Unknown Jacques de Mole. Jacques de Molay and other most glorious knights in history Year of the burning of Jacques de Molay

March 18 is the day of the execution of Jacques de Molay, the 22nd last Grand Master. The complete Kabbalistic circle of perfection from 0 to 22 has been completed!

It happened in 1314, i.e. 696 years ago. The first mass arrests of the Templars in France took place seven years earlier, on the night of October 13, 1307. This is Friday the 13th, which has long been considered an unlucky day in Russia.

Why is Russia mourning for the Templars? And does the execution of Jacques de Molay have anything to do with Russia? The answer is "Yes". The most direct. The descendants of Yaroslav the Wise along the line of Anna Yaroslavna fell under the anathema of Jacques de Molay for eternity, because Philip the Handsome, who ordered the execution of Jacques de Molay, is the heir of Anna of Russia from her first marriage to King Henry I of France. The direct descendants of Anna of Russia ruled France more than two and a half centuries, occupying the throne eleven times, until 1382. If we take into account not direct descendants, then they still rule both the European Union and Britain. Ideologically, Anna Yaroslavna influenced the policy of France to the very last days French monarchy, tk. on her gospel, in the Slavic language, brought from Kiev, as a dowry from Russia, the monarchs of France swore an oath, assuming the royal throne (now the Gospel is called Reims, since it is kept in the Reims Cathedral).

Jacques de Molay, in turn, is the successor of the second son of Anna of Russia, from her second marriage - Hugh the Great Count of Vermandois, one of the leaders of the Crusade. Therefore, among the descendants of Anna of Russia was Baldwin II, who occupied the throne of the Latin (Constantinople) Empire. From a religious point of view, the descendants of Anna of Russia from her first marriage opposed the ideas of the Crusaders, who were defended by the descendants of Anna of Russia from her second marriage. In this case, a certain blood confrontation is visible. And all this directly links the execution of Jacques de Molay, as well as the anathema sent by him, with Russia and with the House of Yaroslav the Wise, which includes: the Svyatoslavichi, Vsevolodovichi, Danilovichi, Monomakhovichi, Olgovichi, and Alexander Nevsky.

Given this relationship, it seems logical that after the death of Jacques De Molay, the Templars went to the homeland of Anna of Russia, along with the entire Templar treasury and the Templar library, which was probably no worse than the US Library of Congress - a symbol of modern American Freemasonry.

Almost simultaneously with the disappearance of the Templars after the execution of Jacques de Molay, the so-called institution of "spiritual Jarls" disappeared in Europe. This Institute of Yarls arose, incl. on Ladoga, during the reign of Anna Yaroslavna and the first crusades. And the film “Arn the Knight Templar” recently released in Europe, based on the book “The Way to Jerusalem”, does not accidentally indicate that “all roads lead” after all to Jerusalem, to the Temple of Solomon, which he holds in his hands Nicholas Mozhaisky.

And this is another story that connects Jacques De Molay with Russia. It concerns the ancient icon of St. Nicholas of Mozhaisk and St. Nicholas Cathedral of the Mozhaisk Kremlin.

There is a hypothesis that the icon of Nikola Mozhaisky, the Guardian of Russia, one of the most famous in Russia, was painted immediately after the execution of Jacques de Molay and is directly related to the Templars, because Nikola himself holds the Sword in one hand, and the Temple in the other hand Solomon (Mosque of Omar) - a symbol of the Templars. It is impossible not to notice the following, here in this ancient description of the icon of St. Nicholas of Mozhaisky:

“Yes, Nikola has a miracle worker ... not a veil of deesis with new miracle workers“ 22 silver images, ... and on a veil a cross planted with pearls ... ”(“ Materials on the history of Mozhaisk ”).

The 22 new miracle workers mentioned in this description symbolize either the 22 Grand Masters or the number 22 that governs the world. The same number 22, as well as the number 555, is present in the decor of the St. Nicholas Church of the Mozhaysky Kremlin, dedicated to St. Nicholas of Mozhaysky.

It is believed that the St. Nicholas Church of the Mozhaisk Kremlin was built in honor of the 500th anniversary of the execution of Jacques de Molay. Its construction began before the war of 1812, and completed after the war - in 1814.

The fact that the most widely celebrated 500th anniversary of the execution of Jacques de Molay was celebrated in Russia, in particular, by the construction of a new temple in honor of the icon of St. Nicholas of Mozhaisky, identified in a number of hypotheses with Master Jacques de Molay, increases the reliability of the legend about the Templars who settled in the 14th century on the territory of Russia.

V. Kukovenko, author of the book “Masonic Architecture and Freemasons of Mozhaisk” writes that “Until the Great French Revolution, as many believed, the curse of the master continued to hang over the royal house of France. Shrouded in a halo of suffering, secrets, mystics and exotics of chivalrous times, the Templars entered the Masonic lodges. It must have been there, among the European Freemasons, that the continuation of the legend of the Grand Master was born: in the twilight of the prison before his execution, Jacques de Molay established four lodges: the Neapolitan for the East, the Edinburgh for the West, the Stockholm for the North and the Parisian for the South. And these lodges managed to carry through the centuries the rites and secrets of the Templars. And not only rituals, but also hatred for the enemies of the order.

On January 21, 1793, Louis XVI executed the unfortunate descendant of King Philip the Handsome. When the monarch's head fell into the sawdust basket, a man in black jumped onto the platform, dipped his hands in royal blood and shouted into the crowd: “Jacques de Molay! You are avenged!"

Especially spread Templarism in the Masonic lodges of Sweden, from where it came to Russia. Presumably the Masonic Constitution of the Swedish rite was brought from Stockholm in 1776 by the real Privy Councilor, the “diamond prince”, A.B. Kurakin. Perhaps the year of the introduction of the Swedish rite in Russia is indicated by the southern side of the main quadrangle of Novonikolsky Cathedral (Mozhaisk). Its size in inches is 1774...

A few years later, in 1782, at a general Masonic convention in Wilhelmsbaden, Russia received the status of the 8th province of Strict Observation (Swedish system).

The fascination of the Russian nobility with Freemasonry soon took on the character of a mass epidemic and resulted in forms hardly familiar to the West. The desire to live among Masonic secrets led to the fact that even estates were built, to the extreme saturated with the symbols of free masons. The most striking example is Tsaritsyno near Moscow ...

In the same years, and again near Moscow, in Vyazemy, the estate of Nikolai Mikhailovich Golitsyn (great-grandson of B.A. Golitsyn), the marshal of the nobility of the Zvenigorod district, was built. At the end of the 17th century, or rather, in 1694, this estate in Vyazemy was granted by Peter I to his tutor, Prince Boris Alekseevich Golitsyn "for salvation during the Streltsy rebellion" (Vyazema's estate is located in the Odintsovo district, next to the Golitsino platform, a little away from the Mozhaisk highway).

The architecture of the estate in Vyazemy bears the undoubted stamp of Freemasonry. In the main buildings, lodges were preserved, on which the letters “J” and “M” were placed, as a reminder of Jacques de Molay ... In 1812, Kutuzov spent the night in this palace during the retreat of the Russian army. Following him, Napoleon also stopped here, and not a single thing from the furnishings and not a single book from the library was touched. Has worldwide Masonic solidarity emerged?”

Maybe Masonic solidarity...

But I believe that it did not make sense for Napoleon to take anything from the estate in Vyazemy, because. it was present in abundance in France. He went to Russia for something more sacred, just like in his Egyptian campaign. In 1812, during the invasion of Napoleon, for example, a silver shrine was stolen, in which the relics of the Holy Prince of Chernigov were kept, brought by Christians to Chernigov, after his execution in the Horde and a pillar of fire that rose at night over the body of the murdered Prince of Chernigov from the House of Yaroslav the Wise. The secrets of the House of Yaroslav the Wise seemed to be of value to Napoleon, as well as, indeed, to the khans of the Golden Horde.

V. Kukovenko in his book mentions another Masonic symbol - "the hill of virtue under the sun of truth" in the northeast of the Mozhaisk Kremlin. “The first such hill is in Dubovitsy, a name near Moscow. … You should pay attention to the following detail. The temple in Dubovitsy was consecrated on February 11, 1704 in the presence of Peter I. Is it really to the 390th anniversary of the death of de Molay? Such an assumption is not entirely fantastic. Some researchers and historians quite definitely indicate that Peter I was initiated into Masons ... this initiation took place in England. In addition, B.A. Golitsyn was very close to Peter and participated in all the undertakings and whims of the young king ... The foundation of the temple was consecrated on July 22nd. This number 22 also attracts attention. Too many events in Masonic history are marked by this number ... And, although the church was built on the Golitsyn estate, Peter I is listed in the documents as the “temple builder” ... "

Indeed, July 22 is the day of Mary Magdalene. I have already emphasized it in the article How America Rules the World with the Sacred Number 22: Alexandria-Washington Lodge No. 22 and the Lighthouse of Alexandria.

