For the homonymous Mongol general, see Molay

Jacques de Molay. Mulay, Mûlay, Bulay, or Molay for the Franks, was a general under the Mongol Ilkhanate ruler Ghazan at the

coat of arms of Jacques de Molay

Jacques de Molay (est. 1244–5/1249–50 – 18 March 1314^[1]), a minor Burgundian noble, served as the 23rd and officially last Grand Master of the Knights Templar. Events 37 - The Roman Senate annuls Tiberius ' will and proclaims Caligula emperor The Free County of Burgundy, in German Freigrafschaft Burgund, was a Medieval County (from 867 to 1678 AD within the traditional province and modern French Grand Master is the typical Title of the supreme head (in some national orders below the Sovereign Head of state of various orders of knighthood including Military orders The Poor Fellow-Soldiers of Christ and of the Temple of Solomon (Pauperes commilitones Christi Templique Solomonici commonly known as the Knights Templar or the Order ^[2] He is probably the best known Templar besides the order's founder and first grand master, Hugues de Payens. Hugues de Payens, also Hughes de Payns Hughes de Pagan (English Hugh of Payens or ""Hugh Pagan"" (c Upon his election before 20 April 1292, he promised to reform the order and adjust it to the situation in the Holy Land. Events 1303 - The University of Rome La Sapienza is instituted by Pope Boniface VIII. The Holy Land ( Arabic: الأرض المقدسة al-Arḍ ul-Muqaddasah;Ancient Aramaic: ארעא קדישא Ar'a Qaddisha; Hebrew: ארץ_הקודש With no crusader states remaining to protect and with other problems surfacing, the right of the order to exist was in question. The Crusader states were a number of mostly 12th- and 13th-century feudal states created by Western European Crusaders in Asia Minor, Greece and However, he was unable to lead the Templars through the inquisitions made against them and was burned at the stake on the Île de la Cité, an island in the Seine river in Paris on 18 March 1314. The term Inquisition can refer to any one of several institutions charged with trying and convicting heretics within the Roman Catholic Church and Execution by burning has a long history as a method of Punishment for Crimes such as Treason, Heresy and Witchcraft The Île de la Cité is one of two natural Islands in the Seine within the city of Paris (the other being Île Saint-Louis, the Île des The Seine (sɛn in French) is a slow flowing major River and commercial waterway within the regions of Île-de-France and Haute-Normandie Events 37 - The Roman Senate annuls Tiberius ' will and proclaims Caligula emperor The execution was ordered by Philip IV after Jacques retracted all of his previous confessions, which outraged the French king. List of Queens and Empresses of France Wikipedia_talkFeatured_lists#Proposed_change_to_all_featured_lists for an explanation of this and other inclusion tags below Nothing is known about two thirds of his life.

Youth

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Jacques de Molay's exact date of birth is in some doubt, but when interrogated by the judges in Paris, 24 October 1307, he stated that he entered the order forty-two years earlier, which would mean in 1265. The Poor Fellow-Soldiers of Christ and of the Temple of Solomon (Pauperes commilitones Christi Templique Solomonici commonly known as the Knights Templar or the Order The Poor Fellow-Soldiers of Christ and of the Temple of Solomon (Pauperes commilitones Christi Templique Solomonici commonly known as the Knights Templar or the Order The history of the Knights Templar incorporates about two centuries during the Middle Ages, from the Order's founding in the early 1100s to when it was disbanded The secrecy around the powerful medieval Order of the Knights Templar, and the speed with which they suddenly disappeared over the space of a few years has led to many The Master of the Knights Templar 's great seal was double-sided and showed the picture of The Dome of the Rock (some opinions are that the picture represents a circular Each man who held the position of Grand Master of the Knights Templar was the supreme commander of the Poor Fellow-Soldiers of Christ and of the Temple of Solomon The history of the Knights Templar in England began when the French nobleman Hughes de Payens, the founder and Grand Master of the order This article is solely about the medieval Order in Scotland The Modern Order is discussed in Scottish Knights Templar. This is a list of some members of the Knights Templar, a powerful Christian military order during the time of the Crusades. With their military mission and extensive financial resources the Knights Templar funded a large number of building projects around Europe and the Holy The Sovereign Military Order of the Temple of Jerusalem (SMOTJ is the United States affiliated Grand Priory of the Ordo Supremus Militaris Templi Hierosolymitani (OSMTH which Paris (ˈpærɨs in English; in French) is the Capital of France and the country's largest city Events 69 - Second Battle of Bedriacum, forces under Antonius Primus the commander of the Danube armies loyal to Vespasian, defeat The common imperial age for joining an order was minimum 20 years of age, and thus he most likely would have been born in 1244 or 1245. However, there exist several documents proving that men younger than 20-21 years were accepted into the order, hence the birth year confusion. An interesting fact involves that when questioned about the same thing in August the following year by the Pope's envoys at Chinon, he again told he was received into the order forty-two years earlier, i. History See also History of the Papacy Catholics recognize the Pope as a successor to Saint Peter, who Jesus named as the "shepherd" and Chinon is a commune in the Indre-et-Loire department in central France. e. 1266. Jacques de Molay was born into, most likely, a family of minor nobility, as most of the Templars were, at Molay (Haute-Saône) in the county of Burgundy, at the time ruled by Otto III. Nobility is a government-privileged title which may be either hereditary (see Hereditary titles) or for a lifetime Haute-Saône ( Hiôta-Sona in Arpitan language is a French department of the Franche-Comté ( Franche-Comtât The Free County of Burgundy, in German Freigrafschaft Burgund, was a Medieval County (from 867 to 1678 AD within the traditional province and modern French Otto III Count Palatine of Burgundy, also Otto II of Andechs and Merania (1208-1248 was the son of Beatrice II Countess Palatine of Burgundy and Otto I Duke

