Sovereign Spanish Magistral Order of the Knights Templar
Time Management of an 11th Century Templar Knight
In addition to the occupations at the civil level that each Templar has to undertake and distribute following the orders of its commander and those of the subject of its military service, the Templars are mainly monks and as such have or brigations, which are divided into canonical hours.
According to the rule of the Templars, the absolute primacy of religion is reiterated and highlighted, on the other aspects of life. According to this rule: “Every brother of the Temple must know that there is nothing to which he is so obligated to serve God, and in it he must put all his application and his understanding, especially in hearing the holy service; for no one should fail or steal from it as long as he can.
For, as our rule says, if we love God, we must listen and gladly understand his holy words.” The first obligation of every Templar is to preserve the Templar chapel with great care and to behave worthily whenever it is found in it.
Having to dress properly unable to dress carelessly or in little clothes since this is totally forbidden. When the hours are sung, you have to present yourself with the blanket knotted around the neck or closed by the clasp. When you call maitines, at four in the morning in winter and at two in summer, the Templar rises dresses and goes to the chapel.
You can stay in sleeping clothes (shirt, pants and small belt) but you must have your shoes and shoes on and especially the knotted mantle.
- No Templar brother can excuse himself from going to maitins, except occupation of major cause or illness and with the permission of the commander. In the chapel, the brothers hear them sing maithins in silence.
- They must pray or listen to thirteen pater noster, although it is recommended that thirteen be prayed for Our Lady and thirteen more for the saint of that day. When they leave the chapel after the maitines they must go to the blocks to see the horses and give the relevant orders to the squires, they cannot be rebuked, only to speak quietly.
- They can then go back to bed, but before they fall asleep they must have prayed a pater noster for God to forgive them for any minor fault that the rule of silence had committed or broken. When the premium bell rings, it dresses, wears it and heads to the chapel as quickly as possible. It is the moment when Mass is celebrated, which must be heard devoutly and in all its extension.
- If two Masses were celebrated during the morning, the brothers are advised to follow them, which will not dispense them, however, from listening to the tertious and midday hours. In any case, it is strictly forbidden to ingest any food, be it that is, before the sixty obligatory noter pater has prayed: thirty for the dead and thirty for the living.
- Before the meal in common the blessing is given and a our father is prayed, thank you in the chapel when leaving the refectory or dining room, then you hear the eves and the hours of none and complete. Each of the hours is accompanied by thirteen or eighteen pater noster; those who dedicate themselves to the Virgin are prayed or heard standing, and sitting those who dedicate themselves to the saint of the day.
The prayers for Our Lady begin and conclude the day of every Knight Templar The Masses and prayers are marked by genuflections by a spirit of penance, except on Vespers and in the vigil of the Epiphany; evidently the old or sick brothers are dispensed from this act. These are the ordinary provisions that governed the religious life of the brethren.
Although some specific days, coinciding with some celebration are accompanied by some special obligations. On the first Wednesday of Lent, when the chaplain begins the litany that happens to the seven psalms of penance, the Templar knights kneel on their mantle On Ash Wednesday, the chaplain throws ash on their heads Holy Thursday, the almsman must prepare thirteen poor people who are forced to wash their feet (with hot water), after kissing them.
After this ceremony, which takes place in the presence of the chaplain with overshake and carrying the cross, the commander gives each of the poor two loaves, two denariums and a pair of new shoes. On Good Friday the brothers worship the cross with great devotion and with bare feet, fast to bread and water and eat at a table without tablecloth.
Fasts are mandatory every Friday from All Saints Day to Easter, except Christmas Friday. There is a procession on Christmas Day, that of the Annunciation, that of the Purification of the Virgin, the Sunday of giving us, on the day of Easter, that of the Ascension, that of Pentecost, that of the Assumption and that of the Nativity of Our Lady, that of All Saints and also that of the saint to whom the chapel of the entrustment is dedicated.
The Trouble of the Knight Templar The danker brother was in charge of looking after the clothes of the gentlemen, that they were adequate. It was his responsibility to watch scrupulously so that they would not be too short or too long, but to the just measure of those who were to wear them. The Templars when entering the order, received two complete pounds that of peace and that of war.
From this moment on, they could not give or give any part of it to anyone. This peace trousser was composed of: 2 shirts, 2 pairs of burnel squashes, 2 panties or panties, 1 sayon, 1 skin, 1 layer, 2 cloaks (one of them sheep or ram-lined winter and another summer of a lighter fabric), 1 tunic 1 leather belt 1 cotton bonnet and another of felt. 1 sation or 1 layer 1 tunic 2 Bed linen included: a jargon, two sheets, a stameña or light blanket and a thick blanket (for cold times).
This blanket was to be white or black, or to black and white stripes, which were the colors of the Temple. Military trousses comprised: 1 length or mesh height 1 pair of iron shoes 1 iron helmet 1 yelm shoes 1 height of weapons. The loriga was placed on a lattice also of iron mesh. Some gun shoes completed the equipment.
