Officially endorsed by the Roman Catholic Church around 1129, the Order became a favoured charity throughout Christendom and grew rapidly in membership and power. Templar knights, in their distinctive white mantles with a red cross, were among the most skilled fighting units of the Crusades.5 Non-combatant members of the Order managed a large economic infrastructure throughout Christendom,6 innovating financial techniques that were an early form of banking,78 and building fortifications across Europe and the Holy Land.
The Templars' existence was tied closely to the Crusades; when the Holy Land was lost, support for the Order faded. Rumours about the Templars' secret initiation ceremony created distrust, and King Philip IV of France, deeply in debt to the Order, took advantage of the situation. In 1307, many of the Order's members in France were arrested, tortured into giving false confessions, and then burned at the stake.9 Under pressure from King Philip, Pope Clement V disbanded the Order in 1312. The abrupt disappearance of a major part of the European infrastructure gave rise to speculation and legends, which have kept the "Templar" name alive into the modern day.
The Templars' existence was tied closely to the Crusades; when the Holy Land was lost, support for the Order faded. Rumours about the Templars' secret initiation ceremony created distrust, and King Philip IV of France, deeply in debt to the Order, took advantage of the situation. In 1307, many of the Order's members in France were arrested, tortured into giving false confessions, and then burned at the stake.9 Under pressure from King Philip, Pope Clement V disbanded the Order in 1312. The abrupt disappearance of a major part of the European infrastructure gave rise to speculation and legends, which have kept the "Templar" name alive into the modern day.
by kaAraRific January 14, 2016
A group of knights who supposedly found the Holy Grail under the Temple of Solomon DUring the Crusades. They became very rich in a very short ammount of time , though no one knows why exactly, the were destroyed just as Quickly as they popped up. It is said that the King got jealous of their riches and wanted them for himself, SO he ordered them all dead ( they were hung, burned at the stake, etc.)
by georgia baby June 6, 2006
A wretched, screaching, pedantic, nauseating individual. Known for his burps and growls of ferociousness. When a High Templar is around, multiple muggers in a 5 mile radius will be known to shout "Bring me my money". Templar also graduated at the top of his class at poop joke university, getting a doctorate in saying the most immature things, at only 12 years old.
by ColeImInYourWalls! August 31, 2022
by Zezimads August 22, 2006
A Runescape Clan started by Finish_ed and Lankanarcher. A pretty good clan that pks in the wilderness and fights wars with many other clans. They fight with everything they got. Whenever they have free time you can find them hunting Genesis(another clan that was enemies with the forgotten templars, but keep closing the clan) in the wilderness.
by Oxboy333 January 5, 2007
A genre of books brought into prominence after the success of The Da Vinci Code in which the author mentions the Knights Templar, the Freemasons, the Illuminati or any other historical secret society in order to add credibility to his or her work of total fiction.
by peridot823 August 14, 2008
by snowyground January 20, 2012