He was received into the order at Beaune by Humbert de Pairaud, the Visitor of France and England in 1265. Beaune is a commune in eastern France, a Sub-prefecture of the Côte-d'Or department in the Bourgogne region Independently of Guillaume de Beaujeu, who was elected grand master in 1273, Jacques de Molay went to the East (Outremer) around 1270. Guillaume de Beaujeu, aka William of Beaujeu, was the 21st Grand Master of the Knights Templar, from 1273 until his death during the siege of Acre in 1291 Outremer, French ( outre-mer) for " Overseas " was the general name given to the Crusader states established after the He spent all his career as a Templar in the East, although he is mentioned to be in France in 1285. This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. It is not known if he held any offices in either the West or the East, or if he was present when Acre, the last crusader city and capital of the Latin kingdom fell in May 1291 to the Mamluks. The Crusades were a series of military campaigns of a religious character waged by much of Christian Europe against external and internal opponents

Grand Master

After the fall of Acre, the Franks who were able retreated to Cyprus, this including Jacques de Molay and Thibaud Gaudin, the 22nd Grand Master of the Temple. Cyprus (Κύπρος transliterated: Kýpros,; Kıbrıs officially the Republic of Cyprus (Κυπριακή Δημοκρατία Kypriakī́ Dīmokratía Thibaud Gaudin (1229? – April 16 1292) was the Grand Master of the Knights Templar from August 1291 until his death in April 1292 During a meeting assembled on the island in the autumn of 1291, J. de Molay spoke and pointed to himself as an alternative and reformer of the order. Before 16 April 1292 Gaudin died, leaving the mastership open for Jacques de Molay, as there were no other serious contenders for the role at the time. Events 1178 BC - A Solar eclipse may have marked the return of Odysseus, legendary King of Ithaca, to his kingdom The election took place before 20 April, as a document in the archives of the Crown of Aragon attests and recognizes Jacques de Molay as the Knights Templar's new grand master by then. Events 1303 - The University of Rome La Sapienza is instituted by Pope Boniface VIII. The Crown of Aragon was a permanent union of multiple titles and states in the hands of the King of Aragon.

Once elected, the rapid establishment of the command of the order was meant to deal with the most serious matters first. These were the subjects of Cyprus and Armenia of Cilicia, which both were under the threat of an attack from the Mamluks. Armenia (Հայաստան transliterated: Hayastan,) officially the Republic of Armenia (Հայաստանի Հանրապետություն Hayastani Geography Cilicia extended along the Aegean coast east from Pamphylia, to Mount Amanus ( Gavurdağı Mount) which separated it from Syria In spring 1293 he began a tour to the West which brought him to Provence, Catalonia, Italy, England and France. Provence ( Provençal Occitan: Provença in classical norm or Prouvènço in Mistralian norm is a region of southeastern France Catalonia (Cataluña Catalunya Aranese: Catalonha) is an Autonomous Community in the northeast part of Spain. Italy (Italia officially the Italian Republic, (Repubblica Italiana is located on the Italian Peninsula in Southern Europe, and on the two largest England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. There he settled several local and internal problems, but mainly the goal was to ask for help from the western rulers and the Church in the reconquest of the Holy Land, strengthening the defence of Cyprus and the rebuilding of Templar forces. Talk of a crusade was even at hand, but a more troubling issue was brought upon de Molay, the merging of the orders of the Temple and the Hospital, an idea he was opposed to and would continue to be against. The Knights Hospitaller (also known as the Sovereign Military Hospitaller Order of St He held two general meetings of his order at Montpellier in 1293 and at Arles in 1296, where he tried to make reforms. Montpellier ( Occitan Montpelhièr) is a City in the south of France. Arles (aʁl̥ Provençal Occitan: Arles in both classical and Mistralian norms is a City in the south of France, During his journey, Jacques de Molay made a close relationship with Pope Boniface VIII and relationships of trust with Edward I of England, James I of Aragon and Charles II of Naples. Pope Boniface VIII (c 1235 &ndash October 11, 1303) born Benedetto Caetani, was Pope of the Roman Catholic Church from 1294 Edward I (17 June 1239 – 7 July 1307 popularly known as Longshanks, was a King of England who achieved historical fame by conquering large parts of Wales and almost James I the Conqueror ( Catalan: Jaume el Conqueridor, Aragonese: Chaime lo Conqueridor, Spanish: Jaime el Conquistador Charles II, known as "the Lame" ( French le Boiteux, Italian lo Zoppo; 1254 &ndash 5 May 1309) was Nothing is known of his relationship with Philip IV of France.

