History of the Knights Templar is a fascinating one, from the formation of the Order in 1118 through to its dissolution in 1307 and beyond. In two hundred years the Order established Commanderies throughout the known world, became immensely wealthy, developed the origins of what became our current banking system, and were answerable to no-one but the Pope. They were noble men who gave up Land and Title to take monastic vows: they were willing to die to protect Christendom, and yet they apparently disappeared from history without trace.
Perhaps this, more than any other reason is why the Knights Templar have inspired so many myths. There is a huge gap for the imagination to fill, and there are a large number of books, films and videos produced each year purporting to have discovered the 'Secrets' of the Templars.
In the Grand Priory of England, we are also keen to know as much as we can about the history of the Order, of which we are the successors. Luckily there are well respected academics out there who have covered almost everything there is to know about the Templars and so we can benefit from reading books based on sound research.
Everyone loves the Da Vinci Code, and there are theories aplenty about hidden Templar treasure, The Holy Grail, the Shroud of Jesus and so on, and we are all free to have our own thoughts on such matters. In fact the interface between historical narrative and national mythmaking is in itself a legitimate area of study because what we believe about the past underpins what the members of an Institution believe to be their function to be today. Whilst all history is open to interpretation, some theories are based on a misunderstanding of the medieval world and its politics, and with that in mind, here is a reading list by some of the most respected historians today.
I hope you enjoy reading some of these books and you might be pleasantly surprised to find that sometimes historical facts are far more interesting than fiction.Sara Goldingham