Hugues de Payns

Its name

In its French translation of the Eraclès, Guillaume de Tyr names it as follows: " Hoot the Pagan ones delez Troies" . The village of Payns of which it bears the name locates at 12 km in the western north of Troyes, old capital of the province and residence of the counts. The orthography not being stabilized, one concerns in the manuscripts XIIe and XIIIe centuries, twenty-two C-Ws communication of this family name: " Peanz, Painz, Pahans, Pedanes… " The current pronunciation that it is advisable to employ is " pin".

Its life

Hugues de Payns lived in Champagne after 1070. It is in the year 1110, and in the capacity as witness, whom it affixes his signature on two Charte S of Hugues de Troyes, count de Champagne. It is probable that Hugues de Payns, vassal of Hugues de Troyes, was a lord of reputation, near of the comtale family. In 1095, the pope Urbain II starts the Holy war against the Islam with the Close East. It is the massive departure of the first Croisade which was completed in 1099 by the catch of Jerusalem by the crusaders. Hugues de Payns does not take part in it. It is later, in 1104, which it accompanies its suzerain Hugues de Holy Land Champagne where it remained during three years. Of return to him, Hugues de Payns marries a noble young girl of the south of Champagne, Elisabeth de Chappes. They will have three newborns between 1108 and 1114, fore-mentioned Gibin, Isabelle and Thibaud. In 1113, Hugues de Payns signs a charter of donation of the count de Champagne. The document carries the following inscription: " Hugo, dominus (lord) of Peanz". One year later, it sets out again out of Holy Land, but this time settles there definitively. It must then separate from his wife who enters to the convent and will remain there until the death of her husband. Hugues de Payns joined the knights who worked with the protection of the tomb of Christ, high place of pilgrimage, with Jerusalem. This group of noble lived then under the protection and the authority of the canons of the Holy Sepulchre. It was probably lodged at the hospital Midsummer's Day of Jerusalem. It is in 1119 that to create a called independent militia " is born the idea; militia Christi " at the origin of the Order of the founded Temple in 1128 in the cathedral of Troyes. Hugues de Payns directed the order of the Temple during nearly twenty years, until his death to Palestine in 1136. He was 66 years old.

Let us note that there does not exist any portrait of him.

First knights

We arrived the names of eight knights who took part in the foundation of the order. They were probably rather about thirty. They are Godefroy of St-Omer, André de Montbard, Payen de Montdidier, Archambaud of St Agnan, Godefroy Bisol, and three others which one knows only the names, Roland, Gondemare and Geoffroy. The ninth knight remains unknown, although some think that is Hugues Ier de Champagne.

Men of his time

During his life and like founder about the Temple, Hugues de Payns cotoyé certain numbers of remarkable men who supported it and helped in his company.

Bernard de Clairvaux known as Saint-Bernard, (1090 - 1153), French theologist, founder and abbot of Clairvaux, (cistercian)
Honorius II, pope of 1124 with 1130. It is probable that it received Hugues de Payns in Rome in 1127.
Louis VI says the Large one, king de France of 1108 with 1137
Baudoin II of the Borough, count d' Edesse, first king of the frank kingdom of Jerusalem of 1118 with 1131
Foulques V, count d' Anjou and of Touraine, king de Jérusalem of 1131 with 1143
Hugues Ier de Champagne, count de Champagne and of Brie
Payen de Montdidier, first Master of the order in France
Robert de Craon, second Master about the Temple of 1136 with January 1149

A museum

Let us note that a museum bears its name to Payns.

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