View source for Seal of the grand master of the Knights Templar

{{Short description|Seal}}{{cleanup rewrite|date=November 2011}}
{{More footnotes|date=October 2011}}

{{Knights Templar}}
The [[Grand Masters of the Knights Templar]] during the later 12th and the 13th century used a double-sided [[Seal (emblem)|seal]] which showed a representation of [[Dome of the Rock|The Dome of the Rock]] (or a circular dome of the [[Church of the Holy Sepulchre]]) on one side, and the Order's symbol of two knights on one horse on the other side. 
This design is first attested as in use by [[Bertrand de Blanquefort]], the order's sixth Grand Master, in 1158, forty years after its foundation, and it remained in use until the dissolution of the order in 1312.

There was also a smaller, single-sided seal, which showed the Dome of the Rock (or the Holy Sepulchre), only.{{citation needed|date=November 2011}}

Different seals were used by provincial masters of the order. According to a [[papal bull]] issued by [[Innocent IV]] in 1251, it was customary for successive provincial masters to use the same seal.
The master of Provence continued to use an [[Agnus Dei]] seal, while the seal of the Aragonese master William of Cardona and his successors depicted a knight on horseback, carrying a lance and shield, on which was a cross bearing the legend: ''S. MINISTRI TEMPLI 1 ARAGON 7 CATALON'' ("Seal of the minister of the Temple in [[Aragon]] and [[Catalonia]]").

== Templars Seal Themes ==

=== [[Dome of the Rock]] and [[Qibli Mosque|Al Aqsa Mosque]] ===
<gallery>
File:SEAL Templars Artistic Militium Templi Salo.png|MILITIE TEMPLI SALMO Artistic representation
</gallery>
The reverse of Bertrand de Blancafort's seal,
Master of the Temple 1168 in Staatsarchiv [[Amberg]]

The reverse of Grand Master [[William of Chartres (Templar)|William of Chartres]] seal from 1214 also depicts the Dome of the Rock.

=== ''[[Agnus Dei]]'' ===
In heraldry, a [[Lamb of God]] (or paschal lamb, or agnus Dei) is a lamb [[Charge (heraldry)#Attitude of animals|passant]] proper, with a [[halo (religious symbol)|halo]] or charged with a cross [[gules]], and the dexter forelimb reflexed over a cross staff from which a [[St George's Cross|pennon of St. George]] (Argent a cross gules) is [[flotant]].
The seals of the Masters of the Temple in England: of [[Aimery de St Maur]], 1200, [[Robert of Sandford]], 1241, [[Richard of Hastings]], 1160–85, and [[William de la More]], 1304, showed the agnus Dei.

SIGILLVM TEMPLI
The obverse of a seal used by [[William de la More]], master, 1304, resembles the above text . The reverse, a small oval counter-seal, with beaded borders, shows on the right a couped bust of a bearded man wearing a cap. and have the legend:— TESTIS SUM AGNI ("I am a witness to the Lamb")
William de la More, styled ''frater Willelmus de la More miliciae''. The seal is called ''commune sigillum capituli''. The seal symbolic of their vow of poverty, showing two knights riding on one horse appears only to have been used by the order in France; there is no example of its use in England.

Some of the seals of the English Templars were a semi-typical Pascal lamb bearing sometimes, not the flag of St George (or the cross), but the [[Beauseant]], the battle banner of the order.

<gallery>
File:Agnus dei seal Artistic representationi.jpg|Seal of Robert of Sandford, the Master of the Temple in 1241 in the British Library
File:Roncelin de Foz agnusdei.jpg|L'Agnus Dei, seal used by [[Roncelin de Foz]]. Second part of the 13th century. Departmental Archives of Marseilles -[[Bouches du Rhône]].
</gallery>
Other seals:
Durham Cathedral Muniments, Medieval Seal G&B reference number: 3388
Knights of the Temple 1304 Description: Round. The Holy Lamb with banner.

=== The Two Riders ===

==== The symbol ====
{{Unreferenced section|date=June 2008}}
[[File:Seal of Templars.jpg|right|thumb|A Knights Templar seal<ref>as reproduced in T. A. Archer, ''The Crusades: The Story of the Latin Kingdom of Jerusalem'' (1894), p. 176.
The design with the two knights on a horse and the inscription ''SIGILLVM MILITVM XRISTI'' is attested in 1191, see 
Jochen Burgtorf, ''The central convent of Hospitallers and Templars: history, organization, and personnel (1099/1120-1310)'', Volume 50 of History of warfare (2008), {{ISBN|978-90-04-16660-8}}, pp. 545-546.</ref>]]
The Templar Seal showing two knights (perhaps [[Hugues de Payens]] and [[Godfrey de Saint-Omer]]) on one horse.
There are many interpretations of the symbolism of this seal.