In the autumn of 1296 de Molay was back in Cyprus to defend his order against the interests of Henry II of Cyprus, which conflict had its roots back in the days of Guillaume de Beaujeu. Henry II of Jerusalem, Henry I of Cyprus or Henri I & II de Lusignan (1271 &ndash August 31, 1324) was the last ruling and first titular Guillaume de Beaujeu, aka William of Beaujeu, was the 21st Grand Master of the Knights Templar, from 1273 until his death during the siege of Acre in 1291

Mongol diplomacy

See also: Franco-Mongol alliance

From 1299 to 1303 de Molay promoted cooperation with the Mongols against the Mamluks. Many attempts were made towards forming a Franco-Mongol alliance between the mid-13th and early 14th centuries starting around the time of the Seventh Crusade. Many attempts were made towards forming a Franco-Mongol alliance between the mid-13th and early 14th centuries starting around the time of the Seventh Crusade. The plan was to coordinate actions between the Christian military orders, the King of Cyprus, the aristocracy of Cyprus and Little Armenia and the Mongols of the khanate of Ilkhan (Persia). Christianity ( Greek Χριστιανισμός from the word Xριστός ( Christ)is a monotheistic Religion centered on the life and teachings military order is a Christian Order of knighthood that is founded for crusading, i Aristocracy is a form of Government, where rule is established through an internal struggle over who has the most status and influence over society and internal relations Khanate or Chanat is a Turkic origined word used to describe a political entity ruled by a Khan. The Ilkhanate, also spelled Il-khanate or Il Khanate (Ил Хан улс Il Khan uls;) was a Mongol Khanate established in For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Iran topics.

In 1298 or 1299, Jacques de Molay halted a further Mamluk invasion with military force in Armenia possibly because of the loss of Roche-Guillaume, the last Templar stronghold in Cilicia, to the Mamluks. La Roche-Guillaume was a medieval fortress of the Knights Templar located near the Syrian Gates in what is now the Hatay Province of Turkey. However, when the Mongol khan of Persia, Ghâzân, defeated the Mamluks in the Battle of Wadi al-Khazandar in December 1299, the Christian forces were not ready to take an advantage of the situation. Mahmud Ghazan or Qazaan the Khan of the Tartars (original Mongol name Ghazan Khan, Ch合贊 b The Battle of Wadi al-Khazandar, also known as the Third Battle of Homs, was a Mongol victory over the Mamluks in 1299

In 1300, Jacques de Molay and other forces from Cyprus put together a fleet of 16 ships which committed raids along the Egyptian and Syrian coasts. This article is about the country of Egypt For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Egypt topics. Syria ( سوريّة or) officially the Syrian Arab Republic (Arabic ar الجمهورية العربية السورية The force was commanded by King Henry II of Jerusalem, the king of Cyprus, accompanied by his brother, Amalric, Lord of Tyre the heads of the military orders, and the ambassador of the Mongol leader Ghazan. Henry II of Jerusalem, Henry I of Cyprus or Henri I & II de Lusignan (1271 &ndash August 31, 1324) was the last ruling and first titular Amalric de Lusignan or Amaury II de Lusignan, Prince of Tyre (c Mahmud Ghazan or Qazaan the Khan of the Tartars (original Mongol name Ghazan Khan, Ch合贊 b The ships left Famagusta on July 20, 1300, to raid the coasts of Egypt and Syria: Rosette,^[3] Alexandria, Acre, Tortosa, and Maraclea, before returning to Cyprus. "Magusa" redirects here For the Moth Genus, see Magusa (moth. Alexandria ( Egyptian Arabic: اسكندريه Eskendereyya; Standard Arabic: ar الإسكندرية Al-Iskandariyya; Ἀλεξάνδρεια The acre is a unit of Area in a number of different systems including the imperial and U Tortosa ( Latin: Dertusa or Dertosa, Arabic: طرطوشة Ṭurṭūšah) is the capital of the comarca Maraclea, also known as Khrab Marqiya or Maraqîya, was a small coastal Crusader town and a castle in the Levant, between Tortosa ^[4] The raids along the way were directed by Admiral Baudoin de Picquigny, and when the raids took place at Alexandria, they were able to free Christian prisoners who had been captive since the Fall of Acre in 1291. ^[5]

