Editing Knights Templar (section)

== Legacy ==
{{See also|List of Knights Templar sites}}

[[File:TempleChurch-Exterior.jpg|thumb|right|[[Temple Church]], London. As the chapel of the New Temple in London, it was the location for Templar initiation ceremonies. In modern times it is the parish church of the [[Middle Temple|Middle]] and [[Inner Temple]]s, two of the [[Inns of Court]], and a popular tourist attraction.]]

With their military mission and extensive financial resources, the Knights Templar funded a large number of building projects around Europe and the Holy Land. Many of these structures are still standing.  Many sites also maintain the name "Temple" because of centuries-old association with the Templars.{{sfn|Martin|2005|p=58}} For example, some of the Templars' lands in London were later rented to [[lawyer]]s, which led to the names of the [[Temple Bar, London|Temple Bar]] gateway and the [[Temple tube station|Temple Underground station]]. Two of the four [[Inns of Court]] which may call members to act as [[barrister]]s are the [[Inner Temple]] and [[Middle Temple]] – the entire area known as [[Temple, London]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Ruggeri |first=Amanda |title=The hidden world of the Knights Templar |url=http://www.bbc.com/travel/story/20160510-the-hidden-world-of-the-knights-templar |access-date=11 December 2017}}</ref>

Distinctive [[architecture|architectural]] elements of Templar buildings include the use of the image of "two knights on a single horse", representing the Knights' poverty, and round buildings designed to resemble the [[Church of the Holy Sepulchre]] in Jerusalem.{{sfn|Barber|1994|pp=194–195}}

=== Modern organizations ===
The Knights Templar were disbanded in 1309. Following the suppression of the Order, a number of Knights Templar joined the newly established [[Military Order of Christ|Order of Christ]], which effectively reabsorbed the Knights Templar and its properties in AD 1319, especially in Portugal.<ref name="Ralls2007">{{Cite book |last=Ralls |first=Karen |title=Knights Templar Encyclopedia: The Essential Guide to the People, Places, Events, and Symbols of the Order of the Temple |date=2007 |publisher=[[Red Wheel Weiser Conari]] |isbn=978-1-56414-926-8 |page=53 |language=en |quote=Founded in Portugal and approved by papal bull in 1319, after the suppression of their Order in 1312, a number of Templars joined the newly established Order of Christ. The knights of this Order became known as the Knights of Christ. They wore a white mantle with a red cross that had a white twist in the middle, which also has been translated as a double cross of red and silver in some medieval documents. Initially, the Order of Christ was located at Castro Marim; later, its headquarters was relocated to Tomar, the location of the castle of the Knights Templar.}}</ref><ref name="Gourdin1855">{{Cite book |last=Gourdin |first=Theodore S. |title=Historical Sketch of the Order of Knights Templar |date=1855 |publisher=Walker & Evans |page=22 |language=en |quote=Upon the suppression of the Order of Templars in Portugal, their estates were given to this equestrian militia. The name of the Order was changed to that of the Order of Christ. The Templars in Portugal suffered little persecution, and the Order of Christ, since its foundation in 1317, has always been protected by the sovereigns of that country, and also by the Popes of Rome.}}</ref> 

The story of the persecution and sudden dissolution of the Templars has drawn many other groups to use alleged connections with them as a way of enhancing their own image and mystery.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Finlo Rohrer |date=19 October 2007 |title=What are the Knights Templar up to now? |work=BBC News Magazine |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/7050713.stm |access-date=13 April 2008}}</ref> Apart from the Order of Christ and [[Order of Montesa]] in Spain,<ref name="Ralls2007" /><ref name="Gourdin1855" /><ref name=":1" /> there are no historical connections between the Knights Templar and any other modern organization, the earliest of which emerged publicly in the 18th century.<ref>''The Mythology Of The Secret Societies'' (London: Secker and Warburg, 1972). {{ISBN|0-436-42030-9}}</ref><ref>Peter Partner, ''The Murdered Magicians: The Templars And Their Myth'' (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1982). {{ISBN|0-19-215847-3}}</ref><ref>John Walliss, ''Apocalyptic Trajectories: Millenarianism and Violence In The Contemporary World'', p. 130 (Bern: Peter Lang AG, European Academic Publishers, 2004). {{ISBN|3-03910-290-7}}</ref><ref>Michael Haag, ''Templars: History and Myth: From Solomon's Temple To The Freemasons'' (Profile Books Ltd, 2009). {{ISBN|978-1-84668-153-0}}</ref> 