- The armament consisted of a sword (straight, double-edged and round-toed), a spear (of ash wood and conical iron tip), a shield (triangular, of metallic wood inside and covered in leather on the outside, and that in some cases was reinforced with knettling laminillas). The new gentleman also received three knives: a gun knife (or knife), a knife to cut bread and meat and a kind of knife (straight blade).
- He was also given a gualdrapa for his horse, but he could cover it with the blanket. The cross of the Temple was sewn into the mantles, robes and chainmails (in these front and back) and that was to be embroidered in all the pieces of lingerie. The sergeant brothers wore robes, heights, and black cloaks with a red cross. His weaponry was the same, except that many times his loriga was lighter in mesh and was devoid of sleeves, and his iron shoes had no instep to facilitate the march.
- Finally, the knights were given, regardless of the Jaeces for the three horses to which they were entitled, a small campaign team that was composed of a cauldron, a bowl to measure the barley and three pairs of saddlebags, two of which had to be worn by their squires. As we have already said, all this is not really given to the gentleman, but is lent to him.
He's responsible for that. He cannot dispose of it at will or subtract anything without the risk of incurring punishment. The rule listed what, strictly speaking, can give: a grenache (a dress) that you will have worn for at least a year, a worn mesh limit, a worn skirt, old shirt and panties, old leggings or even a lantern of its manufacture, a piece of leather.
These gifts were not intended for anyone. They were for the squires, who did not belong to the Temple, but served for the fixed term. When a squire left the service of a gentleman, he, if he had been satisfied with him, he had the right to give him the grenache that he had carried for two years. To finish with the equipment of the gentleman, we have to add that he had to continuously ensure its perfect conservation.
He could not modify it in anything: not even cut the straps of the stirrups, nor his belt, nor the tahali that held his sword, nor the cord that held the underwear around his waist, without permission from his commander.
Older pañero or vestiario:
- He was in charge of the uniformity of the knights, squires and servants.
- His mission in the Order was to rule the clothing store, having under control at all times the clothes that were given to the brothers, whether they were those of clothing such as sheets, towels, etc. He was also in charge of maintaining a control over the hygiene of the brothers, especially in terms of having short hair and clean beard, in addition to not wearing clothes not allowed by the Order.
- The handkergother of the order should have four horses, two squires and a man in charge of the beasts of burden; a pavilion like that of the marshal; a tent for his squires and another for his tailors, and the beasts of burden should transport his equipment to sew and also his pavilion. He also performed the duties of secretary and scribe. He was attending initiation ceremonies.
Daily life in a Templar entrustment:
- The figure of the encomienda was governed by the commander, who fulfilled the dual function of administrator and head of the religious community. The latter position was much more rigorous, since among its functions was to ensure the fulfillment of the retrais.
- The Templar rule is adjusted to the conditions of the life of a warrior monk (well... to understand us. Let’s claim the figure of FREIRE), which implies that you should avoid any ascetic practice that can damage your health. In fact, the Templar is entitled to a certain comfort: it has clothes adapted for both heat and cold (article 20), has bedding (article 21) and even the rule recommends that siblings remain seated during trades (articles 15 and 16).
- But the thing does not end here, but there are enormous differences with the “traditional” monastic behavior in terms of food: The Templar makes two meals daily – except for the periods of fasting, which is only one – but by authorization of the teacher or the corresponding commander a third meal can be authorized ... And the Templar eats meat three times a week (Article 26).
- But the thing does not end here: Several times two or more kinds of meals are offered - if the resources of the entrustment allow it-, so that if they can not eat one, they eat from another (article 185). Meals go silently, but with reservations: the Templar does not know the signs that a Cluniacense uses to ask for things at the table, so it is allowed to speak with discretion so as not to disturb the reader who reads biblical passages.
Let’s go with the least popular obligations: the Templar must not remain idle. When the commander does not order something, he must take care of his baggage, horse and weaponry, ordering the precise repairs if necessary (article 285). As for the training for combat, the Templar could not use fair and hunting -it has forbidden them-, it served as maneuvers "in situ", training with simulated combat brother vs., of the displacements between encomiendas and of internal contests and betting of archery and crossbow where the winner was awarded with objects without added value (article 317).
Religious services are an important part of the daily life of a Templar. The rule considers the case that the Freires cannot celebrate their offices because their military duties prevent it, even allows to group the offices of cousin, third and sixth in one (article 10) and, even, to replace the offices by sentences in particular cases. However, excluding these cases of force majeure, they must be governed as religious in all senses, with their religious offices and “office” prayers.