The ships then returned to Cyprus, and prepared for an attack on Tortosa in late 1300. The Cypriots sent a joint force to a staging area on the island of Ruad, from which raids were launched on Tortosa, while awaiting the arrival of the Mongols. However, Ghazan's forces were delayed, and the Crusader forces ended up returning to Cyprus, leaving a garrison on Ruad. When Ghazan did arrive in February 1301, he was only able to engage in some minor raids before having to withdraw.

Combined offensives in 1300-1301.

Plans for combined operations were again made for the following winter offensive. A letter has been kept from Jacques de Molay to Edward I, and dated April 8, 1301, informing him of the troubles encountered by Ghazan, but announcing that Ghazan was supposed to come in Autumn:

"And our convent, with all our galleys and 'tarides' [light galleys][lacuna] has been transported to the isle of Tortosa to await Ghazan's army and his Tartars. "

—Jacques de Molay, letter to Edward I, April 8, 1301^[6]

And in a letter to the king of Aragon a few months later:

"The king of Armenia had sent his messengers to the king of Cyprus to tell him . . . that Ghazan was now on the point of coming to the sultan's lands with a multitude of Tartars. Knowing this, we now intend to go to the isle of Tortosa, where our convent has remained all this year with horses and arms, causing much damage to the casaux along the coast and capturing many Saracens. We intend to go there and settle in to await the Tartars. "

—Jacques de Molay, letter to the king of Aragon, 1301^[7]

In November that year, De Molay joined the occupation of the tiny fortress island of Ruad (today called Arwad) which faced the Syrian town of Tortosa. Arwad ( أرواد) &ndash formerly known as Arado ( Άραδο) Arados (Greek Άραδος) Arvad, Arpad Arwad ( أرواد) &ndash formerly known as Arado ( Άραδο) Arados (Greek Άραδος) Arvad, Arpad Tartus ( طرطوس, also transliterated Tartous) is a city in Syria, the capital of Tartus Governorate. The intent was to establish a bridgehead to await assistance from the Mongols, but the Mongols failed to appear in 1300. The same happened in 1301 and 1302. In September 1302 the Templars were driven out of Ruad by the attacking Mamluk forces from Egypt, and many were massacred when trapped on the island. The island of Ruad was lost in the Siege of Ruad on September 26, 1302, and when Ghâzân died in 1304 Jacques de Molay's dream of a rapid reconquest of the Holy Land was destroyed. The Siege of Arwad or Siege of Ruad took place around 1302 on the island of Arwad on the Syrian coast

Travel to France

In 1305, the newly elected pope Clement V asked the leaders of the military orders of their opinions on a new crusade and the merging of the orders. Pope Clement V' (About 1264 &ndash April 20, 1314) born Raymond Bertrand de Got (also occasionally spelled de Gouth and de Jacques de Molay was asked by the Pope to write two memoranda, one on each of the issues, which he did during the summer of 1306. On 6 June, the leaders were officially asked to come to Poitiers, where the Pope had his seat, to discuss these matters. Events 1508 - Maximilian I Holy Roman Emperor, is defeated in Friulia by Venetian forces; he is forced to sign a three-year Poitiers is a town on the Clain River in west central France. The meeting at Poitiers was delayed due to the Pope's illness, unbeknownst to de Molay, who had already left Cyprus around 15 October. Events 533 - Byzantine General Belisarius makes his formal entry into Carthage, having conquered it from the De Molay arrived in France in late November or early December, but nothing is known of his activities during the first five months of 1307. In the second half of May he was in Poitiers attending the meeting with the Pope. The Grand Master came into conflict with Philippe IV because he rejected the idea of merging the two orders into one with Phillipe as leader (Rex Bellator, or War King). This made more difficult the Pope's problem with the King, who wanted at all costs to condemn the memory of Boniface VIII. Also, it furthermore thwarted the attempts to get a new crusade on its way. These conflicts were weakening the Templar Order along with something that would turn out to be far more serious, something Jacques de Molay had discovered during his journey through France: scandalous and perverse rumours and whispers about the order had begun to surface. The king and his councillors, among them Guillaume de Nogaret, knew to exploit this weakness. Guillaume de Nogaret or William of Nogaret (1260/1270 – 1313 was councillor and Keeper of the seal to Philip IV of France.

