Some very po-faced historians online will tell you that nothing links them. However, I’m going to argue that there is a link. But first of all, you have to give up imagining that King Arthur was a Dark Ages warlord or late Roman general. He was none of those things. King Arthur was created by writers in the pay of crusader barons and the story of this band of knights, with their Round Table and Grail quest, was pure crusading propaganda. Seen in that light, the Templars have plenty to do with the Arthurian legend.
I was once asked by an American TV documentaries producer whether I had written evidence the Knights Templar ever possessed the Holy Grail. Struggling to keep a straight face, I replied that not only was I bereft of such a priceless parchment, but so was everybody else in the world. Nothing on paper proves the Templars had the Grail.
However, there are stories that point to Templar ownership of the Grail and these are the Arthurian legends. These are enthralling tales written by Chrétien de Troyes (c.1160-1191), Wolfram von Eschenbach (c.1160/80-c.1220), and Robert de Boron (exact dates unknown). The patrons of all three Arthurian writers were crusader nobles who rubbed shoulders with the Knights Templar in the Holy Land and in Europe.
Chrétien, as his name suggests, came from Troyes – capital of the county of Champagne. This was the homeland of the original Templar knights. The first grand master – Hugh de Payens – had been a vassal to the count of Champagne. Chrétien’s first patron was Count Henry the First who took part in the Second Crusade. His successor, Henry II, would become King of Jerusalem until he accidentally fell off a balcony and was killed.
In Chrétien’s version of the legend, a knight called Perceval is led by the Fisher King to the Grail castle, which disappears into the mist as he rides away. Infuriatingly, Chrétien doesn’t tell us much about the true nature of the Grail. And sadly Chrétien died young before finishing the story.
De Boron introduced the strong association between the Grail and the Passion of Christ, firmly establishing this sacred object as a cup used at the Last Supper and the Crucifixion. His patron, Walter of Montbéliard (died 1212), was heavily involved in the crusades, acting at one point as regent of the Kingdom of Cyprus. During the Fourth Crusade, he was involved in the sack of Constantinople. So, another crusading aristocrat who undoubtedly fought alongside the Templars.
Wolfram von Eschenbach penned a mammoth Arthurian poem, Parzival, where his version of the Grail castle, Montsalvat, was guarded by knights called the ‘Templeise’. Etymologists are adamant that Templeise doesn’t mean Templars, but it hardly stretches credulity to imagine that Von Eschenbach had the Knights Templar in mind for his ‘Templeise’.
If you would like to know more about the Knights Templar, then get your hands on a copy of my book: The Knights Templar – History & Mystery. Published by Pen & Sword and available on Amazon, Waterstones, Barnes & Noble, and WHSmith. Don’t miss out on your copy!
Reblogged this on Asatru / Heathen South Africa.