However, I will draw your attention to the fact that the icon of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker with 22 "silver images of new miracle workers" appeared long before the formation of the United States of America. Those. the number 22 is more ancient and influenced the fate of Russia long before the appearance of the Washington Lodge No. 22. But it so happened that in America they more deeply understood the sacred essence of this number and its sacred female component, because it is most famous for the dates of the days of Mary Magdalene (July 22), Mary of Egypt (April 22) and the Nativity of the Virgin (September 22 - autumnal equinox), as well as dates - close to the dates of the great conceptions. The male component of the number 22 is represented by Nikolin's day on May 22, which was previously Yarilin's day. On this day, a monument to Lybid and her three brothers was erected in Kiev. So St. Nicholas the Wonderworker is associated with the number 22 on the day of St. Nicholas of the Veshny.

Given the names mentioned above, which are associated with the number 22, it is impossible to say that this number is diabolical and satanic, which was used by the "bad masons".

It's just that the Freemasons - followers of the Templars, show more strongly the worship of the mother of God and the women who were next to Jesus during the years of his life.

V. Kukovenko saw this female theme in the architecture of the Mozhaisk Kremlin in the size of the chapel built next to the St. Nicholas Church. Its width is 14.14 meters, which is closest in Log 1431. “But what could the number 1431 be like, the author asks? The only noteworthy event is the burning of Joan of Arc. Although such Masonic legends are not known to me, it is possible that her feat and tragic death occupy an important place in the dedication of the degree of “Knight of the Royal Arch”.

But what can connect the Virgin of Orleans and the Templars? Let's make some assumptions. According to the order charters, the initiation of any noble person into the Knights of the Temple provided that his ancestors, brothers and their streams join the same order with him. It was like a spiritual communion, divine grace, spreading over many generations. It is possible that the Masons found documents about the belonging of the ancestors of Joan of Arc to the Templars. This gave her every right to consider her a knight of the temple, especially since she received the usual knighthood from the hands of Charles II. As you know, women were not accepted into the Order of the Templars, but here, in view of the exclusivity of her deeds, a deviation from the rules was allowed. It is possible that the degree "Knight of the Arch" originated in her honor, as an allusion to her family name.

The hypothesis that “quasi-female Freemasonry” can arise in such a hereditary way was set forth by me using the example of Helena Roerich in the article “Women's Freemasonry”, “Women's Gospel”, a woman is the High Priest and Head of the Church. The fact is that Helena Roerich is the direct heiress of the "Savior of the Fatherland" Kutuzov, a well-known freemason who had the order name "Green Laurel", and who won the battle of Borodino near Mozhaisk. Interestingly, Roerich always had a figurine of Joan of Arc on the table, although she herself felt like Nefertari, the wife of Pharaoh Ramses II.

V. Kukovenko perceives the tradition of building chapels as Masonic, referring to the history of the Templars. “Pope Innocent II in 1139 issued a bull in which he allowed the Templars to build their own chapels: “We grant you the right to build chapels in all places related to the order of the Temple, so that you and your loved ones could serve services there and be buried there. For it is obscene and dangerous to the soul when brothers who have made a vow, going to church, should mingle with the rabble of sinners and men who visit women.

I came across a mention of a similar kind of important feature of early Christian worshipers in the book The Last Gospel. Manor and house churches, prayer rooms - all these are signs of not wanting to "mingle with the rabble of sinners."

Those. such objects themselves indicate that those who previously professed Christianity, as well as initiates or members of Masonic lodges, took part in their creation.

I cannot help but recall a chapel not far from St. Nicholas Church in the village of Nikolo-Berezovka. The chapel itself was just converted later into a double bed, where I was born.

The presence of a chapel, as well as legends about underground passages under the St. Nicholas Church, the dark face of St. Nicholas Zakamsky, similar to the dark face of St. Maurice - the Black Magus, creates a kind of mystical line in the direction from Mozhaisk towards the Kama River and this village of Nikolo- Berezovka, in which the English princess Elizabeth (Ealla the Swan), the sister of the last Empress of Russia, saw something mysterious and mystical. Again, by mystical coincidence, Anna the Russian Queen of France, after the death of her first husband, retired to Sanslis, the main attraction of which is the Church of St. Maurice - the Black Magus.

Here Anna Yaroslavna entered into a second alliance with the Valois and her son Hugo the Great Vermandois, the hero of the Crusades, would have been conceived here. ("The Bavarian Swans of the Hohenzollerns and the White Eagles of Tsarevich George")

Dark-faced Saint Mauritius (Maurice) of Thebes in the Middle Ages was the patron saint of many Roman dynasties in Europe, and later of Roman emperors. In 926, Henry I (919-936) even ceded the existing Swiss canton of Aargua in exchange for the spear of the martyr Mauritius. Some emperors were anointed in front of the altar of St. Mauritius in St. Peter's Basilica in Rome. The sword of Saint Mauritius was last time used at the coronation of the Austrian Emperor Charles as King of Hungary in 1916. In the Monastery of the city of Saint Maurice in Austria has always remained the main center of veneration of Thebes, the monks every day deduct a special service to these saints, and celebrates their day on September 22 of each year.

Here we again meet with the number 22, but already in the context of the Black Magus of St. Maurice.

Saint Maurice is related to Nicholas of Mozhaisk, along with a dark face and the number 22, also a sword (spear), which, judging by what was said above, was more expensive than secular titles.

And if V. Kukovenko hypothesizes that Nikola Mozhaisky is a symbol of Jacques de Molay. Then I rather tend to believe that Nikola Mozhaisky is a symbol of the Black Magus guarding the sacred dynasties.

I think that the churches (cathedrals) of Peter and Paul, which are being built next to the St. Nicholas churches, or next to St. Nicholas, are of great importance in this mystical ensemble.

In this case, I rather focus on the testament of my godmother to pay attention to what happened in my small homeland. As I now know, Peter and Paul “followed Nicholas”, and therefore the small Beryozovskaya church of Peter and Paul “echoes” in my life. And now I am writing these lines not far from the Cathedral of Peter and Paul, which is considered the closest analogue of the St. Nicholas Mozhaisk Church.

And where, in this case, is St. Nicholas Church and St. Nicholas - I ask myself a question. And Nicholas - Nicholas I approved the project of this Cathedral of Peter and Paul in Peterhof.

V. Kukovenko also describes the Cathedral of Peter and Paul, adjacent to the St. Nicholas Church in Mozhaisk, ... According to V. Kukovenko, the author of the project of the Mozhaisk Kremlin is V. I. Bazhenov. He is also the author of the failed project for the restructuring of the Kremlin, which implies its “modernization” by including images Egyptian pyramid, called for some reason in the book pagan, as well as the Cathedral of Peter and Paul, which should symbolize, in his understanding, probably the unfulfilled aspiration "Moscow - the Third Rome".

V.Kukovenko also sees the following analogy: Peter and Pavel, on the one hand, and Hugo de Payance, together with Godefroy de Saint-Omer, on the other hand.

Architect V.I. Bazhenov singled out F.V. Karzhavin among his employees. From the age of seven he lived in Paris, in the house of his uncle Yerofei Nikitich. Dmitry Alekseevich Golitsyn (1734-1803), the Russian ambassador to France, a friend of Voltaire and Diderot, patronized Karzhavin. Fedor learned about a dozen languages ​​in Paris. Upon arrival in Russia in 1765, he taught at Moscow University and the Trinity-Sergius Lavra.

The Golitsyn princes are mentioned in the book by V. Kukovenko “Masonic architecture of the Masons of Mozhaisk” more than once. Also, in particular, in connection with the vow of Alexander I regarding the construction of the Cathedral of Christ the Savior in Moscow. The vow was given by the emperor after the victory in the War over Napoleon. The work on the project was supervised by Alexander Nikolaevich Golitsyn. The project was developed by A.L. Vitberg. Emperor Alexander was inspired by the project, but suddenly abandoned it.

August 1, 1822 was followed by the highest rescript of Alexander I on the prohibition of all lodges in Russia. ... The emperor died three years, three months, three weeks after the promulgation of the rescript, almost on the same day that Philip the Handsome died. Philip's death took place on November 29, 1314.

It is no coincidence, as we see, Mozhaisk became the center of Russian Freemasonry and continues to be so now ... since A.V. Bogdanov, the “chief mason”, was born in Mozhaisk modern Russia, Chairman of the Central Committee of the Democratic Party of Russia, Candidate for the post of President of Russia in the 2008 elections. Although his participation in the elections is somewhat surprising, in general, Freemasons do not participate in public politics. But Mozhaisk in his biography is logical.

It is known from the history of Russia that not a single “Devil-Invader”, including Hitler, could overcome the “Mozhaisk line of defense”. The famous Battle of Borodino took place, again, near the Holy City of Mozhaisk ... And according to one of the legends, “on the eve of the Battle of Borodino, Count Saint Germain, the Great Teacher of the East and a member of the Himalayan Community, entered Kutuzov’s tent. He gave Kutuzov the necessary advice. And also a certain ring sent by the Brotherhood to trusted people.

