[The Knightly Hub] A Discussion: Crusade Documentation & Research

 Introduction:

    The very nature of the Crusades as a series of military escapades implies that records exist, detailing the events of each whether by a state or by an individual involved. Along these same lines, each organization which arose around this time was bound to be recorded at least once. Whether these records survive, however, is an entirely different matter which leads to gaps in information and thus, interpretation. Where there is room for interpretation, there is also room for more outlandish theories that gradually slip into the realm of conspiracy. 

    Such speculation has existed since the dawn of the Crusading era to some degree or another, as it is unreasonable to assume all literate members of society were constantly and fully aware of the precise details of each distant battle. The presence of gaps and speculation also leads into different derivatives of lesser known stories which can all be equally valuable, although there is generally one favored telling of each history. Such is the case with the Knights of Saint Lazarus, as is mentioned in my personal telling linked here. Even the Knights Templar, one of the most documented orders, has significant gaps in the minutiae of its history due to the sheer vastness of its influence. Evidence of Templar strongholds has been found in North America with little to no documentation of how or why those artifacts came to rest there. Again, with an organization so influential and known even to particularly avoidant scholars and casual movie goers, it invites conspiracy.

Conspiracy:

    Before I begin to list particular scholars and whatnot, I would like to elaborate a bit upon my personal beliefs when it comes to conspiracy theorists and the validity of their work. If this segment seems uninteresting or irrelevant, feel free to skip to the next subtitle.

    I find certain aspects of conspiracy regarding the Knights Templar and related topics interesting. Do I believe every piece of information that arises from such discussions? Absolutely not. I tend to stick as exclusively as I can to interpretations of events that reoccur throughout different official/scholarly texts and, generally, have the strongest and most convincing place in an overall timeline. However, the vast majority of history seems inane when isolated, and history is often proven wrong and altered. Thus, I find it difficult to ignore this aspect of study completely.

    The Conversation  does a decent job explaining exactly how many popular connections formed between the Knights Templar and other exclusive organizations. In this article, it is stated that the Freemason-Templar connection first arose after Andrew Ramsey, a Frenchman, referred to the Knights Hospitallers (St. John) as the ancestors of the Freemasons. This was easily disproven, as the Knights Hospitaller were still very much in existence, and thus he altered his claim to be the Knights Templar. Knights, much like modern-day soldiers, fascinated many individuals who were unable to claim the title for themselves. Fiction surrounding the Knights Templar specifically can be dated as early as the 13th century, where an associating with the Holy Grail was popularized (click here for the true downfall of the Templars). This, of course, is why I personally cannot become too invested in such theories, as many are traced directly to fictional texts. Although, as with many things, it is somewhat fun to become lost among more intriguing stories when the reality of organizations such as the Templars can be almost painfully sobering.

Early Histories:

    Clear documentation of the Crusades is fairly limited, although historians began to interpret and publish their own recollections as soon as the zeal began to die. Fordham University provides an incredibly comprehensive list of sources from the contemporary era, linked here. This particular site also has directories to other topics and eras for those interested. A book I recently purchased is the third volume of Vertot's Hospitaller series: The History of the Knights Hospitallers of St. John of Jerusalem: Styled Afterwards, the Knights of Rhodes, and at Present, the Knights of Malta. I found this text particularly intriguing as it was originally dated 1726. The particular edition I have acquired is a 2017 UK reprint of the original text from the publisher Forgotten Books (ISBN 978-1-331-27248-9 if one wishes to uncover it for them self).

Modern Study:

    Modern study has changed drastically due to the internet, giving ordinary people access to countless rare and unique texts, but in the circles of historians there are certainly texts which stand out among the rest. In the following list I will include a compilation of bibliographies outside of my own which name influential novels and a few of my favorite sources outside of what I have already mentioned.

Andrew Hold, Ph.D. - Historians Rank the "Most Important" Books on the Crusades - A list I will certainly return to and attempt to judge on my own in the future.

ThoughtCo. - 8 Best Books on the Knights Templar - Based on a brief scan of the contents of these novels, I have to agree that these books are certainly among the more reliable. 

Jones, Dan. The Templars: The Rise and Spectacular Fall of God’s Holy Warriors. Penguin Publishing Group; 19 September 2017. (428 Pages). - This is certainly not the most scholarly of texts, as it is very much written to be used for pleasure. The portrayal of the figures mentioned and their descriptions in the novel's appendix is remarkably accurate, although it is worth noting that Jones, again, anglicizes the majority of the names within the novel for readability (this is not a complaint, he even discloses such in the introduction).

Medieval Warfare - Monastic Orders: Knights Templar, Knights Hospitaller and others - I am only linking to this specific page because it relates most strongly to what I have already covered, but there are many other topics explored from the Medieval times (armor, torture, life in general, etc). So far, everything I have read is remarkably accurate and I highly recommend giving this site a read.

ABSOLUTE MUST READ (or at least scan)!!! 

In relation to Fordham University's sourcebook, here is a bibliography by Paul Halsall (18 years of updates!) - https://sourcebooks.fordham.edu/crusades-bibliography.pdf - This mentions the Encyclopedia Britannica as an incredibly trustworthy resource, and I must agree although the articles can be rather vague and useless without a subscription to view the full contents. At the very least, I recommend it as a beneficial starting ground for determining the validity of other sources, but certainly not a stopping point for the general exploration of a topic.