Today is Friday the 13th. Not only that it’s also 2013. Numerologists everywhere are passing out from the tension. Many people of the superstitious sort consider Friday the 13th to be unlucky. There are people who wear good luck charms all day and some who go so far as to refuse to leave home, lest something unlucky happen to them.
But many don’t know that one legend of the origin of Friday the 13th as unlucky comes from the persecution of the Knights Templar in the 14th Century. On Friday, October 13th, 1307, King Philip IV of France, in league with Pope Clement V ordered all Templars to be rounded up and thrown in prison. The Knights were accused of numerous crimes including heresy and treason. For two hundred years the Knights Templar had been the most dominant force in Christendom, but after their defeat at the Siege of Acre and the loss of the Holy Land, their influence began to wane.
Yet they still held enormous power and great amounts of wealth. Pope Clement sought to merge the Knights Templar with the Knights Hospitaller another powerful order at the time. Neither group found such a merger ideal. And despite the loss of the Holy Land, the Templars were still a part of of everyday life in the Middle Ages. Their houses, churches and farms dotted the countryside throughout Europe. It provided employment for thousands of people. They started an international banking system that allowed nobles to deposit funds and valuables for safekeeping. And in what ultimately led to their downfall, they occasionally helped finance wars.
Philip IV borrowed enormous sums of money to finance a war with England. A poor king and an even worse military commander, Philip was easily defeated. He saw a way of both currying favor with the Pope and eliminating his huge debt. On that fateful day of Friday, October 13, 1307 he ordered all Templars arrested and their property seized. The Grandmaster of the order, Jacques DeMolay was thrown in prison along with several other high-ranking members of the order.
Their ‘trial’ was a farce. The Templars were charged with heresy, worshiping false idols and other crimes against the church. Many of them were tortured until they ‘confessed’ to their crimes. Refusing to capitulate, Jacques DeMolay would not confess and Philip ordered him burned at the stake. In 2007 the Vatican issued a proclamation declaring the Templars innocent of their alleged crimes.
The Knights Templar, which had dominated medieval life for two centuries, was no more. Unfortunately for Philip, the Templars had learned of his planned treachery before hand. Many of them escaped and their vast stores of treasure were hidden from the King’s soldiers.
Another legend that has also persisted is that Jacques DeMolay, the last Grandmaster of the Order, cursed both Philip IV and Pope Clement V, as he died. Whether or not you believe in curses, both Philip and Clement died within months of DeMolay’s death.
My Youngest Templar trilogy, Keeper of the Grail, Trail of Fate and Orphan of Destiny is set in the world of the Knights Templar. With legends and myths surrounding both their origin and their demise, they make irresistible fodder for a novelist. The Youngest Templar trilogy follows the story of Tristan, an orphan who becomes the squire to Sir Thomas Leux a Templar Knight, as he travels from England to the Holy Land and must undertake a secret and deadly mission.
Friday the 13th. Sounds like a good day to start reading!
Your authorness,
Michael P. Spradlin
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Sorry I found a typo —
3rd paragraph, On that fateful day of Friday, October 13, 2013 he ordered all Templars arrested and their property seized.
I don’t think he did that today?
Janeen Kilgore,
Once a teacher! Thank for the sharp eye. Fixed! 🙂
Next title…The Knights Templar and the Keeper of the Kennel
Many of the surviving Templars fled to Scotland where they were given sanctuary by the Scottish King, Robert the Bruce. There are more Templar graves in Argylshire than the Holy Land.
The Templar were a decisive influence in helping Bruce defeat the English at the Battle of Bannockburn. They also sponsored the building of Roslyn Chapel, an early Masonic shrine.
My ancestors owned the land that was titled to the Templars in Scotland after a dispute with Edward 1 of England and were instrumental with both Robert and Edward Bruce in securing Scottish freedom… Must longer story … To be continued… The Honorable Phillip D Bissett
Jesus Christ Is God Almighty In The Flesh! Believe Jesus Christ Shed his blood and died for all of our sins on the cross, he was buried and he rose again from the dead three days later by his power and if you believe in the gospel of Jesus Christ then you shall be saved and go to Heaven forever. None of our good works shall save us or anything else will from our sins that deserve destruction and death in a Lake Of Fire for all eternity. Once saved always saved forever by the gospel of Jesus Christ for all our sins. Ephesians Chapter 2:8-9, 1 Corinthians Chapter 15:1-4 And Romans Chapter 3:25. The King James Bible.
blah blah blah …
respect others religions
Friday, October 13th, 2006 the Military Commissions Act (6166) was signed into law by Bush. It was the 699th anniversary of Jaques Du Molay’s brush with the laws of the Pope and King.
You have no right to habeas corpus under the operating law of the USA.
Do those numbers do anything for you?
I WAS BORN ON FRIDAY OCT. 13 1978 IN AMITYVILLE NY ON MY PARENTS WEDDING ANNIVERSARY IN THE MONTH OF HALLOWEEN ON HALLOWEEN BACKWARDS. YEAH I’M SPECIAL.
Is there a book 2 of Robard’s Revenge? If there isn’t, will there be one?
Hi, haven’t read any of your stuff ,, but plan to now that I’m aware of you. I just started getting my social security and plan to spend my remaining years writing and traveling the world Hobo Style. Any advice, tips, or general thoughts would be interesting to hear. Was surprised to see you answered many of the post Personally. Congrats… Tim McMullen, aka Johnathan Doe.
Thank you for coming by the blog. I hope you enjoy the books. Good luck in your travels!