This legend is reproduced in the memoirs of Helena Roerich, the direct heiress of the "Savior of the Fatherland" Kutuzov on the mother's side.

It must be said that in the 18th century, almost all of the Russian nobility were en masse in Masonic lodges. Manor and home churches, prayer rooms - all these are signs of the concept of early Christianity, which spread to Russia in the 18th century.

If we focus on the symbols of the Black Magus - St. Maurice, the Sword and the Spear, as well as the number 22, then the St. Nicholas Cathedral of the Mozhaisk Kremlin symbolized the Protection of the true royal dynasty related to Rome and the Crusaders, i.e. the Templars.

The task of the adherents of the Mozhaisk temple was to return to the throne the sacred dynasty, the Guardian of which is Nikola Mozhaisk and excommunicate from power all those who are illegally on the throne, including the damned offspring of Philip the Handsome, who betrayed the Templars because of stinginess and unwillingness to repay debts.

I can assume that Napoleon belonged to the dynasty that did not fit into the plans of the Templars. And no matter how he tried to destroy in the bud the resurgent centers of the Templars in Russia, and no matter how he tried to strengthen himself with rarities and relics of the princes of the House of Yaroslav the Wise, his plan failed.

There is a very controversial judgment that all Templars and Freemasons are anti-monarchists, especially after the execution of Jacques de Molay. In fact, they did not oppose the monarchy. It was the monarchy that opposed them, deciding to take possession of the wealth of the Templars. The execution of Jacques de Molay was marked in history by the descendant of Anna of Russia - the Queen of France - Philip is handsome. For this very reason, the descendants of Yaroslav the Wise along the line of Anna Yaroslavna also fell under the curse of Jacques de Molay. And if the Templars who went underground were chasing someone, then it was for the damned families that pop up in the person of the monarchs, and by no means for all the monarchies of the world.

It can even be assumed that Napoleon went to Russia, being excited by the construction of the St. Nicholas Church of the Mozhaisk Kremlin.

Perhaps he saw this as a threat to his imperial status. Napoleon ultimately lost him in connection with this campaign.

It is symbolic that the act of surrender of France to Russia was drawn up and signed by Major General Mikhail Orlov, the son of Tatyana Yaroslavova, whose surname is consonant with the name of Anna Yaroslavna, Queen of France.

The Yaroslavs, Yaroslavnas and Yaroslavovs, represented by Mikhail Orlov, "clicked on the nose" of Napoleon and witnessed the superiority of Russia over France.

Coincidence? If coincidence, then indicative ...

For some, this is a conspiracy of the Devil against the authorities, and for someone, the overthrow of the Devil from the throne ...

As you can see, there is a very complex system of relationships here ...

And there is a high risk of starting to fight against those who really need to be supported.

Only the following conclusion is not in doubt: Debts must be repaid ...

The unwillingness of their ancestor to pay his own bills cost too much to the descendants of Philip the Handsome ...

Can they now get rid of this eternal anathema of Jacques de Molay?

That is the question …

And it is even more important than the current competition for thrones...

Perhaps this was the first such a large-scale and so brilliantly conducted police operation. To ensure that none of the Templars could leave, the French king Philip the Handsome sent orders ahead of time to his seneschals Seneschal(from lat. Senex and Old German. Scale- senior servant) - one of the highest court positions in France X-XII centuries. Later, seneschals meant the military-administrative and military institute of royal officials. 1 countrywide. The prescriptions were to be opened at the same time at dawn on October 13, 1307 (this day fell on a Friday). The letters contained an order to arrest all the Templars in the territory under their jurisdiction.

The defeat of the order was forced, although not unconditionally, supported by Pope Clement V, which is not surprising, because he got to the throne of St. Peter solely thanks to the French king Philip the Handsome and was, in essence, his obedient puppet. Since Jacques de Molay was absent in France - in Cyprus he was preparing for a war with the Saracens - Clement ordered him to arrive in France. Jacques de Molay obeyed, not realizing that he was heading into a trap.

There are quite a few sources about the life and work of Jacques de Molay. There are all the more so because after the arrest, the master was interrogated repeatedly and answered numerous questions about the activities of the order and his participation in it. However, the documents cover mainly the period of his biography after joining the Knights Templar. Little is known about his youth.

Life before the order

Jacques de Molay was born in eastern France in what is today Vitré-sur-Mans in Franche-Comté (2010 population was 291). The name Franche-Comté appeared only in 1478, and earlier this area was called the county of Burgundy. The Burgundian county, we note, very often opposed the Frankish kings - first the Merovingians, and then the Carolingians.

The place where Jacques de Molay was born. The commune of Vitré-sur-Mance today.

maps.google.com

The exact date of birth of the future last master of the Templars is unknown. Historians estimate his birth between 1244 and 1249. It is only known about his family that it was not the most noble noble family, that is, rather, they were middle-class nobles.

The initial period of Jacques de Molay's activity as a Templar has little information. It is only known that he entered the order in 1265. The Holy Land during this period was subjected to the onslaught of the Mamluks Mamluks military caste in medieval Egypt. Recruited from young slaves of predominantly Turkic origin. In 1250 the Mamluks seized power in Egypt. The Mamluk cavalry was considered one of the strongest in combat until Napoleon's campaign in Egypt. 2 . And the very next year, Jacques de Molay went to the East. In 1291, the Mamluks launched a vigorous offensive against the Frankish lands in the Holy Land. After a two-month stubborn siege, they took the last point of European chivalry - the fortress of Acre. The Templars, part of the garrison of Acre, were the most stubborn defenders and remained on the walls to the last, covering the retreat of the galleys into the sea, evacuating women and children. During the siege, wounded by an arrow, the 21st Master of the Templars, Guillaume de Beaugh, fell. Barbara Freil, a historian of the Templars, believes that de Molay was a relative of Guillaume de God. 3 . Jacques de Molay himself also fought on the walls, and then evacuated to Cyprus with the remnants of the Templars.

After the death of de God, Thibaut Godin was elected head of the order, but already in April 1292 he died. His early death required new elections. Hugh de Peyrot and Jacques de Molay competed for the post of master. However, Mole, having received the votes of the Burgundians, won.

Master of the Knights Templar

In 1293, the new master went to Europe to put the affairs of the order in order and restore diplomatic relations with the most important courts. The situation was rather complicated. The fact is that initially the Order of the Poor Knights of Christ and the Temple of Solomon, as the Order of the Templars was officially called, was created to protect pilgrims in the Holy Land and the main purpose of its activity was to protect the Holy Land. But with the loss of the last stronghold, the meaning of the existence of the Templars seemed to disappear. It was necessary to develop a new paradigm for development away from the Holy Land.

Jacques de Molay first visited Marseille, where he called the brothers to order and held measures to strengthen discipline. And this was necessary, because if in the Holy Land the Templars were the most combat-ready and bravest unit, then on the continent, far from battles, but close to temptations, many brothers unscrewed somewhat. The saying "drinks like a Templar" was very popular in Europe at that time.

Pope Boniface VIII.

Fresco by Giotto in the Lateran Basilica.

Then de Molay went to Aragon to ensure a strong position of the order in this kingdom, which is extremely important in terms of transporting goods - the king of Aragon, Jacques II, was at the same time the king of Sicily. Jacques de Molay successfully resolved the friction between the local Templars and the king of Aragon and went to England to the court of Edward I in order to discuss the abolition of the heavy fines imposed by the English king on the master of the Temple. After that, Jacques de Molay went to Rome, where he helped the new Pope Boniface VIII (December 1294) take the throne of St. Peter in the election of the Pope. The help of Jacques de Molay consisted in a large number of gifts with which he endowed the voters, hinting for whom they should give their balls during the voting.

In the autumn of 1296, after a long and successful tour, Jacques de Molay returned to Cyprus. Here he had to moderate the ardor of Henry II of Cyprus, who set his sights on the property and privileges of the Templars on the island. From Cyprus, de Molay conducts an economic policy designed to increase the income of the order, and also recruits new Templars. His goal was to organize an expedition to reconquer the Holy Land, because this was precisely the reason for the existence of the order.

The idea to recapture Jerusalem did not leave Jacques de Molay, he believed in the possibility of organizing a new crusade. However, the military-political situation was little conducive to a new crusade, at least by the forces of European chivalry alone. And then a new plan is born in the head of Jacques de Molay, which even today seems very unusual.

Brother Gerard, founder of the Order of St. John of Jerusalem (Hospitallers).

Engravings by Laurent Automobiles, 1725.

