Templar Organization

This analysis is primarily based on the French Rule (OF Rule). This amazing set of military regulations describes the responsibilities of the Order’s members in wartime and in peace. It evolved from the original "Primitive Rule" created by the Council of Troyes in 1129 over the entire 180-year history of the order until its suppression by King Philip the Fair in the early 1300’s. The Primitive Rule comprises some 74 articles and is clearly derived from the Rule of St. Benedict. This is not surprising since it bears the mark of the great Cistercian Abbot, St. Bernard, who was the early Order’s religious sponsor, marketer, mentor, and lobbyist. By the time the Primitive Rule was laid down, the Knights had been operating for some ten years. Hugh and his eight or nine companions had been protecting pilgrims in and about Jerusalem. As a result, the first rule contained obvious elements of existing practice. By the late thirteenth century, the Rule had grown by almost ten times to some 686 articles.

I have cross-referenced clues within different sections of the Rule and relied upon numerous other scholarly works to ferret out the details presented here. The Rule was an "insiders" document. By that I mean that it was written by Templars for the consumption of other Templars. What was obvious to them is often not explicitly stated. They certainly did not have our centuries later curiosity in mind at the time. Thus, some significant detective work has been required.

The non-Templar works studied are concerned with general medieval society and military practice. Although the Templars were profoundly innovative in the vision of their founding, the basic organizational building blocks were a product of their secular environment. Members were well indoctrinated in the outside world before joining. Rule 14 clearly states that children are not to be admitted to the Order. This was relatively unique to the Templars. Most monastic orders of the day allowed the admittance of juveniles. Knights were to be raised and trained in the secular world at least until they had reached adulthood before admittance to the Templars. It was expected that postulates were to be fully skilled and indoctrinated in contemporary, secular, knighthood before joining. Many members did not join until later in life after becoming widowed or desiring, for some other reason, to set the secular world aside and "bear arms-- [to] rid the land of the enemies of Christ." (R14). The medieval mind considered this a way to not only serve God, but to also shed ones’ self of the worldly burdens in preparation for the afterlife. It was not uncommon for men who were very ill to donate their estates and be admitted prior to their death, gaining them a final resting place in the local Templar chapel or cemetery. Grand Masters (Masters of the Temple in Jerusalem) could be also chosen from outside the Order. Thus, the influence of the norms, social structure, and standard military tactics of medieval Europe was pervasive. With that in mind, let us start this analysis with a brief sketch of how that secular world operated. I’ll also discuss how the Templars contrasted with the secular world in subtle, but important ways.