* Contemporary legend held that the symbol represented the initial poverty of the order; that they could afford only a single horse for every two men.{{citation needed|date=November 2011}} Still, the Rule of the Order from the outset permitted three horses and no more for each knight, as well as no Templars sharing the same horse.{{citation needed|date=November 2011}}
* Several masters adopted this seal from the beginning of the order until at least 1298. It is known to have been in use since 1167.{{citation needed|date=November 2011}} The Rule forbids two riders on the same beast.{{citation needed|date=November 2011}}
* According to legend, Hugues de Payens (the first Grand-Master of the Templars) and Godfrey were so poor that between the two of them they had only one horse, and this gave rise to the famous image on the seal of the Templars, of two men riding a single horse.

The image of two knights on the horse was widely used:
* [[Matthew Paris]] in {{lang|la|[[Chronica Majora]]}} ca 1250
* An English monk and chronicler from St. Albans in [[Historia Anglorum (Matthew Paris)|Historia Anglorum]]
* At least as early as 1158 as the seal of the Grand Master of the Temple, [[Bertrand de Blanchefort]]. This is the earliest known seal for the Grand Master of the Temple forty years after the Order was formed.
* Use of this symbol continued under subsequent Grand Masters for as long as the Order survived, however the seal went through more than one incarnation. The [[Reynaut de Vichiers]], who was Master of the Temple from 1255-1259 depict same images, but it is obviously not the same seal.

==== The Legend ====
The seals of the Grand Masters have textual differences:
* Blanchefort's seal: SIGILLUM MILITUM (Latin, ''Seal of the Soldiers'') obverse; CHRISTI DE TEMPLO (Latin, ''of Christ of the Temple'') reverse.
* Vichiers' seal: SIGILLUM MILITUM XPISTI (Latin, ''Seal of the Soldiers of Christ'').
While Vichiers' motto is written in Latin, the word 'Christ' begins with Greek letters ([[Chi Rho]]) (Latin symbol, ''XP'') rather than the Latin CHR. The XP symbol arose early in Christianity and entered popular usage after the legendary pre-battle [[Labarum|vision of Chi Rho]] and Christian conversion of the 4th century Roman Emperor [[Constantine I (emperor)|Constantine]]. From the time of Constantine, XP was a significant symbol of Christianity, surpassed only by [[Christian cross|the cross itself]]. Early military associations make Chi Rho an apt symbol for the Templars. On de Vichiers' seal, Chi Rho is visible on the shields of the knights.

=== [[Eagle (heraldry)|The Eagle]] ===

The Double-Headed Eagle is more commonly associated with Coat of Arms of the Byzantine Empire.
[[Bertram von Esbeck]], Master of the Temple in Germany, 1296 depicts an eagle with two [[six-pointed star]]s.{{citation needed|date=April 2016}}

=== Paris Temple ===

===Cross===
Aragon;[[Tortosa]]; Late 13th century. Depicting a cross. Legend: SIGILLUM MILICIE TEMPLI IN DERTOSA
Aragon; [[Alfambra]]; 1248. Brown wax, round, 30&nbsp;mm. in diameter, depicting a cross. Legend:......LUM CASTRI....

==== [[Cross pattée]] ====
A cross having arms narrow at the inner center, and very broad at the other end.

<gallery>
File:Seal Brother Arnaude de Banyuls Artistic.jpg|Fra [[Arnaude de Banyuls]] seal; Aragon; Gardeny; Yellow wax, round, 27&nbsp;mm. in diameter, depicting a cross, with stars in two angles and shields with crosses in the other two. Legend: S. AR..........GARDENNI.
File:Seal Brother Bernard de Montlor 1248small.jpg|Fra [[Bernard de Montlor]] 1248 seal
File:SIGILLUM MILITUM TEMPLI.png|The Masters of [[Poitou]] used this seal. It has been used from the middle of the 12th century to the end of the Order.
</gallery>

==== Cross pattée and [[fleur-de-lis]] ====
A seal from Provence: the Templars from [[Roaix]], [[Sérignan]] ... This knight, [[Giraud de Chamaret]], hoists the templar cross and the "fleur-de-lis". 1234.

<gallery>
File:Brother Hugues de Rochefort 1204 seal.png|Brother [[Hugues de Rochefort]] (Hughs from "ROCAFORTI") 1204 seal. With a star and a "fleur-de-lis", this cross, hart bounded, was the Preceptor's Temple seal.
File:S PRECEPTORIS TEMPLI VALECE.png|The seal of the preceptor of Poitou Legend = S PRECEPTORIS TEMPLI VALECE. Year: 1287. Appears on a charter from Saint Victor lès Valence. Seal can be found at the Archives of the City of Marseille and a moulding at the National Archives of Paris.
File:Brother Giraud deChamaret 1234.png|Brother Giraud de Chamaret 1234
</gallery>