Under the threat of the Mamluk invasion was not only Cyprus, which the Templars made a stronghold, but also Armenia. We are talking about the so-called. The Armenian kingdom of Cilicia, located in the southeastern region of Asia Minor, approximately in the place where modern Turkey borders on Syria. Of course, apart from the name, the Armenian kingdom of Cilicia has nothing in common with modern Armenia. In 1298, the Mamluks captured the castle of Roche-Guillaume, which was located in the Armenian kingdom, but in 1237 the Templars owned it. Built on a rock, the castle occupied a strategic position and controlled the road to Cilicia. In connection with this event, Jacques de Molay and the Grand Master of the Hospitallers Hospitallers or Johnites, or Knights of Malta(fr. Ordre des Hospitaliers) - founded in 1080 in Jerusalem as an Amalfi hospital, a Christian organization whose goal was to care for the poor, sick or wounded pilgrims in the Holy Land, later turned into a military order. One of the Masters of the Hospitallers (Maltese) was the Russian Emperor Paul I. 4 Guillaume de Villaret visited the Cilician Kingdom of Armenia.

yellow crusade

Such a poetic name was given to this cycle of events by Lev Gumilyov. But the outstanding literary gift of Lev Nikolaevich more often than allowed, prevailed over him as a scientist. An overly romantic attitude towards the Mongols, unfortunately, sometimes forced him to insert descriptions into books that had little to do with reality. In the interpretation of Lev Gumilyov (in the book "In Search of a Fictional Kingdom"), the matter looked like this.

At the kurultai of 1253, held in the upper reaches of the Onon, the Mongols allegedly decided to liberate Jerusalem from the Muslims. It should be noted that Onon is a river in Mongolia, that is, it is located in a straight line at a distance of about 6.5 thousand kilometers from Jerusalem. Unfortunately, Lev Nikolayevich, in support of his hypothesis, did not give at least one reason why the Mongols needed to organize a military campaign to such a distance to liberate a completely unnecessary city for them.

Further, Gumilyov continues, the Mongols sent Khan Khulagu, whose wife was Christian, to carry out this event. On the way to Jerusalem, Hulagu destroyed the Baghdad caliphate, assumed supreme power over Georgia and brutally suppressed the uprising of the Georgians, who were not happy with this development. This undermined the liberation ardor of the Mongols, who, if they had not been torn away from the cause of the liberation of the Holy Land by the Georgians, could have captured Palestine in 1259.

In addition, Gumilyov reports in his book, the Templars acted treacherously, who, instead of helping the Mongols, declared that they would not let them into the Holy Land. For which, according to Lev Nikolaevich, in the end they paid the price. Here is what he writes: “Having betrayed the Mongols and Armenians, whom they did not allow to go on the counteroffensive until the end of 1263, the crusaders were left alone with the Mamluks ... From 1307 to 1317, the terrible process of the Templars lasted ... But did they remember, in the intervals between tortures, ... that it was thanks to their order that… the Christian population of Syria was destroyed,… the goal of the crusades, the Holy Land, was lost forever” L.N. Gumilyov, "In search of a fictional kingdom", Klyshnikov, Komarov and Co., Moscow, 1992, pp. 162-163 5 .

Why such a conscientious scientist as Lev Gumilyov composed this tale is not very clear. Perhaps several factors combined here: and insufficient awareness of the activities of the Templars of that period (after all, it is unlikely that Lev Gumilyov, who at one time was twice in the camp, could freely travel to Europe to work in the archives, and many documents about the Templars became known after his death L.N. Gumilev), and some strange romantic attachment to the image of the Mongols, forcing him in any historical conflicts to create the image of the Mongols as the noblest of people, and everyone who did not rejoice at their arrival, Gumilev reproached for short-sightedness, deceit, etc. .P. In fact, everything was somewhat different.

Khan Hulagu really had a Nestorian wife Nestorianism- a branch of Christianity, condemned at the Ephesus (Third Ecumenical) Council in 431. It was named after its chief apostle, the Antiochian theologian Nestorius. The main principle of Nestorianism is that in the person of Christ, from birth, two natures are inseparably connected - God and man. 6 , and indeed led the Mongol campaign in the Middle East. However, his goal was not the liberation of Jerusalem at all, but the capture of Persia. Lev Gumilyov is trying to pass off the usual border skirmishes between the new geopolitical players in the region - the Mongols and the Mamluks - as confirmation that Hulagu allegedly had plans for Palestine. But historical facts they say that having received Persia, Hulagu no longer thought about any new conquests. In Persia, he founded the Ilkhanid (Hulaguid) dynasty, the Persian Mongols. And only the entrance to the arena at the end of the 13th century by Jacques de Molay shuffled the geopolitical cards in a new way.

At the time of Jacques de Molay's visit to Armenia, the Ilkhanid state was ruled by Khan Gazan, a Muslim by religion. Jacques de Molay decided to organize a military alliance between Henry II of Cyprus, King of Armenia Hethum II, Khan Ghazan and the Templars. The purpose of the alliance was the mutual desire to drive the Mamluks out of Asia Minor.

Ghazan Khan on horseback.

Persian miniature

From December 1299 to 1300, the Mongols carried out a number of fairly successful military operations against the Mamluks. Jacques de Molay himself decided to operate at sea (the Templars traditionally had a very strong fleet). Together with the Hospitallers and Henry II of Cyprus, the Templars equipped a fleet of sixteen galleys and a dozen smaller vessels with the aim of attacking Egypt, that is, the base territory of the Mamluks. In July 1300, the Templar fleet sacked Rosetta and Alexandria, after which Jacques de Molay notified Khan Ghazan that he should intensify his actions against the Mamluks in Syria. Khan Gazan had nothing against it and suggested that the allies come with their troops to Armenia and start offensive operations from there. The King of Cyprus sent 300 knights to Armenia.

The Templars captured the island of Arvad and held it until 1302, creating a base for future offensive operations. Ghazan, during the second campaign, in September 1302 took and sacked Damascus, but as soon as his troops left Syria, Damascus again went over to the rule of the Mamluks. In general, the situation was in a state of unstable parity: the alliance of the Templars, the king of Cyprus, the Armenian king and the Mongols had the strength to inflict sensitive blows on the Mamluks, but did not have enough strength to maintain the success achieved for a long time. It is difficult to say how it would have ended, but in 1304 Khan Gazan died and Jacques de Molay's project to recapture the Holy Land with the help of such an unusual union, one might say, ceased to exist.

Fall of the Grand Master

On November 14, 1305, the Gascon nobleman Raymond Bertrand de Gos became pope. He put on a tiara under the name of Clement V - he was the first of the popes to be crowned with a tiara Tiara- a triple crown, a high egg-shaped headdress, topped with a small cross and three crowns and having two falling ribbons at the back, which was worn by the popes from the beginning of the 14th century to 1965. 7 . This pope was an obedient instrument of the ambitious policy of the French king Philip IV the Handsome. Clement V became the first pope to leave Rome and move to the city of Avignon in southern France, giving rise to the historical period known as the Captivity of Avignon. Avignon captivity- the period from 1309 to 1378, when the residence of the heads of the Catholic Church was not in Rome, but in the French city of Avignon. 8 .

In 1306, Clement V (or maybe Philip the Handsome) decided to unite the Knights Templar with the Order of the Hospitallers, who also found refuge in the Kingdom of Cyprus. Clement V motivated his decision by the fact that the united order would be able to more easily organize the liberation of the Holy Land from the Mamluks. Jacques de Molay very arrogantly rejected the idea of ​​a merger, stating that a new crusade could only succeed with the combined forces of the entire European chivalry of at least 20 thousand people. In response, Clement V summoned Jacques de Molay to France.

Philip IV Handsome.

National French Library

Arriving in France, Jacques de Molay learned that the French king was collecting charges against the Templars, preparing something like a trial against them. Allegedly Philip Handsome Philip IV the Handsome(French Philippe IV le Bel, 1268-1314) - King of France since 1285, King of Navarre 1284-1305, Count of Champagne and Brie 1284-1305, son of Philip III the Bold, from the Capetian dynasty. 9 wants to accuse the Templars of depraved behavior, bribery, greed, illicit contacts with Muslims and - much worse - dangerous heretical practices. Jacques de Molay did not like Philip the Handsome, he accused him of the murder of Pope Boniface VIII, whose election he had so promoted in his time.

Boniface VIII in 1302 issued the bull "Unam Sanctam", in which he outlined the principles of the supremacy of the power of the popes over the secular power of any king. The Master of the Knights Templar, who reported directly to the Pope, liked the concept. But to the ambitious French king, she was like a bone in the throat. The question was, in fact, about what power would rule the Christian world: the popes of Rome through the most powerful military alliance - the Order of the Templars, or the Christian world would submit to the earthly power of the most powerful king. In short, Boniface VIII was assassinated within a year of this scandalous bull. The intentions of Philip the Handsome may not have included the murder of the pope, but the head of the detachment sent by the king to arrest the pope, Guillaume de Nogaret, overdid it. Boniface VIII was badly injured in the attempted arrest and died three days later. Of course, Jacques de Molay knew all this, but for the time being he left it without consequences.

Having received news of the intentions of Philip the Handsome in relation to the order, Jacques de Molay, apparently not very afraid of the French king, in August 1307 demanded that Clement V openly investigate the rumors. Here the countdown has already begun for days, if not for hours. Philip the Handsome understood perfectly well that he was unlikely to stand openly against the power of the entire Knights Templar. Was there a self-serving subtext in his subsequent actions? Yes, the Templars were a very rich order, and of course the French king could not help but remember their wealth. However, the main motive was precisely the political one - the question was who would rule Western Europe (although this term was not yet used in those centuries).

