The Knights Templar faced two sets of charges during their trials between 1304 and 1314 that fell under Heresy and Sodomy. One crime involved denying the resurrection of Jesus Christ and the supremacy of the Roman Catholic church. The other crime, sodomy, was the use of sex to undermine the natural order of things. Both crimes were intertwined in the medieval mind and to be accused of them put you firmly outside the Christian world with no chance of salvation. And a death sentence guaranteed. So, were the Templars really guilty of sodomy?
Over the years, I’ve had some very irate correspondence from people arguing from both sides. Some say the knights were the victims of propaganda and charges of sodomy were just a cynical way to tarnish the image of the Templars forever. While others see the Templars as LGBT martyrs. Then there are those on the conservative Right and among supporters of Queer Theory who think that raising the whole issue of homosexuality in the Middle Ages is problematic.
FIND OUT MORE: Were the Knights Templar gay?
Well….here goes! I’ll tell you what I think.
Stop saying homosexuality didn’t exist before Freud
First of all, there’s enough evidence from church councils throughout the medieval period to prove that society was very aware of same sex male-on-male relationships. Homosexuality was not invented by psychologists in the nineteenth century. Yes, the word ‘homosexuality’ was – but not the sexual preference.
Secondly, the word ‘sodomy’ did cover a multitude of sexual sins in the eyes of the church, ranging from bestiality to anal sex and even masturbation. Basically, sexual activity not resulting in procreation. But…sodomy was broken down into subsets that included male same-sex relationships with specific punishments outlined. The church knew full well that within the monasteries and the dormitories of the Templars and Hospitallers, men got into bed with each other.
Just use your own common sense for a moment. You’re a gay man in the thirteenth century and your family keep asking: when are you going to marry that nice girl down the road? The only way out was to either marry this girl; flee your village for the big city and never see your family again; or join an all-male order. The third option must have been appealing. So if you liked a calm, cosseted life, then the Benedictines would have been ideal. If, on the other hand, you were quite butch and fancied a bit of warfare on the side, then the Templars fitted the bill.
Institutionalised sexual abuse within the Templars?
During the trials of the Templars, the knights were accused of kissing each other inappropriately. Kisses on the ‘base of the spine’ were mentioned frequently. I think we can all figure out what that meant. Allegedly, this happened during initiation rituals and there is a suggestion of institutionalised sexual abuse.
That is often brushed aside by historians but I think we should pause – given our own experiences in recent times – and consider the possibility that there were some abusers within the Templar order. We would never dismiss abuse claims today so we shouldn’t apply a different standard to the medieval period – no matter what motivated the accusers.
I discuss all of this in some detail in my latest book, published by Pen & Sword: The Knights Templar – History and Mystery – published in hardback on November 30, 2024. Make sure to get your copy. And watch my video on this subject below.
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