[The Knightly Hub] The Livonian Brothers of the Sword

 The Livonian Brothers of the Sword

   Commonly referred to in modern times as the Livonian Brothers of the Sword, Livonian Knights, or the Sword Brethren, this order began in 1202 as the Order of the Knights of the Sword. The order was founded by Albert von Buxhoevden, third bishop of Livonia, with approval from Pope Innocent III. Its primary goal was to make Christianity the dominant religion by forcibly converting Livonian pagans. The order was officially blessed in 1204, and (like many others) shaped itself in the image of the Knights Templar. The Knights of the Sword all hailed from nobility, accepting vows of obedience, poverty, and celibacy. The grand master, once elected by an assembly of knights, would serve for life with the ability to dictate most aspects of the order. The order also consisted of clerics and artisans, who observed no fighting role. 

    The Swordbrothers became the dominant military force in its area of focus. Regardless, it still faced strong resistance from certain peoples, including the Semigallians who, together with Samogitians, would later deliver a crushing defeat to the order at the Battle of Saule (1236). Grand master Volquin was killed in the fight, leading to an abrupt loss of the Knights' military authority. Additionally, both the Holy Roman emperor (Frederick II) and Pope Gregory IX criticized the order for abuse of both pagans and recent Christian converts. 

    It seemed that the Swordbrothers' primary intent was to develop its own fiefdom rather than contribute to the Catholic Church. As a result, in 1237, Gregory IX disbanded the order and forced it to integrate into the Teutonic Knights. This gave the grand master of the Teutonic Knights the authority to determine who looked after the Livonian branch, which maintained its hold on the region despite earlier losses. This hierarchy persisted until 1525 when the Teutonic Knights were forced to give up Prussia, granting autonomy to the Livonian Brothers of the Sword as the former began to shrink in on itself. Sadly, the order was forced to disband (again) in 1561 after it lost control of Livonia during the Livonian War (1558-1583) due to neighboring states striking an interest in the area- or rather, in not letting other states control the area.

Further Reading: 

The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica. “Livonia.” Encyclopædia Britannica. ©2020 Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc. 13 August 2010. Accessed 9 December 2020. <https://www.britannica.com/place/Livonia-historical-region-Europe>.

The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica. “Order of the Brothers of the Sword.” Encyclopædia Britannica. ©2020 Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc. 25 October 2011. Accessed 8 December 2020. <https://www.britannica.com/topic/Order-of-the-Brothers-of-the-Sword>. 

Anonymous. “Livonian Order of Knights / Order of the Brothers of the Sword.” The History Files. Copyright © 1999-2020 Kessler Associates. All rights reserved. Publication Unknown. Accessed 8 December 2020. <https://www.historyfiles.co.uk/KingListsEurope/EasternLivonianKnights.htm#top>.

Smirl, J.D. “A Wayward Crusade: The Short Life of the Livonian Swordbrothers.” J.D. Smirl: Graphic Art, Illustration, Writing, and Bookbinding. © Jordan D. Smirl. Published 27 May 2019. Accessed 8 December 2020. <https://jdsmirl.wordpress.com/writing/livonian_swordbrothers/>. - I’m somewhat surprised I didn’t come across this source sooner. While the majority of Smirl’s work doesn’t directly coincide with what I myself am doing, I’d imagine his blog to be rather fascinating to other lovers of art, history, and art history. I don’t have any experience commissioning him, so I can’t review that aspect of his work, but I recommend clicking through some of his galleries if nothing else. There is a specific one I found intriguing in which he compiles references for medieval armor. Here's a link for those interested.

[The Knightly Hub] A Very Brief Overview of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre

 The Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre

    The Church of the Holy Sepulchre was originally constructed circa 336, and is considered the holiest place on Earth even today. This church's liberation was the primary reason the Crusades began in the first place, as the Muslims were preventing Christians from entering. Legends commonly date the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre back to the time of Godfrey de Bouillon (circa 1099, the capture of Jerusalem from the Muslims after the First Crusade) due to his desire to be called a defender of the church. However, the EOHSJ was never much of a knightly order at all.  In fact, it was more or less restricted to an independent brotherhood. 

    The order still wound up adopting knighthood in order to defend the church, a position often heavily sought after. In fact, all those who were dubbed a knight and fought in the church's honor could be dubbed a Knight of the Holy Sepulchre. Sergeants were often selected from large troops of crusaders on account of their commitment and strength, falling under the command of the current King of Jerusalem. Like many other knights of the era, they accepted vows of poverty and obedience.