Downfall

Jacques de Molay spoke with the king in Paris on 24 June 1307 about the accusations against his order and was partially reassured. Events 972 - Battle of Cedynia, the first documented victory of Polish forces takes place Returning to Poitiers, he asked the pope to set up an inquiry to quickly clear the order of the rumours and accusations surrounding it. When the pope announced that an inquiry would be convened 24 August, the king acted decisively. Events 49 BC - Julius Caesar 's General Gaius Scribonius Curio is defeated in the Second Battle of the Bagradas River On 14 September, in the deepest secrecy, he sent out his orders throughout all of France which resulted in the mass arrests of Templars and confiscation of their possessions in the whole country on Friday, 13 October 1307. Events 81 - Domitian becomes Emperor of the Roman Empire upon the death of his brother Titus. Events 54 - Nero ascends to the Roman throne 409 - Vandals and Alans crossed the Pyrenees Jacques de Molay was arrested in Paris, where he intended to be present at the funeral of Catherine of Valois.

Interrogation of Jacques de Molay. 19th century print.

During an interrogation by royal agents on October 24, Jacques confessed only to "denying Christ and trampling on the Cross" as a part of the initiation ritual. Events 69 - Second Battle of Bedriacum, forces under Antonius Primus the commander of the Danube armies loyal to Vespasian, defeat Jacques de Molay's possible intention was that this couldn't possibly be very harmful to the order, but when he was forced to repeat this statement in public the next day, the damage was devastating for the Templars. Making things even worse, he was made to write a letter where he expressed that every Templar should admit to these acts. Philippe IV was now in full command of the situation, and in order to regain his authority, Pope Clement V ordered the arrest of all the Templars throughout Christendom.

Jacques de Molay sentenced to the stake in 1314, from the Chronicle of France or of St Denis (fourteenth century)

The pope still wanted to hear Jacques de Molay, and dispatched two cardinals to Paris in December 1307. In front of them, Jacques retracted his confessions made to the agents of Philippe IV. By then, the affair had resulted in a power struggle between the king and the pope, which was settled in August 1308, when the king and the pope agreed to split the convictions. Through the Bull Fasciens misericordiam the procedure to prosecute the Templars was set out on a duality where the first commission would judge individuals of the order and the second commission would judge the order as an entity. A Papal bull is a particular type of Letters patent or charter issued by a Pope. Jacques de Molay (est 1244–5/1249–50 – 18 March 1314) was the 23rd and officially last Grand Master of the Knights Templar, leading the In practice this meant that a council seated at Vienne was to decide the future of the Temple, while the Temple dignitaries, among them Jacques de Molay, were to be judged by the Pope. This article is about the French department Do not confuse with the Austrian capital Vienna. In the royal palace at Chinon, Jacques de Molay was again questioned by the cardinals, but this time with royal agents present. Chinon is a commune in the Indre-et-Loire department in central France. He returned to his admissions made on 24 October 1307, after which there was silence for a year. Events 69 - Second Battle of Bedriacum, forces under Antonius Primus the commander of the Danube armies loyal to Vespasian, defeat Slowly the commissions and inquisitions were put in place, and finally, in November 1309, the Papal Commission for the Kingdom of France began its hearings. On two instances, on 26 and 28 November, Jacques explicitly stated that he did not acknowledge the accusations brought against his order. Events 43 BC - The Second Triumvirate alliance of Gaius Julius Caesar Octavianus ("Octavian" later "Caesar Augustus" For the town in Argentina, see 28 de Noviembre. Events By so doing, he thus turned to a strategy of silence before the Commission, counting on the power of the church to prevail over the will of the king

Marker from the site of his execution in Paris. (translation: At this location, Jacques de Molay, last Grand Master of the Knights Templar, was burnt at the stake on March 18, 1314), located by the stairs from the Pont-Neuf bridge, facing the trees at the tip of the island. The Pont Neuf, French for the "New Bridge" is the oldest standing Bridge across the river Seine in Paris.

