The Knights Templar were fearsome warriors on the battlefield. So what did they wear to protect themselves and strike fear into their enemies? Let’s run through the list.
If you had encountered a Templar in the twelfth century, you would have noted the chainmail armor, including a hauberk (shirt), chausses (pants), and a great helm over a mail coif, along with a kite shield and, later, a heater shield. Templar armour evolved over their two hundred years of existence as it did for all medieval soldiers.
Chainmail: Medieval chainmail was a form of body armour consisting of small, interlocking metal rings forming a flexible mesh. It was made by drawing and coiling iron wire into links, which were then flattened and interlocked. It provided protection against slashing and piercing weapons, and was a crucial part of a warrior’s armour. The intricate, labour-intensive process of creating chainmail made it costly and likely only affordable to knights higher up in the ranks.
Helmet: Templar helmets, like those of other knights, evolved from open-faced designs with nose guards to more protective enclosed helmets, including conical, kettle, and great helmets, ultimately leading to the “sugarloaf” or “great helm” style. The early open-faced helmet offered some protection for the face but left the sides of the head exposed.
The later great helm, also known as a heaume, pot helm, or barrel helm, was a fully enclosed helmet that emerged in the late 12th century, offering superior head and neck protection to knights and men-at-arms, but at the cost of restricted vision and ventilation. It was a fully enclosed helmet, completely covering the head with only small openings for the eyes and mouth.
Shields: The Knights Templar transitioned from using kite shields, which were larger and more protective, to heater shields, which were smaller and more flexible as armour and helmets became more protective.
Kite shields were large, teardrop-shaped shields that provided extensive protection, particularly for mounted knights. As plate armor and helmets became more common, the need for large, heavy shields decreased. Heater shields, with their smaller size and curved shape, were easier to move around and still offered adequate protection. The Templar heater shield was made of curved wood and covered with canvas on both sides, with leather straps for carrying and holding the shield.
Surcoat: A Templar surcoat was a sleeveless, white outer garment with a red cross, worn by the Templars as a symbol of their religious and military order, and to distinguish them on the battlefield. The white colour helped reflect the sun’s heat in the hot climates of the Holy Land. While the red cross, symbolised the Templars’ religious vows and their commitment to the Christian faith. It was likely made of durable cotton or wool fabric.
FIND OUT MORE: Templar cloaks explained
Sword: Templar swords featured a straight, two-edged blade, typically around forty inches long, with a wooden hilt and a pommel shaped like a bevelled wheel with the Templar cross. The sword was typically held in a leather scabbard.
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