"Thus in a wondrous and unique manner they appear gentler than lambs, yet fiercer than lions. I do not know if it would be more appropriate to refer to them as monks or as soldiers, unless perhaps it would be better to recognize them as being both." -- St Bernard, In Praise of the New Knighthood, early 12th century (Blanchard 1995, Military Orders)

The Order of the Temple did not have only one seal. This would have been very inconvenient, due to the large number of Templar houses spread all across Europe and the Near East. The masters and commanders of each of the regional Temples had their own seals. The men who made these seals used them to convey their connection with the Templar Order as a whole, but also to distinguish themselves and their houses from the rest.

Not only did this prevent mixups, but it allowed each house or region to distinguish itself by using symbols of the virtues they considered most important. The symbols on the seals of the masters and commanders conveyed these virtues and ideas. Some, such as commanders of the Temple in France (Plate 9), simply wished to show that they were of the Templar Order, and so they copied the motif used by the Grand Master, described above. The commander of the Temple at Richerenches also used an equestrian emblem (Plate 10), though with a single rider, probably St George, whose connection with the Order is discussed below.

Other commanders used different symbols, though it was often the case that the favoured symbol in a given region remained the same throughout the Order's history there, and did not change from one commander to the next, almost as though it became the house mascot. However, the Rule of the Order stated that when a commander died, "the seal of the commander who is dead should be put inside [a sealed bag], for the bags should be sent to the Master," (Upton-Ward 1992, p. 149). In some cases, this was ignored, and the commander passed on his seal to his successor with due ceremony, but in other cases, the rule was followed, and the new commander would have to create his own seal, though often using the emblem of the old. This showed continuity of power.

Animals

Symbols of fierce, predatory animals are fairly straightforward. Eagles, lions and gryphons (Plate 12, 13, 14) are--and were--all animals known for their ferocity, and were associated also with bravery. They were sometimes portrayed as proud animals, but never fearful or lazy. Lions especially were associated with honour (Franklyn 1963, p. 87). They caught the eye and the imagination. The Templars who used these symbols wished to have the characteristics and supposed virtues of these animals associated with them.

However, symbols often have many layers, or even meanings which are the opposite of the ones for which they were chosen. For example, although the commander of Supplingenburg used the lion as his seal (Plate 12), with its associations with bravery and honour, some Templars portrayed the lion in a very different light. In the Templar church of San Bevignate in Perugia, there is a fresco which depicts a group of Templars defying Satan who has taken the form of a black lion (Plate 15). Otto von Brunswick certainly did not choose his seal because of these connotations.

But, besides the instance of Perugia, lions were usually portrayed in a positive light during this period, and in connection with the Templars. St Bernard said of the Order, in his famous de laude novae militae, "they appear gentler than lambs, yet fiercer than lions," (Blanchard 1995, Military Orders) and Jacques de Vitry, a thirteenth century historian, echoed this sentiment, saying that the Templars were "in turn lions of war and lambs at the hearth," (Knight 1999, The Knights Templar).

Religious Symbols

Not all of the Templars considered ferocity in battle to be chief among the virtues. Among these were the English Templars, who used as their seal the image of another animal--the Agnus Dei or Lamb of God (Plate 16, 17, 18, 19). The emblem consists of a lamb with one of its forelegs hooked around the staff of a banner. This was a popular symbol throughout the Templar brotherhood, but the English brothers seem to have been especially attached to it. From at least 1160 and 1304--nearly the entire time the Templars existed in England--the commander of the English Temple continued to use the Agnus Dei as his seal.

The lamb, both historically and Biblically, is a symbol of innocence and purity--as an animal which is both young and white--as well as a symbol of sacrifice. "Agnus Dei" is a Biblical term, referring to the Messiah, with which all Christians of the Medieval period were familiar. As a symbol, the Agnus Dei represents the purity of Christ as well as His sacrifice to save humanity from death. The term "Lamb of God" was first used in the Old Testament book of Isaiah (53:7), when the prophet describes the awaited Messiah (Anonymous 1997, Isaiah). The Templars' use of the symbol represented their desire to emulate Christ, up to and including a desire for martyrdom at the hands of God's enemies, the Muslims.

The Agnus Dei, sometimes called the Paschal or Holy Lamb, is also found in the heraldry of the period. Franklyn (1963, p. 101) describes it as "passant; its dexter fore limb as well as being raised is flexed upon a staff which rises over the animal's shoulder...." From this description, we can see that this symbol was not just a Templar icon, but something commonly known during the Medieval period. Franklyn goes on to tell us that the Paschal Lamb carries, at the head of his staff, a flag bearing the cross of St George, which is also frequently associated with the Templars, as described below.

The Agnus Dei, however, was not the only religious symbol used in Templar seals. The more blatant image of Christ's head was used by some commanders (Plate 20, 21, 22). The primary purpose of a seal was to protect the letter or document it sealed, and to ensure its veracity. What better symbol to use that the head of Christ? Surely there could be no better guardian of the truth, for who would open a letter not meant for him while looking into the face of Christ? And who would doubt the truth of a document which bore such a mark?

Some of the masters of the Temple in Germany chose this symbol for their own seal, but by they end of the thirteenth century, it had been replaced by the image of an eagle (Plate 13). Such a change would seem to imply a shift in focus from a gentle, Christ-like image to a symbol which suggests fierce, bold action. Perhaps the new master thought the German Templars needed a new, more dynamic image.

I had thought perhaps the change was due to the rumours that the Templars worshipped a bearded head, and that the master of the German temple was just being careful. However, the images of Christ used on the seals were very stylised, as was common during the Medieval period, and thus immediately recognisable to contemporaries. Also, such rumours did not actually begin until after the first accusations of 1307. The commanders chose their seals to represent who they--and their men--were. They chose images which expressed ideas about what a Templar should be. Whether the image was fierce or gentle, unique or ubiquitous, it said something about the Order as a whole and in its separate parts. Each chapter wished to express the unique virtues it offered the Order, while still showing its connection to the whole.

Back to Main Page

©2004 Mary Adelle Leinart