Maubuson Abbey, where on August 24, 1307, Philip the Handsome discussed the problem of the Knights Templar.

Modern photo

On August 24, 1307, Philip the Handsome gathered in the abbey of Maubuisson (Abbey Maubuisson) a meeting with especially trusted persons. The meeting discussed the question of how to deal with the Templars as quickly and painlessly as possible. As a result, a plan was worked out, the implementation of which was entrusted to Guillaume de Nogaret, the royal lawyer and adviser to the king. It was quite a remarkable person. As mentioned above, the king entrusted him with the arrest of the Pope. Guillaume was the author of the royal decree of 1306 for the arrest and expulsion of all Jews from France and the confiscation of their property. In general, the man was tenacious and fearless.

De Nogaret approached the matter very carefully. On September 14, 1307, on the day of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross, a sealed order drawn up by de Nogaret was sent to all seneschals and bailiffs of France. However, the contents of the packages were ordered to be examined only at dawn on October 13, 1307. Such a scheme was developed so that an operation to exterminate the Knights Templar began simultaneously throughout France.

Knowing nothing about the preparations of Philip IV, Jacques de Molay arrived on October 12, 1307 in Paris for the funeral of his wife Carla Valois brother of the king. The Grand Master was received with all the honors befitting a person of his rank.

Early in the morning of October 13, 1307 - this day fell on a Friday - the responsible royal officials opened the sealed envelopes and found in them an order to arrest all the Templars in their territory. The mousetrap closed.

Accusations against Jacques de Molay

It may seem strange that it was so easy and painless to carry out an operation to arrest almost all members of the most powerful and militantly strongest European chivalric alliance. This can be compared to Captain von Stauffenberg Claus Philipp Maria Schenk Count von Stauffenberg (German: Claus Philipp Maria Schenk Graf von Stauffenberg, 1907-1944) was a Wehrmacht colonel, one of the main members of the group of conspirators who planned the 20 July Plot and carried out an attempt on the life of Adolf Hitler on 20 July 1944. After the collapse of the conspiracy, he was shot on July 21 in Berlin. 10 On July 20, 1944, he arrested all the top and middle leaders of the SS throughout Germany and everything would have gone smoothly for him. Of course, the Knights Templar were not that numerous, but the royal forces thrown against them were not many thousands either. It was a medieval reality, when an army of three hundred knights already seemed large, and a thousand knights seemed like just a huge armada. Rather, it was something else.

Arrest of Jacques de Molay.

The Templars simply could not believe in the scale of the king's plan and were sure that they would soon be released, and therefore did not resist - they did not know that the action was taking place simultaneously throughout France. Moreover, it can be assumed that for some time the outcome of the entire operation was completely ambiguous. This assumption is supported, in particular, by the fact that Pope Clement V tried as far as possible to distance himself from the actions of the king. Upon learning of the arrests on October 13, he rushed to Poitiers and appointed a consistory Consistory, in the Roman Catholic Church - a special meeting of the Sacred College of Cardinals under the Pope. 11 cardinals in order to create a tribunal in which the pope and the cardinals were to hear complaints and accusations from both sides. The consistory lasted several days, after which Clement V, as he was not dependent, opposed the actions of the king, writing a letter to Philip on October 27, 1307, protesting against the arrests of the Templars. Philip the Handsome poured cold contempt on the pope's message. All the Templars who escaped arrest on October 13 but appeared before the tribunal to testify were arrested.

The exact number of arrested Templars is unknown to this day. Some documents speak of hundreds of arrests, some even of the number of more than a thousand arrested Templars.

Of course, the most important prisoner of Philip was Jacques de Molay, who so imprudently arrived in Paris just on the eve of the arrests. He, as well as all the Templars, were charged with stereotypical accusations: the denial of Christ, obscene kisses between brothers, sodomy, worship of the idol Baphomet. Jacques de Molay partially admitted to the accusations, but denied that he allegedly spat on the cross when he entered the order in 1265. De Molay's confession changes the vector of attitude towards the order. The kings of England and Aragon tend to follow the example of Philip the Handsome.

Clement V also tries to participate in the interrogations of the Templars, but the French king obstructed him. Finally, under the threat of excommunication, Philip the Handsome finally allowed the papal envoys to interrogate Jacques de Molay personally. This happened on December 27, 1307. Jacques de Molay declares to the cardinals that he is completely innocent, and his testimony was obtained under torture. Moreover, he gives them a document in which he orders all the Templars who confessed to anything to retract their testimony. Clement V decides to suspend the royal procedure, but the king is adamant and the interrogations continue with passion.

Chinon Parchment

One of the most important documents related to the personality of Jacques de Molay is the so-called. parchment from Chinon Chinon is a city on the Vienne River in western France. Since 1205, Chinon has been on the list of royal estates. 12 , Chinon parchment. This document was kept in the secret archives of the Vatican. Vatican secret archive officially founded on January 31, 1612 by Pope Paul V by highlighting especially important documents relating directly to the pastoral ministry of popes from the general collection of the Vatican Library. The archive contains millions of documents dated from the 8th to the 21st centuries. The total length of storage shelves covering two floors is 85 km. The archive has been open to scholars since 1881. 13 . In 2002, the Italian historian Barbara Freil, who studied the history of the Templars, discovered the existence of this document, and in 2007 its text became available to the public. Barbara Freil studied many hundreds of documents relating to the Knights Templar. She, in particular, believed that Baphomet, known from many protocols of interrogation of the Templars, was nothing more than the Shroud of Turin. Shroud of Turin- a piece of white cloth 4.3x1.1 m, on which there is a clearly distinguishable imprint of a human head, visible as if in a negative image; it was believed that this is a piece of shroud in which the body of Jesus Christ was wrapped after being taken down from the cross. After research in 1988 based on the radiocarbon method, it was recognized that the shroud was made no earlier than the 13th century. However, a number of other researchers point out that the Prayer Codex of the 12th century allegedly contains a reference to the Shroud of Turin. 14 , which was worshiped by the members of the order.

As for the Chinon parchment itself, it says that in the period from August 17 to August 20, 1308, at the initiative of Pope Clement V, a commission was formed of three authorized cardinals for additional interrogation of Jacques de Molay and the arrested members of the General Staff of the Knights Templar. The commission interrogated the following persons: brother Jacques de Molay, master of the Knights Templar, brother Rambaud Carombe, brother Hugues de Peyrot (Jacques de Molay's main competitor for the post of head of the order), brother Geoffroy de Gonville, Geoffroy de Charnay (who was later burned with Jacques de Molay). The purpose of the interrogations was to clarify the question of whether it is possible to cancel excommunication in relation to the indicated members of the order and, having forgiven them for their sins, return them to the bosom of the Church.

Investigators focused mainly on the accusations that members of the brotherhood admitted against themselves: sodomy, condemnation of God, unnatural kisses between members of the order, spitting on the cross and worship of an idol (Baphomet). Jacques de Molay was interrogated last, on August 20, 1308.

The interrogation of each of the highest leaders of the order took place according to a uniform pattern: the Templar entered the hall where the commission met, swore an oath to answer truthfully, then a list of accusations against him was read out, protocols of their earlier interrogations were given, the denunciations available to them were read out, a list of their requests for absolution and resolution to these requests.

About Jacques de Molay in the Shion parchment it is said that he was asked whether he pleaded guilty for the promised reward, gratitude, out of hatred for any person or out of fear of being subjected to torture. Jacques de Molay answered in the negative. When asked if he was subjected to torture after his arrest, he answered in the negative.

As a result of the interrogation of Jacques de Molay, the cardinals decided: “After this, we decided to grant the grace of absolution for his actions to brother Jacques de Molay, master of the order; in the form and manner described above, he condemned in our presence the above heresies and any other heresies, and swore personally on the holy gospel of the Lord, and humbly asked for the remission of sins. Therefore, he was again restored in unity with the Church and again accepted into the communion of believers and the sacraments of the Church.

In relation to the rest of the interrogated members of the General Staff of the Templars, excommunication from the Church was also canceled and they were given absolution. However, this did not mean at all that the royal court canceled its conviction. Everyone, including Jacques de Molay, was destined for life imprisonment.

Interrogations, trial and execution

After receiving absolution, Jacques de Molay was left in Chinon. On November 26, 1309, he appeared before a new papal commission to investigate the activities of the Templars. The commission met in the presence of Guillaume de Nogaret, who was developing the operation on October 13, 1307 to destroy the Knights Templar at lightning speed. For the brilliant implementation of this operation, de Nogaret received the title of Privy Seal of France, that is, something like a Minister of Justice.

