem was just another step in a development that started years before.