    The already limited military aspect of this order began to crumble after Saladin reclaimed Jerusalem, ceasing completely by 1291 after the fall of Acre. Despite everything, the first documented note of this order's existence as the Knights of the Holy Sepulchre arose from 1336 with significant papal interest as a candidate for the Holy See. The Church then proceeded to reorganize and adjust it multiple times under various popes. When Pope Clement allowed the Franciscans to be the official caretakers of the Holy Land in 1342, all members of the EOHSJ were required to be a member of this group. 

    While I have been referring to it as if it were a proper order thus far, in a technical sense, it should not be considered as such since it lacked a monastic rule and any regular possessions or organization. What belonged to the Holy Sepulchre actually belonged to the Canons, not the Knights. This was, however, the most inclusive of groups. When one was asked about their financial origin they were not obligated to answer and even the commander was meant to dress as an ordinary knight - with a white cloak adorned with the cross of Jerusalem in red. The order still exists with papal recognition today, largely to promote faith in Christianity, defend the Catholic Church in Jerusalem, and provide for the needy, like so many other modern knights.

Further Reading:

Anonymous. “History.” Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem - Northern Lieutenancy. © 2020 The Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem. All Rights Reserved. Publication Unknown. Accessed 17 November 2020. <https://www.eohsjnorthern.com/history.html>.

Moeller, Charles. “Knights of the Holy Sepulchre.” The Catholic Encyclopedia. Vol. 7. New York: Robert Appleton Company. Copyright © 2020 by Kevin Knight. 1910. Accessed 3 November 2020. <https://www.newadvent.org/cathen/07427c.htm>.

The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica. “Church of the Holy Sepulchre.” Encyclopædia Britannica. Encyclopædia Britannica, inc. 28 May 2020. Accessed 17 November 2020. <https://www.britannica.com/place/Holy-Sepulchre>.

Other Sites:

http://www.oessh.va/content/ordineequestresantosepolcro/en.html

https://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/institutions_connected/oessh/index_en.htm

https://eohsjeastern.org/

https://www.diocesealex.org/our-faith/lay-organizations/equestrian-order-of-the-holy-sepulchre/

[The Knightly Hub - But Not] Spooky Old Tree

 Regard the image below for a moment.

There is nothing particularly valuable nor unique about this 2002 Bright and Early Books copy of The Berenstain Bears and the Spooky Old Tree. I would be lying outright if I told you that when I held up Stan and Jan Berenstain’s book I saw the eyes of God discreetly printed on the pages. In fact, this particular cover is the second result on Google images. However, the value of this book is drawn from its imperfections. From the dents in the cover to the fading and misprints in the images, it’s something special. Each page is creased ever so slightly by thumbprints from countless readings in my very early years. In fact, despite my illiteracy, I managed to memorize the entire book simply because I heard my parents read it so many times. Despite all of this, the US $8.99 price tag remains almost perfectly intact on the back of the book. The price seems to have stayed pretty consistent over the years. Nowadays, I believe my fascination was drawn from the images rather than the story.

“Do they dare go up that twisty old stair?” 

“Yes. They dare.”

[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.

[The Knightly Hub] The Hospitallers of Saint Lazarus: The Leper Knights

     Finally, we begin delving into more obscure territory as we fill out our historical map. I would like to point out the "History" tab, where I am attempting to group these more minor Orders together to make them easier to locate in the future. While the Hospitallers of Saint Lazarus can be considered as a more major military organization, information on future projects shall become more and more sparse --- "History" will be extremely beneficial for locating and connecting information. 

    Onwards.

The Hospitallers of Saint Lazarus: The Leper Knights

    The Knights of Saint Lazarus may not reside in the pit of unknown, but even placing one foot in the cusp leads to significant gaps in information. The birth of this organization alone is heavily convoluted due to an absence of proper documentation for many of its early years. The common tale goes a little bit like this:

    During the 1130s, the order arose just outside the walls of Jerusalem, close to the St Lazarus postern (a small, inconspicuous door in a city's fortification), as a hospital for those who had contracted leprosy. In 1142, land within Jerusalem was given to the "Church of Saint Lazarus" in order to provide a more secure location to care for the sick. They were certainly not the first organization of their kind, although they claimed to be a continuation of past legacies in order to appear older and more respectable. 

    The order saw an influx of former sergeants and knights from various neighboring organizations, including the Knights of Saint John and Templars who had contracted leprosy during the thirteenth century, as neither group wanted to risk further infection (although, it is worth noting that the Knights of Saint John never made an explicit rule that lepers should/could defect, as they felt capable of handling the sick by themselves). Due to this, the Knights of Saint Lazarus are often depicted as a sort of diseased love-hate child between the Templars and Knights of Saint John. However, key differences exist, especially in regard to the hospitals of Saint John v Saint Lazarus. The Hospitallers of Saint John took the sick in as temporary additions to nurse them back to health, but those taken by the Hospitallers of Saint Lazarus were oft condemned to a permanent, secluded residency due to the nature of Leprosy. Once under the care of the OSLJ, individuals were treated as a member of the greater house and referred to as "brother" or "sister," subject to the same rules as their caretakers. Often, the master of the order was chosen from among the lepers. Despite this, the first master whose name has not been lost to time, Bartholomew, is suggested to have been a Templar who abandoned his original order to bask in the glory of being a minister for the terminally ill. 