This behavior, like combat, allowed to create a spirit of body. The divine service was secured by a chaplain member of the Temple, but this did not dispense the Templar from resorting to a priest outside the order. For not all entrustments had a chaplain brother, and this chaplain does not have an unlimited power of absolution: he cannot “judge” a Templar accused of murdering a Christian or another accused of simony. In addition, a Templar may go to the priest he prefers (that is expressly remembered in a pontifical bull of the beginning of the 14th, and during the trial there were Franciscans who declared to have received confessions from Templars).
So and everything was abused in that regard. Masters and commanders—not ordained—are sometimes known to have acquitted the sins of their brethren (which they could not do). More things about the daily life of a Templar: I had a duty to give alms and practice charity and hospitality. They were to behave like “poor gentlemen of Christ” – vowing poverty also means helping the poor.
At the end of meals, the remains were distributed among the most disadvantaged. The houses of the Temple were to accommodate passing guests - especially heavy cargo for the house of Jerusalem. EYE! The “hospital” activity of the Templar houses was not comparable to those of the Hospital (it did not reach the tenth part). Keep in mind that charity and hospitality are not part of the missions of the order, as yes, those of the Hospital.
Territorial Organization of the Templars:
At the territorial level the Order was divided into Priories, Dances and Encomiendas. In a near geographical environment, groups with a minimum of nine ecclesiastics (charistics) of which at least five must be knights constitute an Encomienda.
The emperors and patriarchs entrusted them with the ruined monasteries and hospitals, so that they could rebuild and restore it. In this order one of the knights for his antiquity services will take the title of commander and will be the one to direct the entrustment. The entrustments were self-sufficient management units and their function was to accumulate and market the surpluses necessary to cover the expenses of the Order in the Holy Land. The Templars proved to be excellent administrators who at all times turned to modern techniques to improve performance.
They also carried out remunerative banking activities based on their formality and solvency. Many were the individuals who entrusted him with the custody of large amounts of money and the Papacy managed to commission them to collect the Crusade. Among his activities they specialized in lending money to kings and lords in distress on account of the tax collection La Bailía, also called dance, refers to the community where three or more parcels are located. It will be led by a Dance or Dance that in some places will be like an ordinary judge or warden of a villa or place.
Finally, the priory, which consists of a monastic establishment that is under the dependence of an abbey and is led by a prior. The monks were in charge of managing and sending the rents to their abbey. In turn, the priories had churches that were built and maintained by the Mother Abbey.
After completing the urban layout and erecting the church, the houses that eventually integrated the surroundings, its neighbors and parishioners, plus its inheritances, are under the jurisdiction of the prior that the Order put there to serve the church, constituting a priory or minor entrustment.
If a priory reached a certain autonomy, both personnel and economic, it could be elevated to the abbey category. The church then became abacial church and instead of a prior, the community of monks named an abbot.
Commander of the Land of Jerusalem:
They were a kind of governor with a Marshal and a diaper under his orders. He also had the function of treasurer.
- The spoils of war had to go to his hands to be distributed and/or used according to necessity, except for the arms, equipment and loot mounts that were at the hands of the Marshal. He was responding to the Master and the General Chapter. He had an entourage of two squires, a sergeant, a Turkish Indian, a deacon who knew how to write, an interpreter and two ordinary boys. He was the one who was in charge of giving the order of any payment, although always under the mandate of the Master or the Chapter.
- He was also in charge of the ships docked in San Juan de Acre. The Commander of Jerusalem had ten knights for the protection of pilgrims and defense of roads, in addition to having the privilege of keeping the True Cross (also during the course of the battles). The greatest of their obligations was to have an updated treasure account and present it to the Master when required. He presided over the distribution of the Templar brothers in the castles and, in peacetime, the Marshal had to abide by his decisions.
The Provincial Commander was the preceptor of the different provinces in which the Temple was divided. Likewise in these he administered the donations, took care of the brothers in his care and sent as much money as possible to the Holy Land. The Territorial Commanders were located in Acre (Palestine) and Antioquia (Syria) and the castles of each region depended on them.
Marshal:
He was the military commander, responsible for training and discipline. He held the highest military command.
He was the military chief who watched over the internal discipline of the host and the person responsible for the maintenance and acquisition of the armament and horses. He also ruled the weapons, armor, siege machines, ammunition and the garrisons of horses. He distributed to the militias and gave the tactical orders. His mission was also to check the mounts and cargo mules, under the consent of the Master.
He gave the orders each day, even in the presence of that. He could take command in the battle for absence of the Master or the Senescal (as well as celebrate Chapter without these presents), and it is the one that bears the beaussant as a sign of meeting and with the cavalry he acts as a spearhead. Like his superiors he had an entourage consisting of two squires, a sergeant and a Turkish indigenous.
- The provincial marshals, for their part, exercised authority in their corresponding province, although they were due to obedience to the Marshal General of the Order. When they are armed, “all the men of the House are under the orders of the Marshal.” It cannot be designated a Provincial Commander unless it has been relieved of Marshal's duties.