==== Order of Christ ====
{{Main|Order of Christ (Portugal)}}
{{Further|History of the Order of Christ}}
Following the dissolution of the Knights Templar, the Order of Christ was erected in 1319 and absorbed many of the Knights Templar into its ranks, along with Knights Templar properties in Portugal.<ref name="Ralls2007" /><ref name="Gourdin1855" /> Its headquarters became a castle in Tomar, a former Knights Templar castle.<ref name="Ralls2007" /> 

The [[Order of Christ (Portugal)|Military Order of Christ]] consider themselves the successors of the former Knights Templar. After the Templars were abolished on 22 March 1312,<ref name="Ferguson2011">{{cite book |author=Robert Ferguson |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=bDI7AwAAQBAJ&pg=PA39 |title=The Knights Templar and Scotland |date= 2011 |publisher=History Press Limited |isbn=978-0-7524-6977-5 |page=39}}</ref><ref name="BurgtorfCrawford2013" /> the Order of Christ was founded in 1319<ref name="FitzsimonsBécarud1969">{{Cite book |last1=Matthew Anthony Fitzsimons |url=https://archive.org/details/catholicchurchto00fitz |title=The Catholic Church today: Western Europe |last2=Jean Bécarud |publisher=University of Notre Dame Press |year=1969 |page=[https://archive.org/details/catholicchurchto00fitz/page/159 159] |author1-link=Matthew Anthony Fitzsimons |url-access=registration}}</ref><ref name="Nicholson2004" /> under the protection of the Portuguese king [[Denis of Portugal|Denis]], who refused to persecute the former knights. Denis revived the Templars of [[Tomar]] as the Order of Christ, grateful for their aid during the ''[[Reconquista]]'' and in the reconstruction of Portugal after the wars. Denis negotiated with Clement's successor [[Pope John XXII|John XXII]] for recognition of the new order and its right to inherit Templar assets and property. This was granted in the papal bull ''Ad ea ex quibus'' of 14 March 1319.<ref name=":0">F. A. Dutra, "Dinis, King of Portugal", in ''Medieval Iberia: An Encyclopedia'' (Routledge, 2003), p. 285.</ref> The Portuguese brought the Order of Christ with them to Kongo and Brazil, where the Order of Christ continues to be awarded; the Vatican additionally has awarded the [[Supreme Order of Christ]].<ref name="Gates2012">{{cite book |last1=Akyeampong |first1=Emmanuel Kwaku |last2=Gates |first2=Henry Louis Gates |title=Dictionary of African Biography |date=2012 |publisher=[[Oxford University Press]] |isbn=978-0-19-538207-5 |page=187 |language=English}}</ref><ref name="BostoenBrinkman2018">{{cite book |last1=Bostoen |first1=Koen |last2=Brinkman |first2=Inge |title=The Kongo Kingdom: The Origins, Dynamics and Cosmopolitan Culture of an African Polity |date= 2018 |publisher=[[Cambridge University Press]] |isbn=978-1-108-47418-4 |pages=237–238 |language=en}}</ref><ref name="Ragnau1913">{{cite book |last1=Ragnau |first1=Edmond Hugues de |title=The Vatican: The Center of Government of the Catholic World |date=1913 |publisher=[[D. Appleton & Company]] |page=38 |language=en}}</ref>