    The connection with the Templars grows ever stronger when one considers that, after the Templars were forced to give up Acre by Saladin, the Knights of Saint Lazarus took over former Templar claims and refortified them. During the war of Saint Sabas (a conflict between Italian city-states that pitted the Knights of Saint John and the Templars against each other), the grandmaster of the Templars even took refuge with the OSLJ. Finally, in 1260 it was absolutely required that all leprous Templars defect to the Knights of Saint Lazarus. 

    Although it was pulling from incredibly successful pools of warriors, the sickly Knights of Saint Lazarus were not particularly successful on the battlefield. They were often forced into precarious positions, separated from the main, protective body of their allies, due to their disease. Their will to continue battling is something worth admiring, but nevertheless, they were often the most severely diminished force on the battlefield. Their introduction was largely out of necessity since manpower had begun to dwindle with the fall of the overall crusading spirit, and they were far from a first choice. The Knights of Saint Lazarus finally followed the example of similar organizations at the time and abandoned Jerusalem in 1291. 

    As they gradually shifted to a military order alone, the Knights of Saint Lazarus were deemed rather useless. They began to leech off of Christian charity organizations until, in 1490, Pope Innocent VIII attempted to pass their properties to the Hospitallers of Saint John, who had little interest in OSLJ holdings outside of Germany. Despite this, the Order of Saint Lazarus was gradually reinstated as an organization, facing only minor conflict in regaining their claims from the Knights of Saint John, who had decided to cling to earlier declarations to preserve their power. The Knights of Saint Lazarus still exist today as a charity organization against poverty, disease, and intolerance.

Further Reading:

Friedman, Matti. “After 700 years, the Knights of St. Lazarus return to Jerusalem… riding electric buggies.” The Times of Israel. © 2020 The Times of Israel , All Rights Reserved. 18 April 2013. Accessed 3 November 2020. <https://www.timesofisrael.com/after-700-years-the-knights-of-st-lazarus-return-to-jerusalem-riding-electric-buggies/>.

Marcombe, David. Leper Knights: The Order of St Lazarus of Jerusalem in England, C.1150-1544. Boydell Press; 7 May 2003. (342 Pages). 

Moeller, Charles. “Order of St. Lazarus of Jerusalem.” The Catholic Encyclopedia. Vol. 9. New York: Robert Appleton Company. Copyright © 2020 by Kevin Knight. 1910. Accessed 3 November 2020. <https://www.newadvent.org/cathen/09096b.htm>.

Schrader, Helena P. “The Forgotten Military Order: The Knights of St. Lazarus.” Balian d'Ibelin and the Kingdom of Jerusalem. Copyright © Helena P. Schrader. All rights reserved. Publication Unknown. Accessed 3 November 2020. <https://www.defenderofjerusalem.com/knights-of-st.-lazarus.html>.

Unknown. “The History of the Order (12th - 13th Centuries).” History. The Military and Hospitaller Order of Saint Lazarus of Jerusalem, Grand Priory in Canada

COPYRIGHT © 2020 - stlazarus.ca. Publication Unknown. Accessed 3 November 2020. <https://www.stlazarus.ca/content/oslj-history-12-13-centuries.php>.

Official Sites: http://ordersaintlazarususa.com/

https://www.stlazarus.ca/main.php?LANG=en

[The Knightly Hub] Novel Marginalia

 

       I must admit, this is rather poorly scanned, but featured above is an excerpt from Dan Jones' novel The Templars: The Rise and Spectacular Fall of God's Holy Warriors. More specifically, this is taken from the first appendix in which he summarizes the major characters of Templar history. This page in particular addresses many figures which had a hand in the Templars' demise and other must-mentions. The majority of what I have written is just simple notes that either elaborate upon a figure or clarify where they fit on a timeline. Those circled are figures which I am already quite familiar with and plan/planned to mention in posts, as they most often come up in general research. 

Jones, Dan. The Templars: The Rise and Spectacular Fall of God’s Holy Warriors. Penguin Publishing Group; 19 September 2017. (428 Pages). - ISBN 9780143108962 (Paperback Edition).