By remaining silent, Jaques de Molay deprived the Templars of leadership; thereafter, the order was able to offer little resistance to the threat it faced. Any further opposition was effectively broken when the archbishop of Sens, Philippe de Marigny, sentenced 54 Templars to be burnt at the stake on 10-12 May 1310. Events 1191 - Richard I of England marries Berengaria of Navarre. At the Council of Vienne on 22 March 1312, the order was abolished by papal decree. The Council of Vienne was the Fifteenth Ecumenical Council of the Roman Catholic Church that met between 1311 and 1312 in Vienne. Events 238 - Gordian I and his son Gordian II are proclaimed Roman emperor. Almost two years later, on March 18, 1314, three cardinals sent by the pope sentenced the Temple dignitaries Jacques de Molay, Hugues de Pairaud, Geoffroy de Charney and Geoffroy de Gonneville to life imprisonment. Events 37 - The Roman Senate annuls Tiberius ' will and proclaims Caligula emperor This article is about the Templar who died in 1314 For his nephew who died in 1356 see Geoffroi de Charny. Realizing that all was lost, Jacques de Molay rose up and recanted. Along with Geoffroy de Charney, he proclaimed his order's innocence, before challenging the king and pope before God. Furious, Philippe IV ordered them both burned at the stake. Execution by burning has a long history as a method of Punishment for Crimes such as Treason, Heresy and Witchcraft On the eve of 18 March 1314, Jacques de Molay and Geoffroy de Charnay were taken to the Isle des Juifs, now incorporaed into the Île de la Cité, where they were executed. Events 37 - The Roman Senate annuls Tiberius ' will and proclaims Caligula emperor The Île de la Cité is one of two natural Islands in the Seine within the city of Paris (the other being Île Saint-Louis, the Île des Note the fourteenth century print show the execution on a small island separated from the Isle de la Cite'. )

In 2002, Dr. Barbara Frale found a copy of the Chinon Parchment in the Vatican Secret Archives, a document which explicitly confirms that Pope Clement V secretly absolved Jacques de Molay and other leaders of the Order in 1308. The Chinon Parchment is a Historical document, published by Étienne Baluze in Vitae Paparum Avenionensis ("Lives of the Popes of Avignon" The Vatican Secret Archives ( Latin: Archivum Secretum Apostolicum Vaticanum) located in Vatican City, is the central repository for all of the acts promulgated Absolution is a traditional theological term for the forgiveness experienced in the traditional Churches in the Sacrament of Reconciliation. She published her findings in the Journal of Medieval History in 2004. This list presents representative Academic journals pertaining to the field of History and Historiography. ^[8]

Legends

Presence in England

Some Internet sources claim that Jacques de Molay was a commander in England and spent much time there. According to the most expansive biography of Jacques released yet, Alain Demurger's The Last Templar, there is no evidence of such. Although Jacques visited England in 1293, it is not likely that he assumed the post of commander while himself being the grand master.

Conquest of Jerusalem

"The capture of Jerusalem by Jacques de Molay in 1299", by Claude Jacquand, Versailles, Musée National Chateau et Trianons. Versailles (vɛʀsaj in French) formerly de facto capital of the kingdom of France, is now a wealthy suburb of Paris and is still an important This depiction was commissioned in the 1800s, but is about an event in 1299 that did not actually occur. There was no battle, and De Molay was nowhere near Jerusalem at the time (Demurger, Last Templar) In reality, after the Christians lost control of Jerusalem in 1244, it was not under Christian control again until 1917, when the British took it from the Ottomans

In France in the 19th century, false stories circulated that De Molay had captured Jerusalem in 1300, and a painting was even commissioned for the Versailles, entitled "Jacques de Molay Takes Jerusalem, 1299. The Ottoman Empire (1299–1923 ( Old Ottoman Turkish: دولتْ علیّه عثمانیّه Devlet-i Âliye-yi Osmâniyye, Late Ottoman and Modern Turkish " The exact origin of these rumors is not certain, although they may be related to the fact that a medieval historian, the Templar of Tyre, wrote about a Mongol general named "Mulay" who occupied Syria and Palestine for a few months in early 1300. This article is about the author of a medieval document written in the 1300s Mulay, Mûlay, Bulay, or Molay for the Franks, was a general under the Mongol Ilkhanate ruler Ghazan at the

There are numerous ancient records of Mongol raids and occupations of Jerusalem (from either Western, Armenian or Arab sources), and the Mongols did achieve a victory in Syria which caused a Muslim retreat, and allowed the Mongols to launch raids into the Levant as far as Gaza for a period of a few months in early 1300. During this time, rumors flew through Europe that the Mongols had recaptured Jerusalem and were going to return the city to the Europeans. However, this may only be an urban legend, as the only activities that the Mongols had even engaged in were some minor raids through Palestine, which may or may not have even passed through Jerusalem, a city which at the time was considered a minor location of no strategic importance, as it was still in ruins from earlier battles. An urban legend or urban myth is a form of modern Folklore consisting of stories thought to be factual by those circulating them ^[9][10]