Jacques de Molay again attempted to defend himself by deflecting the charges. He was reminded of the previous year's commission and that he then recognized the justice of the accusations, having renounced heresies. During interrogations, Jacques de Molay began to behave in a rather strange way, constantly changing defense tactics. At some point, he declared that the "poor illiterate knight" (he meant himself) did not know Latin, and therefore could not fight on equal terms with the royal lawyers-chickers, and in order to hire qualified defenders, he did not have enough funds. De Molay also recalled that no other structure has shed so much of its blood in defense of Christ as the Templars have shed. In the end, he refused to speak to the commission any longer and demanded a personal meeting with Pope Clement V. Of course, he did not receive this audience.

In December 1313, Clement V appointed a new commission of three cardinals to try Jacques de Molay, Hugues de Peyrot, Geoffroy de Gonville, and Geoffroy de Charnay, Grand Prior of Normandy. In March 1314, Jacques de Molay and Geoffroy de Charnay took back their words of 1307 and again declared their complete innocence. The judges immediately accused them of recidivism. Relapse in the Catholic medieval Church meant a serious crime, implying that the accused, who repented of sins, returned to his heresy again, that is, if initially he could fall into heresy unknowingly and, sincerely repentant, receive forgiveness, then in case of relapse, he chooses heresy knowingly.

The execution of Jacques de Molay and Geoffroy de Charnay.

As a result, Jacques de Molay and Geoffroy de Charnay were sentenced to be burned at the stake. On March 18, 1314, King Philip decided to organize a burning on the Jewish island jewish island(fr., Ile aux Juifs) - located in Paris to the west of the island of Cité, not far from the Palace of Justice; got its name because of the executions of Jews carried out here in the Middle Ages. 15 .

The last minutes of the life of Jacques de Molay are known from the memoirs of Geoffroy of Paris, a priest and clerk from the royal office, who was near the fire during the execution. He describes the moment of execution as follows: Jacques de Molay climbed the fire in one shirt, despite the cold weather. The guards were about to tie his hands, but he smiled and said: “Gentlemen, at least leave my hands free so that I can pray to God. I die freely and God knows my innocence and knows who is to blame and sin and misfortune will soon fall on those who falsely condemned us. God will avenge our death. All those who are against us will suffer. In this faith I want to die. This is my faith and I ask you in the name of the Virgin Mary, who gave birth to our Lord, do not cover my face when you light the fire. His request was granted and he no longer uttered a word, accepting death in silence, surprising everyone around him. Geoffroy de Charnay went to the stake after his master and, before his death, having delivered a laudatory speech in honor of Jacques de Mole, he also accepted a martyr's death.

Another eyewitness to the scene, a certain Florentin, claimed that during the night after the burning, certain adepts collected the bones of Jacques de Molay and Geoffroy de Charnay and hid them in a sacred place for religious rites.

A curse

Such a tragic death and the very personality of the executed could not but arouse the human imagination. Already from the XIV century, the personality of Jacques de Molay and the Templars began to acquire romantic features. So, Boccaccio mentions de Molay in his "De casibus virorum illustrium" A cycle of stories, summarized in nine books, telling about the famous - real and mythical - heroes of the past. The cycle was written in the period from 1355 to 1373. 16 . What impressed the imagination of later generations was that the chief judges of the Templars, King Philip IV and Pope Clement V, died suddenly within a few months of the execution of Jacques de Molay. Moreover, the children of Philip the Handsome also very quickly left the historical scene and the Valois dynasty reigned in France.

All this gave the descendants the basis for creating a legend about the curse of Jacques de Molay. Indeed, before his execution, he actually promised a quick death to all his tormentors. This idea was most fully developed by the French writer Maurice Druon. Maurice Druon(French, Maurice Druon), 1918-2009, French writer, member of the Resistance, Minister of Culture in the government of Georges Pompidou; in 2002 met with Vladimir Putin. 17 , in his famous series of novels "Cursed Kings".

However, there is a more prosaic version. The Templars were a very branched and most influential organization in medieval Europe. Despite the fact that the operation on October 13, 1307 was successful, a clearly large number of people who were not directly members of the order, but sympathized with him, remained at large. They allegedly helped the curse of Jacques de Molay come true. After all, it was not difficult for a hidden supporter of the Templars from the retinue of Clement V and Philip the Handsome to organize their murder and hide.

Like it or not, we are unlikely to ever know. But it is known that on January 21, 1793, when the head of the French king Louis XVI fell under the blow of a guillotine knife, some unknown person separated from the crowd of onlookers, immersed his hands in the still warm blood of the king and, showing his outstretched bloody palms to the crowd, exclaimed: “ You have been avenged, Jacques de Molay! No one knows who this man was or where he then disappeared to.

When the severed head of the last Capet, King Louis XVI, fell into a basket set up for her, a mysterious man announced to the crowd that Jacques de Molay, Grand Master of the Order of the Templars defeated more than four hundred years ago, was finally avenged.

Non nobis, Domine, non nobis sed nomini tuo da gloriam
Not to us, Lord, not to us, but for the greater glory of Your name (lat.)
Motto of the Knights Templar

The Grand Master of the Knights of the Temple, Jacques de Molay, and the commander of Normandy, Godefroy de Charnay, were burned alive on the Reed Island of the Seine on March 18, 1314. King Philip IV the Handsome watched the execution from the summer garden of his palace, celebrating his victory - with his royal will, he managed to destroy the greatest spiritual and knightly order, whose commanderships covered all of Catholic Europe. No one paid attention to the curse that the temple engulfed in flames threw in the face of the king. about penetrated, it is common for a heretic writhing in the fire to curse his tormentor. Jacques de Molay predicted a quick death for Philip IV the Handsome and Pope Clement V, and at the same time an unenviable lot for the royal descendants.

“Not even a year will pass before I call you to the Judgment of God! I curse you! A curse on your family to the thirteenth generation! ”He shouted, testifies the French chronicler, a contemporary of those events, Godefroy of Paris.

Jacques de Molay painting by Francois Reshard, 1806

But very soon the last words of the Grand Master were remembered. The pontiff died a painful death from inflammation of the intestines already on April 20 of the same year, and on November 29 from paralysis after falling from a horse, he gave his soul and king to God. The rest of the participants in the conspiracy against the Templars also suffered an unenviable fate: some were prepared for a dagger in the gateway, while others were waiting for the gallows. The three sons of Philip IV, one after another succeeding each other on their father's throne, ruled mediocre and not for long - in 1328, Charles IV the Handsome died without leaving heirs, being the last representative of the older Capetian dynasty. The throne was inherited by the younger branches of the Hugh Capet family - first the Valois, and then the Bourbons. The last Bourbon to have the right to the French throne, Louis XVI, was executed on the guillotine on January 21, 1893 as "citizen Louis Capet".

The execution of Louis XVI some associate
with the curse of the last Grand Master of the Templars

According to the official version, the Order of the Templars was defeated because of heresy - the templars were accused of worshiping a certain Baphomet, an idol about which nothing is really known so far. Many historians, referring to violations in the trial and inconsistencies in the testimony of witnesses and scammers, argue that heresy was just a far-fetched pretext for action, and they see the reason in the colossal influence of the Templars, which did not suit Philip IV and threatened the authority of Clement V.

The Knights of the Temple did not hide their dissatisfaction with the policies of the Pope, under which the sale and purchase of church positions and sacred relics flourished. It is noteworthy that Dante, in his Divine Comedy, placed Clement V in the eighth circle of hell as a holy merchant. Yes, and the heresy of the templars could not be fully proved, and the burning of Jacques de Molay and Godefroy de Charnay was an auto-da-fé only in form, but not in content - the clergy did not hand them over to secular authorities for a death sentence - this was the initiative of Philip VI .

Pope Clement V

By the time of the defeat, the Order of the Templars, founded in 1119 in Jerusalem by nine knights led by Hugh de Peyen, numbered, according to various sources, from 15 thousand to 30 thousand knights, sergeants, militias and laborers. The brotherhood, founded as "poor knights", quickly turned into the richest military organization, in whose hands huge funds were concentrated, and which owned the richest lands. The former covenants were mainly adhered to by the monk-knights, who formed the backbone of the order and determined its policy. The lay knights, on the other hand, enjoyed the wealth and influence of the order with might and main (this is the type of templars shown in Walter Scott's novel "Ivanhoe" in the image of the main negative character Brian de Boisguillebert). The only reminder of the former poverty of the brotherhood was the seal, which depicted two riders on one horse. Being both a secular and spiritual organization, subordinate only to the Pope, by the beginning of the XIV century, the order had become "the largest creditor in Europe." Among his debtors was Philip IV...

The seal of the Templars served as a reminder that
that the first two brothers had only one horse

How could it happen that such a powerful organization was crushed overnight? First, the Templars were opposed by the Pope himself and the strongest monarch in Europe, who, for various reasons, were joined by less influential politicians. Secondly, the charter of the order forbade the Templars to raise a sword against fellow believers, if there is no direct threat to life - prison did not mean death. Thirdly, the templars considered the accusations ridiculous and hoped for the intercession of Clement V, but Philip IV the Handsome actually put him at the head of the Church, and the Pope turned a blind eye to the actions of the French king. Fourthly, not all members of the order were captured - it was physically impossible to do this, also because the Templars had quite influential patrons. Many French Templars simply disappeared.