==== Temperance movement ====
{{Main|IOGT|Tempel Riddare Orden}}
Many [[List of Temperance organizations|temperance organizations]] named themselves after the Poor Fellow-Soldiers of Christ and of the Temple of Solomon, citing the belief that the original Knights Templar "drank sour milk, and also because they were fighting 'a great crusade' against 'this terrible vice' of alcohol".<ref name="Nicholson2014">{{Cite book |last=Nicholson |first=Helen |title=A Brief History of the Knights Templar |date=2014 |publisher=Little, Brown |isbn=978-1-4721-1787-8 |page=151}}</ref> The largest of these, the [[International Order of Good Templars]] (IOGT), grew throughout the world after being started in the 19th century and continues to advocate for the [[Temperance movement|abstinence from alcohol and other drugs]]; other Orders in this tradition include those of the [[Templars of Honor and Temperance]] (Tempel Riddare Orden), which has a large presence in Scandinavia.<ref name="Nicholson2014" /><ref name="AmmermanOttTarter1999">{{Cite book |last1=Ammerman |first1=Robert T. |title=Prevention and Societal Impact of Drug and Alcohol Abuse |last2=Ott |first2=Peggy J. |last3=Tarter |first3=Ralph E. |date=1999 |publisher=Psychology Press |isbn=978-1-135-67215-7 |language=en}}</ref>

==== Freemasonry ====
{{main|Knights Templar (Freemasonry)}}

[[Freemasonry]] has incorporated the symbols and rituals of several medieval military orders in a number of [[Masonic bodies]] since at least the 18th century. This can be seen in the "[[Red Cross of Constantine]]," inspired by the [[Sacred Military Constantinian Order of Saint George|Military Constantinian Order]]; the "[[Order of Malta (Freemasonry)|Order of Malta]]," inspired by the Knights Hospitaller; and the "[[Knights Templar (Freemasonry)#The Degree of Knight of the Temple (Order of the Temple)|Order of the Temple]]", inspired by the Knights Templar. The Orders of Malta and the Temple feature prominently in the [[York Rite]]. Though some have claimed a link between the historical Knights Templar of the 14th century through members who allegedly took refuge in [[Scotland]] and aided [[Robert the Bruce]], this theory has been rejected by both Freemasons and historians.<ref name="fmt">{{Cite web |title=Freemasonry Today periodical (Issue January 2002) |url=http://www.freemasonrytoday.com/19/p07.php |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110303192548/http://www.freemasonrytoday.com/19/p07.php |archive-date=3 March 2011 |access-date=28 May 2011 |publisher=Grand Lodge Publications Ltd}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Miller |first=Duane |url=https://www.academia.edu/32284509 |title='Knights Templar' in War and Religion, Vol 2 |date=2017 |publisher=ABC–CLIO |location=Santa Barbara, California |page=464 |access-date=28 May 2017}}</ref>
==== Neo-Templarism ====
{{Main articles|Neo-Templarism}}

[[Neo-Templarism]] is a term used to describe movements that claim to be direct continuations of the original Templars. The Templar degree system in Freemasonry built off an idea that Templars had embedded themselves within Freemasonry; however, some Freemasons believed the Templar degrees were not subordinate to masonry and were their own system. This culminated in 1805, when [[Bernard-Raymond Fabré-Palaprat]], a physician who refused to acknowledge the authority of the Catholic Church, created a revivalist Templar movement, claiming he had discovered a document that revealed an unbroken history of Templar grand masters to the present day. Fabré-Palaprat declared himself the grand master of his revivalist order. This began a long series of revival orders involving various schisms, which Fabré-Palaprat is usually regarded as the originator of; Fabré-Palaprat's organization eventually evolved into the [[Sovereign Military Order of the Temple of Jerusalem]]. The idea that these orders have legitimate descent from the Templars has been criticized by scholars of Templar history as dubious and tied to false claims.<ref name=":02">{{Cite book |last=Introvigne |first=Massimo |author-link=Massimo Introvigne |title=The Order of the Solar Temple: The Temple of Death |title-link=The Order of the Solar Temple: The Temple of Death |publisher=[[Ashgate Publishing]] |year=2006 |isbn=978-0-7546-5285-4 |editor-last=Lewis |editor-first=James R. |editor-link=James R. Lewis (scholar) |series=Controversial New Religions |location=Aldershot |pages=19–23 |language=en |chapter=Ordeal by Fire: The Tragedy of the Solar Temple}}</ref><ref name="Napier2011">{{Cite book |last=Napier |first=Gordon |title=A to Z of the Knights Templar: A Guide to Their History and Legacy |publisher=History Press |year=2011 |isbn=978-0-7524-7362-8 |page=424}}</ref>

