Knights Templar Encyclopedia

Description

This authoritative sourcebook offers comprehensive information on Knights Templar history, symbols, key figures, unanswered questions, and more. " Knights Templar Encyclopedia offers both general readers and specialists alike a remarkable source work on the famous medieval military order. Scholarly and authoritative, Dr Ralls' treasury of Templar traditions is highly recommended." —Professor Nicholas Goodrick-Clarke, Professor of History, University of Exeter (UK) Who were the Knights Templar? And how did they become the wealthiest multinational corporation in the medieval West? These powerful crusaders of the late Middle Ages remain a source of fascination for their mysterious ways and their far-reaching influence. The knights of the Order of the Temple were not only warriors, but also diplomats, international banking experts, advisors to popes and kings, and much more. Written by leading Templar authority and medieval historian Dr. Karen Ralls, Knights Templar Encyclopedia presents the history of the Order of the Temple in an accessible A-to-Z format. This authoritative sourcebook features a wealth of information on the key Templar people, places, events, symbols, organization, daily life, beliefs, economic empire, trial, and more. It includes photos and illustrations, an extensive bibliography, a historical timeline, and a list of major European Templar sites. The product of more than 16 years of meticulous, scholarly research, this indispensable resource is for the general reader and specialist alike—for anyone, in fact, who is interested in the history and legacy of the powerful Knights Templar (1119–1312). Review: Highly Recommended - The Knights Templar Encyclopedia, by Karen Ralls, PhD is a highly recommended addition to anyone's library on the Order. The author was a post doctoral fellow at the University of Edinburgh before continuing specialist in medieval history research at Oxford. She was a former deputy director of the Rosslyn Chapel Museum exhibition. While the book is written in the format of an encyclopedia, it has much useful information, and is easy to read from cover to cover. Almost any student of the Templars (other than perhaps Malcolm Barber) will learn something. For example, I had never associated the term "troy ounce" with the Templars. At pages 223-224, Ralls describes Troy Weights as being brought from returning crusaders and was adopted at the Champagne fairs. Some terms may not be familiar to many participants at the school as they read some of the assigned texts. "Letter of Credit" is one of those terms. Someone will either have the familiarity to refer to them as "lc's" or not exactly know what they are. At p. 113 Ralls described how lc's developed at the Champagne fairs, where a debt incurred at one fair could be repaid at the next. There is a discussion of the term `Safe Deposit Ralls handles the speculative topics accurately, and without condescension. For example, she says that with regard to the wife of Hugh de Payns, "nothing for certain is known of his wife or her lineage." She describes how modern Freemasons are not the same organization as the historical Templars, and that the founder of Rosslyn Chapel was not a Templar. Some of the definitions are fun to read. Roger de Flor was a sergeant -brother, who was expelled for piracy. His flag may be the "Jolly Roger." Some of the interesting terms include: "Templar Admiral"; a lengthy discussion of "Black Madonnas"; Office of "Templar Commander" a type of financial controller; the "Draper"; "Geometry"; how the Grand Masters were elected, by a council of 13 electors, eight knights, four sergeants, and a chaplain; the organization of the Templar Order; the Temple Church in London; the aftermath of the trial (a country by country discussion of what happened); and many others. Also very useful are the five appendices and the list of recommended readings (14 pages). The appendices include a time-line, a list of Grand Masters, a list of Popes during 1119-1312, the charges against the Templars, and a listing of selected Templar sites. This is an inexpensive, and important, addition to anyone's Templar library. Review: Good review - Good