“In Spain, there were orders of monk-knights modeled after the Temple: Calatrava, Alcantara, Santiago the Sword-bearer. When the Order of the Temple was abolished, the Templars were allowed to join these orders ... In Portugal, the Order of the Temple was simply transformed into the Order of Christ, which, along with the white cloak, retained the Templar cross, under which the great navigators would open the world ... In Germany they could not even be arrested, not to interrogate. At various regional councils they were fully justified,” writes the French historian Louis Charpentier.

In the painting by Alfredo Gameiro Roque "Departure of Vasco da Gama to India"
on the sails of the traveler's ships are clearly visible
Crane crosses of the Knights Templar

Be that as it may, the Knights Templar ceased to exist at the beginning of the 14th century, but still remains the most famous and mysterious knightly brotherhood. Its history is closely connected with the legend of the Grail. Some researchers are sure that the first nine brothers were able to acquire some secret knowledge in the cellars of the Temple of the Lord (in particular, they are called the Tables of the Law), which allowed the Templars not only to rise, but also to give a powerful impetus to the development of the entire Western civilization. In particular, it was the templars who laid the foundations of banking. They came up with receipts that allowed money to be deposited in one place and received in another. This made it possible for Europeans to move between cities without fear for the safety of their wealth.

In addition, the rise of the Templars coincided with the building boom in the West - the greatest works of European architecture were created during the existence of the order. The templars themselves built dozens of abbeys and temples, notable for their unusual Gothic architecture. In addition, it is believed that they financed the construction of many cathedrals, including Chartres. Allegedly, the construction of such structures was the result of the acquisition by the templars of the divine laws of numbers, weights and measures. The most interesting thing is that after the disappearance of the order, the mass construction of structures of similar magnitude ceased. This gives reason to associate the Templars with Freemasons - Freemasons.

Chartres Cathedral has survived from the end of the 13th century to the present day almost untouched:
it has never been restored or rebuilt

Many believe that the surviving Templars preserved the divine knowledge received in the Holy Land and passed it on to adepts of all kinds. secret societies. There is no direct evidence for this, but such rumors have become fertile ground for various hypotheses and speculations. For example, some classify Joan of Arc as a Templar, although the entry of women into the brotherhood is expressly prohibited by the charter of the templars, which was developed by St. Bernard of Clairvaux. Others insist that the Templars were heretics and associated with the devil, and their activities were destructive, not constructive. Accordingly, the surviving descendants and successors of the Templars continue to intrigue humanity.

In modern mass culture, a rather negative image of the templars has developed, as greedy for profit, arrogant arrogant people who justly paid for their sins. Be that as it may, there are still people who are trying to find the treasures of the Templars, whether it be divine knowledge or gold and precious stones hidden by the Knights of the Temple in their hiding places.

The stories of knights loyal to the king, a beautiful lady and military duty have been inspiring men to exploits for many centuries, and people of art to creativity.

Ulrich von Liechtenstein (1200-1278)

Ulrich von Liechtenstein did not storm Jerusalem, did not fight the Moors, did not participate in the Reconquista. He became famous as a knight-poet. In 1227 and 1240 he traveled, which he described in the courtly novel The Service of the Ladies.

According to him, he went from Venice to Vienna, challenging every knight he met to fight in the name of Venus. He also created The Ladies' Book, a theoretical essay on love poetry.

Lichtenstein's "Serving the Ladies" is a textbook example of a courtly novel. It tells about how the knight sought the location of a beautiful lady. To do this, he had to amputate his little finger and half of his upper lip, defeat three hundred opponents in tournaments, but the lady remained adamant. Already at the end of the novel, Lichtenstein concludes "that only a fool can serve indefinitely where there is nothing to count on and a reward."

Richard the Lionheart (1157-1199)

Richard the Lionheart is the only Knight King on our list. In addition to the well-known and heroic nickname, Richard also had a second one - "Yes and no." It was invented by another knight, Bertrand de Born, who dubbed the young prince so for his indecision.

Already being king, Richard did not manage England at all. In the memory of his descendants, he remained a fearless warrior who cared about personal glory more than about the well-being of his possessions. Almost the entire time of his reign, Richard spent abroad.

He took part in the Third Crusade, conquered Sicily and Cyprus, besieged and took Acre, but the English king did not dare to storm Jerusalem. On the way back, Richard was captured by Duke Leopold of Austria. Only a rich ransom allowed him to return home.

After returning to England, Richard fought for another five years with the French king Philip II Augustus. Richard's only major victory in this war was the capture of Gisors near Paris in 1197.

Raymond VI (1156-1222)

Count Raymond VI of Toulouse was an atypical knight. He became famous for his opposition to the Vatican. One of the largest feudal lords of Languedoc in Southern France, he patronized the Cathars, whose religion was practiced during his reign by the majority of the population of Languedoc.

Pope Innocent II excommunicated Raimund twice for refusing to obey, and in 1208 he called for a campaign against his lands, which went down in history as the Albigensian Crusade. Raymond offered no resistance and in 1209 publicly repented.

However, too cruel, in his opinion, the demands on Toulouse led to another discord with catholic church. For two years, from 1211 to 1213, he managed to hold Toulouse, but after the defeat of the crusaders in the Battle of Muret, Raymond IV fled to England, to the court of John Landless.

In 1214, he again officially submitted to the pope. In 1215, the Fourth Lateran Council, which he attended, stripped him of his rights to all lands, leaving only the marquisate of Provence to his son, the future Raymond VII.

William Marshal (1146-1219)

William Marshal was one of the few knights whose biography was published almost immediately after his death. In 1219, a poem entitled "The History of William Marshal" was published.

The marshal became famous not because of his feats of arms in wars (although he also participated in them), but thanks to his victories in knightly tournaments. He gave them sixteen years of his life.

The Archbishop of Canterbury called the Marshal the greatest knight of all time.

Already at the age of 70, Marshal led the royal army on a campaign against France. His signature is on the Magna Carta as a guarantor of its observance.

Edward the Black Prince (1330-1376)

Eldest son of King Edward III, Prince of Wales. He received his nickname either because of his difficult character, or because of the origin of his mother, or because of the color of the armor.

The "Black Prince" gained his fame in battles. He won two classic battles of the Middle Ages - at Cressy and at Poitiers.

For this, his father especially noted him, making him the first knight of the new Order of the Garter. His marriage to a cousin, Joanna of Kent, also added to Edward's knighthood. This couple was one of the brightest in Europe.

On June 8, 1376, a year before his father's death, Prince Edward died and was buried in Canterbury Cathedral. The English crown was inherited by his son Richard II.

The Black Prince has left a mark on culture. He is one of the heroes of Arthur Conan Doyle's dilogy about the Hundred Years' War, a character in Dumas' novel The Bastard de Moleon.

Bertrand de Born (1140-1215)

The knight and troubadour Bertrand de Born was the ruler of Perigord, the owner of the castle of Hautefort. Dante Alighieri portrayed Bertrand de Born in his "Divine Comedy": the troubadour is in Hell, and holds his severed head in his hand as punishment for the fact that in life he fanned quarrels between people and loved wars.

And, according to Dante, Bertrand de Born sang only to sow discord.

De Born, meanwhile, became famous for his courtly poetry. In his poems, he glorified, for example, the Duchess Matilda, the eldest daughter of Henry II and Eleanor of Aquitaine. De Born was acquainted with many troubadours of his time, such as Guillem de Bergedan, Arnaut Daniel, Folke de Marseilla, Gaucelm Faydit and even the French trouveur Conon of Bethune. Toward the end of his life, Bertrand de Born retired to the Cistercian abbey of Dalon, where he died in 1215.

Gottfried of Bouillon (1060-1100)

To become one of the leaders of the First Crusade, Gottfried of Bouillon sold everything he had and gave up his lands. The pinnacle of his military career was the assault on Jerusalem.

Gottfried of Bouillon was elected the first king of the crusader kingdom in the Holy Land, but refused such a title, preferring to him the title of baron and Defender of the Holy Sepulcher.

He left an order to crown his brother Baldwin king of Jerusalem if Gottfried himself died - so a whole dynasty was founded.

As a ruler, Gottfried took care of expanding the boundaries of the state, imposed taxes on the emissaries of Caesarea, Ptolemais, Ascalon, and subjugated the Arabians on the left side of the Jordan to his power. On his initiative, a statute was introduced, which was called the Jerusalem Assisi.

He died, according to Ibn al-Qalanisi, during the siege of Acre. According to another version, he died of cholera.

Jacques de Molay (1244-1314)

De Molay was the last Master of the Knights Templar. In 1291, after the fall of Acre, the Templars moved their headquarters to Cyprus.

Jacques de Molay set himself two ambitious goals: he wanted to reform the order and convince the pope and European monarchs to equip a new Crusade to the Holy Land.

The Knights Templar were the richest organization in the history of medieval Europe, and their economic ambitions were beginning to get in the way of European monarchs.

On October 13, 1307, by order of the King of France, Philip IV the Handsome, all the French Templars were arrested. The order was officially banned.