The Shroud of Turin

Two Masonic historians, Christopher Knight and Robert Lomas, have written a controversial book called The Second Messiah: Templars, the Turin Shroud, and the Great Secret of Freemasonry, which claims that the Turin Shroud is actually an image of Jacques de Molay, not of Jesus Christ as is common belief. The Shroud of Turin (or Turin Shroud) is a Linen cloth bearing the image of a man who appears to have been physically traumatized in a manner consistent They claim that when King Philip IV of France and Pope Clement V seized and dissolved the Order of the Knights Templar, that one of the French king's inquisitors, Guillame de Nogaret, tortured and crucified de Molay in a parody of the crucifixion of Jesus. Philip IV (es ''Felipe IV'' pt ''Filipe III'' ( 8 April, 1605 &ndash 17 September, 1665) was King of Spain between 1621 and Pope Clement V' (About 1264 &ndash April 20, 1314) born Raymond Bertrand de Got (also occasionally spelled de Gouth and de He then put a cloth on de Molay's head, and de Molay's face was imprinted on the cloth. The authors claim that one of the reasons the Knights Templar were suppressed was because they knew a secret true history of Jesus which had been distorted by the Roman Catholic Church. According to Knight and Lomas, Jesus considered himself not God, but a Jewish revolutionary working to establish God's kingdom on Earth, and that the Templars' initiation ceremony involved a denial of Jesus as God.

Apart from Knight and Lomas' suggested scenario, there is a connection in the provenance of the Shroud of Turin and the Templars. Geoffroi de Charny's widow Jeanne de Vergy is the first reliably recorded owner of the Turin shroud; his uncle, Geoffrey de Charney, was Preceptor of Normandy for the Knights Templar. This article is about the French knight who died in 1356 For his Knight Templar uncle who was burned at the stake in 1314 see Geoffroy de Charney. This article is about the Templar who died in 1314 For his nephew who died in 1356 see Geoffroi de Charny. This uncle is the same Geoffrey de Charney who was initially sentenced to lifetime imprisonment with de Molay, and was burned with de Molay in 1314 after both proclaimed their innocence, recanting torture-induced confessions. This article is about the Templar who died in 1314 For his nephew who died in 1356 see Geoffroi de Charny.

Curse

It is said that Jacques de Molay cursed Philippe le Bel and his descent from his execution pyre. And, indeed, the rapid succession of the last Direct Capetian kings of France between 1314 and 1328, the three sons of Philippe IV, led many to believe that the dynasty had been cursed – thus the name of "The Accursed Kings" (Les Rois Maudits). For a full history of the Capetian family see Capetian dynasty. A curse (also called execration) is any manner of Adversity thought to be inflicted by any supernatural power (such as a spell, a Prayer, an The Accursed Kings (Les Rois Maudits is a sequence of seven Historical novels by Maurice Druon, of the French Academy. Also, de Molay apparently challenged the king and the pope to meet him before the judgment of God before the year was over, although this story is recorded in no contemporaneous accounts of de Molay's execution. Philip and Clement V in fact both died in 1314. The 300 year old House of Capet collapsed during the next 14 years. This series of events forms the basis of Les Rois Maudits (the Accursed Kings), a series of historical novels by Maurice Druon. The Accursed Kings (Les Rois Maudits is a sequence of seven Historical novels by Maurice Druon, of the French Academy. Maurice Druon (born April 23 1918) is a French Novelist and member of Académie française. Ironically, King Louis XVI was a descendant of Philippe le Bel by his granddaughter Queen Joan II of Navarre. Joan II of Navarre ( January 28, 1312 &ndash October 6, 1349) was Queen of Navarre 1328&ndash1349

Quoting Templar Historian Malcolm Barber:

A variation on this story was told by the contemporary chronicler Ferretto of Vicenza, who applied the idea to a Neopolitan Templar brought before Clement V, whom he denounced for his injustice. Some time later, as he was about to be executed, he appealed 'from this your heinous judgement to the living and true God, who is in Heaven', warning the pope that, within a year and a day, he and Philip IV would be obliged to answer for their crimes in God's presence. (Ferretto of Vicenza, 'Historia rerum in Italia gestarum ab anno 1250 as annum usque 1318', c. 1328). ^[11]

"Jacques de Molay, thou art avenged!"

Another legend connects the climax of the French Revolution with the events surrounding de Molay's death, and figures prominently in Templar/Freemasonic conspiracy theories. The French Revolution (1789–1799 was a period of political and social upheaval in the History of France, during which the French governmental structure previously an A conspiracy theory attributes the ultimate cause of an event or chain of events (usually Political, Social or Historical events or the concealment According to Holy Blood, Holy Grail:

Holy Blood, Holy Grail is credited in nearly all contemporary works that make reference to the story, and the authors do not cite any credible historical source for it. ^[13] A decade earlier, reference was made several times to this scene in the Illuminatus! Trilogy. The Illuminatus! Trilogy is a series of three novels written by Robert Shea and Robert Anton Wilson purportedly between 1969 and 1971 The authors of Illuminatus! also neglected to source the legend.