=== Modern popular culture ===
{{Main|Knights Templar in popular culture}}

The Knights Templar have been associated with legends circulated even during their time. Many orders, such as the freemasons, claimed to have received esoteric wisdom from the Templars, or were direct descendants of the order. Masonic writers added their own speculations in the 18th century, and further fictional embellishments have been added in popular novels such as ''[[Ivanhoe]]'', ''[[Foucault's Pendulum]]'', and ''[[The Da Vinci Code]]'';<ref name="HC">[[History (U.S. TV channel)|The History Channel]], ''Decoding the Past: The Templar Code'', 7 November 2005, video documentary written by Marcy Marzuni.</ref> modern movies such as ''[[National Treasure (film)|National Treasure]]'', ''[[The Last Templar (miniseries)|The Last Templar]]'', ''[[Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade]]''; the television series ''[[Knightfall (TV series)|Knightfall]]''; as well as video games such as ''[[Broken Sword]]'', ''[[Deus_Ex (video game)|Deus Ex]]'', ''[[Assassin's Creed]]'' and ''[[Dante's Inferno (video game)|Dante's Inferno]]''.<ref>{{Cite web |author1=Magy Seif El-Nasr|author2=Maha Al-Saati|author3=Simon Niedenthal|author4=David Milam |title=Assassin's Creed: A Multi-Cultural Read |url=http://journals.sfu.ca/loading/index.php/loading/article/viewPDFInterstitial/51/46 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091106113413/http://journals.sfu.ca/loading/index.php/loading/article/viewPDFInterstitial/51/46 |archive-date=6 November 2009 |access-date=1 October 2009 |pages=6–7 |format=PDF |quote=we interviewed Jade Raymond ... Jade says ... Templar Treasure was ripe for exploring. What did the Templars find }}</ref>

The Templars were the subject of many conspiracy theories and legends. A legend is that when [[Louis XVI]] was executed, a freemason dipped a cloth in the king's blood and said, "Jacques de Molay, you are avenged.", the idea being that the king of France was responsible for destroying the Knights Templar back then. A theory states that they are still existent and running a secret conspiracy to preserve the bloodline of Jesus.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-03-26 |title=Templar {{!}} History, Battles, Symbols, & Legacy {{!}} Britannica |url=https://www.britannica.com/topic/Templars |access-date=2024-04-04 |website=www.britannica.com |language=en}}</ref>

There have been speculative popular publications surrounding the order's early occupation of the [[Temple Mount]] in Jerusalem as well as speculation about what [[relic]]s the Templars may have found there. The association of the [[Holy Grail]] with the Templars has precedents even in 12th-century fiction; [[Wolfram von Eschenbach]]'s ''[[Parzival]]'' calls the knights guarding the Grail Kingdom ''templeisen'', apparently a conscious fictionalization of the ''templarii''.<ref>{{harvnb|Martin|2005|p=133}}. Helmut Brackert, Stephan Fuchs (eds.), ''Titurel'', Walter de Gruyter, 2002, [https://books.google.com/books?id=6v224EoQ8Q4C&pg=PA189 p. 189] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170701003539/https://books.google.ch/books?id=6v224EoQ8Q4C&pg=PA189 |date=1 July 2017 }}. There is no evidence of any actual connection of the historical Templars with the Grail, nor any claim on the part of any Templar to have discovered such a relic. See Karen Ralls, ''Knights Templar Encyclopedia: The Essential Guide to the People, Places, Events and Symbols of the Order of the Temple'', p. 156 (The Career Press, Inc., 2007). {{ISBN|978-1-56414-926-8}}</ref><ref>Louis Charpentier, ''Les Mystères de la Cathédrale de Chartres'' (Paris: Robert Laffont, 1966), translated ''The Mysteries of Chartres Cathedral'' (London: Research Into Lost Knowledge Organization, 1972).</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Sanello, Frank |url=https://archive.org/details/knightstemplarsg00sane/page/207 |title=The Knights Templars: God's Warriors, the Devil's Bankers |publisher=Taylor Trade Publishing |year=2003 |isbn=978-0-87833-302-8 |pages=[https://archive.org/details/knightstemplarsg00sane/page/207 207–208]}}</ref>