The last master of the Templars has remained in history, including thanks to the legend of the so-called "curse of de Molay". According to Geoffroy of Paris, on March 18, 1314, Jacques de Molay, ascending the fire, summoned the French king Philip IV, his adviser Guillaume de Nogaret and Pope Clement V to God's judgment. Already shrouded in clouds of smoke, he promised the king, adviser and pope that they outlive it by no more than a year. He also cursed the royal family to the thirteenth generation.

In addition, there is a legend that Jacques de Molay, before his death, founded the first Masonic lodges, in which the forbidden order of the Templars was supposed to remain underground.

Jean le Maingre Boucicault (1366-1421)

Boucicault was one of the most famous French knights. At 18, he went to Prussia to help the Teutonic Order, then he fought against the Moors in Spain and became one of the heroes of the Hundred Years War. During the truce in 1390, Boucicault entered the jousting tournament and took first place in it.

Busiko was a knight-errant and wrote poems about his prowess.

His was so great that King Philip VI made him Marshal of France.

In the famous Battle of Agincourt, Boucicault was captured and died in England six years later.

Cid Campeador (1041(1057)-1099)

The real name of this illustrious knight was Rodrigo Diaz de Vivar. He was a Castilian nobleman, military and political leader, national hero of Spain, hero of Spanish folk tales, poems, romances and dramas, as well as the famous tragedy of Corneille.

The Arabs called the knight the Sid. Translated from folk Arabic, "sit" means "my lord." In addition to the nickname "Sid", Rodrigo also earned another nickname - Campeador, which translates as "winner".

The glory of Rodrigo was forged under King Alfonso. Under him, El Cid became the commander-in-chief of the Castilian army. In 1094, Cid captured Valencia and became its ruler. All attempts by the Almorravids to recapture Valencia ended in their defeats at the battles of Kuart (in 1094) and Bairen (in 1097). After his death in 1099, Sid turned into a folk hero, sung in poems and songs.

It is believed that before last battle with the Moors, El Cid was mortally wounded by a poisoned arrow. His wife dressed Compeador's body in armor and put him on a horse so that his army would maintain morale.

In 1919, the remains of Cid and his wife, Doña Jimena, were buried in Burgos Cathedral. Since 2007, Tisona, a sword that allegedly belonged to Sid, has been located here.

William Wallace (c. 1272-1305)

William Wallace is a national hero of Scotland, one of the most important figures in her wars of independence from 1296-1328. His image was embodied by Mel Gibson in the movie "Braveheart".

In 1297, Wallace killed the English sheriff of Lanark and soon established himself as one of the leaders of the Scottish rebellion against the English. On September 11 of the same year, Wallace's small army defeated the 10,000th English army on Stirling Bridge. Most of the country was liberated. Wallace was knighted and declared Guardian of the Realm, ruling in Balliol's name.

A year later, the English king Edward I again invaded Scotland. On July 22, 1298, the Battle of Falkirk took place. Wallace's forces were defeated and he was forced into hiding. However, a letter of the French king to his ambassadors in Rome, dated November 7, 1300, survives, in which he demands that they support Wallace.

In Scotland at this time continued guerrilla war, and Wallace returned to his homeland in 1304 and took part in several clashes. However, on August 5, 1305, he was captured in the vicinity of Glasgow by English soldiers.

Wallace rejected the accusations of treason at the trial, saying: "I cannot be a traitor to Edward, because I have never been his subject."

On August 23, 1305, William Wallace was executed in London. His body was beheaded and cut into pieces, his head hung on the Great London Bridge, and body parts are on display in the largest cities in Scotland - Newcastle, Berwick, Stirling and Perth.

Henry Percy (1364-1403)

For his character, Henry Percy was nicknamed "hotspur" (hot spur). Percy is one of the heroes of Shakespeare's historical chronicles. Already at the age of fourteen, under the command of his father, he participated in the siege and capture of Berik, ten years later he himself commanded two raids on Boulogne. In the same year, 1388, he was knighted in the Garter by King Edward III of England, and took an active part in the war with France.

For his support of the future King Henry IV, Percy became constable of the castles of Flint, Conwy, Chester, Caernarvon and Denbigh, and was also appointed Justicar of North Wales. At the Battle of Homildon Hill, Hotspur captured Earl Archibald Douglas, who was in command of the Scots.

The outstanding commander of the Hundred Years War, Bertrand Deguquelin, in his childhood, did not look much like the future famous knight.

According to the troubadour Cuvelier of Tournai, who compiled the biography of Dugueclin, Bertrand was "the ugliest child in Rennes and Dinan" - with short legs, too broad shoulders and long arms, an ugly round head and swarthy "boar" skin.

Deguquelin entered the first tournament in 1337, at the age of 17, and later chose military career- as the researcher Jean Favier writes, he made war his craft "as much out of necessity as out of spiritual inclination."

Most of all, Bertrand Du Guesclin became famous for his ability to take well-fortified castles by storm. His small detachment, supported by archery and crossbowmen, stormed the walls with ladders. Most castles, which had insignificant garrisons, could not resist such tactics.

After the death of Dugueclin during the siege of the city of Châteauneuf-de-Randon, he was given the highest posthumous honor: he was buried in the tomb of the French kings in the church of Saint-Denis at the feet of Charles V.

John Hawkwood (c. 1320-1323 -1394)

The English condottiere John Hawkwood was the most famous leader of the "White Company" - a detachment of Italian mercenaries of the XIV century, which served as a prototype for the heroes of Conan Doyle's novel "The White Company".

Together with Hawkwood, English archers and footmen at arms appeared in Italy. Hawkwood for his military merits received the nickname l'acuto, "cool", which later became his name - Giovanni Acuto.

The fame of Hawkwood was so great that the English King Richard II asked the Florentines for permission to bury him in his homeland in Hedingham. The Florentines returned the ashes of the great condottiere to their homeland, but ordered a tombstone and a fresco for his empty grave in the Florentine Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore.

Over the two centuries of formal existence, the Knights Templar had 23 Grand Masters.
The last of them, Jacques de Molay, is known better than the rest.
Molet is believed to have been born in 1244 in the Vitrey region of Haute Saone in France.
Little is known about his childhood, but what is known is that in 1265, at the age of twenty-one, he entered the Knights Templar - this was the minimum age required for this.
Like many who entered the Order of the Temple, de Molay combined faith with the thrill of fighting the unbelievers.
In his later years, this was reflected in the fact that he, like many other knights, was not pleased with the truce negotiated in the Holy Land by King Edward, as this meant that the war in Palestine was over for the Templars.
De Molay climbed the ranks of the Order very quickly and spent a lot of time in England.
At first he was appointed commander, and after a while the Grand Preceptor of all England.
After the death of the 22nd Grand Master, Theobald Gaudin, de Molay became Grand Master of the order. Almost immediately he leaves England for the island of Cyprus.
During the reign of Grand Master Robert de Sable, the Templars bought this island for the sum of 100,000 silver bezants from Richard I.
Unfortunately they left a too small garrison there who tried to control the populace, which eventually led to a rebellion which caused the Templars to quickly sell the island to King Guido de Lusignan for the same amount with the right to leave a garrison there.

After the fall of Acre in 1291, the island became an important base for the order.
De Molay remains in Cyprus until Philip IV and Clement V summon him to France in the autumn of 1307.

The story of the fall is too well known to readers to be given here in detail (we read about it), but one cannot but say that a few days before his arrest, Philip the Handsome asked Jacques de Molay to become his son's godfather.
Perhaps the king didn't want the order to suspect him, or perhaps he simply stuck to the old proverb, « keep friends close and enemies even closer. »
After his arrest on the morning of October 13, 1307, de Molay spent the next seven years in prison, during which he and many other knights of the order were tortured.
Investigators went to any lengths to obtain confessions that would denigrate the order in the eyes of the people and the Catholic Church.
Although de Molay acknowledged the denial of Christ and the trampling of the crucifix at the initiation, he denied accusations that the initiation ritual involved a homosexual act.

On March 18, 1314, de Molay was taken to the square to publicly confess his sins and the sins of the order, but he retracted his earlier confessions and said that the only crime of which he was guilty was that, under torture, he had betrayed his brothers to lessen their own torture.
Then he was taken to the island of Siene and burned along with Geofri Charney, preceptor of Normandy.

There are many records of de Molay's last words in the square, but in the 19th century, the historian Charles Addison, in his work The Knights Templar, cites them as follows:
“To say something that is inappropriate is a crime, both before God and before man.
Many of us have betrayed both God and our country.
I acknowledge my guilt, which consists in the fact that, to my shame and shame, I could not endure the pain of torture and the fear of death and told a lie, attributing the sins and guilt of the glorified order.
I despise myself for trying to earn a miserable and disgraceful existence by grafting a lie on the original falsity."

Sources of information:
1. Smirnov V.V. "People with the Power of Lions"
2. "Templars" ("Soldier at the Front" No. 20)
3. Knights Templar (New Soldier #82)