Legacy

There is a masonic youth group named the Order of DeMolay. DeMolay International (Also known as the Order of DeMolay) founded in Kansas City Missouri in 1919 is an international youth fraternity for young men While they use Jacques as an example of loyalty and fidelity, they claim no direct connection with him nor with the Knights Templar.

Quotes

• "Quar nous navons volu ne volons le Temple mettre en aucune servitute se non tant come il hy affiert. " ("For we did not and do not wish the Temple to be placed in any servitude except that which is fitting. ") - Jacques de Molay in one of his memoranda to Pope Clement V from the summer of 1306.

Notes

See also

• Pope Boniface VIII, Pope with whom J. Pope Boniface VIII (c 1235 &ndash October 11, 1303) born Benedetto Caetani, was Pope of the Roman Catholic Church from 1294 de Molay had a close relationship.
• Geoffroy de Charney, Commander of Normandy. This article is about the Templar who died in 1314 For his nephew who died in 1356 see Geoffroi de Charny.
• Guillaume de Nogaret, councillor to Philippe IV. Guillaume de Nogaret or William of Nogaret (1260/1270 – 1313 was councillor and Keeper of the seal to Philip IV of France.
• Franco-Mongol alliance
• Ghâzân, Mongol warlord of the Ilkhan khanate. Many attempts were made towards forming a Franco-Mongol alliance between the mid-13th and early 14th centuries starting around the time of the Seventh Crusade. Mahmud Ghazan or Qazaan the Khan of the Tartars (original Mongol name Ghazan Khan, Ch合贊 b The Ilkhanate, also spelled Il-khanate or Il Khanate (Ил Хан улс Il Khan uls;) was a Mongol Khanate established in Khanate or Chanat is a Turkic origined word used to describe a political entity ruled by a Khan.
• Inquisition
• Outremer, the Holy Land. The term Inquisition can refer to any one of several institutions charged with trying and convicting heretics within the Roman Catholic Church and Outremer, French ( outre-mer) for " Overseas " was the general name given to the Crusader states established after the The Holy Land ( Arabic: الأرض المقدسة al-Arḍ ul-Muqaddasah;Ancient Aramaic: ארעא קדישא Ar'a Qaddisha; Hebrew: ארץ_הקודש
• Ruad (today called Arwad), tiny island which the Templars used in a plan to attack and retake the Holy Land. Arwad ( أرواد) &ndash formerly known as Arado ( Άραδο) Arados (Greek Άραδος) Arvad, Arpad
• Acre, the last Frankish city to be lost to the Mamluks on the mainland.
• Cyprus, the kingdom which the Templars had their base in their last years. Cyprus (Κύπρος transliterated: Kýpros,; Kıbrıs officially the Republic of Cyprus (Κυπριακή Δημοκρατία Kypriakī́ Dīmokratía
• Chinon Parchment
• Some branches of Freemasonry use 1314, Anno Coadio, as their epoch. The Chinon Parchment is a Historical document, published by Étienne Baluze in Vitae Paparum Avenionensis ("Lives of the Popes of Avignon"

References and further reading

• Alain Demurger, The Last Templar - The Tragedy of Jacques de Molay, Last Grand Master of the Temple (Translated into English by Antonia Nevill), Profile Books LTD, 2004, ISBN 1-86197-529-5 (First publication in France in 2002 as Jacques de Molay: le crépuscule des templiers by Éditions Payot & Rivages). Alain Demurger is a modern French Historian, and a leading specialist of the history of the Knights Templar and the

• Christopher Knight, Robert Lomas, The Second Messiah - Templars, the Turin Shroud and the Great Secret of Freemasonry, Fair Winds Press , 2001, ISBN 1-931412-76-6.
• Schein, Sylvia (October 1979). "Gesta Dei per Mongolos 1300. The Genesis of a Non-Event". The English Historical Review 94 (373): 805-819.  
• Laurent Dailliez, Jacques de Molay, dernier maitre du Temple, 1973, ISBN 2-85338-003-3

External links

• The Chinon Parchment, includes a deposition of Jacques de Molay
• The Story of Jacques de Molay
• Templar History's article about Jacques de Molay
• The Catholic Encyclopedia's article about Jacques de Molay
• Web-Page showing photos of location of GM Jacques de Molay's Burning at the Stake
• More info about Jacques de Molay
• Jacques DeMolay Memorial Lodge No.305, under the Most Worshipful Grand Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons of the Philippines