=== Knight on the Horse ===
The seal of Brother [[Roustan de Comps]], commander of the Order of the Temple at [[Richerenches]], 1232, shows a single knight on horseback, bearing a shield with a cross: probably [[St. George]].
<gallery>
File:Brother Roustan de Comps 1232 seal.png|Brother Roustan de Comps 1232 seal
</gallery>

=== Head ===
Seals of Brother Widekind, Master of the Temple in Germany, 1271, and Brother [[Frederick Wildergrave]], 1289, showed Christ's head (or [[John the Baptist]]'s head by other opinions)

=== Tower or Castle ===
The seal of Templar officials in Yorkshire c.1300 shows a tower with a pointed roof.
<gallery>
File:Brother Arnau Despug 1308 seal.jpg|Brother [[Arnau Despug]] 1308 seal
</gallery>
Aragon; [[Monzón]]; Early 14th century. Round, depicting a castle with three towers, with a [[griffin]] on each side. Legend: S. CASTELL........ONI.
Aragon; [[Huesca]]; Round, depicting a castle. Legend: S. DOM. TEMPLI DE OSCA
Aragon; [[Barbará]]; Early 14th century. Yellow wax, round, 29&nbsp;mm. in diameter, depicting a castle between two fishes. Legend: S. COMMAND.....BARBERA

=== Chateau de Guilleragues ===
Here is a Templar cross found in the oldest tower of [[Château de Guilleragues]] in the Aquitaine region of France.
<gallery>
File:cross-on-step.jpg|Templar Cross in oldest tower of [[Château de Guilleragues|Guilleragues Castle]]
</gallery>

=== [[Abraxas]] ===
[[File:Abraxas Artistic representationi.jpg|thumb|right|Seal of a Templar Grand Master in a French charter dated 1214, depicting [[Abraxas]]]]
The word Abraxas (or Abrasax or Abracax) was engraved on certain antique stones, called Abraxas stones, which were used as amulets or charms by [[Gnostic]] sects.  The image most associated with Abraxas is that of a [[chimera (mythology)|composite creature]] with the head of a rooster, the body of a man, and legs made of serpents or scorpions; carrying a whip and shield.  The Gnostics identified Abraxas with [[Yahweh]] (under the Greek form "IAO").  Amulets and seals bearing the figure of Abraxas were popular in the 2nd century, and these stones survived in the treasuries of the middle ages.

Abraxas appears on the seal of a Templar Grand Master in a French charter dated 1214.  The Templars' use of Abraxas as a seal was most likely a result of their expansive treasuries containing a number of ancient gemstones.<ref name=KTPedia>{{cite book|author=Ralls, Karen|title=Knights Templar Encyclopedia|pages=184–185|publisher=Career Press|year=2007|isbn=978-1-56414-926-8}}</ref>

=== [[Dove (heraldry)|The Dove]] ===
<gallery>
File:DOVE Templars seal France.png|Used on the Seal of [[Etienne de Til-Chatel]], lord of [[Pichanges]], Preceptor of [[La Fontenotte]]. Representation of a dove, facing backwards and grasping an olive branch within its beak.
</gallery>

=== Star and Crescent Moon ===
<gallery>
File:Frater Robert seal templar.png|Frater Robert from the land of Retz. Seal from English 13th century. This seal was discovered in the 19th century, in the city of [[St Père en Retz]], at [[Biais]], [[Loire Atlantique]], on the site of a templar Commandery.
</gallery>

=== Lion ===
Seals of Brother [[Otto of Brunswich]], commander of [[Supplingenburg]], shows a lion;
A seal of one Knight Templar, England, 1303 is showing the Lion of England and the cross pattée and the [[crescent]] moon of the Mother Goddess <!-- This is POV -->with stars.
Aragon; [[Miravet]]; 1278, 1287. Depicting a lion

=== Griffon ===
William, Master of the Temple in Hungary and [[Slovenia]], 1297, depicts a winged griffon

=== Unusual uncertified early Templar insignia ===

<gallery>
File:OLD Hand Made SEAL HP.jpg|From [[Hugues de Payens]] period. Hand carved Grand Seal. Alike wax imprints were found on official documents addressed to Hugues de Payens.
</gallery>

== References ==
{{reflist}}
{{Commons category|Templars Seal}}

# Hopkins, M, Simmans, G. & Wallace-Murphy, T., Rex Deus, Element, Shaftesbury, Dorset, 2000, 177
# F. de Sagarra, Sigillografía catalana, iii (Barcelona, 1932), 473
# R. de Huesca, Teatro histórico de las iglesias del reino de Aragón, vii (Pamplona, 1797), 121
# The Templars in the Corona de Aragón, Alan John Forey [http://libro.uca.edu/forey/templars.htm]

[[Category:Knights Templar|Seal]]
[[Category:Seals (insignia)]]
[[Category:Seals of organizations]]