[The Knightly Hub] The Knights Templar: Bank and Bust

 The Knights Templar: Bank and Bust

    One notable thing about the Knights Templar is their method of handling finances, often credited as the first instance of a modern banking system. The Templars were a wealthy order, the wealthiest of all, in fact. However, under an oath of poverty, the members themselves continued to represent the Order's original image of a poor man. There were countless regulations prohibiting displays of wealth among the Templar knights alongside items such as "*We prohibit pointed shoes and shoe-laces and forbid any brother to wear them… For it is manifest and well known that these abominable things belong to pagans" (Holland). 

    The Templar's economic influence stretched from the Crusader States in Jerusalem to Cyprus and the London area. They owned land across Europe from donations written in the wills of nobility, making their sphere of influence more concrete and allotting space for the construction of dormitories and economic hubs. Not only were they bankers, but they had their own shipping line to facilitate the movement of goods and information. The Templars became incredibly trusted among western powers, so much so that King John of England deposited the crown jewels with the Templar's London bank while battling against the Magna Carta. 

    Throughout the 1200s, the Templars functioned as a sect of the French Treasury. They took up the responsibility of paying royal workers on behalf of the King and his family. The Templars also collected taxes from France, the church of England, Hungary, Spain, and Italy as requested by the Pope. Again, we note Omne Datum Optimum (1139), which left the Templars subject to no authority sans the current pope.

    Unfortunately, their affiliations with the French monarchy would come to bring their demise. Crusading had become increasingly expensive over the decades, as many knights served for pay rather than a conviction in the cause. Additionally, the hand accumulating armies shifted from lords to kings themselves, who were often preoccupied with issues in their homeland, making Jerusalem seem less important. Areas such as Acre became plagued with crime due to an influx of undesirables. Each new crusade seemed more unsuccessful than the last. Crusader States began to collapse as Orders lost the desire and means to hang onto their Eastern claims.

    The Templars watched other organizations leave; notably, the Teutonics shifted their focus to the Baltics, and the Hospitallers relocated to Rhodes in 1308. Around that same year, Philip IV ordered the arrest of all French Templars. The new pope, Pope Clement V, had little to no desire to uphold Omne Datum Optimum, leaving the Templars no choice but to comply with the French government. The monarchy had fallen into debt, owing a significant sum to the Templars. In addition, many powers were jealous of the economic authority wielded by what was initially just a military force.

    A year earlier, the king had sent spies to live among the ranks of the Templars, spreading copious dark rumors and forming a list of allegations against the Order. The king used this to justify his call for arrest, stripping the men of their properties. The Templars were imprisoned and often tortured until they confessed to crimes such as heresy, homosexuality, spitting on the cross, and worshipping idols. They were faced with a threat comparable to the witches of Salem: confess or die. (Some Templars adamantly refused to confess to crimes which they did not commit and passed during torture.) Pope Clement V abolished the order in 1312, but the torture continued until 1314 when grand master Jacques de Molay was burned at the stake.

    As far as Papal recognition is concerned, 1312 was the official end of the Poor Fellow Soldiers of Christ and of the Temple of Solomon, or the Knights Templar. The Order's finances and assets were passed on to the Knights Hospitallers, the Templar's largest rival and ally. The modern Templars argue that the pope did not have the authority to abolish their order "because the Pope did not create them; the Knights Templar existed on their own for eleven years before the Pope officially gave them ecclesiastical recognition" (Templar Church). However, based on my personal analysis, I would not consider the Templars a valid knightly order any longer, rather, a very involved club. This is simply due to the fact that the Knights Templar are no longer awarded by the Vatican and thus cannot stand alongside enduring orders with authority. Thus, the Templars are inherently reduced to an ordinary religious charity. 

- - - - - - -

Further reading:

Daugherty, Greg. “Why the Knights Templar Gave False Confessions of Depravity.” History.com. © 2020 A&E Television Networks, LLC. All Rights Reserved. 5 March 2019. Accessed 14 October 2020. <https://www.history.com/news/knights-templar-downfall-confessions-torture>.

Holland, Brynn. “The Knights Templar Rulebook Included No Pointy Shoes and No Kissing Mom.” History.com. © 2020 A&E Television Networks, LLC. All Rights Reserved. 15 December 2017; Updated 5 March 2019. Accessed 14 October 2020. <https://www.history.com/news/the-knights-templar-rulebook-included-no-pointy-shoes-and-no-kissing-mom>.

Teodorczuk, Tom. “The Knights Templar: Military order or the first financial-services company?” MarketWatch: Entertainment. Copyright © 2020 MarketWatch, Inc. All rights reserved. 28 September 2017. Accessed 14 October 2020. <https://www.marketwatch.com/story/how-the-knights-templar-became-the-worlds-first-financial-services-company-2017-09-26>.

Templar Church. “Abolished.” The Knights Templar. Copyright Templar Church all Rights Reserved, 2014. Exact publication unknown. Accessed 14 October 2020. <https://www.theknightstemplar.org/templars-disbanded/>.